The IS family from the Chinese brand ID-COOLING comes out with well-designed low-profile CPU coolers. Unlike traditional tower CPUs, in which the heatsink is positioned perpendicular to the processor, the IS series CPU has a low-profile, sandwich-like design. In most cases, the heatsink hangs over the processor, adhering to it using a contact pad made of aluminum or copper, and above them rises an active fan that blows the entire structure. For additional cooling and structural strengthening, many models are equipped with heat pipes and a metal backplate.


PWM control is used to control the rotation speed of the impeller. In most models, the fan starts at 500 rpm and, if necessary, can accelerate to 1800-2000 rpm. The maximum thermal package is usually 100-125 W, which is enough to cool 4/6/8-core Mainstream class processors from AMD and Intel. In general, the manufacturer’s idea is to leave some kind of power reserve so that the fan does not work at maximum strength and does not make much noise. Therefore, most ID-COOLING IS cooling systems are based on quiet and reliable hydrodynamic bearings.

Overall, these low-profile solutions costing $15-$30 occupy a unique place in the cooling market. Unlike the ID-COOLING DK series coolers, which are essentially replacements for stock coolers, this series provides an optimal balance between size, TDP and overall cooling efficiency. According to the manufacturer, they are ideal for mini-PCs, media centers or small form factor work systems. Also, thanks to their ability to effectively remove heat from the processor even in cramped conditions, they allow you to build moderately productive, but at the same time compact gaming PCs.