Right now i have the i5 8400 with stock cooler, not sure a better cooler would improve performance?

but seen so many people say the stock cooler is shit, so would like something better but i dont know much about cpu coolers

might upgrade cpu at some point so would like a good one, thats easy to clean for dust and bonus if rbg/red led and good thermal paste included

what can u guys recommend? max 17.2cm height

also saw someone post a cpu cooler chart recently but i cant find it atm

better cooler won't help. stock cooler will be fine as your not oc'ing.
better temps don't mean more performance unless your cpu is overheating and throttling.
if that is the case re apply thermal paste and clean your pc of dust.

cheap and effective is either h7 cryorig or the evo 212

This

+1
Id recommend Cryorigs over the dated evo 212 unless it's like $10

those are some of the only coolers im familiar with.. the website i usually order from have those and noctua, so wanted to explore other options

build a pc for a friend with the h7, seems allright but kinda cheap tbh, i want something with better quality.. not really looking for "cheap and effective" 10$ cooler, looking for great quality that will last long

also i prefer black fan or transparent with led, so the h7 and noctua is out

be quiet! Dark Rock 4 or R1 Ultimate, but at that price point why not just go h2o

U mean u get the
212 rgb

he found h7 to be poor quality, and he doesn't want cheap and effective tho
unless RGB> quality

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO with this fan for push/pull...

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAFJ86WT1967&cm_re=cooler_blade_master_120mm-_-35-103-069-_-Product


Mines been running 7 years now, no issues.

h7 cryorig fits just about everything, infinite ram clearance, good cooling, cheap, fast + easy to install, comes with pretty good paste too.
212 has decent performance but it's bulky and hard to install.