Home GADGETS FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers Review: Simple and effective

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FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers Review: Simple and effective

March 8, 2025

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Most of my recent reviews have focused on high end AIOs for users who are looking for the best cooling available for their computers, but the simple fact is that most folks would be well served by a basic single- or dual-tower air cooler. Today we’re going back to basics and examining two air coolers by FSP, a company better known for power supplies like the Vita GM 850Walthough we’ve also covered the FSP CMT520 Mid-Tower ATX RGB Case.

Will FSP’s MP5 and NP7 make our list of the best coolers on the market? Let’s take a look at the specifications and features of these products, then we’ll go over thermal performance and noise levels to see where they stand.

Cooler specifications

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers — (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

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Cooler	FSP MP7	FSP NP5
MSRP	$47.99 USD	$27.99 USD
Radiator Material	Aluminum	Aluminum
Lighting	None (ARGB Version is available)	None (ARGB Version is available)
Warranty	3 Years	3 Years
Socket Compatibility	Intel Socket LGA 1851/1700/1200 AMD AM5 / AM4	Intel Socket LGA 1851/1700/1200 AMD AM5 / AM4
Unit Dimensions (including fans)	125 (L) x 123.5 (W) x 153mm (D)	120 (L) x 94 (W) x 151 mm (D)
Base	Copper cold plate	Direct-Touch Heatpipes
Maximum TDP (Our Testing)	>247W with Core i7-14700K >283W with Core Ultra 9 285k	>229W with Core i7-14700K >260W with Core Ultra 9 285K

Packing and included contents

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The packaging for the FSP air coolers is efficient, with no excess. The contents are protected primarily by molded foam, but the accessories are packaged inside plastic bags.

Included in the box are the following:

120mm fans
Single (NP5) or dual tower (MP7) heatsink
Thermal paste tube
Mounting accessories for modern AMD & Intel platforms
Screwdrivers (MP7 only)
Installation Manual

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Features of FSP’s MP7 and NP5 air coolers

▶️ Thermal Paste Tube

FSP’s air coolers arrive with a thermal paste tube that’s large enough for multiple installations.

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶️ Direct touch copper heatpipes

The entry level NP5 cooler has four direct-touch copper heatpipes for the most efficient heat dissipation. The MP7 includes six standard heatpipes, as it is very difficult to create coolers with more than six heatpipes and make them direct-touch.

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶️ Basic tower radiators

The design of the radiators on the NP5 and MP7 are essentially the same, with a basic no-frills look.

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The covers of each heatsink tower are embossed with FSP’s logo.

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

▶️ Full RAM compatibility

A problem posed by some air coolers is incompatibility with tall RAM. But with FSP’s NP5, there are zero RAM compatibility issues at all!

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

This is mostly the same for the more powerful MP7 model. You won’t have any compatibility issues if you are using RAM slots two and four. However, you might have issues with the tallest RAM DIMMs if you’re populating all four slots.

▶️ 120mm fans

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels, as well as how the cooler looks in your case. The fans included are simple and standard, with an all-black aesthetic and an etched metal disc covering the hub with FSP’s logo.

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

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Dimensions	120 x 120 x 25mm
Fan Speed	800-1800 RPM ± 10%
Air Flow	Up to 76 CFM
Air Pressure	Up to 2.1 mmH2O
Bearing Type	FDB
MTTF	Unlisted
Lighting	None

Testing configuration – Intel LGA1700 and LGA1851 platform

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CPU	Intel Core i7-14700K
GPU	ASRock Steel Legend Radeon 7900 GRE
Motherboard	MSI Z790 Project Zero
Case	MSI Pano 100L PZ Black
System Fans	Iceberg Thermal IceGale Silent

There are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance in your system, including the case you use and the fans installed in it. A system’s motherboard can also influence this, especially if it suffers from bendingwhich results in poor cooler contact with the CPU.

In order to prevent bending from impacting our cooling results, we’ve installed Thermalright’s LGA 1700 contact frame into our testing rig. If your motherboard is affected by bending, your thermal results will be worse than those shown below. Not all motherboards are affected equally by this issue. I tested Raptor Lake CPUs in two motherboards. And while one of them showed significant thermal improvements after installing Thermalright’s LGA1700 contact frame, the other motherboard showed no difference in temperatures whatsoever! Check out our review of the contact frame for more information.

I’ve also tested this cooler with Intel’s latest platform, Arrow Lake and LGA 1851.

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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
GPU	MSI Wind 3X RTX 4070St on
Motherboard	MSI Z890 Carbon Wifi
Case	MSS MPG GUNGGIR 300R
System fans	Pre-installed case fans

LGA 1700 and 1851 installation

The installation of both coolers is relatively simple. The entry-level NP5 is especially easy to install.

1. You’ll first need to place the backplate against the rear of the motherboard, (optionally) using the adhesive strips to secure it.

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

2. Next, you’ll need to take the mounting studs ( which include plastic spacers) and push them against the backplate’s screw holes. Once complete, they will be secure, which makes installation easier if you choose not to use the adhesive strips.

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

3. Next, take the mounting plate and orient it as appropriate, then secure it with the included screws. The NP5 installation is shown below, but you’ll want to rotate the plate for the MP7’s installation.

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

4. Apply the included thermal paste to your CPU. If you have any questions on how to do this properly, please refer to our handy guide on how to apply thermal paste.

5. Place the CPU heatsink on top of the mounting plate and secure it with a screwdriver. This is easiest on the NP5 model, as both mounting screws are exposed and you can see where you’re aiming.

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The installation of the NP7 may be slightly more difficult, depending on your motherboard and skill level. It can be difficult to tell where you’re aiming with the NP7’s installation, because the screws are located underneath the heatsink. But the included long screwdriver and screwdriver holes are there to guide you.

FSP MP5 and NP7 Air Coolers