NZXT
NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024)
$279.99
Released 2024
Best CPU Coolers · head-to-head
NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE is cheaper at $34.9. Every spec and price links to its source.
Thermalright
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
$34.9Cheaper
Released 2022
Which is better: the NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) or Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE?
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE is the cheaper at $34.9.
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) | Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $279.99 | $34.9 |
| Brand | NZXT | Thermalright |
| Released | 2024 | 2022 |
| Type | aio_liquid | air |
| Radiator or height (mm) | 360 mm | 155 mm |
| Fan count | 3 | 2 |
| Socket support | Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200/115x; AMD AM5, AM4 | Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156; AMD AM5, AM4 |
| Tdp rating (W) | — | — |
| Rgb | Yes | No |
| Noise dba max | 30 | 25.6 |
| Release | 2024 | 2022 |
Sources — NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024): nzxt.com (verified 2026-06-15). Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE: thermalright.com (verified 2026-06-15).
What's the difference between the NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) and Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (6 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.
- Type: NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) aio_liquid vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE air
- Radiator or height (mm): NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) 360 mm vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 155 mm
- Fan count: NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) 3 vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 2
- Socket support: NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200/115x; AMD AM5, AM4 vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156; AMD AM5, AM4
- Rgb: NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) true vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE false
- Noise dba max: NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) 30 vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 25.6
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024)
No sourced tester review yet.
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
Only one whitelisted tester, Tom's Hardware, ran a hands-on lab review of this exact model. That single review is overwhelmingly positive: the best-performing air cooler it had tested, whisper-quiet, at roughly $36. It averaged 61 degrees C over ambient in a 200W Cinebench load and 64 degrees C over ambient in a 200W OCCT load, beating pricier coolers. No meaningful downsides beyond air-cooling's inherent power ceiling. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: Best-in-class air cooling performance for its class, beating pricier coolers at capped TDPs; Whisper-quiet acoustics; second-quietest air cooler tested at max fan speed; Exceptional value at roughly $36 for a dual-tower, dual-fan cooler.
Flagged: Cannot keep a 12900K under TjMax in uncapped Cinebench/OCCT without power limits, a ceiling shared by all air coolers tested.