Review Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE Review: Incredible, Affordable Air Cooling Performance

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Another thing is price. The NH-D15 is $110, while the PA 120SE is $36.
Actually, now, it's more like 63 dollars unless you want the white ARGB version, which is like 38 bucks right now. That's what happens when something gets good reviews and becomes popular. It quickly loses it's popularity because it sheds half of what made it popular to begin with when they run out of supply and start jacking the price up to account for the demand.
 
Huh. I wonder why PCPP isn't reflecting that. At 40 bucks it's a no brainer. At 63 dollars, I'd have to at least consider some other options that are similarly priced or within a slightly higher margin. Although, the Phantom spirit 120 SE is about the same price at around 40 bucks, has 7 heat pipes instead of 6 and seemingly is a step up in terms of performance, so that's an option as well depending on what actually costs what at the time you intend to purchase. Both are massively good coolers if looking at the ~40 dollar price range.
 
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Please be sure to let us all know when that happens. Because, I have yet to see ANY currently popular hardware component show up at any kind of substantial discount during the BF sales. It's pretty much always "last years or years prior products" or products that otherwise haven't flown off the shelves in expected numbers that get the BF treatment. Occasionally you'll get a premium item included in a bundle, so that they can get rid of some other hardware models that aren't selling well at the same time, but it's not usually something that appeals to everybody and definitely never one of the top selling models for any given category. But hey, there's always a first time I guess.

As for the manual, I've purchased and installed quite a few Thermalright coolers and have not had any issues with the instructions being understandable. Granted, practically everything that comes from another country, especially Asian countries, have poorly written manuals that are generally in some form of Engrish, but the Thermalright manuals definitely haven't been among or anywhere near the worst of them. Still, I can understand how, if you are not already fairly well familiar with doing installations of aftermarket CPU coolers, it might be a little more problematic. That is why it is always a good idea to head directly to Youtube because for practically every CPU cooler out there, there is an easily digestible installation guide in video form that can be found on YT and usually several of them. Makes the manual being hard to understand a moot point, if in fact you are somebody who finds it to be difficult to understand.
 

Anon#1234

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Please be sure to let us all know when that happens. Because, I have yet to see ANY currently popular hardware component show up at any kind of substantial discount during the BF sales. It's pretty much always "last years or years prior products" or products that otherwise haven't flown off the shelves in expected numbers that get the BF treatment. Occasionally you'll get a premium item included in a bundle, so that they can get rid of some other hardware models that aren't selling well at the same time, but it's not usually something that appeals to everybody and definitely never one of the top selling models for any given category. But hey, there's always a first time I guess.

As for the manual, I've purchased and installed quite a few Thermalright coolers and have not had any issues with the instructions being understandable. Granted, practically everything that comes from another country, especially Asian countries, have poorly written manuals that are generally in some form of Engrish, but the Thermalright manuals definitely haven't been among or anywhere near the worst of them. Still, I can understand how, if you are not already fairly well familiar with doing installations of aftermarket CPU coolers, it might be a little more problematic. That is why it is always a good idea to head directly to Youtube because for practically every CPU cooler out there, there is an easily digestible installation guide in video form that can be found on YT and usually several of them. Makes the manual being hard to understand a moot point, if in fact you are somebody who finds it to be difficult to understand.
Yeah, didn't look at any videos while installing got the hang of it eventually.
 

ReveurGAM

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Please be sure to let us all know when that happens. Because, I have yet to see ANY currently popular hardware component show up at any kind of substantial discount during the BF sales. It's pretty much always "last years or years prior products" or products that otherwise haven't flown off the shelves in expected numbers that get the BF treatment. Occasionally you'll get a premium item included in a bundle, so that they can get rid of some other hardware models that aren't selling well at the same time, but it's not usually something that appeals to everybody and definitely never one of the top selling models for any given category. But hey, there's always a first time I guess.

Back when TH still listed the SK Hynix Platinum as the top SSD, there was a nice discount on it during BF.
 
Yes, but that is only because the bottom fell completely out of the DRAM and NAND markets, so practically EVERY storage device started seeing steep discounts. Since there are no materials used in the manufacture of CPU air coolers that is likely to suddenly become greatly devalued, it's very unlikely to see this sort of thing happen with them. But again, anything is possible. Unfortunately with this kind of product the manufacturers can simply stop production in order to ensure that no glut of product exists.
 
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ReveurGAM

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Yes, but that is only because the bottom fell completely out of the DRAM and NAND markets, so practically EVERY storage device started seeing steep discounts. Since there are no materials used in the manufacture of CPU air coolers that is likely to suddenly become greatly devalued, it's very unlikely to see this sort of thing happen with them. But again, anything is possible. Unfortunately with this kind of product the manufacturers can simply stop production in order to ensure that no glut of product exists.
Just like Nvidia keeps doing...
 

Albert.Thomas

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Hmmm..."There are times when you are really glad that snark does not have to be a part of one's daily routine. So, yes, props on that, er, stuff."

Was that sarcasm? Oh wait, are you a troll? :ROFLMAO::LOL::sneaky:

Seriously, though, I would like to know. Why? Well, as I stated previously, this review was rigged to put the PA120SE on top, by comparing it to other heatsinks that it could beat. Where are the best-in-class air and water coolers that would show people how good this cooler really is? This is not to say that only this reviewer did this - other reviewers deliberately compared PA120s to lesser coolers.

Where are the NH-D15, bq! DRP4, TR PS120, TR FC140, DC AK620, DCAG620, and all of the other heavy hitters?
If people want good advice, then reviewers should provide it - not help improve sales of coolers that are very good but not even the best from that manufacturer, don't you think? At least Gamers Nexus did a comparison with OC'd CPUs that gave it an easy time against some of the strongest air coolers while still showing that it doesn't outperform the best AIOs. What would've happened, I wonder, if that PA120 had been on a 13700kf, the 13900k or even the 12900k? My guess is that the PA120SE would get to a certain temperature where it would fall behind...
Stay Tuned!

My upcoming review of DeepCool's Assassin IV features the Peerless Assassin, Cooler Master's MA824 Stealth, Noctua's NH-D15S, Montech's DT24 Premium, and more on Intel's i7-13700K and Ryzen 7 7700X ;)
 
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ReveurGAM

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Stay Tuned!

My upcoming review of DeepCool's Assassin IV features the Peerless Assassin, Cooler Master's MA824 Stealth, Noctua's NH-D15S, Montech's DT24 Premium, and more on Intel's i7-13700K and Ryzen 7 7700X ;)
Don't forget the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4, DeepCool AK620, LT720, Assassin III, Lian Li Galahad AIO 360, Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360, Asus ROG Ryujin 360, Endorfy Navis F280 & F360, EKWB Nucleus AIO CR360, EVGA CLC 360, Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120, Frost Commander 140..That should be good. Then no one can question your results.
 

Albert.Thomas

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Don't forget the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4, DeepCool AK620, LT720, Assassin III, Lian Li Galahad AIO 360, Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360, Asus ROG Ryujin 360, Endorfy Navis F280 & F360, EKWB Nucleus AIO CR360, EVGA CLC 360, Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120, Frost Commander 140..That should be good.

You'll get none of those with this upcoming review

I had tested the EKWB Nucleus AIO CR360, but the one I got was a dud and EKWB never sent me a replacement :| I did just finish retesting the LT720 so it will be on future reviews *after* the Assassin IV.

I'll see about testing the Dark Rock Pro 4

Then no one can question your results.

There are always a billion ways one can nitpick a cooler review :p
 
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ReveurGAM

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Nice, the new Noctua cooler looks insane!
Hmmm...insane? Do you mean like this:eek:_O, this: :flushed:, this: :fearscream:, this: :tonguewink:, or this: :gun:?
:lang:
I honestly don't get why people get so excited about the appearance of the new DeepCool and Noctua. They're not exciting looking. The DC looks like a square. A black one. The 2nd gen. D15 looks like, well, they wanted to put a bigger fan on it but they didn't want to make the towers taller, which would've given some more cooling power, but then it would fit in very few cases. :lol: It honestly looks like something in a "funny car".

Oh well, to each their own. I'd love to have one of those CoolJag Falcons , or maybe this. Goofy looking for sure, but so interesting (and probably not very effective)!

I had tested the EKWB Nucleus AIO CR360, but the one I got was a dud and EKWB never sent me a replacement :| I did just finish retesting the LT720 so it will be on future reviews *after* the Assassin IV.
Don't let them slide. Keep on them until they replace that dud! It's supposed to be really good!
 
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The 2nd gen. D15 looks like, well, they wanted to put a bigger fan on it but they didn't want to make the towers taller, which would've given some more cooling power

I won't be upgrading to the 2nd gen... not needed. Gen 1 is already a beast... and as if being a beast wasn't enough the new offset brackets AM5 Noctua offset brackets just dropped my already amazing temps another 3C.

Noctua is a winner. Ya'll enjoy those $40 coolers... at least until the prices go up?
 
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ReveurGAM

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I won't be upgrading to the 2nd gen... not needed. Gen 1 is already a beast... and as if being a beast wasn't enough the new offset brackets AM5 Noctua offset brackets just dropped my already amazing temps another 3C.

Noctua is a winner. Ya'll enjoy those $40 coolers... at least until the prices go up?
I have a U12A which is doing very well for my 12700K. I also have a TR PA120, an Akasa Soho and a couple others that I want to test.