Amazon Basics CPU Cooler is Its First Foray into PC Components

By Mark Tyson
published

This $27 CPU tower cooler looks like a rebranded Cooler Master Hyper H410R RGB.

Amazon Basics CPU Cooling Fan
(Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon is getting into PC components with an Amazon Basics CPU air cooler. The Amazon Basics Computer Cooling Fan (opens in new tab) is built around a sizable aluminum-finned tower, laced with several heatpipes and a side mounted fan. Amazon’s surprise move into the PC cooling business is revealed by small print in the product video  to be built upon the foundation of Cooler Master technology.

Amazon pitches its Basics line as providing keenly priced, no-fuss and reliable products – backed by the massive internet retail brand. We reckon the Amazon CPU cooler, model number RR-H410-20PC-AS, is very closely related to the Cooler Master Hyper H410R RGB (opens in new tab), model number RR-H410-20PC-R1. With this brief, users should expect capable rather than superlative cooling, so it won’t be the quietest air cooler using this tower form factor, nor will your CPU run the coolest. However, RGB lighting is present – and perhaps Amazon saw that as an essential in 2023.

(Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon hasn’t provided detailed specs for its CPU cooler. The firm’s product info and downloads appear to omit a spec sheet, but we do know that the cooler features a PWM fan with maximum noise level of 29.38 dBA, running at between 600-2000 RPM and with RGB LED lighting. There is an RGB LED controller in case your motherboard doesn’t directly support such niceties via a header. Other specs shared include some related to construction (aluminum heatsink, 4x heatpipes with direct contact). Also Amazon says the CPU cooler measures 4.02 x 3.28 x 5.35 inches (LxWxH), weighs 0.9 lbs, and is compatible with the latest consumer sockets from Intel and AMD (LGA 1700, LGA 1200, LGA 1151, LGA 1150, LGA 1155, LGA 1156, AM4, AM5). It appears the product first went on sale on February 23.

(Image credit: Amazon)

Cooler Master’s identical-as-far-as-we-can-see model has a best price of $68 on Amazon right now, and $66 on Newegg (opens in new tab). These prices are almost double the Amazon Basics Computer Cooling Fan. However, pricing alone doesn’t a recommendation make and we are not certain whether the Amazon model has any spec cuts.

But Amazon selling products made by other brands but with the Basics label is not unheard of. One Tom's Harware editor has an Amazon Basics monitor arm that has Ergotron's name stamped in it. It was far cheaper, but with a much shorter warranty.

If you check our latest Best CPU Coolers of 2023 feature you will see that the Zalman CNPS 10X Performa at $39.99 (opens in new tab) is our favorite budget CPU cooler, and it comes with a bigger 135mm fan (compared to 92mm), but you will need some more room in your PC case for this. Another affordable CPU air cooler that we like is the DeepCool AK500 at $54.99 (opens in new tab), judged the best mid-size option (still a bit bigger than the Amazon model).

Mark Tyson
Mark Tyson
Freelance News Writer

Mark Tyson is a Freelance News Writer at Tom's Hardware US. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

Topics
Cooling
20 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Eximo
    Many don't.

    $68 is closer to the premium side of things where you are paying for a few degrees and long life fans, silence, multiple mounting brackets, etc.
    Reply
  • Darkbreeze
    Anybody who would buy ANY of the budget Cooler master or Amazon coolers would have to be a complete idiot when you can get a FAR, FAR superior cooler in the 20 dollar Thermalright Assassin X refined SE or 35 dollar Peerless Assassin SE. Much higher quality. Much better performance. And they have the added benefit of not looking like they are from 2001.
    Reply
  • PlaneInTheSky
    complete idiot when you can get a FAR, FAR superior cooler in the 20 dollar Thermalright

    Ugh, there's a reason Thermalright sells for just $20. If they could charge more, they would.

    The cooling performance is ok but not great. The quality control is bad. Lots of QA issues, the coolers often don't fit properly, the contact plate is often not completely flat.

    Thermalright is the typical Chinese brand, they send their flawless copies to reviewers which gives them lots of positive reviews, and customers get versions that often have quality problems.

    Reply
  • USAFRet
    Darkbreeze said:
    Anybody who would buy ANY of the budget Cooler master or Amazon coolers would have to be a complete idiot when you can get a FAR, FAR superior cooler in the 20 dollar Thermalright Assassin X refined SE or 35 dollar Peerless Assassin SE. Much higher quality. Much better performance. And they have the added benefit of not looking like they are from 2001.
    The 212 series got early momentum because they were cheap, and slightly better than the stock included cooler.

    After that, they are recommended only due to name recognition and inertia.
    Reply
  • Blacksad999
    But Amazon selling products made by other brands but with the Basics label is unheard of.

    They do this all the time, actually. The "Amazon Basics" monitor arm is literally just an Ergotron arm. It still even has the Ergotron branding on parts of it. They just buy excess products from suppliers and rebrand them as their basics line.
    Reply
  • Why_Me
    https://pcpartpicker.com/product/pHfnTW/deepcool-ag500-bk-argb-6788-cfm-cpu-cooler-ag500-bk-argbDeepCool AG500 BK ARGB CPU Cooler $41.98
    https://us.deepcool.com/products/Cooling/cpuaircoolers/AG500-BK-ARGB-Performance-CPU-Cooler-1700-AM5/2022/16280.shtml
    Reply
  • Darkbreeze
    PlaneInTheSky said:
    Ugh, there's a reason Thermalright sells for just $20. If they could charge more, they would.

    The cooling performance is ok but not great. The quality control is bad. Lots of QA issues, the coolers often don't fit properly, the contact plate is often not completely flat.

    Thermalright is the typical Chinese brand, they send their flawless copies to reviewers which gives them lots of positive reviews, and customers get versions that often have quality problems.

    First of all, it's NOT even a Chinese brand. Second of all, your parts were clearly obtained AFTER somebody else had bought and returned them, after they modified and damaged them. I've purchased literally dozens and dozens of Thermalright coolers, from the bottom to the top of their product stack and not ONE SINGLE Thermalright product I've ever bought has been anything but exceptional quality and top shelf performance. I call BS, 200%, or you got somebody's already used and returned junk. And if you bought it through Newegg or Amazon, it's not even remotely unusual to see that happen. They are absolutely not the low quality trash you get from Cooler Master, ID Cooling, Antec, Raijintek, etc.
    Reply
  • Amdlova
    I have this amazin little guy :) stock cooler can be better than this one.
    Reply
  • PlaneInTheSky
    Darkbreeze said:
    top shelf performance

    Darkbreeze said:
    not ONE SINGLE Thermalright product I've ever bought has been anything but exceptional quality

    Darkbreeze said:
    Much higher quality. Much better performance.

    Darkbreeze said:
    superior cooler

    Seriously. WTF? Are you some Thermalright PR person or something.

    Darkbreeze said:
    First of all, it's NOT even a Chinese brand.

    Second of all, your parts were clearly obtained AFTER somebody else had bought and returned them, after they modified and damaged them.

    It's a brand producing in China with the HQ in Taiwan. You wanna do the political mental gymnastics about Taiwan and China, be my guest, no one cares.

    And no, those pictures were not obtained after someone else bought them, you're making random stuff up. Those pictures of broken and low quality Thermalright pieces are from new buyers. The reason Thermalright sells at bottom $20 prices is because it's a brand with a lot of QA issues. If Thermalright could sell at higher prices, they would.

    If you buy a $20 cooler, you get what you pay for. If it works for you, great. But don't start pretending like Thermalright doesn't have QA issues. There is a reason their coolers are only $20, it's not because they're a charity.
    Reply
  • digitalgriffin
    Every Amazon Basics product has been of poor quality and high price for that quality.

    It's fine for anything like batteries. But I wouldn't touch anything else (furniture, electronics) with a 10ft pole.
    Reply