Thermalright
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE · Black
Air tower
92
/ 100
From $35
VS
Noctua NH-D15 G2 wins by 3
Noctua
Noctua NH-D15 G2
Twin-tower air · NF-A14x25r G2 · LGA1851/AM5
95
/ 100
From $149
Specdex verdict
Noctua NH-D15 G2 takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE · Black lands at 92 and Noctua NH-D15 G2 at 95. That puts Noctua NH-D15 G2 ahead by 3 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE · Black if…
- ✓Multi-socket bracket support
- ✓Quiet fans at idle
- ✓Strong TDP rating
Pick Noctua NH-D15 G2 if…
- ✓Air-cooling king
- ✓Whisper-quiet fans
- ✓Rock-solid mounting
Score breakdown
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE · Black
92 thermals 92
noise 88
install 88
value 86
Noctua NH-D15 G2
95 thermals 96
noise 98
install 92
value 90
Specs side-by-side
Spec
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE · Black
Noctua NH-D15 G2
Type
Air tower
Twin-tower air
Fans
—
2× NF-A14x25r G2
TDP rating
—
~280W
Height
—
168 mm
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE · Black
Pros
- +Multi-socket bracket support
- +Quiet fans at idle
- +Strong TDP rating
Cons
- −Height may conflict with RAM heatspreaders
- −AIO pump noise varies
- −Installation requires motherboard-off
Noctua NH-D15 G2
Pros
- +Air-cooling king
- +Whisper-quiet fans
- +Rock-solid mounting
Cons
- −Large in case
- −Three SKUs (tall/offset/low-profile)
- −Brown isn’t for everyone
FAQ: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE · Black vs Noctua NH-D15 G2
Which is better, Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE · Black or Noctua NH-D15 G2? +
Noctua NH-D15 G2 scores 95 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 3. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE · Black worth the price? +
At $35, Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE · Black delivers a Specdex score of 92 — strongest in thermals.
Is Noctua NH-D15 G2 worth the price? +
At $149, Noctua NH-D15 G2 delivers a Specdex score of 95 — strongest in noise.
Does Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE · Black or Noctua NH-D15 G2 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.