Thermalright’s Assassin series has long been a beloved lineup in the air cooler market. Among them, the Peerless Assassin series has become synonymous with value air coolers, loved by users worldwide for its outstanding cooling performance and reasonable price. Recently, AIO liquid coolers have been trending with LCD and LED displays. Following this trend, Thermalright launched the Digital lineup, which adds a digital display to the Peerless Assassin series.
A while ago, I reviewed the Peerless Assassin 120 Digital ARGB model, which features vibrant ARGB cooling fans. This time, I’m bringing you the non-RGB version, neatly configured without RGB lighting. This could be a great option for those who prefer a simple, restrained design over flashy tuning, or for those who want to experience display features at an even more reasonable price. Let’s take a closer look now.
Thermalright is a specialized CPU cooler brand founded in Taiwan in 2001. It has established its position in the cooling solution market by introducing numerous hit products. Among these, the Peerless Assassin series continues to enjoy steady popularity among countless users thanks to its excellent cooling performance and reasonable price.
Contents and Specifications
The Peerless Assassin 120 series is Thermalright’s flagship dual-tower CPU cooler. It has been widely popular for its excellent heat dissipation performance, based on six 6mm heat pipes. The Digital model takes this a step further, adding a digital display to create an upgraded premium lineup.
Product Specifications
Heatsink
Dimensions: 125mm(L) x 110mm(W) x 162mm(H)
Heat pipes: 6mm x 6 units
Base: C1100 Pure copper nickel plated
Digital Connector: Motherboard 9-pin/USB port
Cooling Fan
Model Name: TL-C12C-X28 V2
Dimensions: 120mm x 120mm x 28mm
Max Speed: 1850 RPM±10%
Noise Level: 25.6 dBA
Max Airflow: 88.89 CFM
Max Static Pressure: 2.21 mm H2O
Bearing: S-FDB Bearing
The package includes the heatsink body, two cooling fans, guides for each socket, an Intel backplate, thermal paste, and a user manual.
Appearance and Features
The cooling fans are Thermalright’s high-performance TL-C12C-X28 V2. These 120mm x 120mm x 28mm fans rotate at a maximum of 1850 RPM, providing an airflow of 88.89 CFM and a static pressure of 2.21 mm H2O.
The cooler effectively dissipates heat by pushing powerful airflow through its dual-tower heatsink structure. With these specifications, it can sufficiently manage the heat generated by high-performance CPUs. It utilizes S-FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) for its bearings, ensuring stable durability even after extended use. Thanks to the fluid bearing’s inherently quiet operation, the maximum noise level is only 25.6dBA, allowing for comfortable use even in quiet environments.
This product is designed with a dual-tower structure. Its 125mm x 110mm x 162mm heatsink features densely packed, high-density aluminum dissipation fins for effective heat dispersion. Six 6mm heat pipes cross both towers, maximizing heat transfer efficiency.
A key feature of the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 Digital is the display integrated into the top heatsink cover. This LED display allows for real-time monitoring of system information such as CPU temperature and utilization. This means users can now experience system status monitoring, previously only available with high-end liquid coolers, with an air cooler.
Additionally, the copper heat pipes incorporate AGHP (Advanced Gas Heat Pipe) technology, ensuring stable refrigerant circulation regardless of orientation, whether vertical or horizontal. Thanks to this technology, which minimizes the effects of gravity, consistent performance can be achieved in any assembly environment.
System Configuration and Assembly
One of the advantages of Thermalright coolers is their simple installation. Designed for easy mounting by anyone without complex parts, even beginners can complete the assembly without difficulty.
To briefly explain the installation process for an Intel system: First, place the backplate on the rear of the motherboard and secure the standoffs from the front. Then, place the mounting bracket on top and fasten it with screws, and the cooler will be ready to be placed.
Next, apply an appropriate amount of thermal compound to the CPU, place the heatsink onto the bracket, and then tighten the screws in a diagonal pattern to ensure even pressure.
The cooling fans use a clip-on design, allowing them to be easily attached to both sides of the heatsink. Once the top display cover is installed, the entire setup is complete.
You also won’t have to worry about RAM interference. While dual-tower coolers inherently take up significant space near the memory slots, the Peerless Assassin 120 Digital addresses this by slightly raising the front fan’s position, ensuring ample RAM clearance. Thanks to this, you can install even high-performance RAM modules with large heatspreaders without any interference.
The black model used in today’s review features an overall matte black coating, giving it a calm yet sophisticated look. For those building a system with the popular all-black concept these days, it will create a clean, unified aesthetic when matched with a black case, motherboard, and RAM, without any unnecessary clutter.
Software
Display settings can be configured through TRCC (Thermalright Control Center), a dedicated program provided by Thermalright. The program itself is designed to be very simple, allowing users to quickly become familiar with it without any prior learning. Furthermore, since changes are applied to the display immediately, users can instantly test the colors and effects they desire.
The information that can be displayed includes system statuses such as CPU temperature and utilization, and GPU temperature and utilization, which can be toggled on or off. What makes it especially practical is the ability to set colors to automatically change based on temperature ranges, allowing for an intuitive grasp of the system’s condition.
Display Effects
Performance Test
To verify the cooling performance, we configured the system as follows:
System Configuration
CPU : Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
MB : ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO
RAM : ADATA Lancer Blade RGB DDR5 6400MHz
SSD : Micron Crucial T710 2TB
After measuring temperatures by running each test item for 10 minutes, we confirmed that it provides sufficiently satisfying cooling performance as an air cooler. In idle state, it maintained a low average temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, and in the AIDA64 stress test, the average overall CPU temperature was 84 degrees Celsius. During the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, it showed even more stable performance with an average of 78 degrees Celsius, confirming that it has sufficient cooling capacity even for high-performance CPUs.
We also conducted a noise test. While there are limitations to viewing the measurements taken with a smartphone app as absolute values, they should be useful for gauging perceived noise.
Measured at a distance of about 30-40cm from the case, in idle state, the cooler noise was barely perceptible at 38dBA, with only ambient noise audible. Under full load, it rose to 48dBA, but this level was not particularly bothersome in a typical usage environment.
Concluding the Review
The Peerless Assassin series is a lineup whose cooling performance has already been proven by numerous users. The Digital model, with its added digital display, can be said to be a product that captures both practicality and trendiness.
Equipped with 6 heat pipes, a dual-tower structure, and AGHP technology, its heat dissipation capability is sufficient, and thanks to its low-noise design of up to 25.6dBA, it’s also well-suited for those who want to run their system quietly. Above all, the ability to check CPU temperature and utilization in real-time through the top display is another attractive point.
Assembly is easy, and there’s no concern about RAM interference, so even first-time builders should feel comfortable choosing it. If you want to build a clean system without RGB lighting but still desire a display function, you might want to consider the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 Digital Black.
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