Thermalright TR Peerless Assassin 120 Digital ARGB air cooler with digital display (Dual 120mm, LGA 1700/AM5)
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Product description
The essentials
If you’re building or upgrading a PC and want strong air cooling without turning your case into a noisy jet engine, the Thermalright TR Peerless Assassin 120 Digital ARGB is worth a look on paper. It’s a dual-tower design with six heat pipes and a pair of 120mm ARGB fans, plus a digital display board so you can keep an eye on temperatures and usage parameters.
It’s not the kind of cooler that disappears once installed: between the dual 120mm fan blades and the digital/ARGB top cover, it’s clearly designed to be seen. That’s great if you like your build to look intentional, but it also means the “best choice” depends on what you value more—thermal performance, low noise, or display-led aesthetics.
It suits the sort of user who wants a feature-rich air cooler at a sensible level of effort and compatibility, rather than jumping straight to water cooling.
What matters most for day-to-day use
This cooler uses a pure copper base and double dual-tower aluminium fin stack, with six 6mm heat pipes to move heat away from the CPU. The fans then do the heavy lifting: the stated rotational speed is up to 1850 RPM, with noise claimed at ≤29.5 dBA, and an airflow rating of 88.89 CFM. On a typical build, that combination is aimed at keeping boost-heavy workloads from overheating while still keeping acoustics reasonably controlled.
Where it gets more interesting is the digital display board. The top cover includes four digital ARGB display plates, managed via TRCC software, with the idea that you can view temperature and usage-related parameters for your CPU and graphics card. If you like to monitor rather than just “hope for the best”, that’s a tangible quality-of-life feature.
One practical micro-scenario: after installing it and booting into your usual monitoring setup, you can use the display (and TRCC control) to quickly confirm temps during gaming or a short render session, rather than only relying on software in the background. It’s a small thing, but it can save you time when you’re trying to spot whether a workload is behaving normally.
Worth noting, though: the cooler relies on a USB 9-pin header connection for the digital display board, and you’ll also need the correct RGB/fan connections depending on how you want the lighting to behave.
Key features you’ll actually notice
The dual 120mm ARGB fan setup is designed to be a straightforward “fit and forget” cooling solution, even if you’re not chasing extremes. The air cooler package is sized at 125 x 138 x 162 mm total, and the fan size is 120 x 120 x 28 mm. So it’s the sort of cooler you should plan around if you have a compact case or tight clearance near the motherboard.
The ARGB lighting is adjustable, with the fan RGB interface described as 3-pin 5 V ARGB. The display cover lighting also ties into the motherboard’s corresponding LED header. There’s even mention of a serial connection function for the lighting interface, which can help reduce cable clutter—handy in cases where routing is already a headache.
Tech specs (as provided)
- Name: Thermalright TR Peerless Assassin 120 Digital ARGB
- Type: CPU air cooler with digital display board top cover
- Dimensions (total): 125 x 138 x 162 mm
- Heat pipes: 6 x 6 mm
- Fan size: 120 x 120 x 28 mm (dual 120mm)
- Fan speed: 1850 RPM
- Noise: ≤29.5 dBA
- Airflow: 88.89 CFM
- Power: 12 V DC
- Fan control: PWM 4-pin power supply interface
- Digital display board interface: 9-pin USB motherboard header
- Base/heat transfer materials: pure copper heat pipes + aluminium fin stack
- Fan RGB interface: 3-pin 5 V ARGB
Compatibility and installation considerations
On the compatibility front, this model is listed for AMD AM4/AM5 and Intel platforms including LGA 1851, 1700, 115x (with 1150/1151/1155/1156 called out). That covers a lot of common “modern-ish” builds, and it comes with the mounting hardware for dual-platform use.
However, there’s a catch: it says AMD installation requires that the original backplate of your motherboard is installed, and the product does not include it. So if your current motherboard doesn’t have that backplate in place, you may need to source or confirm it before you commit.
Also, while it’s described as easy to install following the manual or video, air coolers still depend on your case clearance and your motherboard layout. If your case is tight around the CPU area, double-check the physical dimensions before buying.
Where it shines—and when it might not
It makes sense if you want an air cooler with a dual-tower, dual-fan design, six heat pipes, and a visible digital display with ARGB control through TRCC. If your main goal is to keep temps in check on an Intel LGA 1700/1851 or AMD AM4/AM5 system, and you like the idea of temperature/usage monitoring you can see at a glance, it’s a strong match.
But it may not suit you if you don’t want a display board and extra wiring (USB 9-pin header for the digital board plus ARGB connections). And if you’re building in a case where CPU cooler height or motherboard clearance is tight, the stated size of 125 x 138 x 162 mm means it’s worth measuring rather than guessing.
It also stays in the “practical air cooling” lane rather than promising miracles. It’s a solid feature-focused cooler, but if you’re the sort of buyer who wants maximum headroom under heavy overclocking loads, you may end up comparing alternatives that prioritise raw thermal performance over onboard features.
Should you buy it?
A solid choice if you’re planning a build on AMD AM4/AM5 or Intel LGA 1700/1851, want a dual-tower air cooler with dual 120mm ARGB fans, and appreciate the added digital display + TRCC monitoring control.
You may want to skip it if your motherboard doesn’t have the required AMD backplate installed, if you don’t have (or don’t want to use) the USB 9-pin header for the display, or if your PC case clearance is likely to be tight given the cooler’s listed dimensions.
If you’re after a cooler that’s both functional and visually purposeful, this is the sort of model that can fit the bill. If you just want bare-minimum cooling and zero extra wiring, it might feel like more complexity than you need.
Quick overview: FAQs
Does the cooler include mounting hardware?
It’s described as coming with the necessary mounting hardware for the listed platforms.
Is there an AMD backplate requirement?
Yes—AMD installation is said to require the original backplate from your motherboard, and the product doesn’t include it.
How is the digital display connected?
The display board is connected via a 9-pin USB header on the motherboard.
Can the ARGB lighting be controlled?
The fan RGB interface is described as 3-pin 5 V ARGB, and the description says it can be connected to the corresponding motherboard LED interface so you can adjust lighting effects.
Is the fan speed adjustable?
The fans use a PWM 4-pin interface for power control, which implies you can manage fan behaviour through your motherboard/controls.