DEEPCOOL Gamer Storm CAPTAIN 240 CPU Liquid Cooler AIO Water Cooling Ceramic Bearing Pump Visual Liquid Flow with Dual 120mm FDB PWM Fan Rubber Coating Deep Silent Support LGA 2011-v3

Pros: According to Deepcool the Captain uses ‘Steam Castle Design with Steam Punk styling’ and the pump housing has a ‘reactor style’. In practice this means the pump is rather small, pretty much cube in shape with a mounting lug at each corner and has an external pipe that shows off the red coolant. LGA2011-V3, LGA2011, LGA1366, LGA1156/1155/1151/1150 AMD Socket 220W FM2+, FM2, FM1, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2 Heat sink pump dimensions 89x65x82mm Radiator dimensions 274x120x27mm Radiator material Aluminum Pump life expectancy 120,000 hours Pump connector 3-pin Pump speed 2,200rpm Fan dimensions 120x120x25mm (2 pieces) Fan speed 600-2,200rpm Fan air flow 182.24cfm (max) Fan air pressure 3.71mm H2O (max) Fan life expectancy 100,000 hours Fan noise level 17.6-39.3dBA Fan bearing type Fluid dynamic bearing Fan connector 4-pin Hardware Deepcool has done a good job of simplifying the hardware and once you sort out the mounts for Intel LGA2011, AMD or Intel LGA1156/1155/1151/1150 you should find it is quick and easy to install the cooling system. There are various neat touches such as the back plate that is installed one way round for Intel and the other for AMD. Or the four threaded posts that engage in the back plate to prevent them rotation when you tighten the thumb nuts. Or the way those posts are clipped to the back plate to make certain they do not fall out as you hold the hardware in place. Provided you have access to the rear of your motherboard you should have absolutely no trouble installing the hardware in your case and you will have no need to call on an assistant to provide an extra helping hand. Installing the radiator in a case is straightforward – the hoses have plenty of flex and are easy to position. The two 120mm fans have a flexible rubberized frame that kills vibration and helps installation as you don’t need washers under the heads of the mounting screws. Connecting up the cables is easy enough as you have to plug the pump connector to the CPU header on your motherboard and find a second header to power the four-way PWM hub and then connect Testing Processor: Intel Core i3-4130 Haswell Dual-Core 3.4 GHz LGA 1150 54W Motherboard: Asrock Z97E-ITX/ac Graphics Card: XFX HD6800 1G Memory: Operating system: 64 bit Windows 10 I installed the unit in a ENERMAX iVektor ECA3310A-W White (Soft touch coating) ATX Mid Tower Computer Case. The fit was just about perfect with the radiator on the top except if I ever want to change the ram I may need to take the radiator out because the end memory clips are right against it. Idle temps stay between about 32 to 34c and I played a CPU intensive game Crysis3 for an hour and Temps rose to 39c. The Deepcool Gamer Storm Captain 240 does a good job. I like the appearance of the Captain and it is keeping my CPU at 28c idle. I didn’t use the thermal paste that come on the heatsink. I used my Arctic Silver ceramic.

Cons: There is no info on this but if you look at the picture and some videos on the internet you can see the proper way to install the fans.The little ridges on the fan blades point out from the radiator.The air blows into the radiator.Really don’t have much of anything for Cons. Except maybe a little longer coolant hoses. I know nit picking. Nothing to lose a star over.

Overall Review: By many reviews I'm seeing lots of failed pump's at an early date. I'm hoping that DeepCool has addressed this problem. I will add an update in 4 to 6 months from now unless something fails.

Pros: I've been wanting to try water cooling for years and finally got the chance to see what all the hype is about. Once I has a case it would fit in, it fit perfect. Instructions were very clear and impossible to screw up as long as you can look at pictures and follow what it suggests you do. I've ran just about every stress test I could find and it did a fine job of keeping the CPU cool. Using Intel's Extreme Tuning Utility stress test on my i7 6700K overclocked to 4.7 Ghz manged to get the processor up to 65 degrees C with the DEEPCOOL Captain 240. The amazing thing to me is how quickly the temperature drops back to mid to upper 20's C. In every case the temperature dropped back to normal within 10 seconds. I've thrown a few games that would cause my CPU to reboot after playing for 20+ minutes and using the Captain 240 kept the games running. Installation was very easy and the parts were marked well and had each type organized into their own bags. The fans run quiet and the materials are very good. I saw a lot of complaints on here about pumps that quit after a couple weeks or sooner. Mine has been installed and running almost non-stop for 3+ weeks and the little red light on the pump is still pulsing away.

Cons: My only con is probably related to all of these "pre-filled" water coolers. I had to buy a new full tower case in order for this to fit. I have 4 computers sitting around my hobby room and none of them had enough room on the top or side panel to fit this thing. Once you add the radiator and fans you have quite a bit of space needed. The tubes are the bare minimum length and even with the full tower I had just enough tube length to get everything installed. If I'd needed another quarter inch I'd be out of luck.

Overall Review: Overall I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to jump into water cooling but doesn't want to pay out $250+ for a fully customized cooling system and dealing with the leaks and time. My only suggestion would be to add an inch or so the the tube lengths. The biggest thing to check is whether you have the space to fit this in the top part of your case. It's not going on the outside and attaching to the side panel may work but wouldn't be an ideal situation.

Pros: The product when installed looks pretty cool. I’m using an i5 3570K which after stress testing with Prime95 it came in about 30C cooler than the stock cooler maxing at 55C. I started overclocking my CPU and I haven’t gotten it above 80C yet at 20% CPU increase. The radiator feels very sturdy as do the 2 fans to mount to it. Quality here was excellent. Much cooler for much higher ratings than air cooling. The configuration is almost a one size fits all and does support newer chipsets which is handy.

Cons: I was using a Zalman quiet cooler which was very noticeably quieter than this system. I also use an open bench case which doesn’t have a great way to mount the radiator. The tubing doesn’t flex very well which makes it difficult to install. With my configuration the tubing which is the lower quality portion of this is right next to other components.

Overall Review: The instructions could use a few words. I understand the reasoning not to as pictures are universal language wise but I’d have appreciated a couple words to help with the order.

Pros: - Excellent cooling performance. - QUIET fans even at full speed. Most of the noise you hear is just the air getting pushed through the system. - Speaking of the fans, the rubberized nature I feel helps immensely with some of the fan noise I've experienced with other systems. The stock fans with the Corsair H100i v2 comes to mind. Those fans can get really noisy if you're not careful and I feel like I didn't have to do much with these at all. - Excellent performance. On stock settings on a Core i7 6700K and a stock cooler within 3 minutes or so of Prime95 the CPU reached 100 degrees C before it started to throttle itself to protect itself. With this cooler, I was able to run Prime 95 for hours and not break 65 degrees C. Idle temps for stock cooler were about 32 degrees C, while this cooler had everything down to about 18 C! Amazing performance!

Cons: - Installation was a bit of a pain. Some of the directions were quite clear, but eventually I got it figured out. Not as easy as some other though. Not a deal breaker.

Overall Review: Overall, this is one of the best AIO water coolers I have ever used. Most of my experience so far as been with Corsair but quite frankly vs my H100i v2, I think I'd rather use this one or at least maybe buy the same fans this one uses and swap them out. One thing to note is unlike the corsair models, I did hear water moving at times which isn't really a problem, as the performance clearly shows, but it was noticeable. Granted this was only for the first few minutes and then I couldn't hear it anymore.

Pros: AIO=All In One unit makes mounting very easy Low noise Multiple mounting options Great Red and Black look my favorite color combination @ full speed the fan is still quieter than my current corsair fans

Cons: Tubing length could be slightly longer I have a lian Li case so mounting the radiator was not an issue as I have top/bottom and rear mounting locations but I can see it being an issue if I mounted this in my mid tower case instead of my full tower. No separate fan control for the included fan hub nor is there a separate way to power it....running four fans off one fan port is asking for trouble and I would not do it. I used a Molex connector and let it run at full speed. My only other issue with this is the mounting plate, you need to have access to the rear of your motherboard in order to install this and for some people that means taking their computer apart in order to install this and others do not. I say this is a trade off that's well worth it though

Overall Review: I have had custom loops set up for my CPU and GPU for close to 10 years now, over that course of time I had replaced 3 pumps and 2 reservoirs. Each time having to tear apart my loop to replace a part and at the same time clean everything. When I first saw AIO coolers I was not impressed, but fast forward to today and a lot has changed and tech has gotten better. I found myself wanting to give this a try and since I had to replace a radiator recently I already had my rig taken apart, this made the change a lot easier. My radiator developed a hole due to corrosion between different metals used in my loop, so I tore it all apart and cleaned everything. I then installed this with the backing plate in my Lian Li case, I mounted the radiator on the bottom of my case...I have my GPU custom loop running with a radiator at the top. I ran a custom loop on my GPU and this on my CPU, running Crysis my CPU never went above 48C and my GPU maxed out at 44C. With that little variable difference in Temps I would not hesitate to buy another if it was ever offered for GPUS. With that said I already have another on the way for my sons computer.

Pros: • Mounting hardware for any modern CPU • Sleeved/braided cables look nice • Useful manual with clear instructions • Great looking pump/block combo • Included fans move a fair amount of air vs. noise output • Included fan hub is a nice touch • Efficient packaging that keeps things nice and safe pre-install (nothing rattling around) • Reasonable price vs. comparable level air cooling

Cons: • Adding voltage with high ambient temps (hot room) – and you see the cooling power fade pretty fast (far worse than a custom cooling loop) • Pump is easily the noisiest piece of the equation (par for AIO units) • Too many reviews citing pump failures to make a person feel long-term comfortable

Overall Review: The Captain 240 is easily one of the nicest looking AIO units out there. Good build quality on the pump/block, solid feeling fans with again solid performance, and good enough quality on the radiator paint. I feel the Captain 240 is aimed at the guy running a nice gaming machine, who wants good looks, water cooling “credibility”, and doesn’t want the time/effort/cost associated with a custom loop. I’ve built hundreds of custom loops in my time, and the cost of the Captain 240 gives you solid enough performance to make the need for a custom loop unnecessary. Great value for the money spent. I went ahead and installed the Captain 240 in two extremes for case size. First off, the block install is really easy, and the clear directions in the manual make this a no-brain install for just about anybody. The slim radiator has a decent FPI ratio, and the fans move enough air to make the unit effective enough as a whole. Installation in the Antec 1900 was a test for the rigid tubing, as that case is absolutely huge, but there was still enough slack to keep the install nice looking. I also installed in a Cooler Master N200 (front mount radiator) and that case was a perfect fit for the Captain 240. Nice looking bends in the tubing, and the slim radiator/fan combo didn’t make things look too crowded. Performance at stock clocks/1.09vts on a 3570k was comparable to the higher-end air coolers out there, with less overall noise. Load temps with HyperPi drag runs were around 62* Celsius. Running the 3570k at its everyday overclock of 4.56 GHZ/1.32vts was a similar story under heavy gaming/benchmark loads, when compared to capability of most air coolers. Run after run kept the load temps climbing, pushing past 75* Celsius. The smallish tubing runs, coupled with less flow rate, and the lower-end radiator aren’t designed to cope with that kind of heat – so definitely expected, and not a knock on the unit as a whole. I’m just offering an example so expectations are reasonable with what you’re getting. To the Captain 240’s credit, temps dropped quickly once the load was reduced – a definite plus with hot weather hitting the scene shortly. On a side note, a standard application of burned in Arctic Silver 5 netted 3* off the temps, so nothing too earth shattering. Most of today’s components require such low voltage, that unless you are really pulling for some big over clocks, a unit like the Captain 240 is perfect for a combination of solid cooling performance, and great looks. My only concern is the high number of pump failures reported in the consumer reviews that I’ve read. A lot of the failures appear to have come from earlier units, but with so many AIO units to choose from, it’s definitely something to think about before purchasing. The vast majority of folks that would use the Captain 240 probably don’t disable the shutdown temp limits in the BIOS, so even if the pump did fail (say leaving the machine on all day while at work), the CPU would eventually throttle the clocks, ultimately shutting the machine down before any real damage happened. Despite those reservations over the pump failures, I think the Captain 240 is definitely worth taking a chance on, as it performs good enough, and looks great. Definitely recommended!

Pros: First rule when installing a water cooling unit is to liquid test it. To do this simply open up your existing computer case and plug the unit it and allow it to hang outside the case. Leave it running for a few hours and put toilet paper under it so you can see if anything leaks. With that said, I followed my own instructions above and also did not tighten the screws to much when placing the unit on. There is such a thing as to tight and it will cause the paste to thin out too much and potentially crack the unit’s clamps (as other reviewers have mentioned). You just have to tighten just enough to where you feel it giving you friction. Anything more is not necessary and dangerous! On idle my temps are in the 20c-25c range. My PC is an AMD FX 8 core running at 4.5Ghz. When running Intel Burn test at Maximum settings (16 Gb of memory) the max temp I hit was 54c which is way below TJ Max (shut down). The DEEPCOOL Captain 240 did an excellent job of keeping the CPU cool. I used a Cooler Master HAF 932 Case and mounted the radiator/fans at the top of the case.

Cons: The way the pipe is designed you are forced to put the unit one way and the pipes end up crossing near the memory. It is not a big deal but some flexibility would have been nice.

Overall Review: I was using an old Thermaltake unit to keep my CPU cool which was about 10c higher on average than this unit.

Pros: The DEEPCOOL Gamer Storm CAPTAIN 240 AIO is a pretty interesting piece of hardware for cooling your CPU. I have personally been an avid water cooler for at least 10 years and remember when these types of hardware started coming out (as clunky/ineffective as they were). It is amazing to see the move from clunky/borderline useless CPU AIO’s to sleek, stylish, efficient, and more importantly effective and price competitive offerings. This particular AIO really ticks off all of the right boxes with me starting with the immediately obvious aesthetic that can be a bit aggressive to some but I find it to be classy gamer styling. The color of the fan is vibrant and rich while still complimenting the other accents on this piece of hardware. I don’t much care for the red theme but that is purely taste and I personally prefer the black and white design. I do really appreciate what they chose to keep matte black and what they chose to accent where it isn’t too overpowering so it still has a nice effect with the red accents and the red LEDs/liquid. I was also impressed with the competitive pricing where you get a very good set of fans (PWM and sound dampened/dust proof), very competitive cooling performance (if you want performance numbers look it up on a review site but it is within a degree(s) of any other similar AIO), a 240mm radiator, some great eye candy, a pretty quiet setup, and seemingly reliable performance with a well known brand such as DEEPCOOL. The noise is not a huge concern as long as you have a case that is reasonably sealed, anything open air the pump might be noticeable because it does have a bit of a different sound profile that is a bit higher than some AIO’s but it isn’t something to be too worried about as long as you aren’t going for a SPCR award. The final thing I wanted to note as a pro was the corrugated tubing, which is often overlooked. I personally prefer the corrugated tubing because I find it to be more kink resistant, can be snaked into tighter places, it is less likely to be scraped/ripped (as compared to rubber), and opposed to what you might believe I find it easier to tuck away/fit through small areas than the non corrugated. This tubing isn’t unique to this AIO but I am happy they went with it.

Cons: I couldn’t really think of any cons that apply to this piece of hardware other than the pump being a little larger than other AIO’s but it is still very small compared to an air cooler. Another downside could be that there are only 2 fans included but I definitely understand why they made this choice since most people would only use the 2 and I would much rather have 2 high quality fans than 4 mediocre quality fans. I also wish they made a 280mm black and white one. All of the other cons I can think of really apply to all AIO’s so it wouldn’t really be fair to take points for this AIO since it is inherent to the design such as no expandability, no customization after purchase, limited lifespan, when 1 part fails you replace the whole thing, tubing to short/long depending on application.

Overall Review: Before going through some of the bad reviews I was going to mention how DEEPCOOL does not have the longest track record for AIO coolers but that they do have a decent reputation for customer service and now that I have looked through some of the lowing scoring reviews I hope that it is evident. After looking through some of the negative reviews it looks like DEEPCOOL had some quality issues (and that some people didn’t know what they were buying) but it does look they addressed them to the best of their ability. On a side note the parts used in this AIO look like they came from a certain OEM but they have clearly been combined/modified in a unique way to produce a product that I feel is great for the enthusiast community where you might not want a boring AIO but you aren’t quite ready or have the time/money to dive into watercooling (pun intended). This AIO is unique enough and performs well enough at a very competitive price point to warrant its entry into the AIO market.