The Intel Rocket Lake i5 CPUs represent some of the best value gaming options on the market right now, particularly the i5-11400. To get the most out of them you need a B560 motherboard, so we thought we should test them out so we can make some recommendations to you.

B560 Motherboards under test

There’s a lot more going on here than simple features and looks – there’s some great B560 motherboards here but there’s also a product you’re definitely going to want to avoid.

We’ll take you through the features of these motherboards, how easy they are to install and set up, the BIOS configuration of each, and give some insights into performance because unusually some of these motherboards can actually limit the performance of a CPU, even an i5-11400 – one of them because it’s just a bad B560 motherboard, others if you don’t set them up correctly. Because we’ve selected boards across the range and from different manufacturers, we can use this to recommend other boards not on this test but that share components or specification with them. We’ve used our testing to give recommendations for boards to pick for the entry-level, mid-range and at the high end, so let’s get stuck in!

1. Features Overview

All of these boards share some basic features common to the B560 platform. All are PCIe 4.0 compatible in the primary M.2 slot and PCIe slot. All have 2 M.2 slots total. They all allow RAM overclocking.

The ASRock B560M-HDV is unquestionably the bottom of the stack. It has just 2 RAM slots, and it’s cut down from the normal mATX size using just 6 mounting points instead of the usual 8. It doesn’t have any POST code troubleshooting lights or a Bios flash button. The rear IO lacks Displayport and instead has HDMI, DVI and even a D-Sub port, along with 3 audio jacks and just 6 USB ports. There’s Gigabit LAN but no WiFi. It has just one full-length PCI-E x16 slot and two x1 slots. It lacks a USB 3.2 gen 1 header so many more modern cases aren’t compatible without an adaptor, and will lose that connectors potential speed. It has just 4 SATA ports for additional drives. There’s no heatsinking on the m.2 drive or the Voltage delivery circuitry – but more on that later.

The MSI B560M Bazooka has heatsinking on the VRMS and primary M.2 slot, and a military-themed aesthetic. There are 4 RAM slots but still just one full-length PCIe slot and two additional single length slots for WiFi cards or similar expansion. The rear IO is pretty sparse, with just 6 USB ports, 3 Audio jacks, and a 2.5Gigabit Ethernet port. There are HDMI and Displayport outputs if you want to use the iGPU. It does have some basic troubleshooting boot LEDs and 6 SATA ports. There’s an AIO pump header and adequate fan headers for most builds. It does lack the USB 3.2 Gen2 header so check your case compatibility. There are RGB headers but no RGB on the board.

The Asus TUF Gaming B560M-Plus WiFi plus is firmly mid-range and has a good suite of features. Importantly it has inbuilt Wifi 6, so there’s no need for an additional card to get WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, it’s right there on the rear IO. It’s got 8 USB ports on the rear plus a USB C, five audio jack connectors plus optical out, and 2.5 Gigabit Lan, as well as Displayport and HDMI.  The IO shield is inbuilt too, making install a cinch. There are 2 full-length PCIe slots so a capture card or similar ‘X4’ secondary card will fit in the lower slot. There are 4 RAM slots, 6 SATA ports, and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 header to give you those high-speed ports on the front of the case. It has the ‘TUF’ militarised aesthetic and some neat RGB highlights on the board. 

The Gigabyte Aorus Pro AX represents the higher end, with a sleek silver aesthetic, heavy aluminium heatsinking and an integrated IO plate. They’ve crammed in 9 USB ports on the rear, and a USB C socket as well, alongside the WiFi 6 antenna connectors. Internally there’s 2 full length PCIe slots, and one awkwardly placed single length slot, along with 6 SATA ports and a USB 3.2 gen 1 header socket. There’s also a good number of USB 3.0 and audio connectors as well as RGB control headers. It has a Q-Flash button on the bottom edge of the board, useful for recovering BIOS or updating without RAM and CPU installed. It’s worth mentioning the VRMs here, this board has a 12 phase 50 Amp VRM set up which is clearly the best specified in test.

Finally, we come to the only mini ITX board on test, the ASUS B560-I ROG Strix. This is a premium board but contends with the constraints imposed by its tiny size. The rear IO is integrated and includes 6 USB sockets, a USB Type C, WiFi 6 antenna connectors, and five audio jacks and unusually it also has an audio type C connector. There’s 2.5Gigabit ethernet, a Displayport and HDMI output. Internally there are two M.2 slots, one front at PCIe 4.0 speeds with dual-sided heatsinking and a rear PCIe 3.0 slot as well. You’ll have to contend with the mini ITX limitations of a single PCIe slot, 2 RAM slots, 4 SATA ports, one each of USB 3.0 and 3.2 gen 1 header, and one each of CPU, Chassis and AIO pump fan headers. ASUS include a handy USB C extension cable – and a key ring…

2. Ease of set up and install

Full marks go to Asus here for their M.2 clip which makes drive installation a cinch. The manuals are clear and accurate, and they have integrated backplates to ease installation.

The Gigabyte also has an integrated IO plate, but it loses marks for an awkward M.2 installation solution with a split standoff. The heatsink looks like it’s hinged but it’s actually just a tab. The awkward process is exacerbated by a manual that doesn’t have clear diagrams or even reference the m.2 installation process. It’s outdated and could do with a refresh to help first time builders along.

The MSI Bazooka has a separate I/O backplate, but the m.2 installation is easy enough and the manuals are clear. POST lights help diagnose any installation or settings errors. 

In a clear last place is the ASROCK HDV. The IO shield is incredibly basic pressed tin, there’s no diagnostic lights or BIOS flash button to help troubleshoot. At least with no M.2 heatsink, and only 2 RAM slots, it’s hard to get it wrong when you put it together. There’s a major problem when it comes to the configuration of this board though, which we’ll come to in the performance section. 

3. BIOS

You don’t often see a critique of BIOS in reviews. It’s a one time deal for most people who just want to build and set up their PC and won’t re-enter BIOS unless something goes wrong.

B560 is the first non-enthusiast chipset to permit RAM overclocking, so that opens up the need to enter BIOS to set up RAM correctly, and delve through menus and settings that otherwise you may never see. There’s another issue here, and that’s that some of these boards have default power settings that actually limit performance even of i5 CPUs. That means you might need to dig into power settings to get full performance and if the BIOS isn’t intuitive that can be a tricky task.

BIOS is somewhat subjective because your comfort with a particular lay out hinges on what you’re used to. However, in our opinion, the MSI BIOS is the best laid out and most intuitive to use. On initial set up it’s the only BIOS that clearly explains the need to set your power limits according to the cooler you’re using and shows exactly what the limits will be set to. Once you’re in BIOS, there’s a basic simple mode that lets you select XMP and boot order, likely the only 2 tasks you’ll need to do. Advanced mode opens up a wealth of options including fan tweaking, Memory overclocking, setting power limits for the CPU, and saving and applying profiles. 

Asus and Gigabyte suffer from the same slightly confusing advanced layout, with numerous options jumbled together and not always in a logical order. Asus buries sub-menus making them hard to navigate. It does however default to using ‘Multi-core enhancement’ which allows a CPU to utilise higher power limits, but it’s not entirely clear to the first time user exactly what this means and it’s very much sold as an option you should select. 

Gigabyte makes no mention of power Iimits: It appears the option may depend on what CPU is fitted. It suffers from the same problems as ASUS with a slightly confusing BIOS layout but does make some attempt to explain some settings like Load Line Calibration which is nice to see.

The ASROCK BIOS is acceptable in layout and function, but again the power settings are both obscured, and actually do not allow a free choice of power limits, likely because of constraints of the motherboard’s design. As a result, you cannot set a power limit higher than 100W and this has a negative effect on performance. Other than that, the Asus, Gigabyte and ASRock BIOSes are similar in layout and function and serve their purpose well enough. 

4. Performance

Firstly, one of the main reasons the B560 chipset is recommended is because it allows memory overclocking for the first time officially on non-K CPUs. This can bring decent performance benefits and is worth exploring if you are opting for this platform.

All of these boards allow memory overclocking, all have very similar settings available to enable that, and all allow running memory in ‘GEAR 1’ mode at 3600MHz – meaning the memory controller clock matches that of the RAM itself. All the boards accepted the XMP profile on the 3600MHz CL16 G.Skill kit we used for testing. 

Where we start to see some important differences is in how the boards behave due to their implementation of Intel’s power limit specifications, especially at default. 

To demonstrate, here’s a graph showing the Cinebench R23 score of each of these boards running an i5-11500 CPU using default power settings:

Whilst the two Asus boards and the Gigabyte Aorus all turn in similar results at about 10,200, we can see the MSI Bazooka and ASRock fall significantly behind. What’s going on?

Logging metrics, we can compare the CPU behaviour through this test on the different B560 motherboards.

This graph shows the impact of power limiting behaviour by the motherboard. The MSI deploys it’s high power limit which allows the CPU to draw 110W for the first section of the test, and permits running the CPU at it’s rated 4.2GHz all core speed. It then drops to a 65W long term power limit which limits clock frequencies to 3.3 GHz and causes a low score.

The ASRock HDV initially appears to be doing better: But look closely: It is never able to deliver more than 100W, and it then drops to 65W and the clocks to 3.5GHZ.

Meanwhile, the Asus TUF maintains 110W for the full duration of this test, running the CPU at 4.2GHZ throughout, and that’s down to ‘multi-core enhancement’ being active by default.

The MSI Bazooka’s behaviour can be fixed: Selecting ‘Tower’ or ‘All in one water cooler’ on initial set up in the BIOS imposes a higher power limit and allows the CPU to perform to its full potential. 

The ASROCK HDV however, cannot be saved. Imposing a 100W limit in BIOS improves the CPU performance as can be seen in this re-test with power limits removed, but its performance still falls short of the other B560 motherboards. If you’re thinking ‘hey, that’s not too bad, it’s only 200 points behind’… all I can say is please watch our linked video exploring this issue on B560 boards. We’ve got much more testing including testing with an i9-11900K, and they show why this is such a bad result for the ASROCK HDV, and why you shouldn’t consider this motherboard for even an i5 build. 

In terms of performance, the ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI boards perform equivalently and are able to extract the full potential from this CPU whilst the ASRock HDV gets a serious black mark against it for failing to meet Intel specification and failing to extract the full potential from an i5 CPU. 

Conclusions: Power delivery matters on B560 Motherboards

Our testing has highlighted important differences in the B560 chipset motherboards available. You need to factor in not only features and price, but also potential performance issues with some of these B560 motherboards.

The performance issue really is one of Intel’s own making: Their dogged adherence to squeezing every last drop out of aged architecture and process leaves them with mid-range CPUs that draw a lot of power when performing at their full potential. These components aren’t cheap, and this leaves motherboard manufacturers in the unpleasant position of trying to deliver compatible boards at an attractive price point. It appears that boards like the ASROCK HDV or some of the Gigabyte UD offerings are intended for use with i3 CPUs in office style low-demand builds because they’re not suitable for more demanding CPUs or usage. 

B560 Motherboard Recommendations

Best Entry Level B560 Motherboards

In our testing, the MSI MAG B560M Bazooka proves itself to be an excellent entry-level B560 motherboard. Or, if your budget is tighter, the MSI Pro VDH which is identical in specification and has VRM heatsinks, but loses the gamer aesthetic, but is also available with inbuilt WiFI.

ASUS has used a robust 8 phase VRM design across their affordable Prime Range, and also have heatsinking. The B560M-A or B560-PLUS are also good options at the entry-level price point.

Best Mid Range B560 Motherboards

The MSI MAG B560M Mortar and Asus TUF Gaming B560M-Plus WiFi both hit the sweet spot of solid VRM design and features and both have integrated WiFI 6 options available.

If you are looking for an ATX board the MSI MAG B560 Torpedo is a strong option with similar specification to the Mortar.

Best High End B560 Motherboard

Gigabyte has done a good job of VRM design since the ‘Coffee Lake’ era, and the VRM on the B560M Aorus Pro AX is no exception. The closely matched Aorus Elite and Aorus Pro are near identical in specification, with the Pro version having slightly stronger components in the VRM but retaining the same basic design. Either B560 motherboard will make a great choice for an i5 CPU. The Aorus Pro is our pick for the strongest VRM on test, it had no problems supplying power to the i9-11900K and its all-round specification matches the other motherboards on test.

Beyond $200 – Look to Z590 or AMD Zen 3

If you’re pushing towards $200 you perhaps look to a Z590 motherboard instead. Whilst the Asus Strix and MSI B560 Tomahawk are good offerings, you should look to gain the flexibility of a Z590 motherboard as you approach that price point. 

You could also consider the platform cost of a switch to a Ryzen Zen 3 CPU and a more cost-effective AMD B550 motherboard, where there’s a range of good options for around $100-$150 that offset the slightly higher CPU cost. There isn’t really a lot of sense in trying to get the value out of a CPU like the i5-11400 or i7-11700, but then overspending on motherboards to support them.

Best Mini ITX B560 Motherboard

If you’re looking for a mini ITX board, then the ASUS ROG Strix B560-I doesn’t disappoint. It allows both the i5-11500 and i9-11900K to perform to potential and has the same features as any other B560 ITX board on the market. You might want to consider the heat loading of an Intel Rocket Lake CPU in a small form factor build, especially when compared to a more efficient AMD Zen 3 CPU. That said, it’s a great looking and well-specified board and gets our recommendation from the handful of mITX B560 offerings.

That concludes our roundup. We hope you have this interesting, and perhaps it’s saved you from buying a part that would lead to the disappointing performance of your build. The B560 motherboards we’ve recommended will provide an excellent basis for your next PC, with a great blend of features, performance, ease of use and good value too. 

We also have produced a video companion to our B560 motherboard article, which we have linked below.

The post Best B560 Motherboards for Intel Rocket Lake Builds appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

Intel’s 11^th generation CPUs hit the market late last March. With data to back up their statistics and test their performance, it is time to consider how they shape up to one another. The 11^th generation saw Intel finally catch up to AMD in technology by including PCIe 4.0 support, expanded memory speeds, and updated hyperthreading capabilities. However, across all processors, sacrifices were made. Intel still uses 14nm architecture for their chips and retrofitted their 10nm productions to this size for the generation. This has resulted in a cutting of cores and threads from the previous generation, most notable on the new flagship Core i9-11900k. Was it worth it?

Meanwhile, the newest Core i5-11600k aims to take over the midrange CPU market once again. Targeted to take on AMD’s strong presence at this price point, Intel packed in a variety of features and speeds at an incredible price point. The i5 has always been a strong contender for the best value purchase for gamers, and that may hold true here again. On the enthusiast side of things, the Core i9-11900k sees Intel trying once again to push the envelope and prove their worth. It is certainly not a processor for everyone, and not one that most people will ever need. Upon release, it was lambasted as an overpriced option that served little purpose in the market. Has it gotten any better since then?

With both chips tested and ready to compare, it is time to take them on a fresh spin and see which is the value option for the average user.

Specifications

Processor	Core i5-11600k	Core i9-11900k
Design
Architecture	14nm Rocket Lake	14nm Rocket Lake
Cores	6	8
Threads	12	16
Base Clock	3.9 GHz	3.5 GHz
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.30 GHz
Memory Types	DDR4 3200	DDR4 3200
L3 Cache	12 MB	16 MB
TDP	125W	125W
PCIe	4	4
Price	$262 - 272	$539 – 549
Availability	Amazon.com	Amazon.com

Intel Core i5-11600k

The Core i5-11600k is shaping up to be the best offering of Intel’s newest 11^th generation. It features six cores and twelve threads with a base clock speed of 3.9 GHz that can boost up to 4.9 GHz. A 12MB L3 cache and thermal design power of 125W complete the main package. Unfortunately, all of Intel’s chips continue to boast a high TDP, allowing AMD to dominate the power efficiency category.

The i5-11600k’s memory speed capacity officially supports DDR4 3200 and features a maximum memory bandwidth of 50 GB/s. This is a nice upgrade over the 10^th generation, which needed to overclock to reach these levels. It is also equal to higher-end models of the 11^th generation such as the Core i9-11900k, swinging value in favor of this cheaper processor. Intel has finally upgraded to PCIe 4.0 support, making any processor from this generation more future-proofed. Better data transfer speeds of 16 Gb/s allow the system to fully support the newest graphics cards and other additions.

Sadly, Intel has made some choices that make using the i5-11600k as a mid-range CPU more difficult. Because it is an unlocked processor – hence the “k” denomination – no stock cooler comes with the chip. While the high TDP suggests hotter performance anyway, making an aftermarket cooler a good idea, it still would have been nice for some builds.

Unlike most other offerings from Intel’s 11^th generation, the value on the i5-11600k is quite high. While it certainly does not offer the best statistics or performance, it is a respectable mid-range CPU that can more than keep up with modern demand. It may even be enough to challenge AMD’s hold over the budget gaming CPU market with their Ryzen 5 5600X. Notably, even now, a few months after release, prices on the i5 remain close to MSRP. In the current time of turbulent prices, that alone is notable.

The value packed into this offering makes it a great deal but also challenges the place of Intel’s other offerings. Combined with the lackluster stats of the Core i9-11900k, as we will see in a moment, it places Intel’s lineup in an awkward position.

Intel Core i9-11900k

As the flagship model for Intel’s 11^th generation, expectations were high for the Core i9-11900k. Unfortunately, the processor has taken a few too many steps back to represent what entries in the i9 series have in the past. Featuring fewer cores and similar speeds to the 10^th generation core i9, questions about why this processor even needed to exist come into view. Many of these changes are thanks to Intel retrofitting their 10nm mobile architecture to 14nm for this Rocket Lake adaptation. The cuts largely come in the form of fewer cores. The i9-11900k has eight cores and 16 threads – last generation’s 10850k has 10 cores and 20 threads for comparison. Clock speeds for the new offering are average to slightly below average for its price point with a 3.5 GHz base speed and a single-core boost of 5.3 GHz.

In exchange for these reduced and shifted numbers, Intel focused instead on optimization. The advanced technologies seen across the 11^th generation are astounding, and the i9 features all the best options. Most interesting among the improvements is Adaptive Boost Technology, a feature meant to increase raw speed through increased power consumption. It only activates when three or more cores are in use but should provide a nice boost to the processor. Another is Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0, which singles out the best performing core and increases performance when available.

These changes are nice and help keep the i9-11900k in the running but may not be enough to offset the high price point. However, power efficiency is a concern here. The Core i9-11900k has a TDP of 120 Watts, and across multiple tests rises well above that. Especially when compared to AMD’s offerings, thermal efficiency is an issue on this chip. Good aftermarket cooling is an absolute necessity for this chip, as it can throttle quickly.

General upgrades seen in the Core i5-11600k hold here as well. Memory speed support boosts up to DDR4 3200, and memory bandwidth ups to 50 GB/s. PCIe 4.0 support also hits this processor, upping transfer speeds to 16 Gb/s – double that of PCIe 3.0. While not essential for newer graphics cards, it is a welcome upgrade for the future. Still, with all the improvements made here, the Core i9-11900k is expensive and has underperformed across many tests. As the flagship for the next generation, this processor should be cleanly leading the pack across every test – it does not. Combined with the slight downgrade in paper specs and how killer the i5-11600k is, it is tough to find reasons why anyone but the most enthusiast builders should pay for the upgrade.

Intel Core i5-11600k vs Core i9-11900k: Gaming Benchmarks

Over the past few months, we have seen some proper gaming benchmarks come out on Intel’s 11^th generation. The Core i9-11900k especially received attention as Intel tried to take its throne back from AMD, making it an easy comparison. For more detailed reports on that processor, check out our article considering how it fits in the current CPU space. As for the i5-11600k, it has received praise and tested well across the mid-level CPU competition. Expect the i9 to outperform the i5 across all benchmarks; the true question is how closely the two perform to one another. At almost double the MSRP, and over double the price in real-world markets, the Core i9-11900k needs to blow the Core i5-11600k away to be worth the increase.

Unfortunately for Intel, that has not been the case across testing. UserBenchmark found that across most games in 1080p on Max settings, there was – at most – a 3% increase. Games tested include CSGO, which saw a 3% increase in FPS, GTA V with a 1% increase, Overwatch and PUBG with 3% increases each, and Fortnite with a 1% increase. As expected, all of these were in favor of the Core i9-11900k. While performance is inarguably better, the upgrade is less than expected.

Similarly, effective speed tests across over 1,000 user benchmarks saw only minor increases for the Core i9. These tests are particularly nice for comparison because they are user submitted and, by extension, cover a wide variety of system configurations. Across all of them, the Core i9-11900k saw an average increase of 8% performance over the Core i5-11600k. The only notable area where the Core i9 significantly outperformed the Core i5 was in octa-core speed tests – obvious, given that the i5 has only six. Testing in other games resulted in similar spreads. In Far Cry 5 in 1080p, Eurogamer found that the 11900k outperformed the 11600k by an average of 20 FPS: 158 to 138. In Cyberpunk 2077, they found only a three percent upgrade once again. Their testing used a 2080TI graphics card and the same rig across all testing.

Final Verdict – Core i5-11600k

Intel has nailed the value ratio for the 11^th generation Core i5-11600k. The higher price of the Core i9-11900k was already difficult to justify, and Intel overdelivering on the new i5 makes it even harder. For all but the most dedicated enthusiasts looking to wring out every drop of performance, the Core i5-11600k is more than enough. The i5 being available at or near MSRP is also a huge boon; its main competition is AMD’s offerings, which tend to be $100-$200 over MSRP currently. All things considered, it just may be the best value per dollar across all processors right now.

Of course, some common concerns still reside; The Ryzen 5 5600X found at MSRP is still likely a better option, for instance. Intel’s power consumption and, by extension, thermals, are still abnormally high for those looking to create small and lightweight builds. Some intense workstation builds may also prefer the performance of the i9-11900k or i7-11700k. However, the i5-11600k cuts through these downsides with great performance and pricing. Intel fans likely have AMD to thank for the i5-11600k’s great offering. AMD’s powerful midrange offerings are likely a strong reason why this processor packs so much in at a cheap price. With that said, intel has delivered an incredible processor for a fantastic price that is readily available. For all gaming and most workstation use, it is currently the Intel processor to beat – in both price and value.

Relevant Guides

Want to learn more about the Intel Core i5-11600k? We’ve created a guide on how to purchase one now that it has released. Or compare it to some more processors:

• Where to Buy Intel Core i5-11600K: Pre-Order, Release Date, Price
• Intel Core i5-11600k vs Core i7-11700k: What Are the Key Differences?
• Intel Core i5-11600K vs AMD Ryzen 5600X: What are the Key Differences?

The post Intel Core i5-11600k VS. Core i9-11900k: Which Is the Best Value? appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

The new generation of Intel microprocessors is upon us, and this 11^th iteration of Intel CPUs has variants that show promise in providing some much-needed competition against AMD’s Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 series.

One such Comet Lake variant is the highly anticipated i5-11600K. This processor is made to compete against AMD’s Ryzen 5600X (see our comparison here), and it has the best chance in doing so if we consider that it has an equal number of cores and threads with its competitor. Additionally, this CPU will have RAM support (3,200 MHz max memory speeds) and PCIe 4.0 compatibility that its 10^th generation predecessors lack. But what will truly make this CPU competitive is its price. With an MSRP of $262, it can potentially cost over $100 less than the Ryzen 5 5600X at launch; as Ryzen 5000 series CPUs are still being price gouged due to their lack of sufficient supply and adequate competition. In terms of performance, the Intel i5-11600K only trails the Ryzen 5 5600X by about 3% in single-core performance (according to GeekBench 5 benchmarks: 1,565 vs 1,619), so the price differential will, ultimately, make the Intel i5-11600K the far more cost-efficient option.

Another area in which the i5-11600K trails the Ryzen 5 5600X is its lack of a stock CPU cooler, and its much higher power demand of 125 watts (versus the 65 W TDP of the Ryzen 5 5600X). Thankfully, the money saved from the purchase of the CPU itself can be allocated towards a high-end CPU cooler, which will be far superior to AMD’s stock Wraith Stealth cooler, and can potentially last even more iterations of processor upgrades in the future. To help you find the best CPU cooler to pair with the i5-11600K, we have compiled a list of six of the best options the market has to offer: three of which are air coolers, while the other three are AIO liquid coolers – all under $120.

Best CPU Coolers for i5-11600K – Our Recommendations

Award	Design	Model
Best Value CPU Cooler for i5-11600K		Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition
Best Overall CPU Cooler for i5-11600K		be quiet! Dark Rock 4
Best Air Cooler for i5-11600K		Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.Black
Best 240mm AIO Cooler for i5-11600K		Corsair Hydro H100x
Best CPU Cooler for Overclocking the i5-11600K		Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240
Best 280mm AIO Cooler for i5-11600K		EVGA CLC 280

Best Value CPU Cooler for i5-11600K

If you need a CPU cooler on a budget, that can provide sufficient cooling for a high thermal-power demanding processor, like the i5-11600K, then you will find the Cooler Master Hyper 212 to be quite the satisfactory option – and the ‘Black Edition‘ simply makes it all the more stylish for any build.

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 makes use of a PWM controlled, 120 mm, fan with Loop Dynamic Bearings (LDB) that are designed to reduce noise and vibrations. This fan is Cooler Master’s Silencio FP120, which can output 42 CFM of airflow, a static pressure of 2.9 mmH2O, and just 6.5 to 26 dBA of noise emissions – while spinning at 650 to 2,000 RPM. This fan also has an impressive MTTF (Mean Time to Failure) of 160,000 hours. 

The Silencio FP120 is used to cool a fin-stack array heatsink, with nickel plated jet-black fins that draw heat from the CPU via four heat pipes, designed with Direct Contact Technology for more efficient heat dissipation.

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 has dimensions of 120 mm (L) x 79.6 mm (W) x 158.8. mm (H), so it can fit in most form factors (excluding SFF cases). This CPU cooler is upgradable as well, as a second fan can be attached for a push-pull configuration; which will, of course, add to the cooler’s depth size.

What’s most important in this category is the price, and the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition is currently selling for just under $40 – including a 2-year warranty. A second (optional) Silencio FP120 fan will cost an additional $20,

Best Overall CPU Cooler for i5-11600K

For those that value silent operation, but also need the CPU to be chilled no matter what the load-percentage or overclocking frequency, we suggest the be quiet! Dark Rock 4. This single-fan, single-tower, air cooler is easy to install, stylish, powerful, and virtually inaudible. 

The fan used on the Dark Rock 4 is be quiet!’s Silent Wings 135 mm, PWM controlled, nine-blade fan; which includes a six-pole motor (for less vibrations) and high-end fluid-dynamic bearings (FDB). It is these bearings that allow it to have an impressive 300,000-hour lifespan, as well as noise levels from just 10.5 dBA – at a 50% load – to only 21.4 dBA at its maximum load (1,400 RPM). The heatsink-tower that this fan cools is all aluminum, and draws heat from the CPU via six, 6 mm, copper heat pipes and airflow-optimized wave-contoured cooling fins. These fins have small dots on their surface, and a black coating with ceramic particles: a design made for optimizing heat dissipation. The top cover of the heatsink is all-black, with a diamond-cut and a brushed aluminum finish. Like other single-fan air CPU-coolers, the Dark Rock 4 can have a second fan installed to it if the cooling is found to be insufficient. 

The dimensions of this CPU cooler are 96 mm (L) x 136 mm (W) x 159 mm (H), so it will fit even within mini-ITX cases that allow for a clearance of 160 mm; like the Fractal Design Define Nano S. The only shortcoming of this CPU-cooler is that it does not come with a thermal compound, which will need to be purchased separately. 

That being said, the be quiet! Dark Rock 4 can currently be found for around $69, which is an excellent price that allows the extra budget leeway for a top-notch thermal paste.

Best Air Cooler for i5-11600K

Though the Cooler Master Hyper 212 and the be quiet! Dark Rock 4 are both excellent air-cooling options in their own right, few coolers can compete with Noctua’s flagship NH-D15 and its single-fan variant: the NH-D15S Chromax.Black. These units can sufficiently chill almost any consumer-grade CPU; naturally including the Intel i5-11600K.

The NH-D15S accomplishes the task via the use of Noctua’s NF-A15, 140 mm, PWM-controlled fan (low-noise adaptor included), which can output an airflow of 68 CFM and a static pressure of 1.51 mmH20. This fan has SSO2 magnetic bearings so – even if it does spin at its maximum 1,200 RPM – it makes little noise and has a MTBF of 150,000 hours. In addition, the NH-D15S can be upgraded with a second NF-A15, or even any other 120 mm fan, like the Noctua NF-A12x25. 

What gives the NH-D15S its superior cooling ability is its massive two-tower aluminum heatsink. It has an asymmetrical shape which provides it with a 65 mm clearance for RAM, and better PCIe compatibility, as well as six direct contact, nickel played, heatpipes for better heat transfer. Together with the purchase of the NH-D15S you will also receive a syringe of Noctua’s high-end NT-H1 thermal compound.

In terms of compatibility, the NH-D15S has dimensions of 160 mm (H) x 150 mm (W) x 135 mm (D), so it will fit all ATX and most micro-ATX cases. You can find whether or not your motherboard and/or case is compatible with the NH-D15S on Noctua’s website here. The all-black exterior of the Chromax.Black variant also makes the NH-D15S a stylish option for any build.

You can currently find the Noctua NH-D15S for around $90, including a 6-year warranty. An additional NF-F12 fan would cost an extra $20.

Best 240mm AIO Cooler for i5-11600K

Now, if you prefer liquid AIO cooling over air cooling – either for the aesthetics, or the better case RAM & PCIe compatibility – there do exist respectable options that can be found at a decent price, and are guaranteed to optimally cool the Intel i5-11600K. The 240 mm radiator option that we suggest for the task is the Corsair Hydro H100x.

This CPU cooler makes use of two SP Series, 120 mm, PWM-controlled fans, that can output an airflow of 57.2 CFM, and a 2.08 mmH2O static pressure. These fans operate between 600 and 1,700 RPM, and can – admittedly – become somewhat noisy: reaching 37 decibels of sound emissions.

The high-density aluminum radiator that the fans cool has dimensions of 275 mm (L) x 120 mm (W) x 27 mm (H), and attaches to the 56 by 56 mm copper cold plate via two white sleeved low-permeating rubber tubes of 380 mm length. The pump head has a white, monochrome, LED illuminated display, that is designed with Corsair’s logo. 

Stylish, powerful, and easy to install, the Corsair Hydro H100x can currently be found for just under $100. A CPU cooler well worth its investment.

Best CPU Cooler for Overclocking the i5-11600K

Beware tricky fitting!

Overclocking on a regular basis can cause damage to the CPU if the cooling is insufficient. That is why, if you plan on making the most of the processing capabilities of the Intel i5-11600K, you will need a powerful AIO cooler that can keep temperatures consistently low. The best CPU water cooler for the task is Arctic’s new and unique Liquid Freezer II 240.

 Though two are the fans that cool the 277 mm (L) x 120 mm (W) x 38 mm (H) radiator, this liquid cooler actually comes with three fans in total. The two 120 mm fans are PWM-controlled, equipped with FDBs, can spin at 200 to 1,800 RPM, and can output: an airflow of 56.3 CFM, a static pressure of 2.2 mmH2O, and up to 35.8 dBA of noise. The third fan that is included is actually situated on the pump head, and is used to provide extra cooling for the base and voltage transformer. This 40 mm VRM fan can spin at speeds ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 rotations per minute, and is also controlled via the same PWM configuration as the other fans.

The aluminum radiator itself connects to the copper & micro-skived fin cold-plate via 450 mm sleeved tubing, and the pump only operates when necessary; which means up to 80% less power consumption. Because of the VRM fan, the pump head does have strange dimensions of 98 mm (L) x 78 mm (W) x 53 mm (H), so do make sure that there is enough clearance on your motherboard prior to purchase. When in place, the Liquid Freezer II displayed 18% lower temperatures than the Corsair H100i, and 20% lower temperatures than the Cooler Master ML 240P Mirage, for cooling an Intel i9-9900K at 3.6 GHz. When overclocking the i9-9900K to 4.9 GHz, it proved to be 9% more powerful than the Corsair H100i, and 16% more powerful than the Cooler Master ML240P Mirage (benchmarks carried out by KitGuru, and displayed by Arctic). 

Despite its amazing performance, you can find the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240 for as low as $12- (including a 6-year warranty) – making it an excellent, cost-efficient, option for cooling the i5-11600K, even at its highest frequencies.

Best 280mm AIO Cooler for i5-11600K

Finally, going up to a larger 280mm AIO cooling option, we have the EVGA CLC 280. Anything larger than this cooler would not be a cost-efficient option for the Intel i5-11600K, as the CLC 280 has more than enough power to sufficiently chill this 125 W CPU. 

The EVGA CLC 280 has two 140 mm, Teflon Nano Bearing, fans, that spin between 600 and 2,200 RPM, and can output a maximum airflow of 113.50 CFM & a maximum static pressure of 4.20 mmH2O. The curved housing of these fans is designed to improve airflow through the radiator, and keep vibrations & noise at a minimum. According to EVGA, these fans output noise levels ranging between 16 dBA to 39.5 dBA. The only disappointing aspect of these fans is their lifespan, which is rated for just 80,000 hours.

The radiator that is cooled by these fans has dimensions of 312 mm (L) x 139 mm (W) x 27 mm (H), is all-aluminum material-wise, and is attached to a 100% copper waterblock via sleeved tubing that is 400 mm in length. This cooling block is stated to emit only up to 20 dBA of noise, and – together with the fan speeds – can be controlled via EVGA’s-own included software. Unlike all the aforementioned CPU cooler options, this pump head has a fully controllable RGB LED display (in the shape of EVGA’s logo), which can be customized via the same aforementioned software program.

For builds featuring the Intel i5-11600K, the EVGA CLC 280 is an ideal option; as it provides powerful cooling, low noise emissions, an RGB flare, and currently costs around $110 – backed by a 5-year warranty.

The post 6 Best CPU Coolers for the Intel Core i5-11600K appeared first on PremiumBuilds.