DeepCool Captain 120 AIO Liquid Cooler Review
Final Thoughts and Conclusions
When it comes to aesthetics, the Captain 120 is easily one of the coolest looking AIO Liquid Cooling units currently available; at least in my opinion. The visual AIO pump and reservoir makes the Captain series of liquid coolers unique. Add in the LED with breathe effect and it can add a little flair to any system very quickly and easily.
Larger custom liquid cooling loops will certainly look nicer and cooler much better, but for a novice those can be rather difficult, the Captain 120 is extremely easy to install and takes some of the worry out of potential leaks. Using a 120mm radiator the Captain 120 should fit in pretty much any case, however if a larger model is preferred the Captain 240 or Captain 360 is readily available. The installation of the Captain 120 uses brackets that screw onto the water pump and then onto a support bracket with a few simple screws. Anybody with any knowledge of installing a CPU cooler can install the Captain 120 into their system.
Once the Captain 120 was installed, I was impressed by how it looks in the test system. The majority of the test system uses a black and red color scheme, which makes the Captain 120 a perfect match. The red LED lighting is a nice touch and appears to provide a little indicator of how hard the cooler is working, the harder it works, the faster it breathes. Watching the visual liquid tube, I did not notice any air bubbles during testing, even after running the Captain 120 for several weeks. The single 120mm fan cooling the radiator is rated for 32.5dBA, making it an extremely silent fan.
During the testing process we compared the Captain 120 to two larger and more popular Asetek based AIO liquid coolers, the Captain 120 performed as we expected and remained within the acceptable tolerance for thermal ratings. Of course cooler is always better, which is where the Captain 240 or Captain 360 might be a better option for enthusiasts; for the average computer user the Captain 120 would work perfectly while providing a cool factor and silent operation to a system.
If DeepCool was to ask what they could do to improve on the Captain 120, first it would be to look for performance improvements; which is usually always the case. Purely for aesthetics, I would love to see the Captain series with clear liquid tubes, and maybe have them lit up a little; or perhaps have the one clear tube on the Captain 120 be lit up. Finally software or switch control for the breathing effect, maybe breathing effect, off or on all the time.
If the DeepCool Captain 120 is to your liking, it can be picked up for $79.99 plus shipping with a 3 year warranty from Newegg. This price point places it at the higher end of the 120mm AIO coolers, which is something to keep in mind though. The visual appeal of how the Captain 120 will look in your system is one of the key selling points though. If you are going for looks, perhaps the price is justified.
Legit Bottom Line: The DeepCool Captain 120 is a basic AIO liquid cooler that provides a unique view of the liquid flow in the water pump, which is lit up with a red LED further enhancing the unique look of the Captain series of coolers.