Side by side
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE
190 positive (91%) · 16 mixed (8%) · 3 negative (1%)
Trust + time weighted: +91%
AI summary — not a quote
The Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE is widely regarded as one of the best value air coolers on the market, frequently recommended for its ability to handle high-end CPUs like the Ryzen 7800X3D at a budget-friendly price point. Users consistently report excellent thermal performance, often maintaining gaming temperatures between 60-65°C, while remaining quiet enough for silent-focused builds.
Pros
- Exceptional price-to-performance ratio, often outperforming more expensive coolers.
- Quiet operation, particularly when fans are set to lower RPMs (700-800).
- Effective cooling for demanding CPUs like the Ryzen 7600X and 7800X3D.
- Compact 154mm-156mm height fits in many mid-sized cases.
Cons
- Front fan clearance can be an issue when paired with tall RAM modules.
- Raising the front fan to clear RAM can increase the total height beyond the base 154-156mm spec.
Top excerpts
CPU cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU, AM5, height 154 mm, 1500 RPM, 25.6 dB (€ 41.03)
Yep that cooler is great.
The PS 120 SE should be nice and cool if you want to run stock set up of PL1/PL2 125W/250W.
I'd go Phantom Spirit 120 SE or Evo, extra heat pipe, I've owned both very solid with my 7800x3d
My 7600x ran hot, reapply thermal paste and Spend $35-40 on a Phantom Spirit 120 SE and it'll drop those temps tenfold
Thermalright Peerless Assassin
264 positive (90%) · 19 mixed (6%) · 11 negative (4%)
Trust + time weighted: +87%
AI summary — not a quote
The Thermalright Peerless Assassin is widely regarded by the PC building community as the gold standard for value-oriented air cooling. It is frequently cited for providing performance that rivals premium air coolers and even some liquid coolers at a fraction of the cost, typically retailing between $30 and $40.
Pros
- Exceptional price-to-performance ratio, often beating coolers twice its price.
- Capable of cooling high-end gaming CPUs like the AMD Ryzen 7800X3D and 5800X with ease.
- Significantly outperforms older budget staples like the Cooler Master Hyper 212.
- Dual-tower, dual-fan design provides robust thermal headroom for most consumer builds.
Cons
- Occasional quality control issues, such as units arriving with bent cooling fins.
- Included fans may develop rattling noises or underperform over long-term use.
- May struggle with the most extreme high-TDP processors (like the 9950X3D) under sustained heavy workloads.
Top excerpts
but if you want similar performance for much, much cheaper, go with phantom spirit or peerless assassin
Are you so unhappy with your current performance that you're willing to bet $35 (Thermalright peerless assassin) on the potential for improvement?
My 5800x absolutely flies. I use a Peerless Assassin to cool it.
A good air cooler like the Peerless Assassin or AK620 is more than enough
Many people find the Thermalright Peerless assassin to have virtually identical performance for 1/4 the cost of my Noctua.