# Thermalright AXP90-X36

- Source: https://stierproducts.com/products/thermalright-axp90-x36
- Category board: https://stierproducts.com/categories/cpu-coolers
- Placement: #12 of 24 in CPU Coolers, C tier
- Brand: Thermalright
- LP on this board: 409
- Last researched: 2026-09-10T07:33:05.730Z
- Method: https://stierproducts.com/methodology
- Dataset: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22062813 - every board at once, one dated snapshot per release, same licence, prices and photographs left out
- Reuse: Text, rankings, tier assignments, LP values and verdicts are free to quote and reuse with attribution to stierproducts and a link to the source URL (CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Product photographs are not covered: they belong to their respective owners and are reproduced to illustrate the product being reviewed. Do not redistribute them under this licence.

## Verdict

The ultra-low-profile value default, matching Noctua's 37mm class thermals for far less. Niche, but unbeatable in its bracket.

## For

- Superior fin orientation gives much better chipset and SSD temps in some builds
- Sits in the same 36-37mm thermal class as Noctua's 37mm low-profile units
- Listed among the current best ultra-low-profile coolers
- Lead pick in Hardware Canucks' low-profile roundup
- Benefits from Thermalright's strong reputation among builders

## Against

- Noctua's fan is better in direct comparison
- Sits just below its larger AXP90-X47 sibling in listing order

## Evidence

Consolidated from 8 independent outlets

| Outlet | Said by | Stance | Link | Link status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| r/sffpc | - | C | https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/comments/1p2u9fo/noctua_nhl9a_vs_thermalright_axp90x36/ | fetched and confirmed |
| Propel RC | John | C | https://www.propelrc.com/best-cpu-cooler-for-fractal-terra/ | fetched and confirmed |
| ITG Gear | ITG Gear | B | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE3CGSVotPc | fetched and confirmed |
| NAS Compares | Step Guide For | B | https://nascompares.com/news/jonsbo-n6-nas-case-released/ | fetched and confirmed |
| iBuildPC | nawfsideg530 | B | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F98JSWgmAkI#comments | fetched and confirmed |
| Bandit Fishing | Bandit Fishing Editor | C | https://banditfishing.com/best-itx-cpu-coolers/ | fetched and confirmed |
| ZeroToLab | zerotolab.com | D | https://www.zerotolab.com/en/blog/choosing-the-cpu-cooler/ | fetched and confirmed |
| Propelrc | propelrc.com | B | https://www.propelrc.com/best-itx-cpu-coolers/ | fetched and confirmed |

## Nearest alternatives on this board

| Rank | Product | Tier | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 7 | Thermalright Grand Vision 360 | B | https://stierproducts.com/products/thermalright-grand-vision-360 |
| 8 | Arctic Freezer 36 | B | https://stierproducts.com/products/arctic-freezer-36 |
| 9 | ID-COOLING FX360 PRO | C | https://stierproducts.com/products/id-cooling-fx360-pro |
| 10 | Thermalright AXP90-X47 | C | https://stierproducts.com/products/thermalright-axp90-x47 |
| 11 | Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos II | C | https://stierproducts.com/products/cooler-master-masterliquid-360-atmos-ii |
| 13 | Corsair Nautilus 360 RS | C | https://stierproducts.com/products/corsair-nautilus-360-rs |
| 14 | be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 | C | https://stierproducts.com/products/be-quiet-dark-rock-pro-6 |
| 15 | Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 | D | https://stierproducts.com/products/noctua-nh-l9a-am5 |
| 16 | Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Core II | D | https://stierproducts.com/products/cooler-master-masterliquid-360-core-ii |
| 17 | Noctua NH-D15 (original, chromax.black) | D | https://stierproducts.com/products/noctua-nh-d15-original-chromax-black |

The full board is at https://stierproducts.com/categories/cpu-coolers.

## What this tier means

- C: Fair. Acceptable in the right situation, outclassed at its price.

## How to read this

- Each category is researched in four independent runs, one per lens (expert consensus, value, reliability, community pulse). Every run ranks a board of candidates that deliberately includes products buyers cross-shop but should avoid. Placements score on a ranked ladder (LP), and tiers are derived from LP, so no tier is ever assigned by hand.
- LP is this product's points on its own category ladder. It is comparable within a category and not across categories.
- Link status reports what our pre-publication link check found when it fetched the cited URL. It says nothing about the quality of the review.
- A citation with no usable link is listed rather than dropped, and is excluded from the counted total above.

## Image

https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/thermalright-axp90-x36.webp

Product photographs are not covered: they belong to their respective owners and are reproduced to illustrate the product being reviewed. Do not redistribute them under this licence.