New EU packaging regulations spark misplaced fear of CPUs ditching stock coolers

Two days ago, on the PCMR subreddit, Reddit user redmera highlighted an upcoming change in EU regulations that would ban "ridiculous CPU packaging" like what used to be found on Intel's Core i9 and AMD's Ryzen Threadripper CPUs, among others. Subsequently, NikTekOfficial on Twitter declared, based on this Reddit post, that CPU manufacturers would be forced to ditch stock CPU coolers, which has spurred subsequent coverage to repeat this as fact.

However, based on a close analysis of the source and referenced material, the imminent death of stock CPU coolers seems exaggerated due to a misunderstanding of the regulations. Phrasing in the original PPWR directive notes that:

"An item which is an integral part of the product and is necessary to contain, support, or preserve that product throughout its lifetime and where all elements of that item are intended to be used, consumed or disposed of together should not be considered to be packaging given its functionality is intrinsically linked to it being part of the product."

Because CPU coolers are integral to functionality, outright eradicating stock CPU coolers was never mandated and likely isn't on the table. Some exceptions exist, such as Intel's K-series chips and OEM tray CPUs, which don't come with stock coolers. Most enthusiasts have incentive to shop for aftermarket CPU coolers, particularly with unlocked CPUs.

When Intel retired its old dodecahedron-shaped Intel Core i9 packaging, it did so because the shipping costs for those CPUs had become incredibly prohibitive. This is both because the packaging was inefficient, creating lots of shipping waste, and bulk-shipping processors is already fairly expensive before they're a limited selection of highly-binned chips. AMD also had to make a similar decision with its old Ryzen Threadripper box designs, which left an excess of empty space for presenting the HEDT CPUs with more grandiose flair. Neither Core i9 or Ryzen Threadripper CPUs have ever included stock CPU coolers, but the pivot from boxing presentation to functionality for sake of shipping and organization has been noted across CPU providers for about the past five years. Most, if not all of the work mandated by the EU here is already done, in other words.

But would it be better for the market and environment if CPU makers stopped bundling stock coolers across the board? Probably not. Mandatory separate cooler purchases certainly wouldn't be good for the environment regarding shipping and packaging costs, whether or not stock coolers remain available in that form.

As fun as it is to bag on the anemic stock cooler designs of yesteryear, AMD and Intel's recent stock coolers boast significantly improved designs that are well within the specifications of their intended CPUs. The low-profile designs are also usually perfectly fine for use within SFF PC builds. They are generally much more strict regarding what cooling they can allow— though perhaps not as efficient as cutting-edge aftermarket SFF air coolers.