I'm comparing three single-tower Thermalright air coolers: the Burst Assassin 120 SE ARGB, the Assassin X 120 SE, and the Assassin X 120R SE. I'm mainly interested in how their cooling performance, noise levels, fans, and overall value differ. If anyone has used one of these, I'd appreciate practical feedback. Ideally, I'd like something quiet and inexpensive.
4 Answers
The two Assassin X versions appear to be essentially the same cooler. They have the same basic single-tower design and four heat pipes, with the main differences likely being the included fan, lighting, color, or how the product is listed. I wouldn’t expect a meaningful performance difference between them without checking the exact fan specifications.
These coolers are capable of handling fairly powerful CPUs when the case has decent airflow. The six-heat-pipe Burst Assassin is the safest pick if the price difference is small, while an Assassin X makes sense as a budget choice for a lower-power or midrange processor. Fan noise will also depend heavily on the motherboard’s fan curve, not just the cooler model.
The main difference is the heat-pipe count. The Burst Assassin has six heat pipes, while both Assassin X models have four. The X 120R may also use a slightly different fan, with variations in blade design or maximum speed. Based on the specifications, the Burst Assassin should offer the best cooling of these three, assuming the prices are reasonably close.
The Burst Assassin is the stronger option among these models because of its six heat pipes and larger heat-transfer capacity. The four-heat-pipe models can still handle many mainstream CPUs without trouble, but the Burst gives you more thermal headroom. For a particularly demanding processor, though, a dual-tower cooler such as a Peerless Assassin or Phantom Spirit would be a more substantial upgrade.
Quiet operation and a low price are more important to me than getting the absolute best temperatures.