Introduction
DeepCool was founded in 1996 with the mission of providing high-performance PC hardware and thermal solutions for enthusiasts. They are based in Beijing with manufacturing facilities in Shenzhen and ship their products across the world. Product lines include cooling solutions, cases, power supplies, mice, and keyboards.
On our test bench today, we have DeepCool Castle 360EX A-RGB RGB CPU Liquid Cooler (DP-GS-H12W-CSL360EX-AR). This is DeepCool’s largest AIO offering. The kit includes everything you need to cool your CPU for long gaming sessions.
We’re currently seeing the DeepCool Castle 360EX A-RGB pricing out around $129 on Amazon as tested today, but you can also save a few quid by going with non-RGB fans. The Castle 360EX is also available in a white motif for the same price if you need it to match your white-case aesthetic.
We will again be using our AIO test platform that is capable of putting out enough heat to make even the devil sweat. We do this to test AIO liquid cooling solutions that are likely to be used with some of today’s most demanding CPUs.
DeepCool Castle 360EX A-RGB Overview
The DeepCool Castle 360EX A-RGB is an all-in-one (AIO) CPU cooler that is designed to work on a wide variety of sockets. These include Intel’s LGA 115x/1200/1366/1700/2011/2066 and AMD’s AM4/sTR4/sTRX4 sockets. Overall, the DeepCool Castle 360EX A-RGB covers all current-day sockets by default.
While we have the 360mm radiator version that we’re reviewing today, this AIO is also available with a 240mm radiator that sports a pair of 120mm fans and a 120mm radiator with a single 120mm fan. Due to the laws of thermodynamics, expect it to perform a little worse than the 360mm version we’re reviewing today.
Water Block & Pump
The water block on the DeepCool Castle 360EX A-RGB measures 86x75x71mm and is made out of copper. This is one of the taller water blocks that we’ve seen that did not have a fan or a screen installed for added bling. We’re hoping this means there’s a beastly pump under the hood to keep things cool. It has room for the cold plate, pump, and a LED-backlit cover with DeepCool’s logo on it. Of note, the logo can be rotated based on how you position the water block within your rig.
The pump is PWM controlled with an approximate 2550 RPM (+/- 10%) speed at a 100% duty cycle. It pushes the water through 465mm of cooling hose to and from the radiator. I’m going to stop right here and point out that these hoses are 65mm longer than any of the other AIOs that we’ve tested as the “default” length across the board for 360mm AIO units is 400mm.
Radiator
The liquid CPU cooler radiator is designed to hold three 120mm fans and measures 402x120x27mm. By our count, the aluminum radiator sports a density of 22 fins per inch and is attached to 465mm of tubing.
Fans
The included fans are DeepCool’s CF120 series PWM fans that sport 12 RGB LEDs per fan that will work with +5v A-RGB capable motherboards (basically, anything you buy these days). XPG’s Vibrant Dual Ring fans sport Hydro Bearings and are rated with an unstated MTBF. These fans support a listed fan speed of 500 to 1800 RPM on their specs at a reported under 30.0 dB(A). The stated maximum airflow is 69.34 CFM with a static pressure of 2.42 mm/H20.