5 Best Water Coolers for i7 7700K To Enhance CPU Performance [2021]
Buying a powerful CPU has some other expenses that should be taken care of. A beast CPU also uses a lot of power and generates heat that should be cooled down. That’s why a CPU cooler is as important as the system itself.
A CPU water cooler doesn’t have any technical specifications associated with itself that you can see or feel, but it surely increases the lifespan of your CPU and your system as well.
But not everyone knows the technical details and other things that should be kept in mind while buying a CPU water cooler.
And most of the time, people end up buying useless low power water coolers that have little to no positive impact on their system performance.
For this post, we have done complete research on the best water cooler for the i7 7700K CPU and have listed out the top 5 products that should be generally recommended to everyone buying a cooler.
Contents
Best Water Coolers for i7 7700K – Quick Comparison
Here’s a quick comparison table in case you are in a hurry. We have provided certain tags to specific products so that you don’t have a tough time comparing these items.
Image | Product | Feature | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Best Liquid Cooler
|
NZXT Kraken X72
|
Comes with a 6-year warranty and amazing performance | Check On Amazon |
Best Silent Cooler
|
CORSAIR Hydro Series H150i PRO RGB
|
The fans of this cooler do not make noise while working | Check On Amazon |
Best Looks
|
CORSAIR Hydro Series H115i Platinum
|
The H115i has got top-quality looks when it comes to aesthetics | Check On Amazon |
Best for Low Price
|
Noctua NH-D15
|
Comes with a minimalistic body and that too at an affordable price | Check On Amazon |
CRYORIG R1 ULTIMATE
|
Quite similar to Noctua NG-D15 but has better looks and aesthetics | Check On Amazon |
Buying Guide for The Best Water Cooler for i7 7700K
This section is dedicated to the users who want to do the research themselves so that they can choose which product suits their needs.
We have mentioned certain points that you should check before buying yourself a water cooler for your computer.
Price
The first and foremost thing is – your budget.
It’s not a lie when we say that computer parts are expensive. And they really are. That’s why you should always decide your budget before buying anything of this sort.
A CPU water cooler will surely enhance the performance of your system, but a low performing computer is usually better than an empty pocket.
The Noctua NH-D15 is the best liquid cooler that comes at an affordable price.
Build Quality
All products are built from raw materials. And the strength and connection of those materials define its build quality.
If you buy anything that is of poor quality, its material will degrade very soon and all you’ll be left with is a non-working product.
That’s why you should always check the material, build quality, strength, and durability of anything that you spend your money on.
Looks
If you are going to buy a water cooler for your i7 CPU, chances are that you a gamer who likes to personalize their computer system.
In this case, having a water cooler with attractive looks can really add up to the beauty of your system. This is a decent way of customizing your rig with something that provides value to the system as well.
The NZXT Kraken X72 provides amazing looks at an affordable price.
Efficiency
Water coolers are mechanical items that themselves produce heat when overused. Buying a low-quality cooler can sometimes produce even more heat when compared with your CPU.
Always buy a cooler that is both cost and power-efficient.
The NZXT Kraken X72 cooler can easily manage an overclocked CPU without producing additional heat.
Sound
Coolers have fans that rotate at great speed to cool down the system. These fans can sometimes make noise and ruin your work experience completely.
Therefore, if you like to enjoy your silence alone, then you should definitely keep an eye out for silent coolers in the list given below.
The Corsair Hydro Series H150i PRO RGBÂ is the most silent liquid water cooler for an i7 7700k CPU.
5 Best Water Coolers for i7 7700K
Here is the list of the 5 best water coolers that you can buy for your i7 7700K CPU. These coolers are top of the grade as they can even manage to cool down your overclocked i7 CPU.
And of course, they will provide great value for your money.
1. NZXT Kraken X72
The NZXT Kraken X72 is one of the best water coolers out there in the market if you have a huge chunk of money ready to be spent.
The liquid cooling mechanism of this product is flawless. The radiator has three fans that spin relatively faster than any other product on this list. The fans spin at a speed of 500-2000 RPM.
The NZXT Kraken X72 beats every other cooler in terms of looks and aesthetics. The circular block has RGB lighting and has the NZXT brand logo in the middle.
The base of the cooler is copper has pre-applied thermal paste that will ensure that your processor doesn’t heat.
The cooler has two connectivity ports – a Mini-B USB port and a 9 Pin port. NZXT provides software to the users that can be used to control and manage the cooler.
You can easily control the fan speed and RGB lighting on the circular block.
Since this product is of top-notch quality, it can easily manage to cool down an overclocked i7 7700K CPU.
On the downside, the price for NZXT Kraken X72 is on a bit higher side.
2. CORSAIR Hydro Series H150i PRO RGB
From the house of Corsair, comes the Corsair Hydro Series H150i Pro RGB. This liquid cooler is well-known for its silent cooling mechanism.
The H150i Pro RGB has a rectangular pump with RGB lighting that will add to the beauty of your computer.
The pump also has a Corsair Logo in between that completely changes the aesthetics of the product. The fans spin at a rate of 0-2000 RPM.
This CPU water cooler uses 3 ML series fans to reduce heat from the cabinet. Just like the NZXT Kraken X72, the H150i Pro RGB also has a copper base.
This liquid cooler draws its power through a 15 pin SATA cable. Also, it has a micro-B USB port for connections.
You can customize and manage your H150i water cooler using the Corsair Link application. Users can control fan speeds and manage the RGB lighting to change the look and feel of the system.
Also, if you have other Corsair components, you can synchronize your liquid cooler with them using the Corsair ICUE application.
The pre-applied thermal paste makes sure that your CPU does not get heated very quickly. This product is cheaper than the NZXT Kraken X72.
If you can compromise with the cooling mechanism and want a silent cooler, then you should definitely choose the Corsair Hydro Series H150i PRO RGB.
3. CORSAIR Hydro Series H115i Platinum
Just as the H150i water cooler, the H115i has got top-quality looks when it comes to aesthetics.
This liquid cooler uses ML 150 fans to radiate heat from the processor. The best thing about the H115i platinum is that it has got better RGB lighting than any other product on this list.
This cooler supports both Intel and AMD CPUs. The H115i cooler can be controlled using the Corsair ICUE application. Other components can also be synced using the same application as well.
The fans of this liquid cooler spin at a rate of 2000 RPM. On the downside, the Hydro Series H115i platinum has got loud spinning noises that completely ruin your experience while you are working on resource-intensive applications.
Just like other products in this list, this cooler has also got a copper block base that comes with a pre-applied thermal paste.
Also, the mounting brackets have 90-degrees swivels which help them fit perfectly in any location.
The fans of this cooler draw power from a SATA connector. The Lighting and PWM Control is provided using a 2-way splitter.
The 140mm fans have magnetic levitation and have RGB lighting in them to enhance the overall looks of your system.
The sound of the fans can go up to 40 dB while using heavy applications. This cooler is not that expensive and almost anyone can afford it easily.
The problem with the H115i liquid cooler is that it can’t manage to cool down an overclocked professor. Also, it lacks some software optimization but that will surely get fixed by the Corsair team.
4. Noctua NH-D15
The Noctua NH-D15 is probably the most simple liquid cooler in terms of looks. This cooler has got 2 cooling fans which rotate at a speed of 300-1500 RPM.
As mentioned above, the design of this product is minimalistic. It has got brown-themed fans along with the beefy cooler body.
It is no doubt one of the best water coolers for your i7 7700K CPU. The product comes with 2 NF-A15 fans, out of which one sucks the air and the other is used in between a dual tower style cooler.
The cooler is quite heavy and also takes up a lot of space after adding the fans. If you have got RAM sticks with big height, then you’ll have to remove one fan from the Noctua NH-D15. Doing so will have a negative impact on your system’s performance.
This cooler comes with the Nocture NT-H1 thermal paste which works just fine. It is better than having no paste on your cooler at all.
Overall, this is one of the best water coolers for your i7 7700K CPU if you do not want to compromise on the thermal performance of your new cooler.
5. CRYORIG R1 ULTIMATE
The Cryorig R1 Ultimate is a flagship product from the brand of Cryorig. The quality of this product is so good that it is in direct competition with the Noctua NH-D15 cooling fan.
This liquid cooler has got some amazing aesthetics because of its dual tower design. The product has got 2 XF140 fans that are black in color and add to the overall beauty of your cooler.
The Cryorig R1 Ultimate occupies a lot of space and can take up a huge chunk of space that is dedicated to your RAM. However, the front fan can be adjusted which provides a 35mm of clearance for your RAM sticks.
For those who still face issues related to space, Cryorig also sells a thinner version of the fan – XT140.
The weight of the cooler is also a bit on the heavier side. The two heatsinks increase the weight and also add the total surface of the component.
The Cryorig R1 Ultimate comes with a CP-7 thermal paste. This cooler is quite similar to performance, although the Cryorig R1 is better in terms of looks.
On the downside, the 700-1300 RPM speed of fans can sometimes create a lot of noise, which can be disturbing for some users.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best water cooler for an i7 7700k?
The best water cooler for i7 7700k would be the NZXT Kraken X72. This product comes with a 6-year warranty that anyone can avail of. Also, the cooling mechanism is as amazing as the looks of this cooler.
Which is the best affordable water cooler for the i7 7700k CPU?
If you are looking for a decent liquid cooler at an affordable price, then you should definitely go for The Noctua NH-D15.
Our Choice
So that was our take on the 5 best liquid coolers for an i7 7700K CPU. Now it is for us to choose the best water cooler for i7 7700K from the list.
Our choice would be the NZXT Kraken X72. This product comes with a 6-year warranty that anyone can avail of. Also, the cooling mechanism is as amazing as the looks of this cooler.
The NZXT Kraken has RGB lighting that can be controlled using the software provided. Also, the fans of this cooler are fast and do not make much noise while working.