Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO CPU Cooler,7×6mm Heat Pipes CPU Air Cooler,Dual PWM Fan Computer Cooling,2150RPM Speed,for AMD AM4 AM5/Intel 1700/1150/1151/1200/17XX/2011/1851

This is a very efficient cooler although I did not keep the stock 120mm RGB fans, I switched them to Noctua NF-A12 PWM fans (2000RPM). The cooler itself is capable of keeping a 14900K under 75C° during extended gaming without any throttling and idles about 32C°. If you benchmark using the 14900K and this heatsink with a program like Cinebench R24 multicore (2323 score for MP), expect to see 80C°-85C° (no AVX code clock stepping BIOS reductions) max temperatures during a 10 minute benchmark. If you are using the 14900K & 120 EVO together, you *SHOULD* undervolt the CPU or it's going to overheat and throttle often with stock voltages, limiting performance overhead & eventually shortening the life of the silicone.*If you are buying this cooler, I would not use it for a 14900KS; that's water-cooling territory.*Comparing the stock OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) cooling of this HS/F (Heatsink/Fan) to an AiO like the MSI MAG A15 360mm, the difference is ~3C° maximum load (according to Techpowerup) in favor of the 360mm AiO and the differences in gaming are not going to be noticeable. One key feature to point out is the need to keep your fans/case clean for optimal performance regardless of the cooler type, however, don't let your fans spin if you are cleaning them because it sends voltage back to the motherboard and can cause damage. The heatsink tower allows for 42mm RAM or shorter, however an AiO will not have this limitation. As of April 2025, this is the best 120mm dual tower air cooler sold for less than 60USD. Until Thermalright releases the Frost Vortex 140 SE Black edition, this is the best dual tower performance air cooler for the money.For the lowest temperatures you'll need three components:1) Use a third Noctua NF-A12 PWM (or other 2000RPM) case exhaust fan to match the heat removal from the CPU fans. If you use a slower 1500RPM fan, expect to reach max temperatures in a sustained load (like gaming) in less time. In the short term you may notice lower overall temperatures with lower highs using the 2000RPM fans, but the noise difference will be noticeable.2) You *NEED* a quality mounting frame- both the IHS (internal heatsink) and HS/F need to be flat for optimal heat transfer. The cheaper Thermalright frames are not acceptable for high heat and will ooze glue from the joints after several weeks of use because they are not made from a single piece of metal. (I am speaking from personal experience)3) Get a Kryosheet and forgetaboutit. The LGA1700 socket requires a 38x38mm sheet which makes this CPU hardware combination extremely low maintenance. Cheaper thermal sheets are okay, but if youre going for the 14900K, buy once and spend where it counts.Fan speed curves (for quiet operation at idle & heat removal under load):-Fan CPU & Exhaust Fan (Noctua NF-A12 PWM | 2000RPM)(CPU)2x120mm CPU/HSF fans (Y-cable linked) --> CPU (not CPU socket) temperature target80°C --- 100% fan speed Fan Spin-up Delay 0.1 (default)65°C --- 70% fan speed Fan Spin-down Delay 0.1 (default)50°C --- 40% fan speed30°C --- 10% fan speedSystem Specs-CPU: Intel i9-14900K @ 1.400v core | -0.140v core offset (all other voltage settings are Intel defaults @ stock frequencies)MoBo: MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi | BIOS Rev# 7D91vHF | MSI Extreme settings (Intel Defaults settings is a reductive multiplier hit)RAM: Kingston 64GB DDR5 | CL30-36-36-80 @ 6000MT/s using Intel XMP profile 1 | RAM Performance Mode in BIOS

This Thermalright cooler is one of the few air cooling solutions capable of handling a 14700K at its full 253W power draw without throttling. The performance-to-price ratio is outstanding. It's also functionally inaudible during normal use; at full fan speed it's certainly noticeable, but it doesn't even reach 100% duty cycle on my 14700K, so-given that your case has sufficient airflow, etc.-there's really no reason why it should ever be loud enough to be annoying.Installation is straightforward thanks to the well-designed mounting system. The heatsink looks sleek for what it is, and the aRGB is plenty bright to be visible even in cases with tinted side panels. A minor plus is the LGA2011v3 compatibility, increasingly rare among reputable manufacturers in 2025.Thermalright's long-standing reputation for quality at competitive prices is well-deserved. This cooler continues that tradition with zero compromises.Worth Considering Before Purchase:Some of Thermalright's AIOs are occasionally priced similarly or lower than this air cooler, and they will likely outperform it in real-world use (installed in a case, not on an open test bench). Unlike an air cooler (which is limited by the in-case air temperature), an AIO can either exhaust CPU heat directly out of the case or pull room-temperature air in—depending on how you configure the fans.This becomes especially important with a vertically mounted GPU, where this heatsink is tall enough that it receives direct heat from the GPU exhaust. In my Hyte Y70 case with a 14700K and a 7900XTX, during heavy GPU load but light CPU load, the hot GPU exhaust raises CPU temperatures to about 65°C. Under moderate CPU load, temperatures remain reasonable as the CPU fans ramp up to compensate, but a good AIO would perform better, particularly in low-CPU-but-high-GPU-load scenarios.Physical clearance between this heatsink and a vertically mounted GPU can also be an issue, depending on motherboard socket location and GPU size.Bottom Line:This is an excellent air cooler with no inherent flaws, and I highly recommend it. Depending on your setup, you might be better served by a Thermalright AIO at a comparable price point. You can't really go wrong with either option.

I go back and forth between AIOs and Air coolers. Air coolers are just so reliable, pretty quiet, and you can always swap out the fans if needed. I've never even had a fan die on me anywhere in my PC so I'm really not worried about these fans. Fans are cheap if I really ever needed to replace them. Anyway, I took off my Asus Ryuo iii 360 ARGB to put this fan on because I was using my Asus on a different build. While I did not run identical tests to stress the CPU when comparing both, I can say that this air cooler has had zero issues and really seems to do as good as my AIO. If there were 5 degrees difference I would have noticed. If anything, maybe the AIO is 2 degrees cooler, but I'm just guessing. Either way, if you want a good-looking air cooler that is reliable, silent and keeps your CPU cool then look no further. The size is also just right. Not too big and not too small. The small LEDs around the fan are just right. I've been blinded by CPU fan LEDs in the past. I'd highly recommend this cooler.

Nowadays, building a pc is expensive. Every once in a while, there are things that come along that are a STEAL in terms of their value proposition. Before getting this cooler, that was the 9070 XT. I was able to snag one at MSRP. But when putting a pc together, I had to decide which route I wanted to go cooling the 9800x3D I bought. Everyone says get an AIO. But I decided to go against the grain here. Not only do I find it a pain in the butt to install an AIO but, it doesn’t provide the longevity I’d want. This air cooler is the best choice I could’ve made. I paired this with kryonaut extreme and a -30undervolt to my cpu. On cinebench, I’m between 79c-82c.It’s quiet. It’s simple to install. There’s fantastic heat mitigation at an amazing price. This IS the cooler to get.