The Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 (and the almost identical SE version) are the improved successors to the Peerless Assassin series that shook the market last year. In all but the most demanding scenarios, they will perform just as well as the best CPU coolers on the market, while remaining just as quiet, for less than half the price.
Starting at just $38, the cooler uses seven copper heat pipes, two 120mm fans spinning at up to 1500 RPM, and a split-tower design to make sure that less air is lost along the way. Thermalright is a seasoned company that was somewhat forgotten, but with such price differences between the Phantom Spirit and its competitors, concerns about warranty for the fans are arguably moot.
In most systems, the only reason not to give Thermalright a shot is if you have extremely tall RAM modules (more than 60mm). In that case, you should spend a bit more on the similarly performing Scythe Fuma 3 ($50), which offers complete RAM clearance thanks to its asymmetrical shape.
The heavyweight champions
If you want the very best cooling performance, you should get the Thermalright Frost Commander 140, starting at just $44. It only uses five heat pipes, but they are 8mm thick rather than the standard 6mm. It has a 140mm fan in the middle and a 120 one on the outside for improved RAM clearance. Both fans can reach 1,800 RPM, so you may want to limit their speed.
If you want to show off your RAM modules without compromising performance, the solution will be expensive: the DeepCool Assassin IV costs $100, but features a unique design and a physical button for low-noise mode.
More compact alternatives
If you aren’t running any of the most power-hungry CPUs, you can also go with a more compact and lightweight cooler. In this case you have several good options, including the Be Quiet! Pure Rock 2 Black ($45), Arctic Freezer 34 eSports Duo ($43) and Noctua NH-U12S Redux ($55).
Budget coolers that are much better than stock
AMD’s Wraith Spire is surprisingly good for a stock cooler, nearly matching Cooler Master’s venerable Hyper 212 Evo, now selling at $40. On the other hand, Intel’s stock coolers and AMD’s Wraith Stealth are meant to be replaced by those who want to get the most out of their CPU.
If you want to improve upon what your stock CPU cooler offers for as little money as possible, here are two proven choices: ID-Cooling’s SE-214-XT offers four heat pipes and a 120mm ARGB fan for $18. If you don’t want RGB, the Thermalright Assassin X120 starts at the same $18 without it.
Threadripper Cooling
You may think that AMD’s Threadripper CPUs are harder to cool than most mainstream CPUs, because of their extra cores, but in fact their larger surface area makes up for those as long as the cooler is designed to utilize it. That’s why Noctua is able to get away with a single 140mm fan and a compact design in its $100 NH-U14S TR4-SP3, possibly the most acoustically efficient cooler for AMD Threadrippers.
If you still prefer a split-tower design, the Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 TR4 looks similar to the Frost Commander 140 (but features slower fans), and currently costs less than its competitor ($90).
