Building a custom PC is fun until you check the price of cooling parts. Most name-brand coolers cost a fortune, which leaves less money for your graphics card or processor. I recently grabbed the Metalfish CPU Air Cooler 4 6 Heat Pipe PC Radiator Cooling ARGB PWM 12cm Fan For 1851/1700/1200/115X/AM5/AM4/2011/X79/X99 to see if a cheap option could actually handle a modern gaming rig.
What is this Metalfish Cooler?
This is a budget-friendly air cooler designed for people who want decent temperatures without spending fifty dollars or more. It features either four or six heat pipes and a 12cm ARGB fan that plugs right into your motherboard. I found the listing on AliExpress where it often comes with free shipping, making the total price very hard to beat.
It is a basic tower cooler, but it looks much cleaner than the stock cooler that comes in the box with your processor. The metal fins are thin and the fan has some nice lighting effects. If you are building a budget PC and need to save every penny, this unit is definitely on the radar.
Real Features That Matter
The main reason to buy this is the heat pipe design. These pipes pull heat away from the processor and move it up into the aluminum fins where the fan blows it away. In my testing, the 12cm fan stayed pretty quiet even when the computer was under a heavy load.
You also get PWM control, which means the fan speed adjusts automatically based on how hot your CPU gets. If you are just browsing the web, the fan stays slow and silent. When you start playing a demanding game, it speeds up to keep things from crashing. The ARGB lights add a nice touch of color to your case, though they are not as bright as some premium fans I have used.
Honest Pros and Cons
- Pros
- The price is very low for what you get.
- Free shipping options make it a great deal.
- It supports almost every modern CPU socket you can find.
- The fan is quiet during normal desktop use.
- Cons
- The shipping time from overseas can be very long.
- Installing it is a bit tricky for beginners due to vague instructions.
- You will not get any local warranty support if it breaks.
- Some parts feel a bit thinner compared to expensive brands.
Who Should Buy This Cooler?
This cooler is perfect for someone building a budget machine or replacing a loud stock fan on an older PC. If you are a student or someone who just wants a functional computer that does not sound like a jet engine, this works well. The compatibility list is huge, so it will fit almost any build from the last ten years.
You should skip this if you are building a high-end workstation or a professional gaming rig with a top-tier processor. Those chips run very hot and usually need a liquid cooler or a much larger air cooler to stay stable. Also, if you get frustrated easily during PC builds, you might want a cooler from a local store with better installation guides.
What Buyers Are Saying
One builder mentioned that it took about three weeks to arrive, but the cooling performance was much better than the stock fan they had before. They liked the look of the lights but noted that the metal fins were slightly bent when the package arrived. Another user shared that they had to watch a few videos online to figure out the mounting brackets because the paper instructions were not very helpful.
Final Verdict
The Metalfish CPU cooler is a solid choice if you are on a tight budget and do not mind waiting for shipping. It is not going to win any awards for being the strongest cooler on the market, but it does exactly what it claims to do. I think it offers great value for the price, especially since you can get it shipped for free.
Just make sure you have a little patience for the installation process and the delivery time. If you can handle those two things, you will have a nice-looking cooler that keeps your temperatures steady without draining your bank account. It is a simple, no-frills solution for a common PC problem.
