Thermalright
Thermalright AXP90 X36 Black Low Profile CPU Cooler
Bottom line: The Thermalright AXP90 X36 Black Low Profile CPU Cooler: Just 36mm tall - clears most ITX cases and low-profile chassis; main trade-off: 92mm slim TL-9015B fan moves less air than a 120mm tower.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ Just 36mm tall - clears most ITX cases and low-profile chassis
- ✓ Rated 22.4dBA max - stays quiet under PWM ramp
- ✓ All-metal mounting with backplate fastener, not plastic push-pins
- ✓ Broad socket list: AM4, AM5, Intel 1150-1700 and 1851
Cons
- ✗ 92mm slim TL-9015B fan moves less air than a 120mm tower
- ✗ 36mm stack limits headroom on high-TDP CPUs
- ✗ 0.2A/12V fan ceiling caps static pressure for dense heatsinks
- ✗ Black finish version costs more than the plain aluminum model
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored Thermalright AXP90 X36 Black Low Profile CPU Cooler using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the cooling & fans category. Thermalright's cooling & fans lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for cooling & fans of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Key Features
- Compact, premium-quality low-profile CPU cooler (36mm total height)
- Good adaptability, all metal platform, with back plate fastener, secondary reflow soldering process
- Support for Intel: 115X/1200; AMD: AM4
- 4×6mm Heatpipes, Noise≤22.4DBA, Voltage 12V, Current 0.2A (MAX)
- Trusted Thermalright CPU cooler quality
Full Specifications
| Brand | Thermalright |
|---|---|
| Model | AXP-90 X36 Black |
| Voltage | 12 volts |
| Wattage | 3.6 watts |
| Material | Metal |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Noise Level | 22.4 db |
| Part Number | AXP |
| Material Type | Metal |
| Cooling Method | Air |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Air Flow Capacity | 42.58 cfm |
| Support for Intel | 115X/1200; AMD: AM4 |
| Compatible Devices | Desktop |
| Power Connector Type | 4-Pin |
| Maximum Rotational Speed | 2700 rpm |
| Item Dimensions L x W x H | 3.72"L x 3.74"W x 1.42"H |
| Full listing title | Thermalright AXP90 X36 Black Low Profile CPU Cooler, with 92mm TL-9015B Slim PWM Fan, ITX CPU Cooler, AGHP Technology, 36mm Height,for AMD AM4 AM5/Intel 1150/1151/1155/1851/1200/1700(AXP90 X36 Black) |
Ready to buy?
Thermalright AXP90 X36 Black Low Profile CPU Cooler, with 92mm TL-9015B Slim PWM Fan, ITX CPU Cooler, AGHP Technology, 36mm Height,for AMD AM4 AM5/Intel 1150/1151/1155/1851/1200/1700(AXP90 X36 Black) is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
Related Cooling & Fans
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Build Your Own Air Quality Monitor: Skip the $300+ Price Tag
- Best PC Cooling for High-TDP Builds in 2026
- Glide vs OpenGL vs Direct3D: The PC Gaming API War 1996-2003, Benchmarked
- Razer Soma Chroma Gaming Chair Review: RGB vs. Adjustability
- Lenovo G02 Retro Handheld Reportedly Ships With Pirated Game Library
- Best Parts for a Local Speech and Vision AI Box in 2026
- CompactFlash as a Silent IDE Boot Drive in a Retro Windows 98 Gaming PC: Full 2026 Guide
- Local 13B LLM Inference on a $700 Used Build: Ryzen 7 3700X + RTX 3060 12GB Benchmarked
- Free Retro Game Emulator Online: 2026 Browser Guide
- Best Quiet PC Cooling Upgrades in 2026
- ASRock Phantom Gaming 360 LCD Cooler Debuts With Strong Numbers
- Best GPU for 1080p Esports in 2026: Why the RTX 3060 Still Wins
- Best AM4 CPU for Budget Gaming and Local AI in 2026
- Crucial BX500 vs Samsung 870 EVO: Best Budget 1TB SATA SSD for Gaming in 2026
- Anthropic's Fable 5 Ban and Jailbreak: What It Means for Local-LLM Resilience
- Acer Nitro 65 Review: Solid Gaming, Connectivity Caveats
- The Half-Life Mod Era That Built Modern Multiplayer: Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, TFC, Natural Selection
- Best 12GB GPU for Local LLMs in 2026
- Best Single-Board Computers for Home Lab in 2026
- Raspberry Pi 4 8GB vs a Used Mini PC for a 2026 Beginner Homelab
- Boot Windows 98 from CompactFlash: Transcend CF133 + IDE Adapter Guide
- RX 580 in 2026: Still Worth It for 1080p Gaming?
- Best Storage Upgrades for Retro and Budget PC Builds in 2026
- Grok 4.5 Ranks #4 on GDPval: Cloud-vs-Local Math for 2026
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090