Tom's Hardware Verdict
With average performance and stand-out aesthetics, DeepCool's latest AIO could be a good fit for your themed build. But you can get better cooling performance for less money.
Pros
- +
Supports nearly all recent AMD and Intel CPU sockets
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Brilliant aRGB lighting on the mirrored pump face
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Anti-leak valve allows for internal pressure relief
Cons
- -
No RGB lighting on fans
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Average thermal performance
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Price premium compared to other 240mm AIOs
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Features and Specifications
DeepCool's Gamer Storm Castle 240EX AIO liquid cooler sports a handsome, mirror-faced design with aRGB backlighting and a design meant to preventatively purge excess pressure within the cooler itself in order to stave off coolant leaks. Cooled by a pair of non-aRGB 120mm PWM fans, the Castle 240EX provides notable cooling performance and colorful aesthetics.
Priced at $120, the DeepCool Gamer Storm Castle 240EX aligns with other premium 240mm AIO options which tend to focus on both thermal performance and aRGB/RGB presentation. When compared side-by-side among these, it provides relatively average thermal results, simple installation and limited aRGB controls at a moderately higher price point.
DeepCool Gamer Storm Castle 240EX Specifications
| Thickness | 1.125" / 28.6mm (2.25" / 57.15mm w/fans) |
| Width | 4.75" / 120.65mm |
| Depth | 11.13" / 282.7mm |
| Pump Height | 2.88" / 73.15mm |
| Speed Controller | BIOS |
| Cooling Fans | (2) 120 x 25mm |
| Connectors | (1) 4-pin PWM(2) 3-pin(2) 4-pin aRGB |
| Weight | 42.5 oz / 1203g |
| Intel Sockets | 2066, 2011x, 1366, 115x |
| AMD Sockets | AM2(+), AM3(+) AM4, FM1, FM2(+), TR4 |
| Warranty | 3 years |
Features
DeepCool packages the Gamer Storm Castle 240EX with hardware to support nearly all current AMD and Intel sockets, including Threadripper / TR4. A typical assortment of plated mounting hardware and brackets accompany a standalone aRGB lighting controller and a premium metal case badge. DeepCool covers the Gamer Storm Castle 240EX for a period of 3 years, although we really had to dig to find warranty information as it wasn’t readily found on the DeepCool or Gamer Storm product site with any distinctive clarity.
DeepCool follows along other AIOs using the mirrored-depth top with aRGB backlighting and pulsing effects. The top cover can be twisted to access the Gamer Storm logo to swap the centerpiece with the included replacement mirror disc. Its aRGB lighting accents the circumference of the cooler face as well as a being visible around the base of the twist-lock cap. Nylon-sleeved tubing is secured via sleeve clamps at both ends of the coolant conduit.
The base of the Gamer Storm Castle 240EX is equipped with a skived copper cooling plate to provide improved coolant fin density while pre-applied thermal paste adorns the smoothly milled exterior. The pump uses 3-pin power connector, and aRGB lighting is managed using the proprietary–pin lighting connector. A pair of 90-degree swivel fittings allow the CPU block to rotate freely during installation, although the overall height of the CPU block unit and shorter tubing runs (12.0”/ 300 mm) could potentially be a limitation for some mounting locations.
DeepCool incorporates a flexible bladder valve into the end tank of the aluminum radiator to help relieve pressure buildup due to expansion of coolant under system loads. This preventative measure is intended to help avoid coolant leakage, which can damage PC system components. This valve is not to be confused with a fill port or any form of user-serviceable feature of the Gamer Storm Castle 240EX; it serves only to safeguard against unwanted leakage and preservation of the cooler itself.
The DeepCool Gamer Storm Castle 240EX is very simple to mount into any chassis that supports standard 240mm AIO coolers. We installed the Castle 240EX in the above configuration specifically to illustrate the limited reach of the cooler’s tubing and the height of the CPU pump unit as a comparison. Even with the radiator and cooling block adjacent to one another, the length of tubing is just barely sufficient to allow adequate installation.
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