The Deepcool Gamer Storm Captain 360 (that never gets any easier to say) is a damn good-looking cooler. The red and black theme is extremely well-executed, while the unique reactor-style-pump design is over the top. When it comes to looks, Deepcool nailed it. Performance, while not record-setting, is, I suppose, acceptable; granted, I did expect better considering the radiator's size. Like the many other all-in-one liquid coolers on the market, the Captain 360 is easy to install. Before it slips my mind, the build quality is fairly good. It doesn't hurt that it comes well-packaged, either. In terms of features, it comes packed with its fair share. These include removable fan blades, FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearings), a 360 mm radiator, its unique pump design, and a PWM fan hub, just to name a few. Overall, it is a solid all-in-one liquid CPU cooler that certainly stands apart from the competition.

It is not all butterflies and rainbows, however, as the Captain 360 comes up short in a number of ways. First, performance is downright lacking compared to smaller all-in-one liquid CPU coolers. In my testing, most 240 mm competitors beat out or come close to the Captain 360. Even the Enermax LIQMAX 120S managed to perform similarly. Heavy-weight tower coolers like the Noctua NH-D15 also out-shined the Captain 360 in terms of noise, price, and performance, which leads me to the next big problem, the price. Deepcool's Gamer Storm Captain 360 costs $139.99, and it is being rivaled or beaten by competing products that can be bought for nearly half the price, which doesn't bode well. I also want to mention that corrugated tubing has its benefits, but that doesn't change the fact that it is about as sexy as Joe Biden. Finally, while I am a fan of the red and black theme, it won't be for everyone and that does limit its appeal, but such would obviously boil down to personal taste.

In general, I found that while there is a lot to like about the Captain 360 in terms of build quality, features, and looks, it just falls flat in terms of performance. Better mounting pressure may improve performance somewhat, but look at just its performance and it is a disappointment. The size, while a con, is understandable as it does utilize a 360 mm radiator. This is ultimately a product for enthusiasts, and it just doesn't quite live up to the specs.

Overall, the Deepcool Gamer Storm Captain 360 may not offer top-tier cooling performance, but it does manage to hold its own. Add to that a unique and attractive design, along with some interesting features, and you have a solid if slightly flawed all-in-one liquid CPU cooler.

Update: 2/20/2015:

Given I received a new Gamer Storm Captain 360, I re-evaluated its performance. The boost in cooling potential improves its standing against typical 240mm all-in-one liquid coolers and makes it a far more viable option for those afraid of custom water-cooling. While this change is not enough to dethrone the likes of the Swiftech H220-X, H240-X, or the Corsair H105, the Captain 360 and its performance is now more in line with what was expected. I would in fact expect the Captain 360 to gain more ground against the competition on a CPU with more heat output. Noise levels have also improved with 25% fan speed since the pump isn't as noisy anymore, hitting just 39 dBA as opposed to the 44 dBA of the previous unit; and while noise levels at 50% and 100% were fairly similar, I still registered a slight 1-2 dBA improvement at those speeds. Overall, the Captain 360 is still a viable, solid AIO liquid cooler after having taken a second look, even more so now with its stronger showing. Taking into account the performance and its improved noise levels, the Deepcool Gamer Storm Captain 360 has, as such, received a revised review score of 8.4 as opposed to its original score of 7.7.