Overall, the Deepcool Gamer Storm Assassin III is a topnotch air cooler that shows off in a big way by beating out the stalwart Noctua NH-D15, which has long been a favorite of the community. Granted, it should be noted that the Noctua cooler is 3 dBA quieter when the fans are at maximum RPM, with the NH-D15 having a noise level of 43 dBA and the Assassin III being a touch louder at 46 dBA. However, this trade-off in noise allowed the Assassin III to take a 2°C lead in the OC FPU test. Considering noise levels will be lower in a proper chassis compared to an open-air test bench, this looks to be a valid trade-off. For those wanting a quieter cooler, Deepcool does include low noise adapters in the box. However, they result in performance falling behind the NH-D15 instead delivering the same performance and maximum noise output as the Scythe Fuma 2, which is something to keep in mind.

Build quality was solid with no issues to speak of, and I was quite happy with the mounting hardware, which worked just fine and shouldn't prove to be an issue for even those installing the cooler in an already built system. This is especially true as Deepcool was kind enough to include a helpful screwdriver that should definitely make the process much easier. As for aesthetics, the cooler looks quite good with its mirror-finished top fin and black heat-pipe cover, or spoiler as Deepcool calls it. You can also customize it a bit by adding the Gamer Storm logo to the plastic spoiler if you wish. That having been said, it does lack ARGB lighting, so you may want to pass on this one if it is a requirement.

There are a few issues of note. First and foremost is that memory clearance is just abysmal. While you can slide the fan up to make some room, you may run into issues with case clearance or diminished performance if the DIMMs are tall. As such, you are better off with standard-height memory, which will allow you to avoid the problem of memory clearance altogether. Next, due to the design being a monstrosity, the cooler blocks the first motherboard expansion slot. On most motherboards, this likely won't be an issue due to an M.2 slot or a PCIe x1 being there. However, on Mini-ITX or some Micro-ATX motherboards, it may cause problems with graphics card clearance.

In general, the Deepcool Gamer Storm Assassin III is a topnotch air cooler that hits a good balance of performance and noise while delivering a clean design, and it is backed with a fantastic 5-year warranty. Just be mindful of your choice of chassis and memory as it is a monster of a cooler.