Which CPUs come with a cooler in the box?

The short answer, model by model

A rough rule that mostly holds: on Intel, models ending in K (unlocked) usually do not include one and plain models usually do — on AMD, models ending in X and X3D usually do not.

Why some models answer "it depends"

The same CPU is sold two ways, and both are equally genuine.

• Boxed — a sealed retail box with the manufacturer’s warranty, and usually a cooler inside.
• Tray — the bare chip. Originally sold in bulk to system builders: cheaper, no cooler, and often different warranty terms.

In Thailand both turn up in the same shop, sometimes on the same listing. Which means "does this model include a cooler" has no single correct answer for the model — it depends on which package you clicked.

If there is one in the box, should you use it?

Yes, and it is safe — a bundled cooler is designed to handle that CPU at its standard settings. Nothing will break and nothing will overheat.

People replace them for noise, not safety. The bundled unit is usually small, so it has to spin faster to move the same heat. A larger heatsink such as DeepCool AK400 or Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE does the same work at far lower rpm, and on a machine sitting next to your ear on a desk the difference is obvious.

If you are buying one separately, what to look at

1. 1It has to support your socket — AM5, LGA1700 and so on. Most modern coolers ship several mounting kits in one box, but not all of them do.
2. 2Its height has to be under what the case takes — the commonest miss. Will the graphics card fit the case? covers cooler height as well.
3. 3For a liquid cooler, check the case takes that radiator — cases state the radiator sizes they can mount, in millimetres.
4. 4Memory height — some wide heatsinks overhang the first memory slot, and tall-heatspreader memory such as G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) 6400 can foul them.