be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 vs Thermalright Assassin 120 SE CPU Cooler

Both are dual-fan 120mm tower coolers with six heatpipes, so they cool similarly. The be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 is the quieter, better-documented pick: rifle bearings, a 14 dB(A) low-noise floor and a 4.5/5 rating from 86 owners. The Thermalright 无暇刺客 120 SE is rated for 265W and lists Intel LGA 1700/1851 support, which the be quiet! listing does not. Pick the be quiet! for a near-silent AM4/AM5 build; pick the Thermalright for an Intel 1700/1851 build or a black-themed case.

• Choose the be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 if you want the quietest of the two on an AM4 or AM5 build and value a large, established owner rating.
• Choose the Thermalright 无暇刺客 120 SE if you run an Intel LGA 1700 or 1851 CPU or want a black cooler with a stated 265W cooling capacity.