Deepcool Gamer Storm Captain 240 Liquid CPU Cooler Review

Deepcool’s Gamer Storm brings us a dual-120mm liquid cooler with enhanced style and reduced price, but can it still deliver the performance?

By Thomas Soderstrom
published

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Test Results

Perhaps I was a little too harsh on Swiftech’s H220-X in our last review, noting its cooling capacity deficit compared to the 2x140mm Kraken X61. Then again, it also fell behind the NH-D15. Deepcool’s Gamer Storm Captain 240 (try saying that three-times, fast) falls somewhere between the similarly-sized H220-X and the enormous Kraken X61, and that gives us hope for the overall performance and value analysis.

“Tach 2” in the above chart is the motherboard reading for either the second fan of an air cooler or the pump of a liquid cooler. Many pumps produce multiple tachometer signals per revolution though, and we believe the 5252 number seen here is twice the pump’s actual RPM.

What the Captain 240 gained in lower temperatures it lost in the noise battle, being the second noisiest cooler tested.

Where once we saw tiny air coolers reach superb cooling numbers while using screaming fans, today’s larger coolers are somewhat optimized for the noise expectations of actual consumers. The true measure of a cooler’s performance is a comparison of its temperature reduction to its noise increase, and the oversized Kraken X61 topped that metric. Supposing you only have room for a dual-120mm cooler, the H220-X takes second place, followed by the Gamer Storm Captain 240.

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
13 Comments Comment from the forums
  • mrmike_49
    Looks like they spread on the thermal paste with a trowel!!!!
    Reply
  • PDO
    Isn't that the way you are supposed to, or are you telling me that I've been doing wrong all this time.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    16036480 said:
    Looks like they spread on the thermal paste with a trowel!!!!
    The factory thermal paste? We didn't use it. We took a photo of it and scraped it off so that wouldn't be a factor in thermal measurement. All coolers are tested with Arctic MX-4 as an equalizer (it performs well and is re-useable when fresh).

    Reply
  • Blueberries
    I wish companies would stop branding radiators, memory, etc with "gamer" names. How stupid is that? It's not a keyboard, or a headset, or a video card, or a monitor, or... you get my point; the design of these items doesn't change, you always want the best thermal dissipation from a radiator. Calling it "sniper," "headshot," "nightvision," "dragons," is so tacky and unattractive, especially if it comes with an equally as tacky design or heatsink. If anything it turns me away from their product because I assume "Oh, this is in no way marketed towards professionals. We can get away with a shoddier product and nobody will notice!"
    Reply
  • SuperVeloce
    I think that those deepcool fans are the weak point here. Sure fans from DC looks and feels like a quality product to the touch (for the most part), performance and noise is subpar for a price I usually bought them for.
    Reply
  • ppalm
    Normally, I'm not one to care about looks, but that thing looks freakin' sweet when lit up sitting there on top of the CPU. I'm a low-profile black-case no-window kind of guy, so pragmatics win for me (Noctua) but this cooler makes the CPU look like a little reactor. Pretty snazzy.
    Reply
  • logainofhades
    I really like the looks of the cooler itself. The clear pipe, on the block is a nice touch. Paired with some better fans, and this would be a great cooler, imo.
    Reply
  • BuffaloChuck
    I wish the author would tell us what the SOURCE of the noise is. Is it the fan blades (therefore anyone interested in swapping out fans can experiment) or is it the OKLAHOMA effect (wind comes sweeping the radiator blades - I think that's how the song goes).

    As for looks, I'd never give a hoot. Who spends time oohing and ahhing, getting physically 'excited' by computer parts?!! Sheesh..."Do something WITH the computer, don't just stare at it's purty lights."
    Reply
  • logainofhades
    16059116 said:
    I wish the author would tell us what the SOURCE of the noise is. Is it the fan blades (therefore anyone interested in swapping out fans can experiment) or is it the OKLAHOMA effect (wind comes sweeping the radiator blades - I think that's how the song goes).

    As for looks, I'd never give a hoot. Who spends time oohing and ahhing, getting physically 'excited' by computer parts?!! Sheesh..."Do something WITH the computer, don't just stare at it's purty lights."

    Umm many people care about looks. If they didn't we wouldn't have cases with side windows. It is no different than a person getting physically excited by the looks of a car.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    16059116 said:
    I wish the author would tell us what the SOURCE of the noise is. Is it the fan blades (therefore anyone interested in swapping out fans can experiment) or is it the OKLAHOMA effect (wind comes sweeping the radiator blades - I think that's how the song goes).

    As for looks, I'd never give a hoot. Who spends time oohing and ahhing, getting physically 'excited' by computer parts?!! Sheesh..."Do something WITH the computer, don't just stare at it's purty lights."
    It's a whizzing, not a whooshing, so the fans are definitely making a whiz. Better than taking one I suppose, given that it's hanging over a motherboard and graphics card.

    Reply