Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO review

The Phantom Spirit 120 EVO is a dual-tower air cooler with two 120 mm fans. It supports Intel LGA115X, 1200, 1700, 1851, 2011 and 2066, plus AMD AM4 and AM5. It is aimed at people who want strong air cooling and have a case and memory to suit it.

Cooling is the main reason to consider it. Tom's Hardware measured 238 W maximum with an i7-13700K and no power limits. It described that as the second-best air cooler result it has seen, behind two tied models. In the 175 W Cinebench test, the average sat about 54 °C above a 23 °C room. That tied for second-best among the air coolers Tom's Hardware has tested, and it was 2 °C better than the original Phantom Spirit 120. TechPowerUp goes further and says it beat every other high-end air cooler in its maximum heat load tests.

The hardware points the same way. The base is nickel-plated C1100 copper with seven 6 mm heatpipes. The two TL-K12 fans reach 2150 RPM and 69 CFM at maximum. Owners report excellent results, and some say performance is about the same as cheaper siblings in the range. One owner complaint is that temperatures climb under sustained encoding or gaming. If your workload runs hard for hours, that is worth weighing against the good peak figures.

The fans carry a 27 dBA rated noise figure. Tom's Hardware reports a maximum of 39.6 dBA in its 175 W test, which is 2.3 dBA quieter than the predecessor. TechPowerUp notes the cooler is somewhat loud at maximum RPM. So the rated figure and the measured maximum describe different conditions, and the loud end is where the fans spin hardest.

The fans use 4-pin PWM control. Owners who run a managed fan curve describe it as quiet, and some say it is quieter than water cooling. Given the reviewer note on top-speed noise, a sensible curve looks like the way to get the best from it.

Fit is the main limitation. The cooler stands 157 mm tall, and the manufacturer warns buyers to check chassis clearance and leave room for tall memory. TechPowerUp lists as a con that it hangs over all four DIMM slots. Owners say the same thing in different words: it is bulky, it limits memory and SSD slot clearance, and it needs low-profile RAM.

That makes the memory choice part of the purchase. If you already own tall RAM kits, the manufacturer's own warning and the owner reports suggest checking before you order. The socket list is broad, so the CPU side is unlikely to cause trouble. The case and the memory are the likelier problems.

The cooler weighs 810 g without fans. Owners call it heavy, which is consistent with the dual-tower design and the copper base. The fans include an ARGB connector, so lighting can be wired in if you want it. The manufacturer backs the cooler with a 5-year warranty.

Tom's Hardware lists a manufacturer suggested price and calls it reasonable. Owners echo that, reporting strong cooling for the money. Against that, some owners say performance is about the same as cheaper siblings. If the clearance issues rule this model out, that remark suggests the cheaper siblings are worth a look. If your case and RAM suit it, the reviewer results put it at or near the top of the air coolers they have measured.

This is a cooler for a high-end CPU in a spacious case with low-profile memory. The measured results show it handles heavy loads, including a 238 W no-limits run on an i7-13700K. The trade-offs are size, weight and some fan noise at full speed. Buyers who accept those get top-tier air cooling backed by a five-year warranty.