Armed with a 240 mm radiator and dual red 120 mm fans, the Deepcool Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 is the latest AIO liquid cooler to offer itself up for scrutiny.
February 16, 2015 by Lawrence Lee
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Product
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Deepcool Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 AIO Liquid Cooler |
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Manufacturer
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Deepcool |
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Price
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US$106 (MSRP) |
While not a household name in North America, Deepcool is a large and aged manufacturer well-known in the rest of the world, producing a variety of different products for both themselves and as others as an OEM. Gamer Storm is a sub-brand they use for their high-end cooling solutions, mainly consisting of CPU coolers and colorful case fans. For watercooling, they offer several models up to 3 x 120 mm in size. The Maelstrom 240 is a middle of the road option, featuring a dual 120 mm radiator. Recently we tested two liquid coolers in particular that impressed us, the NZXT Kraken X61 and Swiftech H240-X. Let’s see if Maelstrom 240 can follow their footsteps.
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The Maelstrom 240 is uses an Asetek design similar to almost all other manufacturers, complete with the familiar round base, and a radiator measuring about an inch thick. The twin red/black 120 mm fans provided to exhaust the heat out of the case have a rubber rather than plastic housing, presumably to reduce vibration. As per usual, the contents are packed in a cardboard carton with compartments cut out for the odd shape of the cooler, fans, and accessories. Also included in the package is an assembly guide, a 4-way PWM fan hub with an adhesive strip, and all the necessary mounting hardware including a universal backplate. The cooler uses a more robust metal assembly system than some similar models which utilize a plastic scheme.
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Deepcool Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240: Specifications
(from the product web page) |
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| Application | Intel Socket 150W LGA2011V3 / LGA2011 / LGA1366 / LGA1156 / LGA1155 / LGA1150 AMD Socket 140W |
| Net Weight | 1116 ± 10 g |
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Pump Specifications
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Dimensions
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70 x 85.6 x 31.5 mm |
| Life Expectancy | 120000 hours |
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Connector
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3-pin |
| Operating Voltage | 6 ~ 13.8 V DC |
| Rated Voltage | 12V DC |
| Speed | 2800 ± 10%RPM |
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Load Current
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0.25 ± 10% A (MAX) |
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Power Consumption
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3.0W |
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Radiator Specifications
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| Dimensions | 274 x 120 x 27 mm |
| Material | Aluminum |
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Fan Specifications
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Dimensions
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120 x 120 x 25mm (2pcs) |
| Speed | 600 ± 200 ~ 2200 ± 10% RPM |
| Air Flow | 182.24 CFM (MAX) |
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Air Pressure
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3.71 mmH20 (MAX) |
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Life Expectancy
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100000 hours |
| Noise Level | 17.6 ~ 39.3 dB(A) |
| Bearing Type | FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) |
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Connector
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4-pin |
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Rated Voltage
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12VDC |
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Rated Current
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0.26 ± 10% A (MAX) |
| Power Consumption | 3.12W |
PHYSICAL DETAILS
The Maelstrom 240 is composed of a copper waterblock at the end of a combined pump/reservoir structure, 2 x 30 cm plastic tubes approximately 8 mm thick, and a radiator measuring 27.2 x 12.0 x 2.7 (L x W x D) with aluminum coils and mounting points for a pair of 120 mm fans.
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INSTALLATION
The most critical aspect of installation is firm, maximum contact
between the base and the CPU heatspreader for efficient heat conduction. Ideally
it should also be a simple procedure with the user having to handle as few pieces
of hardware as possible. The Maelstrom 240 takes a bit of work to install and as the mounting clips attach underneath the base, it doesn’t exert as much pressure as most high-end modern air-cooled heatsinks.
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TESTING
Before thermal testing, we took some basic physical measurements of the product(s) for comparison.
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Large Heatsink Comparison:
Average Fin Thickness & Spacing |
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|
Heatsink
|
Fin Thickness
|
Fin Spacing
|
|
SilverStone Heligon HE02
|
0.52 mm
|
3.30 mm
|
|
Thermalright HR-01 Plus
|
0.45 mm
|
3.15 mm
|
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Thermalright HR-02 Macho
|
0.34 mm
|
3.12 mm
|
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Thermalright HR-22
|
0.53 mm
|
2.74 mm
|
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Scythe Ninja 3
|
0.39 mm
|
2.64 mm
|
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Noctua NH-U12P
|
0.44 mm
|
2.63 mm
|
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Noctua NH-C12P
|
0.47 mm
|
2.54 mm
|
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Cryorig H5 Universal
|
0.40 mm
|
2.47 mm
|
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LEPA LV12
|
0.51 mm
|
2.38 mm
|
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Noctua NH-D14
|
0.43 mm
|
2.33 mm
|
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Thermalright Archon SB-E
|
0.49 mm
|
2.33 mm
|
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Phanteks PH-TC12DX
|
0.39 mm
|
2.30 mm
|
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GELID Tranquillo Rev.2
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0.40 mm
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2.30 mm
|
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GELID GX-7 Rev.2
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0.31 mm
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2.25 mm
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Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
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0.40 mm
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2.24 mm
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Be Quiet! Dark Rock 2
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0.38 mm
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2.22 mm
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Phanteks PH-TC14PE
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0.40 mm
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2.21 mm
|
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Prolimatech Armageddon
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0.51 mm
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2.08 mm
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Cryorig R1 Ultimate/Universal
|
0.42 mm
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1.78 / 2.37 mm
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Zalman CNPS10X Quiet
|
0.40 mm
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2.00 mm
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Prolimatech Megahalems
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0.50 mm
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2.00 mm
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Scythe Ashura
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0.43 mm
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1.97 mm
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NZXT Havik 140
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0.41 mm
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1.91 mm
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Scythe Mugen-2
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0.31 mm
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1.89 mm
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SilverStone Tundra TD03 (radiator)
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0.43 mm
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1.86 mm
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SilverStone Argon AR01
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0.30 mm
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1.85 mm
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Thermalright Venomous X
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0.53 mm
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1.84 mm
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Scythe Mugen 4
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0.30 mm
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1.82 mm
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Noctua NH-C14
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0.38 mm
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1.79 mm
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Enermax ETS-T40
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0.40 mm
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1.79 mm
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Noctua NH-D15
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0.46 mm
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1.79 mm
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Scythe Yasya
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0.32 mm
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1.78 mm
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Enermax Liqtech 120X (radiator)
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0.46 mm
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1.76 mm
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Be Quiet! Shadow Rock Slim
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0.42 mm
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1.73 mm
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SilverStone Argon AR03
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0.42 mm
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1.72 mm
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Noctua NH-U14S
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0.42 mm
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1.72 mm
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Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366
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0.40 mm
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1.70 mm
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Scythe Kotetsu
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0.35 mm
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1.66 mm
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Scythe Grand Kama Cross
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0.38 mm
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1.66 mm
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Zalman CNPS9900 MAX
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0.16 mm
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1.59 mm
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Thermalright Silver Arrow
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0.32 mm
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1.57 mm
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Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
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0.43 mm
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1.54 mm
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Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme Rev.C
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0.56 mm
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1.52 mm
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Swiftech H240-X (radiator)
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0.13 mm
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1.80 mm
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Deepcool Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 (radiator)
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0.26 mm
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1.14 mm
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NZXT Kraken X31/X41 (radiator)
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0.15 mm
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1.07 mm
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NZXT Kraken X61 (radiator)
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0.13 mm
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1.02 mm
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Larger heatsinks are tested on our
LGA1366 heatsink testing platform, while smaller coolers tackle our
LGA1155
heatsink testing platform. A summary of the test system and procedure follows.
Key Components in LGA1366 Heatsink Test Platform:
- Intel Core i7-965 Extreme
Nehalem core, LGA1366, 3.2GHz, 45nm, 130W TDP. - Asus
P6X58D Premium ATX motherboard. X58 chipset. - Asus
EAH3450 Silent graphics card. - Intel
X25-M 80GB 2.5″ solid-state drive. Chosen for silence. - 3GB QiMonda
DDR3 memory. 3 x 1GB DDR3-1066 in triple channel. - Seasonic X-650 SS-650KM
650W ATX power supply. This PSU is semi-passively cooled. At the power levels
of our test platform, its fan does not spin. - Arctic Silver
Lumière: Special fast-curing thermal interface material, designed
specifically for test labs.
Key Components in LGA1155 Heatsink Test Platform:
- Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge core, LGA1155, 3.1 GHz, 45nm, 95W TDP, overclocked/volted to 3.6 GHz and 1.300V.
- Intel DP67BG ATX motherboard.
P67 chipset. - Asus
EAH3450 Silent graphics card. - Kingston
SSDNow V 30GB 2.5″ solid-state drive. Chosen for silence. - OCZ Platinum Extreme Low Voltage DDR3 memory. 2 x 2 GB, DDR3-1333 in dual channel.
- Seasonic X-400 SS-400FL
400W ATX power supply. Passively cooled - Arctic Silver
Lumière: Special fast-curing thermal interface material, designed
specifically for test labs.
The systems are silent under the test conditions, except for the CPU cooling
fan(s).
Normally, our reference fans are used whenever possible, the measured details
of which are shown below.
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Reference Noctua 140mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
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Voltage
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Speed
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12V
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1250 RPM
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28~29 dBA
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9V
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990 RPM
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21 dBA
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8V
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880 RPM
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18 dBA
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7V
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770 RPM
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15~16 dBA
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6V
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660 RPM
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13 dBA
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Reference Nexus 120 mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
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Voltage
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Speed
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12V
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1080 RPM
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16 dBA
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9V
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880 RPM
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13 dBA
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7V
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720 RPM
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12 dBA
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Reference Nexus 92 mm fan
Anechoic chamber measurements |
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Voltage
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Speed
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12V
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1470 RPM
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17 dBA
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9V
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1280 RPM
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14 dBA
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7V
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1010 RPM
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12 dBA
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Measurement and Analysis Tools
- Extech 380803 AC power analyzer / data logger for measuring AC system
power. - Custom-built, four-channel variable DC power supply, used to regulate
the fan speed during the test. - PC-based spectrum analyzer:
SpectraPlus with ACO Pacific mic and M-Audio digital
audio interfaces. - Anechoic chamber
with ambient level of 11 dBA or lower - Various other tools for testing fans, as documented in our
standard fan testing methodology. - SpeedFan,
used to monitor the on-chip thermal sensors. The sensors are not calibrated,
so results are not universally applicable. The hottest core reading is used. - Prime95,
used to stress the CPU heavily, generating more heat than most real applications.
All instances are used to ensure full stress. - CPU-Z,used to monitor the CPU speed to determine when overheating occurs.
- Thermometers to measure the air temperature around the test platform
and near the intake of the heatsink fan.
Noise measurements are made with the fans powered from a separate, fanless system. Load testing was accomplished using Prime95 to stress the processor, and the
graph function in SpeedFan was used to ensure that the load temperature is stable
for at least ten minutes. The temperature recorded is the highest single core
reading. The stock fans were tested at various voltages to represent a good
cross-section of airflow and noise performance.
The ambient conditions during testing were 10~11 dBA and 21~23°C.
Noise Measurements
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Specifications: Deepcool Maelstrom 240 Stock Fan
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| Manufacturer | Deepcool | Power Rating | 3.12 W |
| Model Number | GF120 | Airflow Rating | 182.24 CFM |
| Bearing Type | Fluid Dynamic | Speed Rating | 600 ~ 2200 RPM |
| Frame Size | 120 x 120 x 25 mm | Noise Rating | 17.6 ~ 39.3 dBA |
| Hub Size | 40 mm | Header Type | 4-pin PWM |
| Blade Diameter | 111 mm | Starting Voltage | 4.0 ~ 4.5 V |
| Cable Length | 30 cm | Weight | 150 g |
| Corner Type | Open | Retail Availability | No |
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Data in blue cells provided by the manufacturer
or observed; data in the green cells were measured. |
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The included 120 mm fan model is a higher speed (2200 RPM vs. 1800 RPM) variant of the GF120, a boxed fan sold separately by Deepcool also under the Gamer Storm brand. Aside from its rubber housing, it has a relatively pedestrian nine-blade design with fluid bearings. Compared to most AIO cooler fans, it has less aggressive curvature, not appearing to have been designed with increasing static pressure in mind. As a result, it has a more pleasant sound overall.
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Noise Measurements:
Deepcool Maelstrom 240 Pump |
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Speed Setting
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Speed
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SPL @1m
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100%
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2600 RPM
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17~18 dBA
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70%
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2170 RPM
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15 dBA
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40%
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1300 RPM
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12~13 dBA
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Stock Fans
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100% (PWM)
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2140 RPM
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44 dBA
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70% (PWM)
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1530 RPM
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36 dBA
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50% (PWM)
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1300 RPM
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29 dBA
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40% (PWM)
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1070 RPM
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23 dBA
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30% (PWM)
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820 RPM
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16~17 dBA
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25% (PWM)
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700 RPM
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13~14 dBA
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0% (PWM)
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580 RPM
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12~13 dBA
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Combined
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100% / 40%
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2600 / 1070 RPM
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24 dBA
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100% / 30%
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2600 / 820 RPM
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20 dBA
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40% / 40%
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1300 / 1070 RPM
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23 dBA
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40% / 30%
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1300 / 820 RPM
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16 dBA
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40% / 25%
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1300 / 700 RPM
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15 dBA
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40 % / 0%
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1300 / 580 RPM
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13 dBA
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Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from
the center of CPU. Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA. |
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Note: According to RPM reporting on our system, the pump motor spins at 5200 RPM at full speed, almost double that of the rated speed. It’s highly unlikely this is true, rather the result of a bug with regard to how the speed is reported. As such, these figures have been halved (presumably) to be more accurate.
The pump is reasonably quiet, producing 17~18 [email protected] at top speed, and can be made nearly inaudible by cutting the speed in half. It’s powered by a 3-pin connector so it requires a separate header that supports voltage control in order to be slowed down. The stock fans are unbearably loud at top speed but with PWM control, they can be slowed to just shy of 600 RPM. At this level, they produce the same amount of noise as the pump running at half speed. To achieve quiet noise levels under normal operation, one or both must be slowed down considerably.
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The stock fans sound whiny and turbulent at high speeds like most fans but at lower speeds they have a mostly smooth, broadband acoustic profile. Unfortunately one of the fans emits an odd ghostly tone in the 25~30% speed range. This appears to be a manufacturing defect or the result of shipping damage as a third sample from a different Deepcool product sounds fine. Despite this issue, the pair still sound superior than most fans that ship with liquid coolers.
On its own, the pump emits a high frequency buzzing which lowers in intensity as the speed is reduced. It has a consistent nature which makes it preferable to some competing models. There also is almost no audible water noise from the system, that is to say it has a distinct lack of dripping and gurgling sounds which often afflict AIO coolers.
Test Results
As there are two components to this cooler, both the pump and fan speeds are adjusted during testing to provide a wide array of results. Typically we only see a minor reduction in performance when the pump is slowed down, so testing at full and half speed is sufficient.
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Test Results: Deepcool Maelstrom 240 w/ Stock Fans
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Pump / Fan Setting
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Pump / Fan Speed
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Combined SPL @1m
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CPU Thermal Rise
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100% / 100%
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2600 / 2140 RPM
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44 dBA
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32°C
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100% / 70%
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2600 / 1530 RPM
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36 dBA
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33°C
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100% / 50%
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2600 / 1300 RPM
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29 dBA
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35°C
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100% / 40%
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2600 / 1070 RPM
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24 dBA
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39°C
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100% / 30%
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2600 / 820 RPM
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20 dBA
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40°C
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40% / 40%
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1300 / 1070 RPM
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23 dBA
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40°C
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40% / 30%
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1300 / 820 RPM
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16 dBA
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41°C
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40% / 25%
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1300 / 700 RPM
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15 dBA
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45°C
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40% / 0%
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1300 / 580 RPM
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13 dBA
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46°C
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w/ Ref. Nexus 120 mm Fans
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100% / 12V
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2600 / 1080 RPM
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24 dBA
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39°C
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40% / 12V
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1300 / 1080 RPM
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23 dBA
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40°C
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40% / 9V
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1300 / 890 RPM
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18 dBA
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42°C
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40% / 7V
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1300 / 720 RPM
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15 dBA
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44°C
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Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle from
the center of CPU. Ambient noise level: 10~11 dBA. |
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The Maelstrom 240’s effectiveness varies greatly depending on the fan speed, requiring 820 RPM or above to achieve strong results. Below this level, its cooling proficiency drops considerably. On the other hand, decreasing the pump speed has a minimal impact; With fan speeds of 1070 RPM and 820 RPM, halving the pump speed causes only a 1°C increase in thermal rise.
There is also a negligible difference when the stock fans are swapped for our reference Nexus fans, so there’s no easy way to remedy the lackluster performance. Looking back it would seem that the base and/or mounting system is to blame considering the less than optimal contact pattern left behind after the cooler is disassembled.
COMPARISON TABLE
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CPU Thermal Rise Comparison (°C)
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SPL ([email protected])
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22
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21
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20
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19
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18
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17
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16
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15
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14
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13
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12
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11
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NZXT Kraken X61
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33
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34
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35
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37
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Prolimatech Genesis*
(reference 140 mm fans) |
35
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36
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37
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39
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Thermalright Silver Arrow
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35
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38
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40
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|||||||||
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Noctua NH-C14
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36
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37
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39
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41
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Scythe Kotetsu
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35
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38
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41
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42
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Thermalright HR-22*
(reference 140 mm fans) |
37
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38
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39
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Swiftech H240-X
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33 |
35
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36
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39 | ||||||||
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Noctua NH-D15
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38
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39
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40
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Thermalright Archon SB-E
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39
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40
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43
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Phanteks PH-TC14PE
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38
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39
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41
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Thermalright HR-02 Macho
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38
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39
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40
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41
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43
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Scythe Mugen 4
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40
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42
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45
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Noctua NH-U14S
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38
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40
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43
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NZXT Kraken X41
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38
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Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
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39
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40
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44
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49
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NZXT Havik 140
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39
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41
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Be Quiet! Shadow Rock Slim
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40
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41
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42
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Cryorig R1 Ultimate
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37
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41
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42
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|||||||||
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Scythe Yasya
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40
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43
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Cogage TRUE Spirit 1366
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41
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43
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46
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|||||||||
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Cryorig R1 Universal
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39
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41
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||||||||||
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Zalman CNPS10X Quiet
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40
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42
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47
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|||||||||
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Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
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41
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44
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54
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|||||||||
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SPL ([email protected])
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22
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21
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20
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19
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18
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17
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16
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15
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14
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13
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12
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11
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Deepcool Maelstrom 240
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40
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41
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45
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46
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SilverStone Tundra TD03
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40
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|||||||||||
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Scythe Grand Kama Cross
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40
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41
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44
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49
|
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Deepcool Maelstrom 240
(reference 120 mm fans) |
42
|
44
|
||||||||||
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Cryorig H5 Universal
|
41
|
42
|
45 | 46 | ||||||||
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Scythe Ashura
|
42
|
44
|
||||||||||
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Phanteks PH-TC12DX
|
41
|
44
|
||||||||||
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Silverstone Argon AR03
|
41
|
43
|
48
|
|||||||||
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SilverStone Argon AR01
|
42
|
44
|
50
|
|||||||||
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Scythe Ninja 3
|
44
|
46
|
||||||||||
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Titan Fenrir
|
43
|
45
|
47
|
|||||||||
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Cooler Master Seidon 240M
|
40
|
43
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53
|
|||||||||
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SilverStone Heligon HE02*
(reference 140 mm fans) |
44
|
46
|
||||||||||
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Antec Kühler H20 620
|
42
|
44
|
47
|
|||||||||
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LEPA LV12
|
45
|
48
|
52
|
|||||||||
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Zalman CNPS9900 MAX
|
45
|
47
|
49
|
|||||||||
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NZXT Kraken X31
|
43
|
44
|
47
|
|||||||||
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Enermax Liqtech 120X
|
44
|
45
|
||||||||||
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GELID Tranquillo Rev.2
|
48
|
49
|
50
|
|||||||||
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Be Quiet! Dark Rock 2
|
48
|
52
|
55
|
61
|
||||||||
|
Zalman CNPS9900DF
|
48
|
50
|
53
|
|||||||||
|
GELID GX-7 Rev.2
|
49
|
51
|
56
|
|||||||||
|
Core i7-980X Stock Cooler
|
53
|
62
|
||||||||||
|
Enermax ETS-T40
|
49
|
55
|
64
|
|||||||||
|
Core i7-920 Stock Cooler
|
64
|
FAIL
|
||||||||||
|
SPL ([email protected])
|
22
|
21
|
20
|
19
|
18
|
17
|
16
|
15
|
14
|
13
|
12
|
11
|
|
Single/dual fan air-cooled heatsinks in light/dark green.
Single/dual fan liquid coolers in light/dark blue. *Fanless models tested with dual reference fans. |
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When operating at 22 [email protected] or below, the Maelstrom 240 is bested by half of the large coolers we’ve tested over the past few years. It’s roughly equivalent to the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus, one of the best budget tower heatsinks on the market. It does outperform a handful of closed loop coolers, but for a pricey dual fan/radiator model, it’s obviously disappointing.
MP3 SOUND RECORDINGS
These recordings were made with a high
resolution, lab quality, digital recording system inside SPCR’s
own 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to LAME 128kbps
encoded MP3s. We’ve listened long and hard to ensure there is no audible degradation
from the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent a quick snapshot of
what we heard during the review.
These recordings are intended to give you an idea of how the product sounds
in actual use — one meter is a reasonable typical distance between a computer
or computer component and your ear. The recording contains stretches of ambient
noise that you can use to judge the relative loudness of the subject. Be aware
that very quiet subjects may not be audible — if we couldn’t hear it from
one meter, chances are we couldn’t record it either!
The recording starts with 5 second segments of room ambiance, then the fan
at various levels. For the most realistic results, set the volume so that
the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then don’t change the volume
setting again.
- Deepcool Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 pump at 1m
— at 40% / 1300 RPM (12~13 dBA)
— at 70% / 2170 RPM (15 dBA)
— at 100% / 2600 RPM (17~18 dBA)
- Deepcool Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 stock fans at 1m
— at 0% PWM / 580 RPM (12~13 dBA)— at 25% PWM / 700 RPM (13~14 dBA)
— at 30% PWM / 820 RPM (16~17 dBA)
— at 40% PWM / 10700 RPM (23 dBA)
— at 50% PWM / 1300 RPM (29 dBA)
— at 70% PWM / 1530 RPM (36 dBA)
— at 100% PWM / 2140 RPM (44 dBA)
- Deepcool Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 at 1m
— pump at 40%, fans at 0% PWM (13 dBA)
— pump at 40%, fans at 25% PWM (15 dBA)
— pump at 40%, fans at 30% PWM (16 dBA)
— pump at 100%, fans at 30% PWM (20 dBA)
— pump at 100%, fans at 40% PWM (24 dBA)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Like many pre-filled AIO coolers that have passed through our lab, the Deepcool Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 is the norm rather than the exception. It doesn’t cut it as a premium cooler, delivering middling performance at a rather high price. While both the fan and pump have a more pleasant sound than competing models, the combination is still noisier than traditional air-cooled heatsinks, and the effectiveness of the overall system is limited. The only liquid coolers that have impressed us thus far are the Swiftech H240-X and NZXT Kraken series, and they both share two commonalties: a clearly convex base and mounting clips that attach over the waterblock. This combination generates more pressure and ensures superior contact at the center of the heatspreader, directly above the CPU die. The Maelstrom 240’s base is relatively flat by comparison and the clips are attached under it, limiting the amount of force pressing the waterblock against the CPU heatspreader.
When you throw performance out, the only technical advantage this type of cooler can offer is superior compatibility due to the short height of the base structure. This is true for the Maelstrom 240, but it’s uncommon for a case to have both a severely restricted CPU heatsink height limit and fan mounts to accommodate this dual radiator design. Outside of that, all that’s left are superficial reasons. The red fans do give it an agreeable and somewhat sinister demeanor but the case would have to have a window and be above eye level to even be visible in most circumstances, while the white pulsing LED on the pump is almost too subtle by design. As the Maelstrom 240 lacks additional appreciable benefits that would help offset its performance deficiencies, the US$106 MSRP is hard to justify.
Our thanks to Deepcool
for the Gamer Storm Maelstrom 240 AIO liquid cooler sample.
* * *
SPCR Articles of Related Interest:
Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 & Cryorig H5 Universal Coolers
NoFan CR-80EH & CS-60 Fanless Cooler & Case
Quiet Liquid Cooled Gaming PC Build Guide
Arctic Accelero Hybrid II-120 Liquid GPU Cooler
Cryorig R1 Ultimate & Universal CPU Coolers
Swiftech H240-X CPU Liquid Cooling Kit
* * *
