I'm a bit worried that my new cooler, the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120, might not fit in my PC and could touch my RAM. I'm looking for advice on whether it will fit or if I should consider a smaller cooler that performs similarly. Here are my specs:
- **PC Case:** Xiaomi NET black edition-2
- **Motherboard:** Gigabyte B550M DS3H
- **RAM:** ADATA XPG GAMMIX D20 32GB (16x2) 3200MHz
- **CPU:** Ryzen 5 5600 (though I'm planning to upgrade to a 5800X3D soon)
- **GPU:** Radeon RX 6700 XT
I know the maximum cooler height for my case is 160mm, which should be fine for the Peerless Assassin, but I'm still concerned about clearance with the RAM. Any suggestions on smaller CPUs coolers or insights on my situation would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
Honestly, instead of getting a new heatsink, I suggest looking into ram risers that can give you more vertical clearance for your RAM slots. It's typically around $10 at local tech stores and could save you a lot of hassle. The Peerless Assassin should fit, especially if it’s well designed for RAM clearance!
The Hyper 212 is a decent choice too! It's a bit more compact, and while it doesn’t cool quite as well as the Peerless Assassin, it’s a good alternative that doesn't take up much space.
You might want to check out the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 90 SE Black. It's smaller, but some say it can struggle a bit with keeping temperatures down. Worth considering if you really need a more compact cooler.
I heard that too, but the temperatures might not be as bad as people say. It's still worth a look!
If the cooler does touch your RAM, just raising the fan slightly should work fine. Honestly, just wait till you get the cooler and see how it fits with your specific setup.
So you're saying that the metal base won't actually hit the RAM? If that's the case, I might just go ahead and order the Peerless Assassin!
Most Thermalright coolers use heat pipes made from powdered copper, which really boosts performance. The Peerless Assassin has 6 heat pipes, but with taller RAM modules, it might get close. I’d suggest checking out the Thermalright Burst Assassin or the Royal Knight for better RAM compatibility if you have concerns.
Thanks so much for the suggestion! Those seem like exactly what I was looking for!
That's a good point! Using risers could really help with space issues.