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Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE Black CPU Air Cooler, 6 Heat Pipes Heatsink Dual Towers Cooler, with Dual PWM Fans, 1550RPM Speed, Desktop CPU Cooler for Intel 1700/1851/1150/1151/1200;AM4 AM5
Thermalright

Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE Black CPU Air Cooler

Bottom line: The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE Black CPU Air Cooler: Six heat pipes with dual-tower heatsink for strong dual-fan cooling; main trade-off: stands 155mm tall, so check case clearance before buying.

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Mike Perry — Hardware researcher since 2014, focused on GPU performance across gaming, rendering, and local-LLM inference. Synthesises community benchmarks, manufacturer specs, and public forum data into actionable buying guides.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓ Six heat pipes with dual-tower heatsink for strong dual-fan cooling
  • ✓ Runs quiet under load, rated 25.6 dB(A) from the twin TL-C12C PWM fans
  • ✓ Wide socket support: Intel LGA1700/1851/1200 plus AMD AM4/AM5
  • ✓ 66.17 CFM max airflow with 1550RPM PWM temperature control

Cons

  • ✗ Stands 155mm tall, so check case clearance before buying
  • ✗ AM4 installs require the motherboard's original backplate
  • ✗ No RGB or ARGB lighting on the fans or towers
  • ✗ Dual-tower depth can crowd tall RAM in the first DIMM slot

SpecPicks Verdict

SpecPicks scored Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE Black 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.

Key Features

  • [Brand Overview] Thermalright is a Taiwanese brand with more than 20 years of development history. It has a certain degree of popularity in the domestic and international markets, and has a decisive influence in the cooler market. We have been focusing on the research and development of computer accessories. The R&D product line includes: CPU coolers, CPU water cooling coolers, case fans, thermally conductive silicone grease, accessories and other products.
  • [Product specification] Model: PA120SE BLACK; CPU heat sink size: 125 (L) x135 (W) x155 (H) mm (4.92x5.31x6.1 inch); Heat sink material: Aluminum, CPU heat sink equipped with metal fasteners from Intel and AMD platforms for better installation, dual tower and dual fan heat dissipation is more powerful.
  • [Dual PWM Fans] TL-C12C Reverse Fan*2; Standard size PWM fan: 120x120x25mm (4.72x4.72x0.98 inches); Fan speed (RPM): 1550rpm±10%; Power interface: 4pin; Voltage: 12V; Air volume: 66.17 CFM (MAX); The noise value is≤25.6dB (A), and dual fans can provide stronger air flow, further improving the heat dissipation effect of the cpu cooler.
  • [Detailed description] The radiator is equipped with a Y-type adapter cable (one end of 3-pin, one end of 4-pin), which can be very good to connect the two fans in series, to avoid the motherboard interface is not enough. (Note: Installation of AM4 motherboard, you need to use the motherboard original backplane installation)
  • [Compatibility] CPU cooler slot support: Intel: LGA1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/1700/1851; AMD: AM4/AM5; for different CPU slot platforms, the cooler's mounting kit provides the appropriate mounting plate or fasteners, can be combined with the installation instructions or follow the tutorials to the machine.
  • [Stable output] CPU cooler with high-performance inverted fan with PWM temperature control function, shock-absorbing silicone feet around to reduce fan noise, anti-touch fan blade design to improve safety, and S-FDB bearing is a solution to the fan lifting jitter vibration. The S-FDB bearing solves the problem of fan lifting vibration. It improves the cooling performance to a great extent.

Full Specifications

BrandThermalright
ModelPA120SE BLACK
Voltage12 volts
Wattage2.4 watts
MaterialAluminum
Dimensions4.92x5.31x6.1 inch
Unit Count1 Count
Noise Level25.6 db
Part NumberPA120SE BLACK D6
Material TypeAluminum
Cooling MethodAir
Number of Items1
Vibration/RumbleYes
Air Flow Capacity66.17 cfm
Compatible DevicesDesktop
Included Componentscpu air cooler
Power Connector Type4-Pin
Maximum Rotational Speed1550 rpm
Item Dimensions L x W x H4.92"L x 6.1"W x 5.31"H
Full listing titleThermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE Black CPU Air Cooler, 6 Heat Pipes Heatsink Dual Towers Cooler, with Dual PWM Fans, 1550RPM Speed, Desktop CPU Cooler for Intel 1700/1851/1150/1151/1200;AM4 AM5

Ready to buy?

Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE Black CPU Air Cooler, 6 Heat Pipes Heatsink Dual Towers Cooler, with Dual PWM Fans, 1550RPM Speed, Desktop CPU Cooler for Intel 1700/1851/1150/1151/1200;AM4 AM5 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.

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