An LGA 1150 PC with a Core i7-4790K or Pentium G3258 can still be useful, but the original cooler is often loud, clogged or missing. This roundup of the best cpu coolers fan for 1150 sockets covers seven coolers sold today that still list LGA 1150 support, sorted by case size and how much heat your Haswell chip puts out.
Quick verdict on the best CPU coolers fan for 1150 builds
For most LGA 1150 PCs, the Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE is the best buy: it lists LGA 1150, stands 148mm tall and costs very little. Overclockers running a 4790K should step up to the dual-tower Peerless Assassin 120 SE, while small office PCs suit the Noctua NH-L9i.
- Best value: Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE.
- Best for an overclocked i7-4790K: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE.
- Best quiet tower: Noctua NH-U12S redux.
- Best budget ARGB option: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Spectrum V3.
- Best for slim cases: Noctua NH-L9i (37mm) or ID-Cooling IS-55 (57mm).
Quick comparison table
Every cooler here lists LGA 1150 directly or as part of LGA 115x on a manufacturer page or detailed Amazon listing. Prices and ratings are Amazon US snapshots from November 2026, and they will change, so use them to compare price tiers rather than as fixed quotes.
| Cooler | Type | Height | Fan | Best LGA 1150 use | Amazon US, Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE | Single tower | 148mm | 1x 120mm | Any Haswell i5 or i7 | About $16 |
| Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE | Dual tower | 155mm | 2x 120mm | Overclocked i7-4790K | About $35 |
| Noctua NH-U12S redux | Single tower | 158mm | 1x 120mm | Quiet i7 builds | About $60 |
| be quiet! Pure Rock 3 Black | Single tower | 154mm | 1x 120mm | Quiet budget upgrade | About $38 |
| Cooler Master Hyper 212 Spectrum V3 | Single tower | 152mm | 1x 120mm ARGB | Budget build with lighting | About $20 |
| Noctua NH-L9i | Low profile | 37mm | 1x 92mm slim | Slim desktops, locked chips | About $50 |
| ID-Cooling IS-55 Black | Low profile | 57mm | 1x 120mm slim | Small cases, more headroom | About $40 |
How we selected coolers for LGA 1150
This list is based on spec research and our November 2026 Amazon US data, not on physical testing. The first rule was compatibility: each cooler had to name LGA 1150 or LGA 115x on a current spec page or detailed listing, because many new coolers now ship only with LGA 1700, 1851 and AM5 hardware.
We then sized the coolers to real Haswell chips. Intel lists the i7-4790K at 88W TDP on LGA 1150, and Wikipedia lists the unlocked Pentium G3258 at 53W. Overclocking either one raises power well above those figures, so we included one dual tower with extra headroom.
Finally, we kept only coolers with hundreds or thousands of Amazon ratings and used manufacturer data where Amazon and the brand disagreed. The ARCTIC Freezer 36 was left out because its spec sheet lists only LGA 1851, LGA 1700, AM5 and AM4.
The best LGA 1150 coolers in detail
Each pick below includes who it suits, the specs we confirmed, compatibility notes, pros and cons, and a short buy or skip rule. Because LGA 1150 shares the 75x75mm hole spacing used from LGA 1156 to LGA 1200, coolers listing LGA 115x use the same Intel bracket.
Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE
The Assassin X120 Refined SE is the best all-round fit for an LGA 1150 PC. It is a 148mm single tower with one 120mm fan, so it fits most mid-tower cases from the Haswell era, and its price keeps the upgrade sensible for an older machine you may not keep for years.
Thermalright lists four 6mm heat pipes, a TL-C12C PWM fan rated to 1550rpm, and support for LGA 115x, 1200, 1700 and 1851 plus AM4 and AM5. The Amazon listing names LGA 1150 explicitly and gives 125x71x148mm, 645g, 66.17 CFM and 25.6 dBA. It was listed around $16 on Amazon US with a 4.7 out of 5 rating from about 1,860 ratings as of November 2026.
- Pros: low cost; explicit LGA 1150 support; mounting for newer sockets if you upgrade later.
- Cons: single fan has less headroom for a heavily overclocked 4790K; warranty length not stated on the product page.
Buy if you want a cheap, quiet replacement for a stock Haswell cooler. Skip if you push a 4790K to high all-core overclocks, where the dual-tower Peerless Assassin is a safer match.
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
The Peerless Assassin 120 SE is the pick for overclocked LGA 1150 chips. It is a dual-tower heatsink with six heat pipes and two 120mm fans, giving far more fin area than a single tower, and it still stays at 155mm tall, which many older mid-towers can take.
Thermalright lists 155mm height, a 125x110x155mm heatsink, six 6mm heat pipes, TL-C12C fans at 1550rpm and 25.6 dBA, and support for LGA 115x, 1200, 1700, 1851, AM4 and AM5. The Amazon listing confirms two fans and gives 125x135x155mm. It was listed around $35 on Amazon US with a 4.7 out of 5 rating from about 3,390 ratings as of November 2026.
- Pros: strong capacity for an overclocked i7-4790K; huge Amazon rating base; current socket support for a later platform move.
- Cons: dual towers can crowd tall RAM and the first PCIe slot on compact Haswell boards; warranty not stated on the product page.
Buy if you overclock a 4790K or G3258 and your case allows about 155mm. Skip if you run a locked i5 at stock, where a single tower costs less and is easier to fit.
Noctua NH-U12S redux
The NH-U12S redux suits LGA 1150 owners who want the quietest tower in this list and plan to move it to a newer PC later. It is a slim 120mm tower that does not overhang RAM, with a fan built for low noise and a mounting system that covers both old and new sockets.
Noctua’s Amazon listing and QuietPC’s spec page give 158mm height, an NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM fan, NT-H1 paste, SecuFirm2 mounting for LGA 1851, 1700, 1200 and 115x plus AM5 and AM4, and a six-year warranty. It was listed around $60 on Amazon US with a 4.8 out of 5 rating from about 4,440 ratings as of November 2026.
- Pros: six-year warranty; fan tuned for low noise; reusable on a future AM5 or LGA 1851 build.
- Cons: 158mm is tall for some older micro-ATX cases; costs more than many people will spend on a Haswell PC.
Buy if you want a long-term cooler that starts on LGA 1150 and moves with you to a new build. Skip if your case is shorter than about 160mm.
be quiet! Pure Rock 3 Black
The Pure Rock 3 Black is a quiet budget tower that still names LGA 1150 in its socket list. It is slim, all black and rated at 190W by be quiet!, so it suits a stock or mildly tuned Haswell i5 or i7 in a case where a calm fan matters more than maximum headroom.
The Amazon listing gives four 6mm heat pipes, a Pure Wings 3 120mm PWM fan, a preinstalled mounting bridge, and support for Intel 1851, 1700, 1200, 1151, 1150 and 1155 plus AM5 and AM4. A review spec table lists 71x124x154mm and a three-year warranty. It was listed around $38 with a 4.5 out of 5 rating from about 500 ratings as of November 2026.
- Pros: explicit LGA 1150 support; slim body clears RAM; three-year warranty per the review spec table.
- Cons: more expensive than the Assassin X120 for similar hardware; the 190W rating is the brand’s own figure.
Buy if you want a quiet, plain black tower for a stock Haswell system. Skip if you are on a tight budget, since the Thermalright pick costs much less.
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Spectrum V3
The Hyper 212 Spectrum V3 is the budget pick for LGA 1150 owners who want ARGB lighting. It keeps the familiar Hyper 212 layout with four heat pipes and one 120mm fan, stands 152mm tall, and costs about the same as a replacement stock cooler, which suits a refresh of an older gaming PC.
Cooler Master lists 124x73x152mm, four nickel-plated direct-contact heat pipes, a 120mm ARGB fan at 650 to 1750rpm with 71.93 CFM and 27.2 dBA, support for LGA 1851, 1700, 1200 and 115x plus AM5 and AM4, and a two-year warranty. It was listed around $20 on Amazon US with a 4.7 out of 5 rating from about 990 ratings as of November 2026.
- Pros: low price; ARGB fan; manufacturer-confirmed LGA 115x support.
- Cons: two-year warranty; many Haswell-era motherboards lack the 5V addressable RGB header needed to control the lighting.
Buy if your board has a 5V ARGB header or you are happy with default lighting. Skip if you want the longest warranty or a dark build.
Noctua NH-L9i
The NH-L9i is the pick for slim LGA 1150 desktops and home theater PCs. At 37mm total height it fits cases where no tower will, and its 95x95mm footprint keeps it clear of RAM and PCIe slots, which suits small office machines built around locked Haswell i3 and i5 chips.
The Amazon listing gives 37mm height, an NF-A9x14 slim 92mm PWM fan with a Low-Noise Adaptor, NT-H1 paste, SecuFirm2 mounting for LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156 and 1200, and a six-year warranty, and says it suits CPUs with moderate heat load. It was listed around $50 on Amazon US with a 4.7 out of 5 rating from about 3,440 ratings as of November 2026.
- Pros: very low height; six-year warranty; explicit LGA 1150 support.
- Cons: not meant for overclocked or high-load chips; this version does not list LGA 1700 or AMD sockets.
Buy if you have a locked Haswell chip in a slim case. Skip if you have an i7-4790K that runs long heavy loads, because a 37mm cooler has little thermal mass.
ID-Cooling IS-55 Black
The IS-55 Black is a larger low-profile option for small LGA 1150 cases that can take about 57mm. It uses a slim 120mm fan and five heat pipes, so it offers more cooling capacity than a 37mm design while still fitting many compact, slim and small form factor chassis.
The Amazon listing gives 57mm height, five heat pipes, a 120x120x15mm PWM fan with 54.6 CFM and 13.8 to 31.2 dB(A), and support for LGA 1851, 1700, 1200, 1151, 1150, 1155 and 1156 plus AM5 and AM4. ID-Cooling’s page lists 120x120x57mm and a 150W rating. It was listed around $40 on Amazon US with a 4.5 out of 5 rating from about 840 ratings as of November 2026.
- Pros: more headroom than the NH-L9i in a small case; current and older socket support.
- Cons: 120mm footprint may overhang tall RAM on small boards; warranty not stated on the page we read.
Buy if your small case fits 57mm and you run an i5 or i7. Skip if you need under 40mm, where the NH-L9i is the only option here.
Buying guide for LGA 1150 coolers
Buying a cooler for a Haswell PC is mostly about confirming old-socket support and fitting an older case. Check the mounting kit, your case’s height limit, the CPU’s heat output and the motherboard’s headers before you choose, because older platforms have more variation than new ones.
Confirm LGA 1150 in the box
Many new coolers ship only with LGA 1700, LGA 1851 and AM5 hardware. Look for LGA 1150 or LGA 115x on the manufacturer spec page, not just in an Amazon title, and check that an Intel backplate is included, since older boards do not ship with one for aftermarket coolers.
LGA 1150 uses the same 75x75mm hole pattern as LGA 1155, 1156, 1151 and 1200, while LGA 1700 and 1851 moved to 78x78mm. A cooler listing only the newer sockets will not mount on a Haswell board.
Match the cooler to your Haswell chip
At stock settings, the i7-4790K’s 88W TDP, as listed by Intel, is well within reach of any 120mm tower in this guide. Locked i3 and i5 chips draw less, so a low-profile cooler like the NH-L9i is enough in a slim case running everyday office or media work.
Overclocking changes that. Raising voltage on a 4790K or G3258 pushes power well above its rated TDP, so pick a dual tower such as the Peerless Assassin 120 SE if you overclock.
Case height and older chassis
Haswell-era cases vary widely in cooler clearance. Measure from the motherboard tray to the side panel and leave several millimeters spare, since a 2026 report on Noctua’s measurements found more than half of 100-plus cases deviated from their listed figures.
If your case is a slim desktop, skip the towers entirely. The 37mm NH-L9i and 57mm IS-55 are the only picks here designed for that space.
Fan headers and lighting
Most LGA 1150 boards have a 4-pin CPU fan header, so the PWM fans here will adjust speed automatically. Older boards may not offer the 5V addressable RGB header that ARGB fans like the Hyper 212 Spectrum V3 use for lighting control, so check the manual first.
If your board lacks that header, the lighting may run in a default mode or need a separate controller. Choose a non-RGB cooler if you prefer a simple install.
FAQ
These answers cover the most common questions about cooling an LGA 1150 system in 2026. They rely on the manufacturer pages, retailer spec pages and Amazon listings cited for this guide, so check your own motherboard and case manuals before ordering.
Do LGA 1151 or LGA 1155 coolers fit LGA 1150?
Usually, yes. Intel’s LGA 1150, 1151, 1155 and 1156 share the 75x75mm hole spacing, and many manufacturers group them as LGA 115x. Check that the cooler’s Intel bracket and backplate are included in the box rather than sold separately as an optional kit.
Coolers made only for LGA 1700 or LGA 1851 use a 78x78mm pattern and will not mount on an LGA 1150 board without a different kit.
Are the best CPU coolers fan for 1150 sockets worth it on an old PC?
A cheap tower such as the Assassin X120 Refined SE costs about $16 as of November 2026, so the upgrade is inexpensive. It can lower noise compared with an old stock cooler, and because it also supports newer sockets, you can reuse it in a later build.
Spending more makes sense only if you overclock or plan to move the cooler to a new PC. The NH-U12S redux fits that second plan.
Can I use an AIO liquid cooler on LGA 1150?
Some AIOs list LGA 1150, but we kept this list to air coolers because a Haswell chip at stock does not need liquid cooling and older cases often lack radiator mounts. An air tower also has no pump to wear out in an aging system, and it costs less than most AIOs.
If you overclock heavily and your case supports a radiator, check that the AIO lists LGA 1150 or LGA 115x and includes an Intel backplate.
Conclusion
Buy the Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE for almost any LGA 1150 PC: it lists LGA 1150, fits most Haswell-era cases at 148mm, and costs very little. Choose the Peerless Assassin 120 SE only if you overclock an i7-4790K, and the Noctua NH-L9i only if your case is too slim for a tower.
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