Used CPU coolers and AIO liquid coolers in Pakistan

Buying coolers and aios second-hand

Check the mounting bracket before you check anything else. A cooler with no bracket for your socket is not a cooler, it is a paperweight, and brackets for older models are frequently impossible to find locally. Ask the seller to confirm which sockets they have hardware for, in the box, right now.

For an all-in-one liquid cooler, the pump is the part that dies and it usually announces itself first. A pump making a rattling or grinding noise is failing; a pump that is silent while the CPU temperature climbs has already failed. AIOs also have a real shelf life as coolant permeates out through the tubing over several years, so an older unit can be perfectly quiet and still be cooling poorly.

What to check before you pay

• Confirm the bracket for your exact socket is included, physically, in the box.
• Listen to an AIO pump running — rattle or grind means it is on its way out.
• Measure CPU temperature under sustained load, not at idle.
• Check clearance against your case and your RAM height before buying.

Read the full benchmarking guide for coolers and aios →