If you plan to overclock your CPU, or just keep your temperatures at bay, you’ll need to get yourself a proper cooling solution. Although standard air CPU coolers are fine, nothing can beat the power of liquid cooling when it comes to handling the additional heat output. One of the most important parts of any custom liquid cooling loop is the CPU water block. In this guide, we’ll show you the best CPU water blocks compatible with AM4 socket, and AMD Ryzen CPUs.
Read also: The Best Budget CPU Coolers Under $50
One of the main benefits when going with a custom liquid cooling setup is that it allows you to significantly increase your overclocking headroom. This enables you to push your CPU to its maximum limits, without fear of damaging it by overheating. Another benefit of liquid cooling solution is the fact that it’s much quieter compared to standard air cooling, since it reduces the need for using more than one fan in your PC case.
Reservoir, pump, radiator, fans, and tubing all play important roles in custom cooling loops, however, CPU water block is one of the most important components, since its job is to draw heat away from the CPU with maximum efficiency. Although most CPU water blocks support a wide variety of different CPUs, some are better suited for Intel processors, while some exclusively support AMD’s AM4 socket. In this roundup we’ll examine the best CPU water blocks for the AMD Ryzen 3000 and 5000 series desktop processors.
Best Overall:
EKWB EK-Quantum Velocity 2 AM4
Best for Enthusiasts:
EKWB EK-Quantum Magnitude D-RGB AM4
Best RGB Water block:
Corsair Hydro X Series XC7 RGB
Best Value:
Phanteks Glacier C360A
Best Compatiblity:
Thermaltake Pacific MX1 Plus
Cheapest AM4 Water block:
Alphacool Eisblock XPX
Best Overall: EKWB EK-Quantum Velocity 2 AM4
Compatibility: AM4 | Base Material: Pure Copper, Acrylic Glass | RGB: Yes
EK is a company widely known for manufacturing high-quality PC liquid cooling solutions, so its no surprise we have their EK-Quantum Velocity water block in the top spot on our list.
The EK Velocity 2 series water blocks feature the award-winning EK CPU water block cooling engine, which is further tweaked for improved performance and optimal cooling flow. These water blocks can also boast with enclosed mounting kit for easy installation, and come bundled with an AMD AM4 backplate and Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut thermal paste. Offering all these features for a very affordable price, the EK-Quantum Velocity is by far one of the best value CPU water blocks currently available on the market.
Being produced in a high-tech facility in Slovenia (EU), the EK-Quantum Velocity series water blocks are manufactured on state-of-the-art CNC machines, and feature cold plate with thin fins, which results in larger surface and better heat dissipation. It is also worth mentioning that these water blocks are made of pure nickle, which not only improves their overall cooling performance, but also gives them a recognizable look.
Compared to its predecessor, Quantum Velocity 2 comes with built-in RGB lighting, and features transparent top cover made of high-quality Plexiglas which allows you to see its internals. However, the best thing about this water block is its stellar cooling performance, which will allow you to overclock your CPU to its limits.
Best for Enthusiasts: EKWB EK-Quantum Magnitude D-RGB AM4
Compatibility: AM4 | Base Material: Nickel-plated Copper, Acrylic Glass | RGB: Yes
When it comes to performance, the EK-Quantum Magnitude is without a doubt the best CPU water block for AMD Ryzen CPUs. It brings the highest cooling performance with the lowest possible flow restriction, and it uses a unique combination of flow distribution insert, and cold plate geometry which is best suited for the chiplet layout of AMD AM4 socket processors.
Interesting thing about this water block is that each single piece is CNC machined separately, out of solid piece of material. The water block features a nickel-plated copper plate, as well as high-quality Plexiglas which allows you to see what’s happening inside it. Thanks to its small footprint, this water block is also compatible with mini-ITX motherboards.
The EK-Quantum Magnitude also features an interchangeable inner frame, as well as an elegantly concealed LED strip with 30 individually addressable D-RGB diodes. Overall, it is a fantastic CPU water block, which despite its great features, does cost a lot.
Best RGB Water block: Corsair Hydro X Series XC7 RGB
Compatibility: 115X, 1200, AM4 | Base Material: Nickel-plated Copper | RGB: Yes
If your are looking for a high-performance CPU water block with customizable RGB lighting, then you’ll like Corsair Hydro X Series XC7 RGB water block. Featuring nickel-plated copper cold plate, and more than 60 micro-cooling fins, this water block not only looks awesome, but it also keeps your CPU’s temperatures at bay, and allows you to achieve maximum clock speeds.
The XC7 RGB also features 16 individually addressable RGB LEDs which can deliver stunning RGB lighting effects. This water block is also fully compatible with Corsair’s iCUE controller, and powerful iCUE software which allows you to sync RGB lighting across all your iCUE-compatible devices. Finally, this water block supports both Intel and AMD CPU sockets, which is another big plus.
Best Value: Phanteks Glacier C360A
Compatibility: AM4 | Base Material: Nickel-plater Copper, Acrylic Glass | RGB: Yes
Phanteks Glacier C360A is a perfect CPU water block for users who want an all-round and affordable cooling solution for their AMD Ryzen processors. This water block comes with its own Digital-RGB LED lighting, which means it doesn’t require any additional controllers, and it features an acrylic top which is quite rare to see in this price segment.
Like many other CPU water blocks, this one also features a nickel-plated copper cold plate, and can boast with 0.4 mm high-density fins, and Viton sealing to ensure the best reliability and longevity. This water block exclusively supports AMD AM4 socket, and can be installed in two different orientations. The biggest flaw of this water block, however, is its RGB lighting, which is in form of a budget LED strip that needs to be attached to its sides.
Best Compatibility: Thermaltake Pacific MX1 Plus
Compatibility: 775, 115X, 2011, 2066, 1200, FM1, FM2, AM2+, AM3+, AM4 | Base Material: Nickel-plated Copper | RGB: Yes
Thermaltake Pacific MX1 Plus is a stunning CPU water block that doesn’t just look good, but can also boast with universal compatibility with almost all Intel and AMD CPU sockets. The Pacific MX1 Plus even supports the ancient Intel LGA 775 socket, as well as AMD FM1 socket, which is quite impressive.
But besides featuring support for a wide range of CPU sockets, this water block has other features worth mentioning. Firstly, the MX1 Plus features unique cylinder side cover with a height of 52.5 mm that creates a depth perception for the RGB lighting which is placed inside it. Secondly, this water block comes with a built-in temperature sensor which allows you to monitor the temperature of the liquid inside your custom loop, and thirdly, it is fully compatible with TT RGB Plus software which enables you to remotely monitor its performance via mobile app.
However, this water block does have a few flaws. Its RGB lighting is somewhat dull, and its dimensions are quite big, so it’s not well-suited for installation on mini-ITX motherboards. But if you don’t mind these two things, the Thermaltake Pacific MX1 Plus is most certainly worth buying.
Cheapest AM4 Water block: Alphacool Eisblock XPX
Compatibility: 775, 115X, 2011, 2066, 1200, FM1, FM2+, AM2+, AM3+, AM4 | Base Material: Aluminum, Acetal | RGB: No
The Eisblock XPX is a budget CPU water block made by German manufacturer Alphacool. This water block is compatible with both Intel and AMD CPUs, and due to its low price it is quite popular among newcomers to the world of liquid cooling. The Eisblock XPX features no RGB lighting, and it combines aluminum and acetal parts to deliver optimal cooling performance.
Due to its low-quality materials, the Eisblock XPX isn’t well-suited for cooling high-performance CPUs, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X. Despite the fact that it features 0.2 mm thick fin structure, it is much less efficient than other CPU water blocks that have nickel-plated copper cold plates. As such, the Alphacool Eisblock XPX is best suited for use in custom HTPC builds, or low-noise home office PCs.
Conclusion
Compared to air cooling, liquid cooling provides some unique advantages to high-performance computers that require more advanced cooling solutions. Liquid cooling systems allow you to push your CPU to its maximum limits, as well as reduce noise being produced by cooling fans.
The CPU water block is one of the most important parts of any liquid cooling system, since its job is to draw as much heat as possible from the CPU. Water blocks come in various different forms, and with different features. Some of them support only one type of CPU socket, while some of them feature universal compatibility. Depending on your budget and preferences, you can be sure that there is a right CPU water block for you computer system.
We hope our buying guide helped you in search for the information you were looking for. If you have a question, or need any additional advice, feel free to leave a post in the comment section. We would be glad to help you.
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