[SOLVED] CPU Cooler in the $50 to $75 range

[Hypoltan]

I am deciding between multiple coolers to cool the i5 9600k paired with the z390 gaming x. I am from HK, so prices will either be locally or online + shipping fee. I would like to have a cheaper price here but without sacrificing too much performance. Aesthetics do not matter too much (like the Noctua), as I just want a good performer for a good price. My choices are:
-Noctua D14 ($68.79)
-Nocuta D15/D15s ($75.16 and & $76.43)
-Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4 ($69.93) [Not the Pro version]
-Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B ($53)
-Cooler Master ML240L ($66.24) [It is water cooling which may pose some difficulty as a first time builder but if it is the best choice I am willing to go with it]

Which one would be the best choice or are there better alternatives out there?

Thanks.

 

[ElectrO_90]

Have a look here
https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/deepcool_captain_240_pro_review,11.html
This page shows you what several coolers perform like under the harder conditions he did, but you can check the Quality of your product noise/cooling in the chart.

 

[Bearmann]

All of those air coolers are excellent. (I don't know about the liquid coolers.) Of the air coolers, the D15 is the best, the Mugen 5 is probably (maybe tied with the Dark Rock) the "worst" but still very good. If you really want the most aggressive overclock than it's probably a good idea to go with one of the Noctuas. I think any of them would be fine for a medium overclock.

 

[ZippyDoodah]

I had the exact same problem and you can scroll through my thread to see the options.
https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...ler-for-i5-9600k.3514219/page-2#post-21234522

Essentially i started off wanting the Noctua D15s

However i decided i wanted to save some money there and instead ended up with the Noctua NH-U14s

It's a little cheaper than the others and is more of a budget option. However will be able to cool a 9600K.

Consider if you do go with the beast of a cooler (Noctua D15s) It will allow you to have better expandability as the cooler will most likely be able to hold up to any new CPU's that come in the future.

I hope you find something that suits you.

Best of luck.