About this guide
The Core i5-7500 is a 65W, non-overclockable quad-core, so it doesn’t need exotic cooling — a modest air cooler is plenty for silence and low temperatures. Here are the LGA1151-compatible coolers worth considering, from budget-friendly to slightly higher-end for a near-silent build.
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The picks, in detail
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
A dual-tower, dual-fan air cooler that massively over-delivers for a 65W chip like the i5-7500, at a low price.
- Dual-tower design, dual 120mm PWM fans
- 6 heat pipes
- Supports LGA 115X/1200/1700
- Excellent value; far more cooling capacity than an i5-7500 needs, meaning very low noise
- Physically large for a compact case
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition
The long-running budget cooler standard, still a safe, direct-fit choice for LGA1151 boards.
- 4 direct-contact heat pipes
- Single 120mm PWM fan
- Supports LGA1700/1200/1151
- Widely available, well-documented installation, proven reliability
- Louder under load than the newer dual-fan/dual-tower designs here
Deepcool AK400
A quiet single-tower cooler that outperforms the Hyper 212 at a similar price point, with confirmed LGA1151 support.
- 6mm x 4 nickel-plated copper heat pipes
- 120mm PWM FDB fan
- Supports LGA1700/1200/1151/1150/1155
- Noticeably quieter under load than the Hyper 212 in independent testing
- Single tower, so ultimate cooling capacity trails the dual-tower Peerless Assassin
be quiet! Pure Rock 2
A quiet-focused single-tower cooler built around be quiet!'s reputation for low-noise fans.
- 4 heat pipes
- Pure Wings 2 120mm PWM fan rated at 26.8 dB(A) max
- Supports LGA1150/1151/1155/1200/1700
- Among the quietest options here at max load
- Costs more than the Hyper 212 or AK400 for similar cooling performance
Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE
A smaller, cheaper single-tower sibling to the Peerless Assassin, plenty for a non-overclocked 65W chip.
- Single tower, compact footprint
- 120mm PWM fan
- Supports LGA1151/1200/1700
- Lowest price on this list while still beating stock cooling comfortably
- Less cooling headroom than the dual-tower Peerless Assassin if you ever upgrade CPUs
Arctic Freezer 12
A compact, semi-passive cooler (the fan stays off at low load) confirmed for LGA1151, good for a quiet, low-clutter build.
- 92mm PWM fan, semi-passive operation
- Supports LGA1150/1151/1155/1156/1200
- Pre-applied MX-4 thermal paste
- Fan doesn’t spin at all under light load, near-silent for everyday desktop use
- Lower total cooling capacity than the tower coolers here, though still well within an i5-7500’s needs
What each one costs
Typical price, cheapest first. Tap a name to jump to that pick and its buy link.
Compare any three
| Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE | Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition | Deepcool AK400 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $35-$40 | $25-$30 | $30-$35 |
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Buying tips
- The i5-7500 isn’t unlockable, so there’s no overclocking headroom to cool for — any cooler on this list will keep it well within safe temperatures under full load.
- Confirm your case has clearance for a dual-tower cooler like the Peerless Assassin 120 SE before buying; the single-tower options here fit tighter builds.
- LGA1151 mounting hardware is included on all of these, but double-check the listing calls out LGA1151/115X support specifically, since some newer cooler revisions have dropped older-socket brackets.
As an Amazon Associate and eBay Partner, toptenpick.com earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are subject to change.