The Air Cooling solutions from Thermalright are conquering the market as well as the internet by storm.

The successor of the Peerless Assassin 120 120SE version became a rising star because of its aggressive price.

Shockingly, a 40$ budget cooler competes against the golden benchmark standard the Noctua NH-D15 air cooler.

thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se-review

So lets find out the comparison results and evaluate its price worth & appearance.

Each content in the box was organized and secured by EPE foam cutouts.

Thats pretty much it; youll see at first glance.

thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se

All the mounting tools are in that box between the dual tower heatsink space.

Lets take a look at each boxs contents youll receive.

Box Contents:

Apparently, the manufacturer has included every possible recent socket mount in their package.

thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se

Each set of mounting tools is in separate boxes, and the labeling is on each item and packet.

The best part about the White ARGB versions protruding heat pipes on the top is barely visible.

And the Black ARGB Heatsink is identical to the basic version except for the Fan illumination.

120se-vs-120

you might choose either one by spending a little more or less.

We stressed the CPU with Prime 95 software.

The ambient temperature during our test was 23C with an open bench setup.

120vs-120-at-105w

First, lets see how better or worse theTR Peerless Assassin 120SEperforms against theTR Peerless Assassin 120.

As expected, theair coolingefficiency is slightly better with theSEversion.

However, these Coolers showed different results on105W TDPwith100% Fan speed.

noctua-nh-d15-vs-120-se-in30w

The results were seemingly indifferent when comparing the golden benchmark NH-D15 vs. TR Peerless Assassin 120SE.

But the 105W higher temperature winner wasNH-D15, with a slightly lower noise level and temperature headroom.

It may occur because of the smaller heatsink size of the TR Peerless Assassin 120SE.

noctua-nh-d15-vs-120-se-in-105w

Returning to the budget segment, you have an alternativeAK620from Deepcool.

Both of these coolers perform almost identically on our test.

it’s possible for you to choose either one regarding your budget and product availability.

So you have to decide which method is better for your very rig.

You must keep the airflow balanced and linear for the best possible outcome.

Luckily, the manufacturer includes each peripheral in the box except a screwdriver.

FYI youd need a long drive to avoid difficulties while tightening the block.

A shorter one cant reach easily through the spilled area of the heatsink.

Its a complete solution since the Cooler includes PremiumTHERMALRIGHT TF-7thermal paste.

You might face The following possible difficulties in the RAM clearance, debunked in a further section.

Now the Case & RAM clearance is crucial & unavoidable because the heatsink isnt tiny,46mmto be exact.

you’re able to easily make some more space by replacing the fan placement from the default position.

Its easy, just unmount the fan and mount it again by pushing it slightly upward.

Then measure the gap between your CPU surface & side panel to compare if it fits in your cabinet.

Or else, you know you might have to use your PC without the side panel (LMAO).

So be careful before purchasing.

But be cautious if you want a vertical mount.

Other than those, we didnt face anything unusual throughout our test.

Our test results and comparison results are in the further section.

Is the TR Peerless Assassin 120SE the Best CPU Cooler?

It became the absolute best option because of its attractive and unbeatable price.

Considering the price-to-performance ratio, the NH-D15 cant even come close to it.

This super budget-friendly Aircooler under $40 can perform similarly, whereas the NH-D15 costs four times more.

Even the white ARGB version costs less than AK620.

FAQs

How much TDP Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE can handle?

Is TR Peerless Assassin 120SE appropriate for the latest AMD 7000 & Intel 13th Gen CPUs?

Can I overclock my CPU with Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE AirCooler?