Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · Black
280 AIO
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE
Dual-tower air · $39 · Ridiculous value
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · Black lands at 90 and Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE at 94. That puts Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ahead by 4 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · Black if…
- ✓Multi-socket bracket support
- ✓Quiet fans at idle
- ✓Strong TDP rating
Pick Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE if…
- ✓Matches $100 coolers at $39
- ✓7 copper heat-pipes
- ✓Universal socket support
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · Black | Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Type | 280 AIO | Dual-tower air |
| Fans | — | 2× TL-C12C PWM |
| TDP rating | — | ~250W |
| Height | — | 154 mm |
Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · Black
- +Multi-socket bracket support
- +Quiet fans at idle
- +Strong TDP rating
- −Height may conflict with RAM heatspreaders
- −AIO pump noise varies
- −Installation requires motherboard-off
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE
- +Matches $100 coolers at $39
- +7 copper heat-pipes
- +Universal socket support
- −Fan noise average
- −Styling utilitarian
- −Included paste so-so
FAQ: Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · Black vs Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE
Which is better, Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · Black or Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE? +
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE scores 94 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 4. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · Black worth the price? +
At $99, Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · Black delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in thermals.
Is Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE worth the price? +
At $39, Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE delivers a Specdex score of 94 — strongest in value.
Does Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · Black or Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.