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be quiet! Pure Rock 2 vs Thermalright Assassin X 120: Comparison
be quiet! Pure Rock 2 vs Thermalright Assassin X 120: the tdp rating difference
Start with tdp rating, because it is the widest measured gap between them: be quiet! Pure Rock 2 150 W against Thermalright Assassin X 120 180 W, 17% in favour of Thermalright Assassin X 120. Noise level is closer, 26.8 dBA on the be quiet! Pure Rock 2 versus 25 dBA on the Thermalright Assassin X 120. There is a split on cooler type as well, Air Tower on the be quiet! Pure Rock 2 versus Air on the Thermalright Assassin X 120. They differ on socket compatibility too, AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1700/1200/115X/2066/2011-3 on the be quiet! Pure Rock 2 versus AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1700/1200 on the Thermalright Assassin X 120.
be quiet! Pure Rock 2 vs Thermalright Assassin X 120: which one fits your build
Buy the be quiet! Pure Rock 2 for budget locked Ryzen 5 / Core i5 builds and noise-sensitive entry-level PCs, though it is not built for unlocked or high-TDP CPUs and enthusiasts wanting RGB. The Thermalright Assassin X 120 suits extreme-budget builds and locked mainstream Ryzen/Core CPUs, though it is the wrong buy for overclocked or unlocked CPUs and RGB-focused builds. Our rating of the be quiet! Pure Rock 2 (7.4/10): A sensible quiet budget cooler for locked mainstream CPUs, not for chasing overclocks. Our rating of the Thermalright Assassin X 120 (7.5/10): exceptional price-to-performance for a locked mainstream build.
What be quiet! Pure Rock 2 and Thermalright Assassin X 120 have in common
Where they agree, they agree completely, height, tower type, fan count and rgb lighting included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2
- be quiet!
- Thermalright Assassin X 120
- Thermalright
Cooler Type
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2
- Air Tower
- Thermalright Assassin X 120
- Air
Series
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2
- Thermalright Assassin X 120
- Thermalright Assassin X 120
Tower Type
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2
- Single-Tower
- Thermalright Assassin X 120
- Single-Tower
Height
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2
- 155 mm
- Thermalright Assassin X 120
- 155 mm
Socket Compatibility
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1700/1200/115X/2066/2011-3
- Thermalright Assassin X 120
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1700/1200
Fan Count
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2
- 1
- Thermalright Assassin X 120
- 1
TDP Rating
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2
- 150 W-17%
- Thermalright Assassin X 120
- 180 WBest
Noise Level
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2
- 26.8 dBA
- Thermalright Assassin X 120
- 25 dBABest
RGB Lighting
- be quiet! Pure Rock 2
- No
- Thermalright Assassin X 120
- No
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Pure Rock 2 if you want the lower height (155 mm vs 155 mm) and the higher fan count (1 vs 1).
Choose Thermalright Assassin X 120 if you want the higher TDP rating (180 W vs 150 W) and the lower noise level (25 dBA vs 26.8 dBA).
Price comparison
| Retailer | be quiet! Pure Rock 2 | Thermalright Assassin X 120 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
be quiet! Pure Rock 2
7.4 / 10 Expert Rating
A sensible quiet budget cooler for locked mainstream CPUs, not for chasing overclocks.
Thermalright Assassin X 120
7.5 / 10 Expert Rating
Exceptional price-to-performance for a locked mainstream build.