Tech & Gadgets · Head-to-head
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE vs Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best CPU Coolers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Peerless Assassin 120 SE is the cooler most people should buy: it delivers near-flagship cooling and quiet operation for a budget price, and fits the widest range of builds. If you're running a genuine flagship CPU or want maximum headroom, the Liquid Freezer III 360 is the AIO to get.
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
Buy itA dual-tower air cooler that cools like units costing several times more, for pocket change.
- Six-heatpipe dual-tower design cools mainstream and most high-end chips with ease
- Two 120mm fans stay quiet, rated around 25.6 dBA at full speed
- Compact 155mm height clears the lid of most mid-tower cases
- Broad socket support: Intel 115X/1200/1700/1851 and AMD AM4/AM5
- No RGB and a plain look if aesthetics matter to you
- Front fan can overhang the first RAM slot with very tall memory
Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360
Buy itA 360mm AIO with a VRM fan on the pump and a six-year warranty thrown in.
- Backed by a six-year manufacturer warranty, per Arctic's product page
- Integrated VRM fan on the pump helps cool the surrounding motherboard area
- Three 120mm PWM fans stay near-silent at idle and low load
- Ships ready for Intel LGA1700/1851 and AMD AM5/AM4, with a long manufacturer warranty
- Needs a case with 360mm radiator support — not a drop-in for compact builds
- All three fans plus pump become audible when a flagship CPU is pushed to full tilt
Side by side
The 7 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE Our pick | Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone building a mainstream or high-end gaming/productivity PC who wants near-flagship cooling for the lowest sensible spend. | High-end i9 / Ryzen 9 builds, or anyone who wants maximum sustained cooling headroom and a clean pump-and-radiator look. |
| Price tier | $ · budget | $$$ · premium |
| Cooling design | Air, dual-tower, 6 heatpipes | 360mm AIO liquid, VRM fan |
| Cooling headroom | Handles mainstream to most high-end chips | Highest — tames flagship i9/Ryzen 9 |
| Noise (rated) | Quiet (~25.6 dBA max) | Near-silent at idle; audible at full load |
| Height / case fit | 155mm — fits most mid-towers | Needs 360mm radiator support |
| RAM clearance | Good; raise front fan for tall RAM | Excellent — pump clears DIMMs |
| Socket support | Intel 115X/1200/1700/1851, AMD AM4/AM5 | Intel LGA1700/1851, AMD AM5/AM4 |
| Install effort | Easy, well-guided | Moderate — radiator mounting |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE if
anyone building a mainstream or high-end gaming/productivity PC who wants near-flagship cooling for the lowest sensible spend.
Know before buying: no RGB and a plain look if aesthetics matter to you.
Pick the Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 if
high-end i9 / Ryzen 9 builds, or anyone who wants maximum sustained cooling headroom and a clean pump-and-radiator look.
Know before buying: needs a case with 360mm radiator support — not a drop-in for compact builds.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE - A dual-tower air cooler that cools like units costing several times more, for pocket change. Choose the Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 instead if high-end i9 / Ryzen 9 builds, or anyone who wants maximum sustained cooling headroom and a clean pump-and-radiator look.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best CPU Coolers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).