TLDR Review: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU Cooler
Pros
- •Significantly reduces CPU temperatures compared to stock and older coolers, even under heavy load.
- •Operates very quietly, with noise levels peaking around 25.6 dBA.
- •Easy and straightforward installation process with included mounting hardware and thermal paste.
- •Attractive ARGB lighting enhances case aesthetics without sacrificing cooling performance.
- •Premium build quality featuring a duaower aluminium heatsink and smooth, silent dual 120mm PWM fans.
- •Compatible with a wide range of CPU sockets, including AMD AM4/AM5 and Intel LGA 1700/1150/1151/1200.
- •Efficient heat dissipation with six heat pipes and a unique fan setup that pushes hot air effectively towards the rear exhaust.
- •Good clearance around RAM slots and GPU, with versatile fan placement options.
- •Maintains consistent, safe temperatures during extended use, including higerformance CPUs like the Ryzen 9 9900X and Ryzen 7 5800X.
- •Offers excellent performanco-price value, outperforming many low-profile and stock coolers.
Cons
- •Large size (~155mm tall) may cause clearance issues with taller memory modules or smaller cases.
- •Not ideal for extreme overclocking or CPUs with TDP above ~300W.
- •Installation may require patience, especially with thermal paste application and multiple screw turns before contact.
- •Might be less beginneriendly due to size and mounting complexity.
- •Some users note potential interference with larger RAM sticks unless a fan is added to the backside of the heatsink.
Bottom Line
The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE is a quiet, powerful dual-tower air cooler that provides exceptional cooling performance and value for mainstream to high-end CPUs in mid to full tower cases. It's especially well-suited for users who want strong thermal management without breaking the bank or dealing with noisy fans. However, its large size means you should double-check your case and RAM clearance before buying, and if you plan extreme overclocking or have a very high-TDP CPU, you might want to consider even beefier solutions. Overall, for most users looking for reliable, silent cooling with stunning ARGB flair, this cooler is a solid choice.
How we researched this
About this review: We pulled together findings from professional reviews and hundreds of user reviews, and cross-referenced them with ShopSavvy's pricing data from thousands of retailers to give you the short version.
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