Amazon Basics enters PC hardware with a familiar CPU cooler

Amazon have quietly dipped their first toe into PC componentS, listing the Amazon Basics Computer Cooling Fan: a single-fan, RGB-lit air cooler. Judging from the manual it supports the very latest socket types for Intel and AMD’s gaming CPUs, and being under the Amazon Basics brand, it's dirt cheap at £21 / £27.

It’s unlikely, though, that Bezos and the gang have been secretly funding R&D into an all-new line of PC gear. As Tom’s Hardware spotted, the Amazon Basics Computer Cooling Fan appears to simply be an existing budget cooler, the Cooler Master Hyper H410R, without the CM badge.

I’m in two minds about this, to be honest. Components have become more expensive recently – just look at the Intel Core 13th Gen’s price hikes, or Nvidia’s cheapest current-gen graphics being the monster RTX 4070 Ti – and that means building a PC on a budget is trickier than it’s been for a good long while. Increasing supply of budget parts could genuinely help, especially when the original Hyper H410R has largely vanished from reputable retailers.

At the same time… did it have to be Amazon? Like, guys, you’re already selling basically everything. And even if we end up with an entire PC’s worth of Amazon Basics parts, if they’re also just rebrands of ageing hardware, it won’t be bringing anything new to an already underserved low-end market.

Besides, I’m not sure the Hyper H410R was ever that great to begin with. I’ve always been more of a Hyper 212 Evo kind of chap myself (especially the Black Edition, phwoar). And I’ve heard excellent things about the Thermalright Assassin King 120, which more or less matches the Computer Cooling Fan’s affordability at £22 / £23.

Ultimately, this is a story that’s interesting for the names involved, rather than the cooler itself. It might be worth keeping an eye on whether more types of PC hardware join it under the Amazon Basics umbrella, but don’t expect any big market shake-ups.