Description
The Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO redefines the expectations of air cooling by delivering thermal performance that rivals many all-in-one liquid coolers. At its core is a meticulously engineered dual-tower heatsink featuring seven 6mm copper heatpipes soldered to a C1100 pure copper nickel-plated base. This dense thermal mass is paired with two high-velocity TL-K12 120mm fans, which utilize S-FDB V2 bearings to deliver up to 69 CFM of airflow and 2.87 mm H2O of static pressure. Operating at speeds up to 2150 RPM, these fans maintain an impressively low noise profile of 27 dBA, ensuring your system remains quiet even under heavy rendering or gaming workloads. With its sleek black aesthetic, integrated 3-pin 5V ARGB lighting accents, and a height of 157mm, this cooler offers wide chassis compatibility and a premium look for modern PC builds.
This high-performance air cooler is engineered to meet the needs of five distinct user groups:
- PC Gamers: Delivers stable frame rates by preventing CPU thermal throttling during long, hardware-intensive gaming sessions.
- Overclockers and Hardware Enthusiasts: Provides the thermal headroom needed to push Intel and AMD processors past their stock frequencies.
- Content Creators and Video Editors: Ensures sustained peak CPU performance during long rendering, encoding, and exporting tasks.
- Silent PC Builders: Offers customizable fan curves via 4-pin PWM control, allowing near-silent operation during light office work or media playback.
- System Builders Seeking Reliability: Eliminates the pump failure and liquid leakage risks of AIO coolers, backed by a dependable two-year warranty.
Technical Specifications:
- Heatsink Dimensions: 110 mm (L) x 125 mm (W) x 157 mm (H)
- Heatsink Weight: 810g (excluding fans)
- Heatpipe Configuration: 7 x 6mm copper heatpipes
- Base Material: C1100 pure copper, nickel-plated
- Fan Model: TL-K12 (Dual Fans included)
- Fan Dimensions: 120 mm x 120 mm x 25 mm
- Fan Weight: 220g
- Fan Speed: Up to 2150 RPM ± 10%
- Maximum Airflow: 69 CFM
- Maximum Static Pressure: 2.87 mm H2O
- Noise Level: 27 dBA (Max)
- Current: 0.16 A
- Fan Connector: 4-Pin PWM
- ARGB Connector: 3-Pin 5V
- Bearing Type: S-FDB V2 (Fluid Dynamic Bearing)
- Intel Socket Compatibility: LGA 115X / 1200 / 1700 / 1851 / 2011 / 2066
- AMD Socket Compatibility: AM4 / AM5
- Warranty: 2 Years
In real-world testing, the Phantom Spirit 120 EVO excels in heat dissipation efficiency. The nickel-plated C1100 copper base makes perfectly flat contact with the CPU integrated heat spreader (IHS), rapidly transferring thermal energy up through the seven heatpipes. The dual TL-K12 fans operate in a push-pull configuration, maximizing static pressure to force air through the dense aluminum fin arrays. Users will appreciate the S-FDB V2 bearings, which eliminate the annoying high-pitched motor hum common in cheaper fans, ensuring a smooth acoustic profile. Installation is straightforward thanks to robust mounting hardware that ensures optimal mounting pressure on both Intel LGA1700/1851 and AMD AM5 platforms.
When compared to standard single-tower coolers or older dual-tower designs like the Peerless Assassin series, the Phantom Spirit 120 EVO offers a noticeable performance upgrade. The addition of a seventh heatpipe increases the overall thermal transfer rate, allowing it to handle higher TDP loads. Furthermore, the upgraded TL-K12 fans provide higher static pressure (2.87 mm H2O vs. older models) and improved airflow, which translates to lower CPU temperatures under sustained workloads. Unlike liquid AIO coolers, the PS-120-EVO has no pump to fail, making it a more reliable, long-term investment for users who prioritize system uptime and zero maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is the maximum RAM clearance height for this cooler? The front fan can be clipped higher on the heatsink tower to accommodate taller RAM modules, though this may increase the overall height of the cooler beyond 157mm.
- Does this cooler support the newer Intel LGA 1851 socket? Yes, the mounting system is fully compatible with Intel LGA 1851 as well as LGA 1700 and older LGA 1200/115X sockets.
- Can I control the RGB lighting on the fans? Yes, the fans feature standard 3-pin 5V ARGB connectors that plug directly into your motherboard, allowing synchronization via ASUS Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, or ASRock Polychrome.
- Is thermal paste included in the package? Yes, Thermalright includes high-quality thermal compound in the box, ensuring you have everything needed for installation.
- Do I need a specific controller for the PWM fans? No, the fans use standard 4-pin PWM connectors that plug directly into your motherboard's CPU_FAN and CPU_OPT headers for automatic speed control based on CPU temperature.
