Deepcool LS520

[testman78]

Introduction

PC components these days are getting more and more performance-intensive, and so is their heat output. While you can invest in a handful of case fans, AIO coolers in this case make the most sense. LS520 from DeepCool is a recent entry in the AIO cooling segment which boasts everything a user looks for from an all-in-one cooling solution. The DeepCool LS520 premium liquid CPU cooler maximizes cooling performance and low-noise efficiency with a 240mm radiator, two FC120 A-RGB PWM fans, and an infinity mirror cap design. The DeepCool LS series is certainly a pretty significant step up from their prior generations of AIO liquid coolers. The features on offer are excellent with it being touted as a high-performance cooling solution. And that’s not mentioning the new 4th-generation DeepCool designed pump to the CPU block as well the exceptionally bright, vibrant, and customisable ARGB lighting.



On paper, this reads like a premium product and it’ll be interesting to see if it can offer the performance to match. The cooler is compatible with the Intel LGA1700/1200/115x/20xx and AMD AM4/AM5/sTR4/sTRX4 sockets.




Packaging & Contents

While other companies go for bright packaging designs covered with list after list of features, DeepCool opted for simpler and cleaner packaging. Honestly, it's a nice change of pace. The front is just an image of the ΑΙΟ and product name, while the left side is rather plain. The only aspect that really draws any attention is the DeepCool cyan-green line that breaks up the standard brown box. The right side is similar to the left in that it's plain with no information or anything else of serious note.



Moving on to the back, you will find all the specifications, including fan speed, airflow, dimensions, and supported sockets. Again, all the information you need is on one panel. However, a bit unfortunate is that the light gray text is exceptionally hard to read, and it is not much better in person, either. It would be easier on the eyes if they had just stuck with black text.



The cooling system and its accessories are packed in individual bags and neatly placed in a cardboard box.



Socket support is topnotch, with the LC520 supporting all mainstream Intel sockets, including LGA115x, LGA1200, LGA1700, LGA2011, and LGA2066. On the AMD side, all sockets from as far back as AM2 are supported, including Threadripper, AM5 (for the upcoming Ryzen 7000 CPUs). A blank plate for customisation of the CPU block logo is also present.



Along with a set of mounts in the box, there is an installation guide for all platforms from the list of compatible ones. In addition to mounting systems, the cooling system requires a power cable and an extension cable to connect fans and a pump.




A Closer Look

The DeepCool LS520 certainly seems to represent itself well as a solid AIO liquid cooler. Admittedly, with the ARGB off, there isn’t much that really makes this visually pop aside from the surface to the CPU block which is amazingly reflective.



In case, the fans and the block are not connected to the light source, the cooler features Auto RGB in which the rainbow mode is activated by default and it cycles through the pre-defined modes.



The 240 mm radiator is made of aluminum. It’s a black design and lacking any kind of branding. The structure of the fins is made in the shape of the letter E, which increases the heat dissipation area.



Anti-Leak technology is implemented in the circuit design. The radiator contains an elastic pressure reducing container, one part of which has an air outlet, and the other is immersed in the coolant. When internal pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure, this capacitance shrinks, increasing the internal volume of the system. As a result, the increased pressure is released and the risk of leakage is reduced to zero. The pressure relief vessel is made of high quality ethylene propylene rubber manufactured by DuPont (EI du Pont de Nemours and Company). This material has properties such as elasticity, corrosion resistance, aging resistance and high/low load resistance.



The hoses are made from a combination of butyl rubber and high quality rubber , which significantly increases the compression elasticity and tightness. The hoses are enclosed in a very strong, but flexible braid. They are fixed to each other with plastic frames.Alongside the flexibility of the tubes, there is also a reasonable degree of adjustment at the entry points to the block.



In places where the hoses are attached to the radiator, metal fasteners are also used.



One of the most simplistic benefits of DeepCool’s in-house pump/coldplate design is the avoidance of patent issues with the likes of Asetek. The top of the CPU block features a supremely reflective surface with a square section in the centre featuring the DeepCool logo. The top of the CPU block can be removed and, thanks to the spare plate provided in the accessories, users can choose to install their own custom design. In terms of placement, this can be easily rotated at 90-degree angles ensuring that, regardless of how you install the CPU block, your logo can always be the right way up!



The pump is connected by two cables, one of which must be connected to the corresponding connector on the motherboard, and the second to the fan. The pump is connected to a 3/4-pin header on the motherboard and to a fan. It is DC-powered by a 3-phase motor. It runs at a lofty speed rating of 3100 RPM but it is disappointing to see a less controllable DC – rather than PWM – pump on a premium cooler such as this. One of the fans is connected to another, and then all this is connected to SATA power, a 4-pin connector on the motherboard, and to the A-RGB (5 V) connector on the motherboard (or an appropriate hub).



The cold plate is bare copper with pre-applied thermal paste. DeepCool highlights support for modern Intel and AMD platforms including HEDT, and there’s also support in place for the upcoming AMD AM5 platform, too. The pump-block unit is physically massive – it measures in at 86x74x57 mm.



The standard size of the fans is 120 mm. The impeller is made of translucent plastic to ensure the operation of the backlight. The maximum speed of their work is 2250 rpm.



Both sides of the fan frames are equipped with anti-vibration pads. More precisely, these are massive overlays that cover the entire corner of the frame. Each fan is connected with one cable, but not a simple one, but a proprietary 6-pin one.




Installation Process

Before starting the tests, you need to assemble the system. The whole procedure is very simple. First, you have to screw the brackets onto the pump unit. There are different brackets for the different sockets here, and you can attach them accordingly depending on the orientation you want so that the pump unit is rotated the way you want it.



Then you need to install the mounting plate at the back. Here is the Intel backplate that is not metallic. It has standoffs pre-installed which reduces the installation steps.



Afterward, you must attach your respective screws into the required backplate through your motherboard.



We place the cooler block on top and tighten the screws to secure it in the final stage. As mentioned earlier, thermal paste is already pre-applied on the contact base, so you do not have to worry about applying it yourself. One thing I also want to note is that DeepCool does suggests there is a benefit to installing with tubes in the 6 O’clock position specifically on Intel platforms.



You need to connect the pump wire to a secondary or dedicated pump FAN header and the fans towards a FAN header and the loop aRGB. Deepcool provides a pair of connectors to extend the cabling as all three components require power via a SATA connector and the option to daisy chain the pump and fans.



Although it appears cluttered at first glance, this wiring, in the end, can be hidden beneath the motherboard tray and also supplies an additional 5v RGB.



The motherboard handles lighting control and synchronisation which means you don’t need to install additional vendor-specific software. The AIO has no clearance issue for the RAM and PCIe slot.



RGB lighting for the cooler’s fans and Infinity Mirror pump-block unit is absolutely superb. The lighting is bright, the colours are clear, and granularity is very smooth.





Performance

The tests are carried out with an AMD Ryzen 7 2700X processor installed on an ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-PLUS (WI-FI) motherboard . The processor is locked at 3700 MHz on all its cores with a Vcore at 1.05 V at first, then it goes to 4000 MHz / 1.25 V and finally 4200 MHz / 1.35 V. Temperatures are retrieved with HWiNFO , while the processor is loaded with RealBench for thirty minutes. Finally, the noise pollution measurement is taken 12 cm behind the radiator in a room measured at 29.6 dB(A).



A glance at the average thermal performance charts reveals a great surprise, with the Deepcool LS520 outperforming the 280mm versions and some 360mm versions as well.



The surprises continue in this test as well, with the Deepcool LS520 thermally outperforming the larger 280mm AIO's. On the other hand, the Deepcool LS520 significantly outperformed all 240mm coolers.



When it comes to acoustics, it did exceptionally well, with low sound pressure at Idle. If you want maximum performance, the noise level will be noticeable. However, by using a custom profile, you can still get exceptional performance.




Final Thoughts

The Deepcool LS520 is an all-in-one liquid cooler that is a damn good option for those who dont want only eye-candy since performance was also phenomenal. It bested every cooler I have tested in both the Blender and AIDA64 FPU tests at full RPM, when all coolers are noise-normalized. Keep in mind that it beat out every other cooler, not just 240 mm but also 280 mm liquid coolers. Even some 360 mm offerings fell behind. With the fans at full speed, there is a fair amount of noise generated, but the cooling provided will be worth it for many users. Naturally, customizing your fan curves to your liking is a boon to your comfort level. The icing on the cake, without a doubt, is the RGB effects. A particular highlight of which is the lighting to the pump head which, again, doesn’t offer anything new, but for an AIO in this price range, it’s certainly enough to tip the scales in its favor. The only downside here is abscense of software for lighting & fan controls. Installing the DeepCool’s LS520 was fairly easy. The cooler has no clearance issue for the RAM and PCIe slot.



Everything considered, the Deepcool LS520 is indeed an amazing AIO cooler that we can rely on. The performance is top-notch and so is the overall visual aesthetics. Whether you are a gamer or a PC user in general, the Deepcool LS520 is an absolute bargain at this price point ($109). Other than that, Deepcool also seems confident in the LS520 as they offer a 5-year warranty. The fans are rated at 50,000 hours MTBF, which is slim but is fine alongside a lengthy warranty.