# Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO Review: 157mm Clearance, Fit & Who Should Skip > Dual-tower cooler, 7 heat pipes, 157mm tall. Case and RAM fit checks, fan specs, and who should pick an AIO instead. Tags: cpu-cooler, thermalright, phantom-spirit-120-evo, air-cooler, dual-tower, lga1700, am5 Source: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0CL9W968Y Article page: https://web-autoai.com/articles/thermalright-phantom-spirit-120-evo-cpu?lang=en Prices and ratings change over time — check the article page for the current values. --- This article takes a close look at the Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO — High-performance dual-tower CPU air cooler, focusing on what you should check before you buy. ## Overview The Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO is a dual-tower CPU air cooler from Taiwanese cooling specialist Thermalright. It uses seven 6mm heat pipes feeding two fin stacks, with two 120mm fans between and in front of the towers, and the fin array has a dark finish. Its standout feature is an offset design that moves the towers away from the memory slots, so tall RAM heatsinks are less likely to get in the way. That performance comes from sheer size. With a small air cooler, case height limits, clearance to M.2 heatsinks and PCIe slots, and case airflow rarely matter. With this one, they do, and the sections below focus on those checks. ## Compatibility Guide The Intel sockets listed in the spec data are LGA1700/1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/2011/2066. The cooler also supports AMD AM4/AM5, including Ryzen 7000/9000 series CPUs. However, the spec data here lists only Intel sockets, so if you are building on AMD, confirm on the product page that the AM4/AM5 mounting hardware is in the box. The cooler measures 125mm wide, 135mm deep, and 157mm tall. Avoid cases whose maximum CPU cooler height is exactly 157mm. Side-panel fans or bulging cables behind the motherboard tray can take away a few millimeters, so treat 160mm or more as a safe target. | What to check | Guideline | Commonly missed | |---|---|---| | Case cooler height limit | 157mm plus a few mm of headroom | Side-panel fans or glass-panel mounts that protrude inward | | RAM height | The offset design helps | Raising the front fan to clear RAM pushes total height past 157mm | | M.2 heatsink / top PCIe slot | Depends on board layout | Large M.2 heatsinks and GPU backplates | | VRM heatsinks | Height around the socket | Oversized VRM coolers on high-end boards | | Fan power | 4-pin PWM, 12V, 0.2A × 2 | If you run both fans from one header, check that a splitter is included and what the header is rated for | Each fan is rated at 0.2A, so the pair draws 0.4A. Most CPU_FAN headers can handle that, but if you also split other fans off the same header, check the header's current limit in your motherboard manual. ## Installation Tips On a dual-tower cooler, you have to remove the fans before you can reach the mounting screws between the towers. Unclip both fans, secure the heatsink, then reattach the fans. Mounting the cooler with the motherboard outside the case makes the job much easier. The standard airflow direction is front to back: in through the front, out through the rear exhaust. Point both fans the same way. If one is reversed, cooling performance drops sharply. Tighten the mounting screws a little at a time in a diagonal pattern so the pressure on the CPU stays even. After installing the cooler, set the CPU fan header to PWM mode in the BIOS/UEFI and check the fan curve. There is no need to run the fans at 2150 RPM all the time. A curve that ramps up with load is how you get the quiet operation this cooler is capable of. ## Product Info The Phantom Spirit 120 EVO sits in the upper-mid range of Thermalright's air cooler lineup. | Item | Value | |---|---| | Model | PS120 EVO | | Cooling type | Air (dual tower) | | Dimensions (W×D×H) | 125×135×157 mm | | Heat pipes | 7×6mm | | Fan size | 120×120×25 mm (×2) | | Fan speed | 2150 RPM ±10% | | Airflow / static pressure | 117 m³/h (MAX) / 2.87 mmH₂O (MAX) | | Noise level | ≤27 dBA | | Connector / electrical | 4-Pin PWM / 12V DC, 0.2A | Check the retailer's page for the latest price. Prices change with sales and stock, so check the listing for the current price. The box includes two TL-K12 fans, Intel and AMD mounting hardware, thermal paste, and a manual. The warranty is listed as two years, but support can differ between domestic-distributor units and parallel imports, so check the seller and warranty terms when you buy. It is aimed at builders who want cooling close to an entry-level 240mm AIO without paying AIO prices. With no pump or coolant, there are also fewer parts that can fail over years of use. ## Comparison with Alternatives | Alternative | How it differs | |---|---| | Phantom Spirit 120 SE | A sibling in the same series with a very similar name. Compare the fan specs and looks on the product page, and make sure you are buying the EVO rather than the SE | | PA120 | A dual tower with six heat pipes, per its product name. The seven-pipe EVO has more headroom, which you are most likely to notice under long sustained loads | | 360mm AIO (e.g. CORSAIR H150 RGB) | Handles sudden load spikes and long all-core loads better. It needs space to mount the radiator, and it adds pump noise and coolant aging, which air coolers avoid | For Ryzen 7 or Core i7 class CPUs at stock settings, the EVO should rarely run out of cooling capacity. If you run a Ryzen 9 or Core i9 under long all-core loads or overclock it, a 360mm AIO is worth considering. ## Best Use Cases - **Quiet-PC builders**: Good for anyone bothered by AIO pump noise or planning a quiet, airflow-focused build. The fans are rated at 27 dBA or less, and with a sensible fan curve the system can be very quiet at idle. - **Value-focused gamers**: A strong fit for cooling a mid-range to high-end CPU (Ryzen 7 / Core i7 class) with air. It costs less than an AIO, and long-term maintenance is mostly dusting. - **Tall-RAM users**: The offset design makes clearance problems with tall memory heatsinks less likely. If you raise the front fan, though, remember that total height goes up. - **Anyone avoiding liquid-cooling risk**: There is no leak risk and no pump to fail, which suits work PCs and secondary machines you plan to keep for years. ## Things to Consider **Check case clearance first. ** At 157mm, this cooler will not fit slim or Mini-ITX cases limited to around 150mm. Cases rated at 157–160mm may also fail to close, depending on the side panel. For small cases, a compact option such as the Peerless Assassin 90 SE is more realistic. **Check for motherboard interference. ** A dual tower is wide as well as tall, so on some boards it can overhang the top PCIe slot or an M.2 heatsink near the CPU socket. If the top M.2 slot has a large heatsink, check the board layout diagram first. **Performance depends on case airflow. ** An air cooler works with the air inside the case, so in a case with weak intake or exhaust it loses more performance than an AIO would. Check that you have front intake and rear exhaust fans in place. **The 27 dBA figure is a rated value. ** The spec data does not say how it was measured. Expect some audible noise if the fans run at 2150 RPM continuously. For quiet operation, plan to keep everyday fan speeds down with a fan curve. **Watch out for similar product names. ** The Phantom Spirit line includes variants such as the SE, and some store listings shorten the product name. Listings are sometimes mixed up, so make sure the images and title say EVO before you buy. **Remove the cooler before transporting the PC. ** Weight is not in the spec data, but dual-tower air coolers tend to be heavy and can strain the motherboard when a built PC is moved. Take the cooler off, or make sure it is well secured, before moving the system. ## FAQ **Q: Does it support LGA1851? ** A: LGA1851 is not in the socket list in the spec data. LGA1851 uses the same mounting-hole layout as LGA1700, so the LGA1700 hardware will usually work. Until Thermalright officially confirms support, it is at your own risk, so check the product page or the manufacturer's announcements. **Q: Is the included thermal paste good enough? ** A: Yes. The bundled Thermalright paste has high thermal conductivity and is fine for everyday use. If you are aiming for a high overclock, you may want a premium paste. **Q: Can it cool a Ryzen 9 7950X? ** A: At stock settings, yes. For long all-core workloads or overclocking, a larger air cooler or an AIO is the safer choice. **Q: Can I run it with only one fan? ** A: It will work, but the cooler is designed for a push-pull pair, so cooling performance drops. If RAM blocks the front fan, try adjusting the fan height and keeping both fans before you drop to one. **Q: How should I set it up for a quiet build? ** A: Set the CPU fan to PWM control in the BIOS/UEFI and use a fan curve that keeps speeds low at light loads. Treat the maximum speed as reserve headroom rather than an everyday setting.