INTRODUCTION
RGB LED illumination is currently one of the things which dominate the mid/high-end PC market and so each day more hardware and peripherals manufacturers release RGB capable products such as mainboards, memory modules, CPU coolers (both air and liquid), fans, keyboards, mice, headsets and even mouse pads. Now RGB may not be really useful since it honestly offers nothing when it comes to performance but it does look great so it's no wonder that for gamers and enthusiasts RGB is currently a one way. DeepCool is the name behind several award winning air and liquid CPU coolers and after releasing their very popular CAPTAIN EX series they took it back to the drawing board to also add RGB illumination. Today we're taking a look at the dual-fan CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB AIO model which is currently available both in black and white.
We founded Deepcool with the mission of providing the best and personalized thermal solutions for customers around the world. Deepcool was first established 1996 with its headquarters in Beijing and factory facilities in Shen Zhen that produced coolers and cooling accessories for desktops and servers. In response to rapid advancements in the PC sector Deepcool further expanded into AIO liquid cooling products, chassis, and power supplies. We have built a global distribution network in about seventy countries, allowing end-users to purchase Deepcool products online or at the nearest local storefront. We have gained positive media exposure and coverage, and won awards from renowned professional websites and magazines steadily building a good reputation among general users, gamers, overclockers and modders. We are totally committed towards maintaining user satisfaction by accommodating ever-changing thermal needs while providing the most responsive and comprehensive services in the industry. Our slogan is for you to “Enjoy your cool life!” We adopted the name Deepcool since Deep Blue, a program running on an IBM supercomputer, achieved a stunning victory over Gary Kasparov, then world chess champion, in 1997. This milestone clearly demonstrated that computers have now become the most powerful tool available to the human race, and was the time when we first started our business in computer cooling solutions. We hope our products could be as effective as Deep Blue, and adopted the matching name of Deepcool to help achieve our goal.
Just like the previous CAPTAIN models the CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB model is manufactured by DeepCool (part of their Gamer Storm series), features a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 150W and consists by an 27mm thick aluminum radiator, two TF120 120mm PWM high speed fans (1800RPM/ 153.04CFM/ 3.31mmH2O/ 31.3dBA), two 310mm long flexible tubings, ceramic-bearing three phase pump (2100RPM) and a copper waterblock. However although the ceramic-bearing three phase pump does feature RGB illumination (the reactor design of the pump has always been one of the strong selling points of the CAPTAIN series) the fans do not and so to make up for that DeepCool ships the CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB model with a 350mm long RGB LED strip which can be controlled along with the pump either by connecting both with a small cable controller also found in the bundle or with a compatible mainboard/controller (DeepCool clearly supports the AURA Sync used in ASUS models). So let’s check and see just how well the brand new CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB competes with many other recently released AIO models.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
At the front of the box DeepCool showcases the reactor and its new RGB LEDs.
Some of the product features are listed on the right side of the box.
The bundle contents and RGB support is listed at the top of the box.
Both the specifications and features are printed at the rear of the box as seen above.
As always the entire bundle is placed inside a formed piece of thick cardboard.
Along with the main body of the CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB you will also get two TF120 120mm fans with their mounting screws, RGB LED strip, fan hub, RGB LED controller, RGB LED cable extension, backplate, single cable tie, product catalog, user manual and all the necessary hardware to mount the unit onto Intel LGA1150/1151/1155/1156/1366/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/AM4/FM1/FM2/FM2+ compatible mainboards.
THE CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB
Appearance-wise the CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB looks exactly like the regular CAPTAIN series.
The dual-fan radiator is exactly 27.6mm thick as seen from the above picture (more like 27.5mm since our tool is off a bit).
DeepCool has sealed the fill-port so if you open it for any reason you will void your warranty.
With a FPI (fins per inch) count of 20 the radiator used is a high-performance model.
Both tubings are 310mm long, braided and very flexible.
Largely thanks to the glass used the reactor pump has been one of the best looking in the market since its release many years ago.
Unfortunately although you can rotate both tubings from the pump the range of motion is limited as showcased above.
The copper base comes ready with a thin layer of thermal conductive material.
The TF120 120mm PWM fans can reach speeds of up to 1800RPM (-+10%) to produce up to 153.04CFM worth of airflow with 3.31mmH2O air pressure and 31.3dBA of noise.
These fans feature anti-vibration rubber pieces on all four corners and uniquely designed fan blades which increase air-pressure.
With both fans mounted the CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB is now almost 52.5mm thick.
The bundled fan hub may not be anything new since we've seen it with all previously released CAPTAIN models but still it's very useful.
Shipping the CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB with a small RGB controller was a good move by DeepCool.
The same goes for the bundled 350mm long RGB LED strip.
Here we see some of the colors you can set the pump LEDs to.
As expected if you connect both the pump and the LED strip to the bundled controller the output color will be the same for both.
TEST BED
TESTING METHODOLOGY
Testing complete water cooling kits or individual radiators is no different than testing CPU Coolers and since we want all of you to be able to compare similar products we created new and separate charts (you can still cross-compare results however since we are using the same test rig). So once again single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests complete water cooling kits or radiators with bundled fans are measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. When testing complete water cooling kits we use the Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste. Finally much like when testing CPU Coolers it's very important to point out that just because a water cooling kit outperforms another when tested with our test rig (when we test complete water cooling kits) that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).
To successfully record the load temperatures we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests (when fans exist in the bundle) are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the radiator. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).
TEST RESULTS
CONCLUSION
Although we never had the chance to test the CAPTAIN 240 EX AIO Liquid CPU Cooler we did test the CAPTAIN 240 a while back and compared to that the CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB not only produces better cooling efficiency but it does so with less noise. We didn’t of course “experience” the 10% difference DEEPCOOL claims the CAPTAIN EX RGB offers due to the use of the double-tunnels structure but even a 4-5% is not a bad improvement especially since the “regular” CAPTAIN 240 featured faster fans which produced higher airflow and air pressure levels (2200RPM +-10%/ 182.24CFM/ 3.71mmH2O). As for the bundled RGB LED strip and RGB controller well you saw for yourselves just how well they work. True I’d like it more if the fans also featured RGB LEDs (DEEPCOOL does make an CAPTAIN with LED fans) but the LED strip partially makes up for that plus you can place it anywhere you wish in your tower.
Currently the DEEPCOOL CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler retails for USD129.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 111Euros inside the EU (Amazon.com) a price tag which is almost identical to that of the P7-PL240 AIO model by Aerocool. Still although the latter offers better cooling efficiency with lower noise levels (although by a small margin) the former comes with a RGB controller and an RGB LED strip which some people may find more flexible. At the end of the day it once again comes down to what you want and since the CAPTAIN 240 EX RGB hits the sweet spot in just about everything it’s well worth of our Golden Award.
PROS
- Build Quality
- Very Good Cooling Efficiency
- Sleeved Tubings
- RGB Pump/LED Strip
- Bundled RGB Controller
- Transparent Glass Pump
- Available In Black And White
CONS
- Noise Levels
- Price (For Some)