Best Fanless CPU Coolers tested to Build A Silent PC [2023]

If you get bothered by the CPU cooler noises, you are not the only one.

As a person who’s on his PC all day, I found it quite annoying having to deal with the constant whirring of the CPU cooler.

In a hurry? Check out our expert’s recommended fanless cooler.

So one day, I researched the best fanless CPU coolers to buy. And I ended up purchasing and installing one.

Trust me when I say it makes a night and day difference! It feels fresh and more relaxing than ever to use my PC now.

It also accumulates less dust, and I wouldn’t have to worry about repairing or swapping something as there are no moving parts involved.

Keep Reading, As I will guide you through the best fanless CPU coolers that I’ve come across over the years.

7 Best Fanless CPU Coolers – Our Recommendation

You can only use a fanless CPU cooler if you are using a low TDP CPU. Since the whole heat transfer process is passive, it is impossible to cool down high TDP or overclocked CPUs passively as they require rapid heat dissipation.

That’s why in case you are using an OCed processor, go for other cooling solutions. Here’s a list of the best CPU coolers for overclocking.

On the other hand, , if you have a low TDP CPU and want to get rid of the constant noise coming from the PC, buying fanless components can save you from not only unwanted sound but also from maintenance over the years.

You can check out our review on best Water Cooling Pump for more info.

Here are the top 7 best fanless CPU coolers:

1.   Silverstone SST Heligon

The Silverstone SST-HE01-V2 – Heligon passive CPU cooler is the best passive cooler you can buy.

Some of the features of the Silverstone SST-HE01-V2 – Heligon:

Check Today's Price of Silverstone SST Heligon ➜➜

This passive cooler excels at both performance and sound levels. Let me tell you how it does that.

The copper base and the aluminum fins on the heatsink connect via the six soldered heat pipes. These heat pipes are of superior quality, giving you the maximum heat conductance possible.

The aluminum fins are designed so that it’s wide enough to minimize the sound of air traveling through it. It also helps to dissipate heat quickly.

What’s so cool about this passive cooler is that you can use it as a standard CPU cooler by adding fans. It supports the addition of up to three 140mm fans that transform this passive CPU cooler into a regular one. It performs pretty well like that.

Here’s the best part:

The maximum TDP support is insanely high, up to 300W. However, one would not simply go with a passive cooler for such a high heat-producing CPU.

The cooler includes a 140mm PWM fan, allowing you to control the fan speed according to your CPU temperature or own preferences. Whether you want to run it slow for less noise or run it fast for a performance boost, it’s up to you.

The Silverstone SST-HE01-V2 – Heligon moves heat away from the CPU very efficiently in PWM mode. The superb efficiency is the main reason why this passive CPU cooler performs excellently across the system.

The height is also not massive, and at 164mm tall, it can fit inside most PC cases these days. The construction is of premium quality. The mounting system is not that hard, but there is room for improvement.

Overall, the Silverstone SST-HE01-V2 – Heligon is a first-class choice for anyone looking for a passive CPU cooler.

2.   Nofan CR-80EH

The Nofan CR-80EH is a top choice for anyone looking for a zero noise PC build.

Some features of the Nofan CR-80EH:

Check Today's Price of Nofan CR-80EH ➜➜

As the name suggests, it is a fanless CPU cooler. It neither comes with a fan, nor does it support adding one. The fanless cooler entirely relies on external airflow to work.

Now the question comes, how does it perform?

Well, for a fanless CPU cooler, it performs remarkably. The fanless cooler supports CPUs with up to 80W of TDP. You might not want to go that far and stay within 65 Watts TDP CPUs for the best results.

As for the cooling,

The Nofan CR-80EH has an array of aluminum and copper heat pipes that round the cold copper plate in circles. These heat pipes conduct heat to the air. The whole process is passive here.

The Nofan CR-80EH manages to cool down a regular CPU satisfactorily. Your CPU wouldn’t experience thermal throttling unless you use a high TDP CPU or an overclocked one.

The size of the cooler is also on the sweet spot. It’s big enough to conduct heat efficiently but small enough to fit in most cases.

I would advise buying the Nofan CR-80EH only if you are going for a zero-fan setup with a fanless PSU, GPU, and case. If you, however, add some components to your PC that have fans, it will generate some levels of noise. At that point, it’s better to go for a quiet CPU cooler than a fanless one.

3.   Mustwell Fanless CPU Cooler

The Mustwell Fanless CPU Cooler is a huge passive CPU cooler radiator that you can also use with a fan for optimal performance.

Key features of the Mustwell Fanless CPU Cooler:

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You can use this product in two ways. You can use it as a passive CPU cooler without any fan. The six copper heat pipes transfer heat generously to the aluminum fins to dissipate to the air.

This mode is ideal for a zero sound setup. There will also be no dust accumulation, so that’s another plus point.

You can also use the Mustwell Fanless CPU Cooler as a radiator. It supports mounting a single 120mm fan. This setup will work as a radiator heatsink for the fan, and the fan is responsible for moving away from the heat rapidly. You have to purchase the fan separately, though.

In both scenarios, it performs decently. It is a passive CPU cooler, after all. So keeping that in mind, it cools down the low TDP CPUs quite well.

This single heat sink doesn’t come with any mounting brackets, so that’s a bummer. Other than that, for the price, the Mustwell Fanless CPU Cooler works as expected.

4.   ARCTIC Alpine AM4 Passive

The ARCTIC Alpine AM4 Passive is a top choice for media or office PCs featuring AMD AM4 socket motherboard.

Some notable features of the ARCTIC Alpine AM4 Passive:

Check Today's Price of ARCTIC Alpine ➜➜

The fanless CPU cooler features black anodizing, which helps it transfer heat from the aluminum heat pipes to the surrounding air seamlessly. It boosts efficiency and rapidly transfers heat away from your CPU.

The passive cooler is square-shaped and all-black colored. It covers 99mm in both length and breadth, and the height is 70mm. With a weight of 557g, its physical dimensions allow it to sit flush on most AMD motherboards. Most PC cases will have more than enough clearance for their height.

The brand claims the passive CPU cooler can cool down all AM4 CPUs with up to 47 Watts TDP. But some CPUs might throttle on heavy loads at such power levels. So it’s best to use the ARCTIC Alpine AM4 Passive with up to 35W TDP CPUs with ample surrounding airflow to ensure maximum performance and steady frequency.

Moreover,

The other perks that you get with a fanless cooler stay valid here. You get a zero-noise CPU cooler, a dust-free environment, and a long service life since there aren’t any moving parts here. The construction is rigid, so there’s nothing to worry about it.

The installation process is smooth since it is made especially for AMD AM4 brackets, so there’s no need to replace any brackets. The cooler comes with thermal paste pre-applied, which is a cherry on top.

Overall, the ARCTIC Alpine AM4 Passive is a solid choice as a fanless CPU cooler for any AM4 CPU with 35W or less TDP. It makes it an ideal cooler for most office and media PCs which usually house such CPUs.

5.   Supermicro SNK-P0046P 1U

If you are looking for a passive cooler for use in a Supermicro server chassis, the Supermicro SNK-P0046P 1U will be the best option for you.

Notable features of the Supermicro SNK-P0046P 1U:

Check Today's Price of Supermicro SNK-P0046P 1U ➜➜

The passive cooler is made keeping Supermicro server chassis in mind. However, the 90x90mm footprint makes it compatible on most regular PC cases and HTPCs with Intel motherboards.

To be more precise, it is intended for use in Supermicro X8, X9 1U, and above server chassis. It supports Intel CPU sockets LGA 1155, 1150. Socket LGA 1151 also seems to work for most cases.

Being a passive fanless cooler, you should not use the cooler with high-TDP CPUs. You can use it safely with the Intel Core i3 series or the Intel Xeon E3-1200 series or such.

For the CPU families mentioned, the Supermicro SNK-P0046P 1U outperforms the stock Intel cooler. It is a win-win situation as you get more cooling and more performance and zero noise from the CPU cooler.

The best part?

There is zero maintenance and dust since there are no mechanical parts. It will also last you longer since it won’t have any wear and tear.

The fanless cooler manages to provide a steady performance due to its efficiency in passive cooling. The price is also a lot cheaper than most decent CPU air coolers, so it’s quite a bang for the buck.

So, if you happen to rock a 1U server chassis with Intel Xeon CPU or an HTPC with an Intel i3 CPU, get the Supermicro SNK-P0046P 1U. It will save you money while delivering better performance at zero noise and maintenance.

6.   Haudang Fanless CPU Cooler

The Haudang Fanless CPU Cooler is yet another multipurpose passive CPU cooler.

Top features of the Haudang Fanless CPU Cooler:

Check Today's Price of Haudang ➜➜

Like its brother, the Mustwell Fanless CPU cooler, the Haudang Fanless CPU Cooler has its dual-use case. You can use it as a passive CPU cooler without any fan and a radiator with a mounting fan.

The six copper heat pipes transfer heat efficiently to the aluminum fins at the top, where the heat gets dissipated passively by surrounding airflow.

If you would like to use it with a fan, the Haudang Fanless CPU Cooler can mount a single 120mm fan. The heat sink will then perform more efficiently as it will transfer more heat in less time. It can be helpful to where you are using a slightly higher TDP CPU.

Whatever the use case may be, since it’s a passive cooler, it is not suitable for processors with higher TDP. So that’s something to note while you are shopping for it.

It’s better than its brother, the Mustwell CPU cooler because it comes with a mounting bracket. It is a lot more convenient than having to buy a compatible mounting bracket separately.

Other than that, the Haudang Fanless CPU Cooler’s build quality is decent with solid copper and aluminum construction. The price is also justifiable and relatively cheap for something of this caliber.

7.   Dynatron R8

The Dynatron R8 is one of the best passive CPU coolers designed for 2U or larger servers.

Key highlights of the Dynatron R8:

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The passive cooler is an excellent choice for any Intel Sandy Bridge server processor. The EP or EX series processors with low TDP are suitable for it.

The footprint of this cooler allows it to fit any 2U servers or above. With a strong airflow from the chassis fan, it can do a stellar job of cooling the CPU.

The CPUs supported by this passive cooler generally don’t produce much heat. So for such CPUs, it’s wise to go with a passive cooler instead of a regular CPU cooler to achieve a silent server chassis.

The fanless cooler’s construction feels rock-solid with a copper base and heat pipes and aluminum fins on the heatsink.

Now about the mounting scenario,

The mounting hole distance is 80x80mm making it suitable for a square LGA 2011 socket motherboard. However, no mounting brackets are in the package, and you have to buy them separately.

All in all, I would strongly suggest the Dynatron R8 for the LGA 2011 socket server processors in a 2U or up chassis. The performance is stable, and there is no CPU noise, so it’s a no-brainer. The cherry on top is that it also comes with a minimal price tag.

In case you are interested in the fanless cooler as there’s no noise, you should know there are cooling solutions available that have very low noise level. Check out the list of the 9 quietest CPU coolers you can buy right now!

Also for more traditional cooling systems, see what the best RGB CPU coolers and RGB CPU AIO coolers you can buy in 2023.

Final Thoughts

Among the fanless CPU coolers, which one picked your interest? I would go for the Silverstone SST-HE01-V2 – Heligon any day for its outstanding reliability. If I want a zero-noise configuration, the Nofan CR-80EH is also a great option.