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The FX-8320 is an eight-core, 125W AM3+ chip that runs hot enough to make the stock AMD cooler a real bottleneck, especially if you’re overclocking. The catch in 2026 is that AM3+ is a legacy socket most new coolers have quietly dropped support for, so the trick isn’t finding the best cooler in the abstract — it’s finding one that still ships an AM3+ bracket. These do, from budget air towers to a couple of liquid options.
| # | Product | Price | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO V2 | $35-$45 | Amazon · eBay |
| 2 | Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition | $40-$50 | Amazon · eBay |
| 3 | Cryorig H7 | $35-$45 | Amazon |
| 4 | Noctua NH-U12S (standard SecuFirm2) | $60-$70 | Amazon · eBay |
| 5 | Noctua NH-D15 | $100-$110 | Amazon |
| 6 | Deepcool Gammaxx 400 V2 | $25-$35 | Amazon |
| 7 | be quiet! Pure Rock 2 (BK006) | $35-$45 | Amazon |
| 8 | Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B | $45-$55 | Amazon |
| 9 | Corsair Hydro H60 AIO liquid cooler | $70-$90 | Amazon |
The picks, in detail
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO V2
The default answer for a reason: a four-heatpipe air tower that has included an AM3+ bracket across its retail revisions and keeps an FX-8320 well under 60°C.
- 4 direct-contact heat pipes
- 120mm PWM fan
- AM3+/AM4/Intel multi-socket bracket kit
- Continuous Direct Contact 2.0 baseplate
- Cheapest way to meaningfully beat the stock cooler
- Huge amount of owner data specifically on FX-series chips
- Confirm the box you’re buying still lists AM3+ — some recent retail runs quietly trimmed the legacy bracket
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition
The same core Hyper 212 platform with black nickel-plated fins and a slightly refined fan — same AM3+ compatibility, dressier finish.
- Nickel-plated aluminum fins
- 120mm fan with anti-vibration mounts
- 4 direct-contact heat pipes
- Multi-socket AM3+ bracket included
- Same proven thermal performance as the EVO
- Better looks if the case has a window
- Small price premium over the plain EVO for cosmetics
Cryorig H7
A compact single-tower cooler that regularly beats the Hyper 212 in reviews while staying quieter, and it’s one of the coolers Tom’s Hardware forum regulars specifically recommend for the FX-8320.
- 5 heat pipes in a single 120mm tower
- Jet Fin acceleration fan design
- Compact 100mm height for tighter cases
- AM3+ mounting bracket included
- Better thermals-per-dollar than most budget towers
- Fits cases the taller Hyper 212 might not
- Slightly harder to find in stock than the Cooler Master options
Noctua NH-U12S (standard SecuFirm2)
The standard NH-U12S (not the newer ‘SE-AM4’ variant, which dropped legacy sockets) still ships full SecuFirm2 hardware covering AM3+.
- SecuFirm2 multi-socket mounting system
- NF-F12 120mm PWM fan
- 6 heat pipes
- Renowned near-silent operation
- Quietest option on this list at comparable thermal performance
- 6-year manufacturer warranty
- Costs noticeably more than the Hyper 212/Cryorig tier
- Double-check the listing is the standard version, not SE-AM4
Noctua NH-D15
Overkill for stock clocks, but if you’re pushing the FX-8320’s overclocking headroom, this dual-tower flagship has the thermal ceiling to match.
- Dual-tower, dual-fan design
- SecuFirm2 AM3+ mounting hardware
- 6 heat pipes across two towers
- Class-leading air cooling benchmarks
- More cooling capacity than an FX chip will ever need — real overclocking margin
- Same Noctua quiet-running reputation
- Large — verify case clearance and RAM height clearance before buying
- Expensive relative to what an FX-8320 build needs
Deepcool Gammaxx 400 V2
A budget four-heatpipe tower with a broad clip kit that explicitly lists AM3+ among supported sockets — the cheapest real upgrade over stock here.
- 4 heat pipes
- 120mm PWM fan with blue LED
- Wide clip-based multi-socket kit incl. AM3+/AM3/AM2+
- Tool-free fan removal
- Lowest price of any cooler on this list that still clears stock cooling by a wide margin
- Simple clip-based install
- Fan is louder under load than the Noctua/Cryorig options
be quiet! Pure Rock 2 (BK006)
A single-tower cooler built around be quiet!’s quiet-fan reputation, with the BK006 revision’s compatibility list explicitly including AM3.
- Single 120mm tower, 4 heat pipes
- Pure Wings 2 PWM fan
- Pre-applied thermal paste
- Included AM3+/AM4/Intel mounting kit
- Genuinely quiet at idle and light load
- Easy tool-free-ish install
- Confirm the BK006 revision specifically — later ‘Pure Rock 2 FX’/Pro 3 lines dropped AM3+
Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B
A tall, six-heatpipe single tower whose compatibility list runs all the way back through AM2+, making it one of the few current-production coolers still explicitly rated for AM3+.
- 6 heat pipes
- 120mm PWM fan (Kaze Flex)
- Asymmetric tower design for RAM clearance
- Broad legacy + modern socket support
- Strong thermal headroom for FX-series TDP and overclocking
- RAM clearance is better than most similarly tall towers
- Height needs checking against smaller cases
Corsair Hydro H60 AIO liquid cooler
If air towers feel like too much bulk, the H60 is Corsair’s entry liquid cooler; some retail bundles include an AM3+ bracket and third-party AM3+ bracket kits are cheap and widely sold if yours doesn’t.
- 120mm radiator, single fan
- Pre-filled, maintenance-free loop
- Compact single-fan radiator fits more cases than 240/280mm AIOs
- Third-party AM3+ bracket kits available separately
- Keeps case internals cooler than a big air tower can
- Good option if a tall air cooler won’t clear a side panel
- Check the exact H60 revision’s included bracket before buying — some newer boxes ship AM4-only hardware and need a ~$10 add-on bracket
Buying tips
- The FX-8320 is a 125W TDP chip and the stock AMD cooler is genuinely inadequate for it — expect 60°C+ under gaming load on stock cooling, and higher if the case has weak airflow.
- Whatever cooler you pick, verify AM3+ compatibility on the specific current listing, not just the model name in general — several popular coolers have quietly dropped legacy-socket brackets in newer production runs.
- If you’re overclocking the FX-8320’s unlocked multiplier, prioritize the Noctua NH-D15, Scythe Mugen 5, or an AIO — the FX architecture runs hotter per core than modern chips at the same wattage.
- Reapply thermal paste when you install any of these — stock AMD paste jobs are often uneven, and a clean, pea-sized application makes a measurable difference on this platform.
As an Amazon Associate and eBay Partner, toptenpick.com earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are subject to change.