I don't think it's recent. The first tower form factor cooler I bought was in 2011 or thereabouts. Part of the reason I bought that one when I did was because

I don't think it's recent. The first tower form factor cooler I bought was in 2011 or thereabouts. Part of the reason I bought that one when I did was because the stock cooler wasn't effective and the fan was incredibly loud (poor heat dissipation, small fan, high RPM). The tower coolers have a larger surface area and ship with larger/slower fans, reducing noise. They're probably still popular because they work, and they're the only air coolers I buy now.