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Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE

ThermalrightCPU cooler

Peerless Assassin 120 SE

Released October 2021.1Maker product pagethermalright.com/product/peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026The page shows no launch date. Its product images sit in the site's 2021/10 upload folder, and the installation guide PDF is titled with the date 20211105. A second Thermalright page, Peerless Assassin 120 SE Black, lists identical specs. The first independent review found is Tom's Hardware of September 2022, so 2021-10 is approximate. Last checked 16 October 2026.

Cooler type
Air
Fans
2
Rated TDP
Not available
CPU sockets
AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1151, LGA1150

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All specs

SourceCalculated

General

Series
Peerless Assassin1Maker product pagethermalright.com/product/peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026Category: Peerless Assassin.
Model numbers
PA120 SE 17003Retailer pagewatercoolinguk.co.uk/product/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se-cpu-cooler-120mmRead 16 October 2026MPN: PA120 SE 1700. This is the retailer's manufacturer part number, not printed on Thermalright's page.
GTIN / EAN
08142560037593Retailer pagewatercoolinguk.co.uk/product/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se-cpu-cooler-120mmRead 16 October 2026EAN 0814256003759. Paradigit lists the same number as 814256003759 under Product number manufacturer.
Announced
Not available
Status
Available3Retailer pagewatercoolinguk.co.uk/product/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se-cpu-cooler-120mmRead 16 October 202650 in stock on the access date at 33.11 GBP excluding VAT. Thermalright's page is live.
Predecessor
Not available
Successor
Not available
Launch price (US)
$364Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026Spec table, supplied by Thermalright: MSRP $36 USD. The review is dated September 2022, so this is the US MSRP at that time and may not be the launch price. Tax is not stated.
Launch price (EU)
Not available
Markets
Not available
Colours
Not available
Cooler type
Air1Maker product pagethermalright.com/product/peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026
Air cooler layout
Dual tower1Maker product pagethermalright.com/product/peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026Listed under Dual Towers in the Peerless Assassin series.
Rated TDP (claimed)
Not available
Base material
Nickel-plated copper1Maker product pagethermalright.com/product/peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026Copper Base: C1100 Pure copper nickel plated.
Thermal paste
Included2Owner's manualdownload.thermalright.com/manuals/PEERLESSASSASSIN120SE.pdfRead 16 October 2026Parts list item J: Thermal Grease x1. The steps say to apply thermal grease on the CPU. Tom's Hardware names a medium-sized tube of thermal paste.4Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026A medium-sized tube of thermal paste is in the package.

Compatibility

CPU sockets
AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1151, LGA11501Maker product pagethermalright.com/product/peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026Intel 115X/1200/1700/1851 and AMD AM4/AM5. 115X is written as LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155 and LGA1156. The older installation guide covers AM4, 115X/1200 and 1700 only. The page names AM5 and LGA1851.
RAM height clearance
Not available
Offset mounting
Not available

Heatsink

Heat pipes
61Maker product pagethermalright.com/product/peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026Heat pipes: 6mm heatpipe x 6 units.
Heat pipe diameter
6mm1Maker product pagethermalright.com/product/peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026
Direct-contact heat pipes
Not available

Liquid cooling

We could not find any of these 7 fields. Show them
Radiator size
Not available
Radiator dimensions
Not available
Radiator material
Not available
Tube length
Not available
Max pump speed
Not available
Pump power connector
Not available
VRM fan
Not available

Fans

Included fans
ModelSize (mm)FansMax speed (rpm)Airflow (CFM)Static pressure (mmH₂O)Noise (claimed) (dB(A))BearingConnector
TL-C12C12021,55066.171.5325.6Fluid dynamic (FDB)4-pin PWM
Source1Maker product pagethermalright.com/product/peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026TL-C12C fan spec: 120 x 120 x 25 mm, 120 g each, rated speed 1550 RPM +/-10% (MAX), noise 25.6 dBA, air flow 66.17 CFM (MAX), air pressure 1.53 mm H2O (MAX), 0.20 A, 4 pin PWM connector, S-FDB bearing. S-FDB is stored as fluid dynamic. The page gives no minimum speed. Two fans come in the box per the installation guide parts list.2Owner's manualdownload.thermalright.com/manuals/PEERLESSASSASSIN120SE.pdfRead 16 October 2026Parts list item B: Fan x2, and item C: Fan Y-cable x1 that joins both fans to one PWM header.4Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026The package includes 2x TL-C12C 120mm fans. The fan table repeats Thermalright's figures: 1550 RPM +/-10%, 66.17 CFM, 1.53 mm H2O, 25.6 dB(A).
Fans
2

Display and lighting

RGB lighting
No4Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026The fan spec table lists Lighting: None, and the text says there is no RGB or lighting at all.
Lighting standard
Not available
Built-in screen
None4Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026The review describes a dual-tower heatsink with two plain fans and no screen.
Screen size
Not available
Screen resolution
Not available
Software
Not available
Needs a USB header
No2Owner's manualdownload.thermalright.com/manuals/PEERLESSASSASSIN120SE.pdfRead 16 October 2026The Fan Wiring panel shows only the 4-pin PWM CPU_FAN header, with a Y-cable for two fans. No USB connection is shown.

Measured

Cybenetics THETA, AMD AM5
Not available
Cybenetics THETA, Intel LGA1851
Not available
Overall performance at 30 dB(A), AM5 (measured)
Not available
Overall performance at 30 dB(A), LGA1851 (measured)
Not available
Noise at 100% fan setting (Cybenetics)
Not available
Thermal tests (measured)
Test CPULoadCPU power (W)Fan settingAbove ambient (°C)
Intel Core i9-12900KCinebench with a 200 W CPU power limit, 10 minute run, be quiet! Silent Base 802 case200default motherboard fan curve61
Intel Core i9-12900KOCCT small data set with a 200 W CPU power limit, 10 minute run, be quiet! Silent Base 802 case200default motherboard fan curve64
Source4Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026Albert Thomas, review last updated 27 September 2022. Intel Core i9-12900K on an MSI Z690 A-Pro DDR4 in a be quiet! Silent Base 802 case. Each stress test ran 10 minutes with the fans on the motherboard's default fan curve. Row 1: Cinebench with a 200 W CPU power limit, the CPU averaged 61 degrees C over ambient. Row 2: OCCT small data set at 200 W, 64 degrees C over ambient. The ambient temperature, the paste and whether the case was closed are not stated. Noise and the other rows (95 W, 140 W, 50 percent fan speed) are only in chart images, so they are not stored.

Dimensions and weight

Front and side, drawn to scale.

Dimensions
Width125Height155Depth135mm(4.9 × 6.1 × 5.3 in)3Retailer pagewatercoolinguk.co.uk/product/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se-cpu-cooler-120mmRead 16 October 2026Technical details: Dimensions with fan 125 x 155 x 135 mm (W x H x D) and without fan 125 x 155 x 110 mm. The without-fan figure matches Thermalright's heatsink size, and the 25 mm front fan explains the extra 25 mm of depth. Paradigit prints 138 mm of depth with a width of 120 mm, which does not match Thermalright's 125 mm, so it is not used.
Heatsink dimensions
Width125Height155Depth110mm(4.9 × 6.1 × 4.3 in)1Maker product pagethermalright.com/product/peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026Heatsink Specifications: L125 mm x W110 mm x H155 mm. L runs across the fins and W along the airflow of this dual-tower cooler, so width 125, depth 110 and height 155.
Weight
970g(2.1 lb)3Retailer pagewatercoolinguk.co.uk/product/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se-cpu-cooler-120mmRead 16 October 2026Technical details: Weight with fan 970 g and without fan 730 g (the page prints Weight with fan twice). 970 g equals the heatsink 730 g plus two 120 g fans. Tom's Hardware lists a net weight of 850 g, which fits one fan and is not used.
Heatsink weight
730g(1.6 lb)1Maker product pagethermalright.com/product/peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026Heatsink Specifications: Weight 730g.

In the box

In the box
Heatsink x1, Fan x2, Fan Y-cable x1, AMD bracket x2, Intel bracket x2, Intel 115X/1200 back plate x1, Fan clip x4, 115X/1200 standoff x4, Intel screw x4, Thermal grease x1, AM4 standoff x4, AM4 screw x4, LGA17XX back plate x1, 17XX standoff x4, Installation guide2Owner's manualdownload.thermalright.com/manuals/PEERLESSASSASSIN120SE.pdfRead 16 October 2026Parts List items A to N as printed, quantities kept. The guide's item F is the Intel 115X/1200 back plate and M the LGA17XX back plate. The Installation guide line comes from the Tom's Hardware package list, wording shortened.4Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-seRead 16 October 2026Package list: dual-tower heatsink, 2x TL-C12C fans, mounts for modern Intel and AMD platforms, a medium-sized tube of thermal paste, a fan splitter and an installation guide.

Warranty

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Manufacturer warranty (source market)
Not available

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Sources

We read 4 sources for this CPU cooler. The numbers match the markers in the sheet.

  1. Read 16 October 2026Backs 12 fields
  2. Read 16 October 2026Backs 5 fields
  3. Read 16 October 2026Backs 5 fields
  4. Read 16 October 2026Backs 7 fields

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