On one hand, Deepcool has a solid 120 mm all-in-one liquid cooler in the Maelstrom 120. It offers solid performance and remains unobtrusively quiet with low load. It is also easy to install, which is a nice touch, making what can be a complicated process rather simple for first-time builders. Build quality is solid overall, with no serious issues to be found. Deepcool's packaging also proved its worth by protecting my sample adequately since the box was pretty banged up, but the cooler was safe and sound. It is hard to put a price on some peace of mind, but it goes without saying that reducing the chance for a banged-up part is always good. The high quality fan is well built and features a removable impeller for easy cleaning, and a fluid dynamic bearings and a rubber anti-vibration coating. Add to that the red and black theme and you have a cooler that goes well with the ASUS ROG and MSI Gaming series of motherboards, a perfect fit for any case with a red and black theme.

Nothing is truly perfect and the Maelstrom 120 is no exception. Current availability is lacking and the price could be much better considering its price-to-performance ratio. The cooler's mounting pressure could be higher, which should result in better performance since the pressure between pump and CPU seem lacking. Let us not forget the corrugated tubing, which, while plain ugly, has its benefits, such as being crush proof, though it still feels cheap. The color theme, while pleasing to me, probably won't be for everyone either.

Like many other all-in-one liquid CPU coolers, pump cavitation caused by air bubbles was noticeable at first. That said, after letting the unit run for a bit, pump cavitation ceased. Other than that, I was rather surprised by the Maelstrom 120. It does offer solid performance and exceptional memory clearance, but fails to overcome the Scythe Ashura, which offers the same memory clearance while being far cheaper and performing similarly. The Maelstrom 120 would be a more viable option if Deepcool could only reduce its price by another $10 for an MSRP at or below $60.

Overall, the Deepcool Gamer Storm Maelstrom 120 proves to be a solid option that offers decent cooling performance, while easy to install and pleasing to the eye.