Best CPU Cooler For Intel Core i7 8700K : [Reviewed 2023]

So, you want to buy some aesthetically pleasing and best performance CPU cooler for your 8700K processor?

I know it’s a tough job to choose from so many options.

That’s why I shortlisted the eleven best i7 8700K CPU coolers.

After reading the whole post, you will get a clear idea of which cooler to buy.

So, keep reading.

Overall Best Core i7-8700K CPU Coolers

1. Overall Best Cooler: MPG CORELIQUID K360
2. Best Premium Pick: NZXT Kraken Z73
3. Best Budget Pick: EK AIO Elite 360 D-RGB
4. Cheapest Liquid Cooler: Fractal Design Celsius+ S36
5. All in One CPU Cooler: Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora
6. Raw performance: DEEP COOL Castle 360EX
7. Best Design: Aerocool Mirage L120

10 Best CPU Coolers For i7 8700K

Here is the list of best core i7-8700K CPU Coolers:

1. MSI MPG CORELIQUID K360

The MPG CORELIQUID K360 is a solid and high-quality liquid CPU cooler from MSI. However, it includes a huge number of its own unique features.

There is a CPU block that is equipped with an MSI dragon logo.

The logo illuminates some excellent lighting effects. You can also rotate the top cover by 270 degrees, through which you can ensure that the dragon logo is facing properly.

The RGB lighting effects are synchronizable and be controlled by the motherboard manufacturer software and by the MSI Mystic Light software.

To control these features, you will need to connect it with a three-pin 5V ARGB header.

Also, you can try using an RGB hub. Both of the methods will work perfectly. But keep in mind that you will not get any RGB hub included with the package.

So, the RGB features are not going to work if you are planning to use them on an old motherboard without an ARGB header.

Key Features:

• Designed with the radiator mounted pump mechanism
• Rotating CPU block top cover
• Includes two-zone ARGB lighting effects
• Extended CPU socket support

The MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 comes with a huge package, including so many beneficial things. When you open the package, the first thing you will see is the user manual that many people consider useless.

But honestly, it is the most useful and important thing among the other contents. You can learn many unknown facts about the product by reading it. However, you will also get a VIP reward card and a shoutout program leaflet.

After all of these things, here comes the main content, the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 cooler itself.

The radiator of MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 is huge, which is 360mm. The measurement of the radiator is 394mm long, 120mm wide, and 27mm thick.

This is a standard measurement for the radiators of liquid CPU coolers. Also, you will get 400mm long hoses so that they can afford enough flexibility when you are going for orientation.

There are three years of warranty with this product. So, if you face any problem while using this cooler, you can claim your warranty from the store you bought this. However, it emits a very low noise, which is considered to be 20dBA.

So, if you are looking for an amazing liquid CPU cooler, then it can be a perfect choice for you.

2. NZXT Kraken Z73

NZXT means to impress the consumers with its glitzy formal out-look. For computer components, NZXT has been leading the market with its quality and design. But good things cost a little more. For almost all of the products of NZXT, the price is getting a little higher.

However, the NZXT Kraken Z73 CPU liquid cooler comes with real-time system control, user interface integration, and a hardcore CPU liquid cooling system for those who demand a deep pocket and some high expectations.

Having a beautiful, multi-color option LCD pump display takes this cooler to the next level.

The LCD display can show real-time data of your computer components—for example, the temperature, CPU clock speed, working level, and so on.

Also, there is CAM software that is able to provide you the ability to pump or controlling the fan.

You can also select some presets which is available in the software. Also, you can customize the RGB lighting according to your needs.

The cooling capability of this cooler is outstanding. It can cool down your Intel Core i9 11900K processor very gently.

Key Features:

• Infinitude mirror with LCD screen CPU block design
• 7th generation Asetek pump
• PWM fan speed controller
• Built-in RGB lighting effects
• Easy installation method

I think it’s a tradition to package a CPU cooler in a cardboard box, sorting the color scheme of the NZXT white and purple combination. You will find a large image on the top of the box.

And on the backside of the box, there are some additional key details about the product. All of the components are safely secured in tight packaging.

While opening the box, you will get two pieces of Aer P 140mm cooling fans, a SATA power cable, a fan splitter to add the fans, and a USB cable.

There is also included mounting hardware, which can be used for Intel and AMD platforms CPUs that are typical of Asetek based coolers.

An installation or user manual guide and certainly the NZXT Kraken Z73 CPU Liquid Cooler itself will be included in the box.

3. EK AIO Elite 360 D-RGB

When it comes to buying a liquid CPU cooler, the first brand that comes to mind is EK Water Blocks.

Because they make some premium level cooler that can blow up anyone’s mind. The founder of EK Water Blocks is Edvard König, who started the manufacturing of cooling systems back in 1999 because he was a man of enthusiasm.

After creating some products, this brand got its life. Suddenly it becomes very popular that everyone started to buy this liquid cooler.

Now EK is recognized in more than 30 countries worldwide. However, the Elite 360 D-RGB CPU Liquid Cooler is one of the best creations of the EK brand.

It is the most premium-looking cooler ever. The RGB lighting is so wonderful that it takes your rig to the next level. Of course, the RGB lighting effects are customizable with the software.

Also, they cost very much cheaper than others.

Hence, the EK AIO 360 Elite D-RGB cooler is supported with Intel Sockets whose LGA is 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 2011, 2011-3, 2066.

Also, it supports AMD Socket AM4. So you can easily use this cooler on your Intel i9 11900k as well as in your AMD build.

Key Features:

• Sophisticated pump design
• Six fans operate in push+pull
• Includes ARGB/PWM fan hub
• Easy Installation
• Maintenance-free
• Ultra-Quiet Cooling Solution
• Perfect for Overclocking

The EK AIO 360 Elite D-RGB cooler comes in a white color cardboard packaging box that is perfectly organized.

On top of the box, you will see a huge image of the liquid cooler itself with some digital lighting on the fans as well as the block.

The cooler has three major content in the box, which are a powerful pump, fans, and the active radiator. You can actually see the diagram in the box.

However, the box contents you will get are phenomenal. For example, you will get one metallic backplate, two Intel Mounting Brackets, and AMD Mounting Brackets.

Also, there will be thumb caps or nuts, springs, Intel LGA20xx standoffs as well as other sockets standoffs, screws to mount the brackets, Philips head screws, and one Ectotherm thermal paste will be included in the box.

4. Fractal Design Celsius+ S36

If you are looking for an all-rounder liquid cooler that is capable of offering some astonishing features and exceptional performance, then do take a good long look at the Fractal Design Celsius+ S36.

It is an all-rounder CPU cooler that doesn’t put pressure on the bank account. This is a perfect device for glowing up your home.

However, the Fractal Design Celsius+ S36 Liquid cooler can give you top-tier performance that not every cooler can.

Easy installability is a very decent feature for a liquid cooler in this price range. Any newbies can install it without any problem where the other coolers are very difficult to install. But there are some bad things about the product.

Every living thing in the world has some advantages and disadvantages. And the cooler is not exceptional. You won’t get any RGB LEDs light in the cooler, which is considered to be the most disadvantage for a cooler.

RGBs are like a charm for gamers and enthusiasts. Some think that RGB increases the fps while gaming, despite it not true but also it’s not a good thing for not including RGB lights.

Key Features:

• Top-tier performance
• Fairly quiet
• Easy to install
• Solid three years of warranty
• AM4 support

The box of this cooler is pretty large. If we do the measurement, then it is approximately 47 cm long, 17.7 cm wide, and 14.5 cm tall.

While opening the box, you will be greeted by the Fractal Design for buying their cooler. But I didn’t like that they didn’t give any kind of foam pad on top of the contents to protect them.

However, the next things you will get are huge in number, for instance, M3 radiator screws, M3 short radiator screws, Washers, Screw pillars, Intel 2011 screw pillars, the latest model of AMD screw pillars for AM4, Phillips head nuts, 120 mm fans, Stick-on wire clips, User’s manual, AMD mounting clip, Intel mounting clip, Intel backplate, and one pre-filled liquid cooler.

The flow rate of the pump is only 40 liters per hour which is very low compared to the other liquid cooler in this price range. But it can be considered if you are not a hard user. Also, the cable of the fans is also short, and I didn’t like it.

Because it can bother you while building and can look weirder. However, the Fractal Design Celsius+ S36 is a pretty good Liquid CPU cooler, actually.

5. Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora

Alphacool is known as one of the best brands for making CPU coolers. As the name suggests, they create mainly cooling devices.

And the Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 CPU Cooler is a kinda game-changing cooler. Unlike the previous one, there is an RGB lighting effect on the fans and on the CPU block that provides a greater stylish outlook.

So, there is no doubt that it will make your build smarter and cooler.

The measurement of this cooler is quite appreciable. Because it is 124mm in width, 273mm in depth, and 57.2mm thick. The speed controller is bios itself. You will get two large sizes of cooling fans in the cooler.

And the connectors are 4-Pin PWM, 3-Pin PWM, 3-pin RGB. So, if you are looking for the best value-for-money CPU cooler, then you can take a big look at this one.

Key Features:

• Solid thermal performance
• 5V digital addressable RGB lighting
• Expandable system
• PWM Fan speed control
• An open-loop system that can be refilled with coolant
• Included RGB lighting controller

The power consumption rate of this cooler is only 4W, so you won’t need to worry about the current bill. Having an intensified speed of the pump rate of 2800 RPM allows the radiator to pump properly.

And the pump is able to operate itself by only DC 7-13.5V. The fan controlling method is important for a CPU cooler, and it is the 4-pin PWM method. Only 2mm of static pressure is able to let the cooler sit accurately.

However, when you will open the package, you will see the packaging very different from the other cooler.

Where the other brands mostly use white color packaging in a cardboard box, this cooler made some difference from the others. The multi-color packaging will catch your eye. However, the manual will first appear while opening the box. Then you will get the cooler itself—afterward some of the other accessories like before.

The RGB lighting effects are controllable by the mystic light software. There are so many interesting effects that will increase the beauty of your build. Hence, it can be a great CPU liquid cooler for your setup.

6. Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240P

Like NZXT, Cooler Master is a giant company who has been leading the computer market. Their quality of the product is just outstanding. Most of the products of Cooler Master are DIY friendly.

So, you can customize the products according to your needs. Cooler Master is a juggernaut with a tremendous variety of peripherals, heatsinks, fans, cases, power supplies, and all-in-one liquid coolers.

Having the products in just about every imaginable category and price tag, Cooler Master is renowned to enthusiasts all over the world.

The versatility and enthusiasm have been leading the world. A good illustration of the quality of the product is the MasterLiquid ML240P cooler itself. For almost all kinds of Intel processors, it fits very well.

The dimension of the radiator is very reasonable, which is 277 mm × 120 mm × 27 mm. And it is made of aluminum. However, the transparent pump design is able to attract most of the attention.

Because while you will enter the water and when it will start to pumping, it will look so cool. Most of the cooler in this price range doesn’t provide this transparent pump. So, it’s a plus point for this cooler.

Key Features:

• Transparent pump top
• Outer ring fan blade design
• 240mm Radiator
• Addressable RGB LED Lighting
• Exclusive ML240P Mirage Fans
• Braided tubing and cable sleeving
• Exclusive Wired ARGB Controller

The pump power consumption is only 3.96W, and the rated voltage is 12VDC. So, it will take 12V from your motherboard to operate it.

However, the LED Colors of the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240P are ARGB. And to connect it to your motherboard, you will get some extra ARGB headers.

But there are some negative sides to this cooler that we didn’t like.

You will need to spend a high amount of money to afford this cooler where you can get similar products from the other brands in this price range. Also, the thermal performance is average, not so good, not so bad.

But there are elegant lighting effects using a clear pump top that take covers these negative sides.

Also, the Threadripper support is a kind of the plus point. But the most attractive feature is that you will get a cooler master controller hub included with this cooler so that you can control the RGB lighting effects with the hub.

7. Enermax Aquafusion 360 RGB

A few days back, the brand Enermax has gained some bad reviews regarding some issues in the past. But the recently released products are covering up these reviews, and they are increasing their popularity day by day.

And the Enermax Aquafusion 360 RGB CPU Liquid Cooler is an example of that. They created this revolutionary cooler which is able to cool down a processor very quickly. Also, they don’t cost much higher; it’s affordable.

The Enermax Aquafusion 360 is a 380W RGB CPU liquid cooler. The radiator is made of aluminum, so I don’t have to say that anymore that the durability will be strong. The dimension of the product is quite common compared to the other coolers, which is 394 x 120 x 27 mm.

The bearing of the pump is made of ceramic, which is pretty unique in this price range. The pump is capable of 50,000 hrs of MTBF. However, like the previous cooler we reviewed, it also uses a 12 V DC current to operate. I think it’s a standard-rated voltage for a cooler.

Key Features:

• Luminous Aurabelt™ for vivid lighting effects
• ENERMAX SquA RGB (fans)
• Addressable RGB lighting synchronization
• Two ways to control RGB lighting effects
• Patented Shunt-Channel-Technology (SCT)
• Premium 400 mm weaved tube

The two ways to control the RGB lights are pretty cool. You can actually control the lighting by your motherboard software or by the controller.

You will find the ENERMAX RGB Control Box in the package. With the buttons in the controller, you can easily customize the lighting effects.

Also, you can change the effect by using MSI Mystic Light software. By downloading MSI Dragon Center, you can also change.

It’s a pretty good handy feature, I guess. The radiator itself is able to offer high heat exchange capability, which is possible because of the fine channels and thin aluminum fins design.

The package content is as usual as the other coolers. You will get the Enermax Aquafusion 360 cooler itself, along with some other accessories.

I might say the quality of those fans is so durable. When you pick those up on your bare hand, you will feel the premium-ness.

8. DEEPCOOL Castle 360EX

If you are searching for the best liquid cooler that is capable of offering some astonishing features and exceptional performance, then do take a good long look at the DEEP COOL Castle 360EX WH.

It is an awesome CPU cooler that doesn’t cost you so much and doesn’t put pressure on the bank account.

This is a cooling device for glowing up your home. However, the DEEP COOL Castle 360EX WH Liquid cooler can give you an awesome performance that not every cooler can.

For a cooler, easy installability is a very decent feature in this price range. And many newbies can install DEEP COOL Castle 360EX WH without any problem where the other coolers are very difficult to install.

But there are some bad things about the product. Every living thing in the world has some advantages and disadvantages. And the cooler is not exceptional.

You won’t get the absolute best performance with this. It provides a very decent performance, but it’s not the absolute best performer.

And the noise level is at 1800 RPM, so you might need to get few weeks to adapt to the noise. But it’s not that much noisy that you will get irritated, it’s resistible.

Key Features:

• Great performance
• Anti-Leak technology
• Adjustable/swappable logo in the pump head
• Easy to install in an Intel system

The box of the DEEP COOL Castle 360EX WH is quite impressive. It comes with a grey and blue color combination.

Anyways, inside the box, the first thing you will see is the manual which is very helpful for knowing the product very well. Then You will get the cooler itself in a secured packaging so that it doesn’t hamper during transportation.

Afterward, there will be a lot of accessories like before.

The black painted radiator is made of aluminum. So, it does match with the sleeved tubes. Also, it connects with the grey/silver color pump head that looks much more fantastic.

Having so many RGB effects increases the beauty of this cooler. So, if you are looking for the best value-for-money CPU liquid cooler, then you can buy this one without any hesitation.

9. InWin SR24 PRO ARGB

Are you looking for an all-in-one CPU liquid cooler that can do a loop cooling system properly? Then you can try to use the InWin SR24 Pro cooler because it includes so many interesting and addressable features that can all the jobs are done.

There is a most unique and innovative feature available in this cooler which is InWin’s Twin Turbine Pump. This feature will give you two pumps inside the aluminum covering to help with picking low-temperature coolant within the body and upon the cool plate.

Also, it will help to pull hot coolant away towards the radiator to be lessened in the temperature.

According to many researchers, this theory should be more effective than a single pump cooler. However, InWin has even gone so far as to demand that it doesn’t matter if one of those two pumps fails; it can still let the AIO functioning accurately. And it will keep your computer cool.

There will be a warning LED light that will turn on if this situation happens anymore.

Key Features:

• Patented Integrated Twin Turbines
• All Aluminium Waterblock/Pump Housing
• Enhanced AIO Thermal Performance
• Jupiter Series AJF120 Addressable RGB Fans
• RGB Sync Capabilities with Addressable Motherboards
• Cautionary LEDs

The radiator dimension is pretty reasonable, which is 277 x 120 x 27 mm. This is a standard measurement for coolers, so your rig can fit it properly. The addressable RGB of this cooler is very eye-catching.

You can even blink if you enjoy the beauty after completing the setup. So, to increase the beauty of your setup and cooling down the Intel Core i9 11900k, you can buy this cooler.

10. Aerocool Mirage L120

Aerocool Mirage L120 is a high-performance liquid cooler that includes the most charming feature Infinity Mirror RGB. It is designed to give a different and mixed lighting experience.

However, you will be glad to know that the Mirage is designed to reach the most distinguished engineering standards to ensure your computer for staying cool even under the most high-pressure situations.

On an addressable RGB compatible motherboard, this Aerocool Mirage L120 cooler will work properly. You can control the lightings by using motherboard software like ASUS Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, and ASRock RGB Sync, and so on.

This cooler comes with an excellent high-powered RGB silent fan. So, when you complete the setup, your computer will be the most beautiful thing on the earth. There is a pure copper water block that is designed from a microchannel that can provide the cooler to transfer the heat in a faster way.

Key Features:

• Addressable RGB-LED lighting on the pump block and fans
• 120 single radiator made of aluminum for maximum cooling performance
• Includes a 120 mm PWM fan for efficient cooling
• 122.67 m³ / h delivery volume at max. 1,800 rpm
• Easy handling thanks to flexible hoses with kink protection
• Compatible with common AMD & Intel sockets

The box of the Aerocool Mirage L120 is very impressive. It comes with a white and blue color combination.

Anyways, inside the box, the first thing you will see is the manual which is very helpful for knowing the product very well. Then You will get the cooler itself in a secured packaging so that it doesn’t hamper during transportation.

Afterward, there will be a lot of accessories like before.

The radiator of the cooler is painted in black color and made of aluminum. So, it will match with the sleeved tubes.

Having so many RGB effects increases the beauty of this cooler. So, if you are looking for the best value-for-money CPU liquid cooler, then you can buy this one without any hesitation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Is air cooling enough for i7 8700K?

Answer: Air cooling is enough for i7 8700K if you are a normal user. But if you put a lot of pressure on the processor like 3D rendering, 4k video editing, or like that, then you are going to need a liquid cooler. Because these tasks will heat up the processor badly. However, a liquid cooler is a must if you are planning to overclock.

Question: Is 240mm AIO enough for 8700K?

Answer: Yes, 240mm AIO will be enough for 8700K, but better safe than sorry. You can improve it by using a push-pull setup or better static pressure fans.

Question: Will liquid cooling leak?

Answer: It’s a very rare case regarding the fact, though it can happen. But don’t worry, the company will take responsibility if your components get damage by leaking the water.

Final Words

Assuredly, the Intel Core i7 8700K is a powerful processor available in the market right now. You can do almost all kinds of high tasks with this CPU. But the manufacturers don’t provide any cooling solution with the package, so you will need to buy a cooler. But choosing the best one is not an easy task. So, we rounded up this article where you can find the coolers for i7 8700K. We hope that you are now cleared of confusion regarding the fact.