

So you’ll want to find the correct temperatures for your rig. These temperature settings work for me, but they probably aren’t ideal for you. The idea with this curve is to keep CPU cooler fans at a constant speed during desktop loads so that they don’t keep speeding up and slowing down every time you do something basic. After that point, they ramp up to a maximum speed of 90% at 90 degrees Celsius. Here, you can see that I have my CPU cooler fans to run at a static 45% up to 65 degrees Celsius. So go through the step-by-step processes outlined to figure out the best temperatures and fan speeds for you. You will have to experiment with temperature breakpoints and fan speeds yourself, depending on case airflow, fan setup, and ambient temperatures. I’ve based this guide on my experience using and running air-cooled rigs in relatively airflow-friendly cases (such as the Fractal Meshify 2). How to Set Fan CurvesĪ quick note before we start. So, if you’re struggling finding that balance, these fan curves might just be for you. It’s not necessarily what everyone wants, but we feel it’s a good middle ground that should work for most users. The idea is to create fan curves that reduce noise on the desktop while still offering adequate cooling when gaming. While there’s no perfect solution, this fan curve guide should help you strike a good balance between noise and cooling. And then there are those overly-sensitive fans that constantly speed up and slow down during everyday use. Default fan settings often aren’t ideal, usually running too hot or too loud. Pairing the Cooler Master MasterLiquid M元60R with its LGA 1700 mounting bracket keeps temps low with fancy RGB lighting if you have space for the 360mm radiator.Having trouble with fan noise? You’re not alone. Their compact heatsink pumps are perfect if space is lacking inside your case. On the other hand, all-in-one (AIO) coolers bring similar benefits to liquid cooling with fewer complex setup steps and less risk.

If you can comfortably fit the Noctua NH-D15, it provides superb performance without pushing up the noise. Comparing our choices of sizeable air coolers to the slimmer AIO options, you'll need to select the best PC case to determine whether you have enough clearance over nearby components like RAM modules.

If you want to push your 12th Gen i5-12600K to its limits, you'll need to control temperatures with a CPU cooler best suited to your PC case. Why you can trust Windows Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.
