Compare: Phantom Spirit 120 SE vs Assassin IV

Design and Aesthetics:

Phantom Spirit 120 SE

The Phantom Spirit 120 SE looks a lot like the Peerless Assassin 120 SE, with a cool and stylish design. It has a big aluminum heatsink, all-black fans, and a black top radiator. The white Thermalright logo really pops on the black background. The two 120mm fans make sure your computer stays cool and runs smoothly. This sleek look is perfect for many computer builds, and it's a popular choice for people who want a great cooler without spending too much money. Plus, you can get this cooler in different styles.

Assassin IV

This cooler boasts a clean and modern design that sets it apart from other air CPU coolers available today. The entire cooler is tightly put together, which can make it a bit tricky to figure out how to take it apart into its different parts. The middle fan is hidden seamlessly without any visible gaps around it. It comes in an all-black design with DeepCool's signature textured radiator, adding a stylish and modern touch to any setup.

Install Notes:

Phantom Spirit 120 SE

This cooler installation is very similar to Noctua's typical installation, which is one of the easier installation setups. However, it also faces similar issues regarding uninstalling this cooler, where the cooler is unable to slide/twist off the cooler to break the thermal paste seal. This might be necessary if the thermal paste has a strong hold between the cooler and the CPU.

Assassin IV

Installing the Assassin IV is made easier with its smooth setup process. However, because it's small and designed with a lot of details, getting it installed correctly might be a bit tricky if you don't follow the instructions they give you. This cooler uses a bracket that's almost the same as premium coolers and attaches to the motherboard in a way that's like the AK620 model. Figuring out how to put the cooler onto the brackets might be a bit puzzling because its design is so seamless and neat. The top metal mesh that covers the fan sticks on with a magnet, so you can easily access and remove the middle fan during installation. Then, you can attach the cooler to a two-point system and put the middle fan back in place. However, this cooler doesn't put it's fan in the front like most other coolers, so the exposed fan faces the rear. One neat thing is that the fans are already connected, so you only need one plug to turn on both fans and the cooler's LED DeepCool logo. There are additional brackets to potentially add a third fan to the front of the cooler.