Introduction

A big thank you to Deepcool for supplying the review sample.

Deepcool is no newcomer to the market, having been around since 1996. However, In recent years, they have really begun focusing heavily on the enthusiast DIY market by delivering solid products, including cases, power supplies, heatsinks, fans, and all-in-one liquid coolers. On top of that, you can also say that the company marches to the beat of their own drum. You can see it in the products they deliver, which have a unique flair that is readily apparent, such as with the Steam Castle and Quadstellar chassis or their unique all-in-one liquid coolers with glass tubing. These examples, among many others, showcase their ability to think outside the box along with a willingness to try new things. For these reasons and many more, Deepcool continues to excel in the DIY PC market.


In today's review, I take a close look at the Deepcool Castle 360EX. This latest all-in-one liquid cooling option features a new pump design over the previously reviewed Captain 240 PRO. While the two have many of the same features, including Deepcool's much-touted Anti-leak technology, the two differ when it comes to the RGB lighting. Instead of going with illuminated fans and pump like on the Captain 240 PRO, Deepcool has only used LEDs on the Castle 360EX pump, making for a much more subdued design, which should make it more appealing to those who want RGB lighting, but don't want to go all out either. So without further ado, let's take a closer look at what the Gamer Storm Castle 360EX brings to the table.

Packaging

The packaging with its neon turquoise and gray colors definitely qualifies as attention-grabbing. On the front, the Castle 360EX poses in all its RGB-illuminated glory along with the badges detailing support for various motherboard RGB sync solutions. It also prominently displays the fact that it comes equipped with Deepcool's new Anti-leak technology. The left side has the product name along with a quick mention that this liquid cooler uses +5V ARGB LEDs and comes with a wired controller. When it comes to supported CPU sockets, fan speeds, tubing length, features, and technical drawings and general specification, they can all be found on the back of the box.


The right side showcases a graph detailing the fluctuating pressure inside liquid coolers that lack the Anti-leak technology. Looking at the top, you will find nothing more than the Gamer Storm logo, while the bottom details various features, including, once again, the Anti-leak tech, split chamber design, tri-phase motor, low noise operation, among others.

Contents

Opening the box reveals the Castle 360EX packaged in a typical cardboard shell with a piece of foam on top. Otherwise, there is not much to see here that hasn't been seen before, as the packaging is the standard for the majority of all-in-one liquid CPU coolers.


Intel and AMD socket support is quite good with this liquid cooler supporting all mainstream sockets and even TR4. In regards to the RGB LEDs, software control via the motherboard is possible, as well as over an in-line controller for those who don't have a motherboard with RGB support.

Common parts supplied for mounting include:

• 12x Radiator fan screws
• 12x Radiator screws
• 4x Phillips head nuts
• 4x Backplate bolts
• 4x TR4 standoffs
• 4x AM4 standoffs
• 4x LGA 2011/2066 standoffs
• 4x Mount bracket screws
• 4x Backplate screw holders
• 3x 120 mm fans
• 2x Intel mounting bracket
• 2x AMD mounting bracket
• 1x Backplate
• 1x Pre-filled liquid cooler
• 1x User's manual
• 1x Fan splitter
• 1x ADD-RGB hub
• 1x RGB motherboard cable
• 1x Case badge