Thermalright Assassin King 120 SE White ARGB CPU Air Cooler
Bottom line: The Thermalright Assassin King 120 SE White ARGB CPU Air Cooler ($19.82 on Amazon as of 2026-10-06): Five 6mm heatpipes with AGHP III for vertical or horizontal mounting; main trade-off: 148mm tall, so it won't fit many slim or compact cases.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ Five 6mm heatpipes with AGHP III for vertical or horizontal mounting
- ✓ Fan rated at 25.6 dB(A) or less for quiet operation
- ✓ Up to 66.17 CFM airflow from the 120mm PWM fan
- ✓ S-FDB fan bearing rated for up to 20,000 hours
- ✓ Metal mounting hardware for Intel LGA1700/1851 and AMD AM4
Cons
- ✗ 148mm tall, so it won't fit many slim or compact cases
- ✗ Single fan, and the tower is not built for a second fan
- ✗ 1550 RPM max speed leaves little extra airflow for heavy loads
- ✗ AM5 is in the title but not on the spec sheet, so check the mount
Manufacturer description
The Thermalright Assassin King 120 SE White ARGB (AK120 SE) is a single-tower CPU air cooler for white-themed builds that still need solid cooling. Five 6mm heatpipes use Thermalright's AGHP III technique, which the manufacturer says counters the inverse-gravity effect when the cooler is mounted vertically or horizontally. That matters if your case or motherboard layout puts the tower on its side. The included TL-C12CW-S is a standard 120x120x25mm PWM fan. It spins at 1550 RPM (plus or minus 10%), moves up to 66.17 CFM and is rated at 25.6 dB(A) or less. Its S-FDB bearing is rated for up to…
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored Thermalright Assassin King 120 SE White ARGB CPU Air 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Thermalright AK120 SE White fit in my case?
The cooler is 148mm tall, 120mm long and 73mm wide. Your case needs at least 148mm of CPU cooler clearance. Thermalright describes it as suited to medium-sized cases.
Which CPU sockets does the AK120 SE White ARGB support?
The spec sheet lists Intel LGA115X, 1200, 1700, 17XX and 1851, plus AMD AM4, with a mounting plate or fasteners for each platform. The product title also lists AM5. If you have an AM5 board, check the listing to confirm the mounting kit covers it.
How loud is the included fan?
The TL-C12CW-S fan is rated at 25.6 dB(A) or less at its top speed of 1550 RPM (plus or minus 10%). It is a 4-pin PWM fan, so your motherboard can slow it down when the CPU is idle.
What size fan does it use, and can I replace it?
It comes with a standard 120x120x25mm fan rated for 66.17 CFM, so a standard 120mm fan should fit as a replacement. The fan runs on 12V through a 4-pin connector.
Does the cooler work when mounted vertically?
Yes. Thermalright says the five 6mm heatpipes use its AGHP III technique, which counters the inverse-gravity effect in both vertical and horizontal orientations.
Key Features
- 【Brand Overview】Thermalright is a Taiwan brand with more than 20 years of development. It has a certain popularity in the domestic and foreign markets and has a pivotal influence in the player market. We have been focusing on the research and development of computer accessories. R & D product lines include: CPU air-cooled radiator, case fan, thermal silicone pad, thermal silicone grease, CPU fan controller, anti falling off mounting bracket, support mounting bracket and other commodities.
- 【Product specification】Thermalright AK120 SE WHITE ARGB; CPU Cooler dimensions: 120(L)x73(W)x148(H)mm (4.92x2.87x 5.83 inch); Product weight:0.64kg(1.4lb); heat sink material: aluminum, CPU cooler is equipped with metal fasteners of Intel & AMD platform to achieve better installation.
- 【AGHP technique】5×6mm heat pipes apply AGHP III technique, Solve the Inverse gravity effect caused by vertical / horizontal orientation. Up to 20000 hours of industrial service life, S-FDB bearings ensure long service life of air-cooler radiators. UL class a safety insulation low-grade, industrial White PBT + PC material to create high-quality products for you. The height is 148mm, Suitable for medium-sized computer case.
- 【Compatibility】The CPU cooler Socket supports: Intel:115X/1200/1700/17XX/1851, AMD:AM4; For different CPU socket platforms, corresponding mounting plate or fastener parts are provided.
- 【PWM Fan】Model:TL-C12CW-S; Colorful and gorgeous ARGB light effects; Standard size PWM fan:120x120x25mm (4.72x4.72x0.98 inches); fan speed (RPM):1550rpm±10%; power port: 4pin; Voltage:12V; Air flow:66.17CFM(MAX); Noise Level≤25.6dB(A), the fan pairs efficient cool with low-noise-level, providing you an environment with both efficient cool and true quietness.
Full Specifications
| Brand | Thermalright |
|---|---|
| Model | AK120 SE WHITE ARGB-d2 |
| Weight | 0.64kg |
| Voltage | 12 Volts |
| Wattage | 3.6 watts |
| Material | Aluminum,Metal,Silicone |
| Dimensions | 4.92x2.87x 5.83 inch |
| Unit Count | 1.0 Count |
| Noise Level | 25.6 Decibels |
| Part Number | AK120 SE WHITE ARGB-d2 |
| Compatibility | PC |
| Material Type | Aluminum,Metal,Silicone |
| Cooling Method | Air |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Air Flow Capacity | 17 Cubic Feet Per Minute |
| Compatible Devices | Desktop |
| Power Connector Type | 4-Pin |
| Maximum Rotational Speed | 1550 RPM |
| Item Dimensions L x W x H | 5.83"L x 4.92"W x 2.87"H |
| Full listing title | Thermalright Assassin King 120 SE White ARGB CPU Air Cooler, AK120 SE White ARB, 5 Heatpipes, TL-C12CW-S PWM Quiet Fan CPU Cooler with S-FDB Bearing, for AMD AM4/AM5/Intel LGA1700/1150/1151/1200/1851 |
Ready to buy?
Thermalright Assassin King 120 SE White ARGB CPU Air Cooler, AK120 SE White ARB, 5 Heatpipes, TL-C12CW-S PWM Quiet Fan CPU Cooler with S-FDB Bearing, for AMD AM4/AM5/Intel LGA1700/1150/1151/1200/1851 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.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Related Cooling & Fans
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Best $1000 Gaming PC Build for 2026: Parts We'd Actually Buy
- RTX 5070 Ti vs RTX 5090 for Local LLMs: 16GB vs 32GB
- Build a Silent Raspberry Pi 5 NAS with NVMe and Active Cooling in 2026
- Best Budget GPU for Local LLMs in 2026: RTX 3060 12GB vs the Alternatives
- Local LLM on Mac: The 2026 Setup Guide
- Best GPUs for Mixtral 8x22B Local Inference in 2026
- Sega Genesis Mini vs SNES Classic Edition: Which Mini Console Wins in 2026?
- Double RTX 3070 VRAM: What's Actually Possible in 2026
- GLM-5.2 vs DeepSeek V4 on a 12GB RTX 3060: Which Open-Weights Model Wins?
- Why Direct3D Killed Glide: How the 3dfx Voodoo Empire Lost the API Wars
- Ollama vs LM Studio vs GPT4All on a 12GB GPU (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Xbox Mode's PC Performance Boost Favors Nvidia GPUs
- Best GPU Under $400 for Llama-Class 8B Models in 2026
- Arc B580 12GB vs Arc A770 16GB: Which Intel GPU Wins at 1440p in 2026?
- Matrox G400 MAX in 2026: Period-Correct Install, EMBM Showcase, and Pentium III Benchmarks
- Best Single-Board Computer Kits for Beginners (2026)
- RTX 3060 12GB vs RTX 3060 Ti 8GB for Local LLMs: VRAM Beats Bandwidth Every Time
- Qwen2.5 7B on a Budget: RTX 3060 12GB vs Ryzen 5 5600G iGPU (2026)
- Mistral Leanstral 1.5: Running the New Open Math Model on a 12GB RTX 3060
- HyperX QuadCast 2 vs Blue Yeti: Best Streaming Mic in 2026
- Handheld Gaming PC Near Me: Where to Buy in 2025
- Best Budget Gaming Peripherals in 2026
- Ryzen AI Max+ 395 vs RTX 4070: Gaming vs AI in 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