Gamer Storm Captain 240EX RGB AIO CPU Cooler Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing

The Gamer Storm Captain 240EX RGB retails for around £100. This is, without doubt, a little on the high-end for 240 coolers. You can, of course, spend more and get less, but considering that this is technically a Deep Cool product, we would have expected to see a low price based on the performance. That being said, you do get a lot of nice extras with this, including far more extensive RGB controls (and the LED lighting strip) that you do not usually see. Based on the performance and the additionals that have been thrown in, this product does, overall, give good value for money.

Overview

I test a lot of coolers, and this one was a pleasure from start to finish. Not only was it well packaged, but it was easy to install and the RGB lighting effects are impressive. The design choices which have been made are all reasonably understated with the exception of the RGB lighting which is as bright, bold or dazzling as you wish.

Build Quality

Given the design details that have gone into the fans, lighting and water block I was very impressed with the build quality. Genuine care to attention has been made throughout and it clearly shows when you are putting it all together. One of the standout design features to me though was the water block design. Its bold square allows for fantastic processor covering and has cleverly been made to sit almost flush with the motherboard making it look really solid and stylish. As with all RGB systems, there are a lot of cables and the inclusion of the cable port/extension is a fantastic touch that gets a big thumbs up from me.

Fans

Some nice design choices have been made with the fans to make them very stylish. This is a particularly clever move as neither the radiator nor fans have any RGB lighting effects. What they have included, however, are well-placed logos that add to the overall design. Additionally, I loved the tips of the fans. Whether they improve air movement or not is unclear (I’m sure that Deep Cool would say they did) but either way, they look good and for what could be the blandest and boring part of the cooler, it’s a smart choice.

Performance

The performance figures were decent for a 240 cooler. Admittedly they were not overly impressive in terms of its competing brands, but they were, if nothing else, very similar. I would have liked it to have done a little better, but for gaming and idle load temperatures in both stock and overclock, the Gamer Storm Captain 240EX RGB did a very competent job.

Should I Buy One?

As we mentioned in the beginning, Gamer Storm does tend to release non-RGB models with any cooler. In this case, the Captain 240EX is no exception. In comparison that costs £20 less and so you have to ask yourself are the RGB effects worth that additional money. The short answer is, yes. The long answer is yes, but only if you’re into your RGB lighting.

The inclusion of an LED strip is a nice touch that you don’t see often and for customizable options, it really opens the doors to what you could do with your system. Also, the manual control and the multi-port adaptor is a top inclusion. I really can not stress how I wish these were included more often. If you have a somewhat basic motherboard or one without RGB sync options, these could be lifesavers.

For the price, you will struggle to find a cooler that offers such a comprehensive option for your RGB needs. If it’s a case of performance or the price is a little high, an alternative for you could be the Gammax GT which is also manufactured by Deep Cool.

Pros

• Excellent packaging which tells you everything you need to know.
• One of the best RGB packages we have seen within this budget. Not just for performance, but for the components that come with it.
• Impressive gaming and idle temperatures.
• Easy installation.

Cons

• None

Neutral

• RGB lighting controls are a little untidy – particularly if you don’t have a sync compatible motherboard. The RGB adaptor/outlet helps this though.
• We’ve have liked to see this perhaps do a tiny bit better on temperatures and performance under heavy load.

Gamer Storm Captain 240EX RGB CPU Cooler Review