Thermalright Royal Knight 120 CPU Air Cooler - Twin Tower Performance

In this review of the Thermalright Royal Knight 120, the bottom line is simple: this is a compact twin-tower air cooler built for users who need strong heat dissipation without sacrificing RAM clearance. The Royal Knight 120 combines a fully electroplated 6 heat pipe copper base and dual 120mm PWM fans into a 122 x 114 x 156mm package that fits AM4/AM5 and many Intel sockets. For builders who want reliable cooling and long fan life in a relatively small footprint, this cooler delivers sensible thermal performance and sensible installation hardware.

Key Features

• Twin tower radiator: Dual aluminum fin stacks maximize surface area in a compact 122 x 114 x 156mm chassis for steady heat spread across the fins.
• Six heat pipes: Six 6mm pure copper heat pipes transfer CPU heat quickly from the micro-carved soldered copper base to the towers for improved temperature control under load.
• Dual 120mm fans: A standard 120mm middle fan and a thinner high-RPM 120mm front fan provide higher airflow without forcing the front fan to be mounted raised, helping maintain clearance and air push.
• RAM compatibility: The tower layout and slimmer front fan leave unobstructed space for tall RAM modules so you do not need to compromise memory choice or lighting effects.
• Durable bearings and pads: S-FDB bearings on the fans and soft silicone corner pads reduce vibration and extend service life while lowering operational noise.
• Bundled wiring and mounts: A Y-adapter cable and mounting grommets are included to ease connection to limited motherboard fan headers and to provide platform compatibility.

Who It's For

The Royal Knight 120 is best for DIY desktop builders and mainstream gamers who want an effective air cooler that balances performance and physical clearance. Its twin-tower layout and six heat pipes make it suitable for midrange CPUs that run hotter than stock coolers, and the compact dimensions work well in many mid-tower and micro-ATX cases where large tower coolers would be too tall.

It is less suited for extreme overclockers seeking top-tier tower coolers or custom liquid cooling solutions; those users should look for larger radiators or high-end single-tower designs specifically rated for extreme thermal loads. Also, AMD users should note that the original motherboard backplate may be required for installation on some platforms.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Good heat transfer from the six pure copper heat pipes and soldered copper base for stable cooling under sustained load.
• Leaves RAM unobstructed thanks to the thinner front fan and tower placement, preserving memory clearance and lighting.
• Durable S-FDB fan bearings and silicone corner pads reduce noise and improve longevity.
• Includes mounting grommets and a Y-adapter to help with motherboard compatibility and limited fan headers.

Cons

• Installation experiences are mixed; some users may find mounting the twin towers fiddly compared with simpler single-tower kits.
• The compact size limits absolute cooling headroom compared with larger high-end air coolers for extreme overclocks.

Specifications

Model	Royal Knight 120
Dimensions	122 x 114 x 156mm
Heat pipes	6 x 6mm pure copper
Fins	All aluminum fins, anodic frosted top cover
Fans	Dual 120mm PWM fans (standard middle, thinner front high-RPM)
Compatibility	AMD AM4/AM5; Intel LGA1851/1700/1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/2011/2066

Our Verdict

The Thermalright Royal Knight 120 is a practical midrange twin-tower air cooler that delivers reliable thermal performance while keeping RAM unobstructed. It represents good value for builders who want improved cooling over stock solutions without the size penalty of larger coolers, though installers seeking the simplest fit may encounter a short learning curve during mounting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this block tall RAM modules?
The Royal Knight 120 is designed with a slimmer front fan and tower placement to leave space for tall RAM modules so it should not block memory or lighting.

Which sockets are supported?
The cooler supports AMD AM4 and AM5 and a wide range of Intel sockets including LGA1851 and 1700; mounting grommets for supported sockets are included.

Is the installation difficult?
Installation reports are mixed: hardware and the instruction video are provided, but some users may find the twin-tower mounting more fiddly than single-tower coolers, and AMD may require the motherboard backplate.