Best CPU Cooler for Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and 250K Plus

Intel’s latest processors are here and they’re really not bad. Pretty good in fact. Admittedly they’re not going to set the world alight with benchmark-topping performance, but the price point and capabilities are solid, and both chips are available at decent prices. Is Intel back on top? Not quite, but with AMD seemingly focusing on the high-end with its ever-growing range of X3D processors, including the likes of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition, there’s still plenty of space for Intel in this market.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is the more powerful of the two chips, and unsurprisingly enough the more expensive of the pair at $299 too. With 8 Performance-cores and 16 Efficient-cores, and a maximum frequency of 5.5GHz, this is a beastly chip offering plenty of power for the latest applications. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, meanwhile, launched at $199 and packs 6 Performance-cores and 12 Efficient-cores into its neat package with a maximum turbo frequency of 5.3GHz. You can find the full breakdown of Intel’s Arrow Lake refresh in this article, but the focus of this one is all about keeping these two chips cool. Below you’ll find our recommendations for both chips.

Before we go any further, though it’s worth looking at the official specs for both chips:

The important figures, as far as CPU cooling is concerned, are the Processor Base Power and the Maximum Turbo Power, which in the case of the 270K Plus come in at 125W, ramping up to a maximum of 250W. The 250K Plus is a lot more modest, topping out at 159W, which gives you more options on the cooling front.

According to Intel, the Processor Base Power is defined as the following:

Which basically defines the sustained power level a cooler must handle to keep the chip running at its base frequency under heavy load. That’s not the only bit of info we get to play with here though, because there’s also the Maximum Turbo Power, which is defined as:

In other words, while Processor Base Power represents the baseline cooling requirement for sustained operation, Maximum Turbo Power defines the significantly higher power level the CPU can reach when boosting performance. If you want to get the most from your CPU, your cooler should be capable of handling the Maximum Turbo Power.

With all that said, let’s move on to the recommendations.

This almost feels like cheating, simply because the iCUE LINK TITAN series is so good at cooling processors. It’s the obvious choice for any desktop processor right now, and there’s nothing with Intel’s latest chips that goes against that. The FlowDrive pump offers great thermal efficiency, while the RX120 fans and large radiators ensure you’ll be able to handle Intel’s finest even at their most demanding, while keeping noise levels under control. The fact that they’re built around iCUE LINK means that installation is easy, and you have comprehensive control over the fans and pump.

You have plenty of options when it comes to picking the right iCUE LINK TITAN for you, including having it with or without an LCD screen, whether you want RGB LEDs, whether you’re looking for a 240mm or 360mm radiator (and correspondingly either two or three RX120 fans), and then finally whether you want it in black or white.

It's great to have plenty of choice, but if you’re looking for an easy life, we’d recommend grabbing the iCUE LINK TITAN 360 RX RGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler as that will absolutely handle the cooling requirements of both the 250K Plus and 270K Plus with room to spare. You could absolutely get away with the iCUE TITAN 240 RX AIO Liquid CPU Cooler for the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus if you’re not interested in the RGB, but for the top chip we recommend the top cooler.

If you’re on a tight budget, look no further than the NAUTILUS range of CPU coolers. These AIOs offer impressive thermal performance, easy installation, and are available with a wide range of features to match your needs. The efficiency offered by NAUTILUS is particularly noteworthy, as it means you can cool your processor with the pump and fans spinning slower than you might normally, and that means it will run that much quieter. Low-noise operation is absolutely a good thing. Just like the TITAN AIOs, NAUTILUS CPU coolers are available with and without RGB LEDs, in 240mm and 360mm models, in black or white, and also available with an LCD screen.

One of the big benefits of NAUTILUS is that while it’s our most affordable CPU cooler, it still draws on all of our experience, and that translates to ease of installation. The Intel bracket is pre-attached as standard and quality thermal paste is pre-applied as standard too, making installation that little bit quicker. There’s reduced wiring thanks to the RS fans supporting daisy-chained connections, which means your fans can all be plugged into one another and then ultimately into your motherboard’s standard 4-pin header for full PWM fan control. Those high static pressure fans produce strong airflow through the radiator and use our Magnetic Dome bearings for low friction operation, resulting in minimal fan noise.

For the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, we’d recommend the NAUTILUS 240 RS Liquid CPU Cooler model as it offers plenty of cooling capacity and is very affordable. You could even go for the LCD version here for a bit of extra bling without breaking the bank. For the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, we’d err towards the NAUTILUS 360 RS Liquid CPU Cooler just because it offers a bit more cooling capacity to ensure you get the most from your chip.

There is another option here, and that is to build your own Custom Cooling Loop. Such loops are traditionally associated with getting the absolute best performance out of overclocked chips, but they can also make a statement for incredible looks no matter what hardware you’re using. Yes, putting together your own custom loop is a bit more hassle than buying an off-the-shelf AIO, but the end results definitely will make your machine stand out. If you're totally new to custom cooling, the iCUE LINK XH505i RX 360 RGB Custom Cooling Kit has everything you need to get started with a custom hardline loop (jest remember to source a heat gun to bend the tubes.)

Whatever your cooling needs, whatever your budget, CORSAIR has the CPU cooler for you.