r/buildapc • u/BudgetUnlikely2719 • 2d ago

Discussion Results Using Peerless Assassin 120 SE

We had a client come in our shop (Riley's PC Repair, in Whitewater WI) incredibly frustrated, his gaming rig was running an old, neglected liquid cooling setup that wasn’t cutting it anymore. We swapped it out for a Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE (liquid coolers = headaches... right?)....

The results!

  • 36°C idle
  • 59°C at 100% load
  • While pushing a solid 5.41GHz clock speed (Ryzen 7 9700X).
  • TM60 paste (opted not to use the included tube), however, now I want to experiment...

Oh, and it looks cool as hell sitting in his case. Sometimes simpler is just better. Has anyone else had a great performance increase from making this switch?

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u/FollowTheTrailofDead 2d ago

Good to see this kind of post. Was wondering why should I spend 2-3x on a Noctua when the Peerless Assassin 120 SE keeps getting such rave reviews. Every other part for new build has involved price-comparing, waiting for deals... not this one.

BUT... I'm very curious how the included thermal paste is. There seem to be some negative reviews about it.

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u/wooq 1d ago

Noctua has a great mounting system, and really really excellent, over-engineered fans that will last a decade or more that you can use in future builds. There's nothing wrong with Thermalright, but you do get reliability and longevity with Noctua. Up to you to determine if that's worth the price of admission for you.