AkG
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DeepCool may not be as well-known as some other manufactures here in North America but they have been making high performance, reasonably priced, computer accessories for many years. While mainly known for their air based CPU cooling solutions, DeepCool make a wide assortment of computer parts that start at the chassis and goes on from there. Like nearly every other case / cooler manufacturer they’ve now decided to get their feet wet in the closed loop All in One water cooling market.
The Maelstrom 120 we’re taking a look at today is only one small part of their lineup though. Like most companies entering the increasingly popular AIO market, DeepCool has taken a multi-prong approach and released numerous units at the same time. Right now they have two unique lines -the high end CAPTAIN series and the more affordable Maelstrom- which are designed and marketed towards radically different market segments. Maelstrom 120 targets mainstream buyers looking for a single bay 120mm unit and that means it come competes against the likes of Corsair’s H55 and NZXT’s Kraken X31. Like those well-entrenched alternatives, DeepCool has designed this cooler for ease of use and value rather than extreme performance.
By opting for a single bay 120mm form factor design, DeepCool has allowed their Maelstrom 120 to reach as wide as a range of consumers as possible. Unfortunately the other side of the coin is that by opting for such a common form-factor the Maelstrom 120 will have a tough time differentiating itself from some very well respected competition.
To help with some of that differentiation, DeepCool has gone with an entirely custom design that is not simply an Asetek knock-off. Rather, what we have here is a completely unique setup that promises to be low profile, low noise, and easy to install while proving good cooling performance.
Beyond using a custom waterblock design this AIO also sets itself apart from the competition via its accompanying fan which takes advantage of DeepCool’s years of OEM expertise for some of the largest vendors around. It uses an exlusive high performance Fluid Dynamic bearing and many additional advanced design features to ensure that it features an optimal blend of performance and noise. As an added bonus, it boasts a removable fan impeller design which allows for easy cleaning. This small tweak should help it get on the radars of enthusiasts everywhere.
On the surface these features should certainly help the DeepCool Maelstrom 120 stand out. However with an MSRP of $75.99 it has been parachuted directly into the heart of the single bay AIO marketplace and is neither the most expensive nor cheapest model available. Sadly the lack of a built-in fan controller may make it a tough sell at this price, but DeepCool certainly cannot be accused of simply copying the competition.
The Maelstrom 120 is your fairly typical All In One CPU cooling solution and as such comes with a fairly typical assortment of accessories designed to allow mounting to a wide variety of Intel 115x, 1366, as well as 2011 systems and AMD AM2/3+ and FM1/FM2+ motherboards. There’s an all-in-one backplate too which does double duty for Intel and AMD systems. Also included is an installation pamphlet which may not be the best we have ever read, but is more than serviceable.
Further helping the DeepCool Maelstrom 120 get noticed by enthusiasts and system builders is its unique color scheme. The radiator, pump and tubing may be the typical 'basic black' but that custom fan makes use of red blades and has a red 'racing stripe' molded right into the its main body. This gives the DeepCool Maelstrom 120 a very distinctive look that will fit right in with the overall color scheme of many custom PCs that use ASUS RoG or Gigabyte G1 Gaming motherboards.
In many ways the Maelstrom 120 goes about its business in a similar fashion to Cooler Master’s Seidon series since it uses a custom waterblock that takes its cues from neither CoolIT nor Asetek designs. This neatly sidesteps all of the patent lawsuits that have been launched by these two OEMs against their competitors.
As with the Seidon it bears more than an overall passing resemblance to, this waterblock is extremely clean and tidy looking. In fact, it only has a single 3-pin cable for the pump sprouting from the side, handy 90° connectors and an integrated LED but this sleek appearance also means it lacks integrated fan controller abilities DeepCool expects your motherboard to handle all the fan speed control duties which is perfectly fine considering how well current models do that.
The pump being used here is also noteworthy since it uses an advanced ceramic bearing design that is nearly silent and is rated for 120,000 hours of operation. Oddly enough the pump is actually rated for 6V to 24V volt pump but is only running at a max of 12V in this application. This does make it very quiet but at a cost of some potential water flow performance as well as pump head pressure. Thankfully it only has to push water through a block with moderate restrictions and a single 120mm high radiator.
DeepCool seems to also be taking some inspiration from the past since the Maelstrom 120 makes use of the older standard FEP tubing. Many companies have moved away from this less flexible tubing and towards more flexible Polyamdie (PA) rubber compounds which offer similar low evaporation properties but are much easier to work with. On the positive side, the 3/8” OD tubing is fairly long at about 12inches, and should prove to be more than adequate in most cases.
The radiator being used here is also very similar to the one found on Cooler Master's Seidon 120 series. That is to say it is a reference 27x120x120mm unit with a small reservoir at its base. Compared to what ships with SilverStone's TD series, we do feel that DeepCool would have been better served by using them for their designers’ 'inspiration' instead of Cooler Master's older model.
One area where DeepCool obviously did not copy, clone, or borrow from any other company's design is the base of the waterblock. Put bluntly it is one of the worst, most poorly finished blocks we have ever seen. Even calling it 'polished' is borderline factious as we would classify it as a 'matte' base which has a number of undulations which raises serious concerns about quality control.
That fan we alluded to before has some impressive specifications: 91.12CFM at 3.71mm of static pressure is nothing short of spectacular. It accomplishes these massive numbers at just 2200RPMs which surpasses the fans found on competing units by a fair amount.
As an added bonus the entire fan hub and blade assembly is easily removed for cleaning. As such this is one of the most impressive fans we have seen grace an All In One cooling solution in a long time.
The Maelstrom 120 we’re taking a look at today is only one small part of their lineup though. Like most companies entering the increasingly popular AIO market, DeepCool has taken a multi-prong approach and released numerous units at the same time. Right now they have two unique lines -the high end CAPTAIN series and the more affordable Maelstrom- which are designed and marketed towards radically different market segments. Maelstrom 120 targets mainstream buyers looking for a single bay 120mm unit and that means it come competes against the likes of Corsair’s H55 and NZXT’s Kraken X31. Like those well-entrenched alternatives, DeepCool has designed this cooler for ease of use and value rather than extreme performance.
By opting for a single bay 120mm form factor design, DeepCool has allowed their Maelstrom 120 to reach as wide as a range of consumers as possible. Unfortunately the other side of the coin is that by opting for such a common form-factor the Maelstrom 120 will have a tough time differentiating itself from some very well respected competition.
To help with some of that differentiation, DeepCool has gone with an entirely custom design that is not simply an Asetek knock-off. Rather, what we have here is a completely unique setup that promises to be low profile, low noise, and easy to install while proving good cooling performance.
Beyond using a custom waterblock design this AIO also sets itself apart from the competition via its accompanying fan which takes advantage of DeepCool’s years of OEM expertise for some of the largest vendors around. It uses an exlusive high performance Fluid Dynamic bearing and many additional advanced design features to ensure that it features an optimal blend of performance and noise. As an added bonus, it boasts a removable fan impeller design which allows for easy cleaning. This small tweak should help it get on the radars of enthusiasts everywhere.
On the surface these features should certainly help the DeepCool Maelstrom 120 stand out. However with an MSRP of $75.99 it has been parachuted directly into the heart of the single bay AIO marketplace and is neither the most expensive nor cheapest model available. Sadly the lack of a built-in fan controller may make it a tough sell at this price, but DeepCool certainly cannot be accused of simply copying the competition.
The Maelstrom 120 is your fairly typical All In One CPU cooling solution and as such comes with a fairly typical assortment of accessories designed to allow mounting to a wide variety of Intel 115x, 1366, as well as 2011 systems and AMD AM2/3+ and FM1/FM2+ motherboards. There’s an all-in-one backplate too which does double duty for Intel and AMD systems. Also included is an installation pamphlet which may not be the best we have ever read, but is more than serviceable.
Further helping the DeepCool Maelstrom 120 get noticed by enthusiasts and system builders is its unique color scheme. The radiator, pump and tubing may be the typical 'basic black' but that custom fan makes use of red blades and has a red 'racing stripe' molded right into the its main body. This gives the DeepCool Maelstrom 120 a very distinctive look that will fit right in with the overall color scheme of many custom PCs that use ASUS RoG or Gigabyte G1 Gaming motherboards.
In many ways the Maelstrom 120 goes about its business in a similar fashion to Cooler Master’s Seidon series since it uses a custom waterblock that takes its cues from neither CoolIT nor Asetek designs. This neatly sidesteps all of the patent lawsuits that have been launched by these two OEMs against their competitors.
As with the Seidon it bears more than an overall passing resemblance to, this waterblock is extremely clean and tidy looking. In fact, it only has a single 3-pin cable for the pump sprouting from the side, handy 90° connectors and an integrated LED but this sleek appearance also means it lacks integrated fan controller abilities DeepCool expects your motherboard to handle all the fan speed control duties which is perfectly fine considering how well current models do that.
The pump being used here is also noteworthy since it uses an advanced ceramic bearing design that is nearly silent and is rated for 120,000 hours of operation. Oddly enough the pump is actually rated for 6V to 24V volt pump but is only running at a max of 12V in this application. This does make it very quiet but at a cost of some potential water flow performance as well as pump head pressure. Thankfully it only has to push water through a block with moderate restrictions and a single 120mm high radiator.
DeepCool seems to also be taking some inspiration from the past since the Maelstrom 120 makes use of the older standard FEP tubing. Many companies have moved away from this less flexible tubing and towards more flexible Polyamdie (PA) rubber compounds which offer similar low evaporation properties but are much easier to work with. On the positive side, the 3/8” OD tubing is fairly long at about 12inches, and should prove to be more than adequate in most cases.
The radiator being used here is also very similar to the one found on Cooler Master's Seidon 120 series. That is to say it is a reference 27x120x120mm unit with a small reservoir at its base. Compared to what ships with SilverStone's TD series, we do feel that DeepCool would have been better served by using them for their designers’ 'inspiration' instead of Cooler Master's older model.
One area where DeepCool obviously did not copy, clone, or borrow from any other company's design is the base of the waterblock. Put bluntly it is one of the worst, most poorly finished blocks we have ever seen. Even calling it 'polished' is borderline factious as we would classify it as a 'matte' base which has a number of undulations which raises serious concerns about quality control.
That fan we alluded to before has some impressive specifications: 91.12CFM at 3.71mm of static pressure is nothing short of spectacular. It accomplishes these massive numbers at just 2200RPMs which surpasses the fans found on competing units by a fair amount.
As an added bonus the entire fan hub and blade assembly is easily removed for cleaning. As such this is one of the most impressive fans we have seen grace an All In One cooling solution in a long time.
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