Gammaxx vs. Castle – Battle of DeepCool liquid coolers

Pavel Sekerka

2 years ago

Key features

What is better than one liquid AIO cooler? Two liquid AIO coolers. Today it’s time for the Gammaxx L360 V2 and Castle 360RGB V2 coolers. Both are among the top of DeepCool’s lineup, both use 360mm radiators, and both also feature Anti-Leak technology. However, our standardized noise methodology is generally very strict with AIO coolers. So I’m curious to see how Gammaxx and Castle perform in our stress tests.

Key features of the coolers

Both coolers are very similar and differ only in small details. While the Gammaxx (pictured left) has a fairly standard sized cooling block with pump and its visual aspect doesn’t stand out, the Castle 360RGB V2 (pictured right) has a relatively high cooling block with a silver coloured surface and a highly reflective top surface. The entire block thus forms a sort of aesthetic centerpiece of the entire cooler, especially with the RGB backlight activated.

However, the used radiators are identical in both coolers. Both are equipped with the Anti-Leak technology, which is a small pressure relief valve to keep the fluid pressure in the loop constant to prevent unwanted leakage when temperatures fluctuate. How effective this technology is is hard to judge from our tests, but it’s certainly better to have such a thing on the cooler than the other way around.

The cooling blocks of both heat sinks are equipped with a relatively large copper contact area. And while the Gammaxx’s surface is bare, the Castle’s one is already factory applied with a thin layer of thermally conductive paste. Gammaxx compensates for this with a small pack of paste in the accessories. Unfortunately, the Castle does not offer anything like this. This earned it a place on my blacklist of coolers that do not offer the user the option of reinstalling the cooler without having to purchase an extra pack of thermal paste. I really don’t understand this policy of some manufacturers. It is practically a penny item, but it improves the presentation and overall product rating among users.

The attachment of the hoses to the cooling block is quite typically done with rotary fittings. This design greatly simplifies running the hoses in pre-built rigs, although it comes at the cost of a slight reduction in the fluid flow inside the loop. But since the pump speed cannot be controlled anyway, this is not a major issue.

Accessories for both coolers are quite rich. Both share an identical mounting system with a universal backplate for both Intel and AMD sockets. In the package of the Gammaxx cooler you can also find a cable adapter for connecting 12V RGB backlight to the motherboard. If your motherboard doesn’t feature any 12V connector, you can use the included driver which only requires SATA connection. A nice bonus is the ability to connect the RGB backlight in series between the fans and the pump. I don’t understand even more the decision not to offer this option for PWM cables for the fans, where you are forced to use the included hub. Then there’s the aforementioned pack of thermal paste and a clear user manual with instructions for installation and cable connection.

The accessories of the Castle 360RGB V2 are very similar, but instead of a cable hub for fans, you will find two central units for controlling up to 4 fans, or for controlling up to 5 RGB elements, although the RGB unit unfortunately has an atypical connector that cannot be used universally.

Installation of both coolers is relatively straightforward and easy. I only had minor issues with the Castle due to the height of its cooling block. If you have a motherboard with higher heatsinks for the power design, combined with the height of the block on the Castle, you may run into a problem of the space being too narrow on the left side of the socket and individuals with thicker fingers may have a bit of a problem.

Specs of the cooler and fans

As mentioned in the previous text, the two coolers have more in common than different. According to the specifications and a brief inspection, the used radiator is identical and the pump inside the cooling block is probably identical as well. The major difference, however, is the support for Threadripper processors in the Castle 360RGB V2. Ironically, the Gammax L360 V2 could also have this support, as the mounting systems of both coolers are identical. However, the Gammaxx’s package lacks the appropriate set of screws and clips for installation on the TR4/sTRX4 socket.


Cooler		DeepCool Gammaxx L360 V2	DeepCool Castle 360RGB V2
Supported sockets	Supported sockets	Intel 115x, 1200, 1700, 20xx; AMD AM4	Intel 115x, 1200, 20xx; AMD AM4, TR4/sTRX4
Radiator dimensions (H × W × T)	Radiator dimensions (H × W × T)	402 × 120 × 27 mm	402 × 120 × 27 mm
Block dimensions (H × W × T)	Block dimensions (H × W × T)	79 × 91 × 45 mm	79 × 91 × 71 mm
Hose length		465 mm	465 mm
Pump speed		2550 rpm	2550 rpm
Radiator material		aluminium	aluminium
Max RAM height	Max RAM height	no restrictions	no restrictions
Warranty		3 years	3 years
Approx. retail price	Approx. retail price	€ 103	€ 164

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The used fans with a completely uninteresting product name have standard dimensions of 120x120x25 mm and have very similar designation. This is a bit confusing, as the only major difference between the coolers is the presence of anti-vibration pads on the Castle 360RGB V2 and the type of RGB backlighting.


Fan	Fan	DF1202512CM	DF1202512CM-012
Bearing		hydrodynamické	hydrodynamické
Speed range	Výška (bez ventilátoru)	500–1800 rpm
Max static pressure	Max static pressure	2.42 mm H₂O
Max airflow	Maximální průtok vzduchu	145,6 m³/h
Type of RGB	Hlučnost	12V RGB (4-pin)	5V ARGB (3-pin)

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Testing methodology

As a test processor and heat generator, I am now using an Intel Core i7-11700K on the ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus WIFI motherboard. The entire setup is mounted on a Streacom BC1 frame with no fans to provide airflow. Acoustic shielding (acoustic foam on OSB boards) is installed around the test setup to eliminate ambient noise.

The Voltcraft SL-100 calibrated noise meter is placed perpendicular to the cooler in a fixed position relative to the motherboard at a distance of approximately 35 cm from the CPU socket. Stress tests are performed using Prime95 with a duration of 30-35 minutes. The coolers are tested at three standardized noise levels (36, 39 and 42 dBA) and finally at maximum speed. The tests are run in two sets according to the heat output of the processor.

The first set of tests is at 125 W, the enforced PL1 limit of the processor. The second set of power consumption is then about 205–210 W (4500 MHz at 1.285 V). However, this second level represents a very high concentration of heat per mm² due to the small size of the chip itself. Thus, not all coolers can be expected to pass this set of tests at all noise levels. The highest temperature achieved is always recorded at the end of the test.

Results – 36 dBA

Results – 39 dBA

Results – 42 dBA

Results – maximum speed

Results – relationship between Delta T and noise

From the measured data it is clearly evident that the correlation between Delta T and noise is more or less linear as expected. The missing value of 36 dBA is due to the pump noise, which was about 37–38 dBA for both coolers, so it was not possible to perform tests at this noise level. However, the pump noise is still very low and provides pleasantly quiet operation even without the possibility of speed control.

However, the constant temperature difference between the Gammaxx and Castle is quite interesting. I expected a little less variation, because the used fans and radiators are practically the same. My personal hypothesis is the use of anti-vibration pads on the fans, which you can find on the Castle 360RGB V2. This is because these pads can create a small gap between the radiator and the fan where airflow may escape, in theory reducing cooling efficiency. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time before the deadline to run another set of tests to verify this hypothesis.

What is better than one liquid AIO cooler? Two liquid AIO coolers. Today it’s time for the Gammaxx L360 V2 and Castle 360RGB V2 coolers. Both are among the top of DeepCool’s lineup, both use 360mm radiators, and both also feature Anti-Leak technology. However, our standardized noise methodology is generally very strict with AIO coolers. So I’m curious to see how Gammaxx and Castle perform in our stress tests.

Conclusion

Both tested coolers did not show any major weaknesses and both deliver solid performance, which after all corresponds to the size of the used radiator. It’s just a bit of a shame that the fans are quite noisy at maximum speed. What is probably most pleasing about the DeepCool Gammaxx L360 V2 is its relatively low price, which makes this cooler a very interesting choice in terms of price/performance ratio.

GamerStorm Castle 360RGB V2 offers a more attractive appearance and a more modern type of RGB backlight with the possibility of more color effects. However, the additional cost for these purely aesthetic features is not negligible. I would also appreciate a longer warranty for both coolers, but this is not a major drawback.

English translation and edit by Lukáš Terényi


DeepCool Gammaxx L360 V2
+ Good price/performance ratio
+ Solid cooling efficiency
+ Rich accessories
- Higher noise level at maximum speed
- Older RGB backlight type
- Only three-year warranty

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DeepCool Castle 360RGB V2
+ Solid cooling efficiency
+ Attractive build quality
+ Rich accessories
- Higher noise level at maximum speed
- Horší poměr cena/výkon proti Gammaxx
- Only three-year warranty

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Continue: Measurement methodology