Thermalright Assassin King 120 SE CPU Air Cooler, 5 Heatpipes, TL-C12C PWM Fan, for AMD AM4/Intel LGA1700/1150/1151/1200/AM5

I recently purchased an Intel 13400 processor for a new system build. This is a 65W processor so it shouldn't produce a ton a heat, and I'd read that the cooler Intel includes in the box was adequate to the job. Which it was, in the sense that it kept the CPU under thermal limits under heavy loads. But it was still running hotter than I would like, in the 70s (C), and worse, the stock fan was running at 3,200+ RPM to maintain that temperature and it sounded like a leaf blower. This Thermalright Assassin King was about the cheapest upgrade I could find, but it has done wonders versus the stock cooler. Under load I am running 20 deg C cooler, at least, and the fan never gets beyond 1,200 RPM and is barely audible even under stress tests. So, I am very pleased with the results. Besides the fact that I had to disassemble the just-assembled system to install the backplate for this new cooler, which is no one's fault but mine, the installation went smoothly. This cooler is designed for multiple socket configurations so there's a lot of different parts and so on, but everything was clearly labeled and explained. Double-stick tape on the backplate eliminates the problem of trying to hold the backplate while screwing on the standoffs on the other side. One note: the mounting brackets have two sets of holes for attaching to the backplate, but the holes overlap and it's really one slot, and it's easy for the screws to slide to the other end of the slot, so just double check that they are in the right spots for your CPU socket before tightening the screws. I don't know if this design would work as well for much hotter CPUs, overclocking, etc., but if you are in a situation like mine, I can definitely recommend.

V. Anton Spraul · 2023-11-05 · via amazon

It was easy to install , lower cost than most high performance coolers. I live in a high elevation area, 7,150 Ft (thin air is poor for heat conduction and very low humidity also single digit in winter). My typical temps are under110 F (43 C). while surfing of doing office work and while gaming never over 150 F. I have never even thought of going the water cooling route yet, water and electronics are a very bad mix. I have read numerous disaster reviews about leaks in the computer cases, it's not worth the risk to me, Liquids always find a way out - given enough time. Take your car for example or water faucets air-conditioning, plumbing, etc.. Also over time the water in the AIO cooling system needs to be replaced about every 5 yrs, that sounds like fun. Update: unit is still running well, added 2 photos - showing temp and processes using "Ryzen Master - CPU app". One while surfing the other when producing a 2k .mp4 video (heavy CPU load). I would still recommend this item, over a year later

SH · 2023-12-30 · via amazon

This is a solid air cooler that's become my go to for budget build. Good cooling, budget priced and easy to install.

George N. Condoyannis · 2025-12-25 · via amazon

Needed this to bench test my cpu after bending pins. I have water cooking loops so I can’t fill up and drain as it’s time consuming. This is cheap and makes a perfect bench cooler for testing.

M · 2025-11-24 · via amazon

It's a big boy for sure. But it does the job, looks nice, and is decently quiet. I supervised while my kid (18) installed this on his 5800X. What an amazing value, can't do better for $20. The thermal paste is really thick compared to other pastes we've used (Arctic, Noctua, Vetroo) a lot of reviews on the paste complain that it is hard to spread, it's Thermalright TF4 if you are wondering. We just used the "X" method no need to spread it around, it'll get spread plenty when you tighten the heatsink. My only complaint is: installing the AM4 bracket is very fiddly it definitely took 3 hands in the case to get it mounted. You might have some difficulty if you have a smaller case or are doing this yourself.

Aeta Capella · 2023-02-27 · via amazon

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VALUE SCORE

Price

$8.49

Price

$20