Rank #3 in Best CPU Air Cooler 2026: 10 Ranked, One Sold Twice at Two Prices
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE Black CPU Cooler
Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.
The Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE Black is a twin-fan tower air cooler: seven 6 mm heatpipes, two 120 mm PWM fans, a 154 mm tall heatsink and a 1.51 kg body, listed at £33.90 with a 4.6 rating. It takes third place in this guide, and it is the one entry near the top that is not a repeat — the Peerless Assassin 120 SE appears elsewhere in the guide twice at £29.99 and £35.90 under one model name, whereas this is a different cooler with a different name and a single price.
What this listing does not do is contradict itself on power. The spec fields say 12 Volts (DC) and a 4-pin connector; the fan bullet says the same thing in its own words at 1500 RPM ±10% and 66.17 CFM maximum, and there is no wattage figure anywhere on the page to be mistaken for a current rating. Where the numbers do part company is the reviews. The star breakdown gives 4 one-star, 2 two-star, 1 three-star, 12 four-star and 81 five-star reviews, which comes to 100 — and those 100 do average 4.6 — yet the same page states 151 ratings. Both figures sit on the listing and they cannot both be right. Everything on this page comes from that Amazon listing, not from testing of our own.
How those 151 ratings break down
An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.6 stars.
Specification
Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.
| Price | £33.90 |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6 out of 5, from 151 ratings (as listed) |
| Rating breakdown | 4+2+1+12+81 stars = 100 reviews (as listed) |
| Fan | 120 x 120 x 25 mm PWM, 4-pin, 12 Volts (DC) |
| Speed and airflow | 1500 RPM ±10%; 66.17 CFM maximum |
| Noise level | 25.6 dB(A) |
| Size and weight | 12.5L x 13.5W x 15.4H cm (bullet: 125 x 135 x 154 mm); 1.51 kg |
| Heatpipes | 7 x 6 mm, AGHP 4th generation (as listed) |
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Got this on a whim as the AIO I purchased was a little too big for my case (my mistake), but I've knocked about 30 degrees off my max temps compared to the stock cooler on my ryzen 5 3600. Installation was a little fiddly as I kept my gpu plugged in but took about 10 mins and was easy using the YouTube tutorial.”
Verified purchase“I'm getting min 20C, max 55C on my 6700k (4.4ghz) cpu. Fits and works OK on the z170 platform. Got it as a replacement after many years. Very satisfied. It's quiet as well.”
What it is up against
The rivals it was ranked against in Best CPU Air Cooler 2026: 10 Ranked, One Sold Twice at Two Prices.
Questions people ask
What is the Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE Black rated on Amazon?
4.6 out of 5 from 151 ratings, with the breakdown listing 81 five-star and 12 four-star reviews against a stated total of 151.
How many fans does it have?
Two. The bullet names them as TL-C12B V2 120 x 120 x 25 mm PWM fans, and the radiator ships with a Y-type adapter cable to run both in series from one header.
What voltage and connector does the fan use?
12 Volts (DC) through a 4-pin PWM connector, which is consistent with the fan bullet's 1500 RPM ±10% and 66.17 CFM maximum.
Which sockets does it fit?
Intel LGA1851/1700/1150/1151/1155/1156/1200 and AMD AM4/AM5, per the compatibility bullet, with mounting plates or fasteners supplied for each platform.
How tall is the cooler?
154 mm, per the bullet's 125 x 135 x 154 mm figure, which matches the 15.4 cm height in the spec fields. The listing gives the weight as 1.51 kg.
Does the listing give a wattage figure?
No. This page gives 12 Volts (DC), a 4-pin connector, 1500 RPM and 66.17 CFM — no wattage number is stated on it.
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