Introduction

From the Phanteks website:

Phanteks was founded by a group of engineers with a total of 20 years of international experience in thermal solutions. They paired up with a Dutch design team and established Phanteks in 2007. Phanteks ventured into the CPU-cooling industry with two goals in mind: high-end quality and innovative products in thermal solutions.

Phanteks is a newcomer to the world of CPU coolers, but that is not stopping them from turning heads. They are continuing to push their way into the market with exceptional products. Their offering of unique, anodized aluminum coolers in a multitude of different colors is making enthusiasts take notice, and the fantastic warranty they offer gives them another advantage over some of their competitors.

The Netherlands-based company's big claim to fame came with the PH-TC14PE. It immediately became a challenger of Noctua's famous NH-D14 after its release, and Phanteks didn't dawdle after that initial success. They continued to introduce more cooling products at various price points, which has allowed them to meet the needs of many PC enthusiasts looking for good cooling through a quality product that is backed by a great warranty. Then there are, of course, the downdraft-style PH-TC14CS and more traditional PH-TC12DX that round out their product stack. Phanteks might be relatively new when it comes to CPU coolers, but they have shown that they know how to create top-tier cooling products.

The cooler I will review today is the Phanteks PH-TC12DX. It is a more traditional U-type tower cooler with dual fans. While nowhere near as large as the flagship PH-TC14PE, it does share the same flashy looks and unique color options. With two fans and a unique design, it should be a solid performer, but looks can be deceiving. That said, it is time to see what enthusiasts can expect from the PH-TC12DX by Phanteks.

Packaging & Contents

The Phanteks box for the PH-TC12DX is catchy, using some nice designs and a small splash of color to really grab a person's attention. The box is roughly 22 cm in length, 16 cm in width, and 17 cm in height. The front of the box has the company logo and gives us a peek at the cooler and the color options Phanteks has for this model. The right side lists the cooler's specifications, features, and the scope of delivery. The back has a short paragraph that gives a quick introduction to the cooler's features, design, and the technology it uses.


The left side gives a detailed breakdown of all the features of the Phanteks PH-TC12DX. These include P.A.T.S (Physical Antioxidant Thermal Shield) and C.P.S.C (Cold Plasma Spraying Coating Technology), both of which help this CPU cooler perform better. P.A.T.S helps deflect heat from other sources around the heatsink, while C.P.S.C helps displace heat onto corresponding metals at a faster rate. Those features are just two of a bunch listed here. Finally, the top of the box is clean, with just the company logo and, once again, a quick look at the various available color options.

Contents

When opening the box of the Phanteks PH-TC12DX, the first thing users will notice is that the entire cooler is encapsulated by soft foam. The foam protects the cooler well by giving it ample cushioning on all sides, which should keep the cooler safe from damage caused by all but the worst sort of situation.


As can be seen in these images, I have the red version of the Phanteks PH-TC12DX, and it looks fantastic. The red, anodized aluminum really makes it stand out. The instructions Phanteks included are easy to understand. The red and white PH-F120 fans with a solid 68.5 CFM at maximum RPM contrast nicely with the cooler. For optimal cooling performance, two have been included. These fans also make use of the U.F.B (Updraft Floating Balance) bearing.


Everything users will need to mount the PH-TC12DX has been included by Phanteks which has made sure to support all modern sockets with their SoliSku mounting hardware. The shorter mounting arms are for AMD sockets and the longer mounting arms are for Intel sockets. The black and white spacers are also color-coded for each socket: white for AMD and black for Intel. Phanteks has included eight fan-clip adaptors and four fan clips, so fan mounting will not be an issue. They even included a sizable tube of their PH-NDC thermal compound.

Common parts supplied for mounting include:

• 16x Rubber pads on fans
• 8x Fan-clip adaptors
• 4x Rubber bars
• 4x Wire fan clips
• 4x Nuts
• 4x Plastic stand-offs for AMD
• 4x Plastic stand-offs for Intel
• 4x Screws for AMD
• 4x Screws for Intel
• 4x Screws for LGA2011
• 2x AMD mounting arms
• 2x Intel mounting arms
• 1x Backplate
• 1x Thermal grease
• 1x PWM Y-cable