CPU Cooler Check

Thermalright · Dual-tower air cooler

Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU compatibility

Rated for 245 W sustained, it holds CPUs up to the Core i7-13700K (253 W) below their junction limit in our model, and keeps 89 of 120 processors in the Excellent band.

Reviewed by Farrukh Sufyan SarwarHow we estimate temperaturesPrices verified

Rated

245 W

Height

155 mm

Price

~$35

RAM clearance
42 mm
Type
Dual-tower air cooler
Sockets in the box
AM5AM4LGA1851LGA1700LGA1200
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE product photo
Amazon$29.42as of Sep 17, 11:38 PM UTC · In Stock

Check bundled mounting kits before ordering; revisions add sockets over time.

Check price (opens retailer in a new tab)

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Design and fitment

The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE is a dual-tower air cooler rated for about 245 W of sustained heat at acceptable noise. It stands 155 mm tall, which fits most mid-tower and many compact cases, and clears 42 mm memory modules under its front fan in the stock position.

Mounting kits for AM4, AM5, LGA1200, LGA1700, LGA1851 are in the box. Every current desktop socket is covered.

Which processors it suits

Across the 120 processors it can mount, the Peerless Assassin 120 SE rates Excellent on 89 (74 %) and a throttling risk on 0. The most power-hungry chip it holds comfortably is the Core i7-13700 at 219 W (estimated 89 °C under full load). No supported processor pushes it into the throttling band.

In practice that makes it a good match for Core i7 / Ryzen 9 class chips and everything below, and for Core i9 parts with sensible power limits.

VS

Compared with close alternatives

01

AM5

bracket included
02

AM4

bracket included
03

LGA1851

bracket included
04

LGA1700

bracket included
05

LGA1200

bracket included

Terms used on this page

Sustained dissipation rating
The continuous heat load, in watts, a cooler can remove at acceptable noise. This site uses realistic sustained figures rather than marketing peak numbers, and models temperature as ambient plus load ÷ rating × a per-load scale.
Thermal headroom
The cooler's sustained dissipation rating minus the CPU's boost power limit, in watts. Positive headroom lets fans run slower and quieter; 25 W or more is rated Excellent here.
RAM clearance
The tallest memory module that fits under an air cooler's front fan in its stock position. Dual-tower coolers with less than 42 mm clash with tall RGB kits (typically 44 mm) unless the fan is raised.
CPU cooler height
The installed height of an air cooler from the motherboard, compared against the case's published CPU cooler clearance. Coolers at or above 160 mm exclude many compact Micro-ATX and tempered-glass mid-towers.
Dual-tower air cooler
An air cooler with two fin stacks and a fan between them (often a second in front). Highest air-cooling capacity, but the front fan overhangs the DIMM slots, which is where RAM clearance limits come from.