VGA coolers prevent your graphics card from overheating when you're playing video games, or using apps with heavy graphics. Having a quality cooling system installed is essential to prevent damage to your CPU.
Blowers or closed GPU coolers are the most common cooling solution in high-end video cards, like those from AMD or NVIDIA®. Computer case fans suck hot air from the front of the graphics card and blow it away. To avoid overheating other computer components, blowers expel the hot air outside of the case. They feature a protective layer of plastic around the heatsink, which prevents hot air from escaping into the computer case. The only opening sits outside of your computer, on the mounting plate. Since blowers take up very little space, they're suitable even for the smallest laptop cases.
Open-air VGA coolers are an excellent choice in the branch of aftermarket products. They have up to three fans that move cold air from outside to a heatsink. They can cool the GPU directly or indirectly. Because of the exposed heatsink, the fans expel the hot air inside the computer case. For this reason, it's of paramount importance that your device has a proper cooling system. Open-air VGA coolers tend to perform better than just hard drive blowers in many desktop PCs because they allow for extra airflow.
AIO CPU coolers feature a radiator that exhausts hot air outside the computer case. This system prevents the cooler from overheating. They tend to cost more than blowers and open-air coolers, but they typically offer better performance. These graphics card coolers feature several tubes with a liquid coolant inside. They work similarly to a car cooling system. A pump circulates the coolant, and a copper plate transfers the heat from the GPU to the liquid. Then, the liquid coolant reaches a radiator, where the fans exhaust excess heat.
ARCTIC offers a wide range of VGA coolers for both NVIDIA and AMD GPUs, like CPU fans with heatsinks. One of the most performant models from the brand is the Accelero Xtreme IV, which features three powerful fans and an efficient heatsink. You can install this cooler without thermal glue so it won't leave residues or stains on the graphics card. The Accelero Xtreme IV has a cooling power of 300W, and it comes with pre-applied thermal compound. It's suitable even for overclockers who want to push the limits of their GPU. The Accelero Xtreme II, instead, comes with copper heat pipes for even better efficiency. Its three PWM fans are capable of adjusting the speed based on the graphics card's temperature. This way, the GPU cooler will be extra quiet.