DeepCool LT520

[testman78]

Introduction

DeepCool launches a new series of all-in-one watercooling kits with its LT720 and LT520. There are two models in 240 mm and 360 mm. In today's review we are going to analyze in detail the LT520. In all cases, we find a square aluminum radiator, similar to that of the LS. The dimension of the pump block is 94x80x68mm. This size is bigger than the LS series blocks. Otherwise, the main novelty concerns the pump block, which has a completely new design. We notice that the latter benefits from an aRGB lighting system with a transparent zone. On this area, several geometric patterns with infinite depth effect are present. The company has developed the innovative Anti-leak Tech technology, investing three years of research and development, expressly designed to avoid the risk that a leak occurs, potentially catastrophic for the hardware components of your computer, thanks to an automated balancing system of the internal pressure in relation to the temperature of the liquid.



Compatibility is exemplary, as this series can be installed on Intel LGA-2000/1700/1200/115x platforms. In AMD, we will note a compatibility with sockets AM5/AM4 and sTRX4/STR4.




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 LT520 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). In addition to mounting systems, the cooling system requires a power cable and an extension cable to connect fans and pump.



Along with a set of mounts in the box, there is an installation guide for all platforms from the list of compatible ones.




A Closer Look

The DeepCool LT520 comes with a aluminum radiator and two 120mm DeepCool FK120 fans.



We find a square aluminum radiator, similar to that of the LS.



The 20 FPI aluminum radiator (number of fins per inch) ensure greater and more efficient heat exchange. This is not an Asetek design. The E shape fin stack is dense and taking into account the left and right side channels, it has a total of 12 channels for water flow. In width and height it measures, respectively, 120mm x 282mm for a thickness of 27mm, which become 52mm once the fans are installed.



There is a DeepCool logo on the tube side. On one of the side chambers of the radiator there is a hole, provided with a cap and guarantee seal, for venting the internal pressure of the unit. 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. The whole thing is about 410 mm long. 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.



The dimensions of the water block and pump are 94 × 80 × 68 mm. A special feature of the water blocks of the DeepCool LT series is the RGB backlit cover, which creates the effect of “endless” geometric patterns through the mirror surface. The backlight can be synchronized with other system components via the motherboard software.



The block cover on the LT series is removable. Simply lift it up, and the cover will pop out. Push it back in for the installation. This is a convenient implementation. There is a geometric design placed under the diffuser. The diffuser runs on three sides, and the A-RGB strip comprises 6x A-RGB LEDs installed vertically on one side.



The brand does not hesitate to put forward its new generation of pump (the 4th). The latter is equipped with a 3-pole motor capable of operating at up to 3100 RPM. To power the pump, the pump housing has a 3-pin power cable. There are standard 3-pin 5V, A-RGB connectors to power the LEDs and daisy chain the A-RGB elements.



The tubes are installed in a 90° mount on the base of the block so that they can be rotated as per the requirement to the left or right side position. There is one cable coming out of the pump housing while the second is coming out of the removable top.



The copper base plate has a size of 53x53mm approximately which is quite large given the size of the CPU IHS that we will be using for the testing. The unit comes with the pre-applied thermal paste. Notice the 4x mounting holes on the base surrounding the housing. This is where the mounting brackets are installed. Finally, a new network of copper micro-wires optimized for flow is present at the copper base.



A pair of 120 x 120 x 25mm FK120 PWM ( DF1202512CM ) is used. The FK-120 fans use Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) technology, which provides a floating bearing in a particular fluid, to reduce friction to a minimum, and consequently the noise generated. The fans have PWM support and work at speeds of 500 to 2250 rpm. The manufacturer notes that their declared service life is 50,000 hours. Each fan has 9 black color blades. The blades and the four reinforcing arms are built with excellent quality materials and are particularly resistant to any type of stress. Each mounting corner has a cut-to-size anti-vibration rubber pad.



These fans implements a particular cover, magnetically applied to the main block, equipped with a captivating multidimensional Infinity Mirror, characterized by an addressable RGB LED lighting system, capable of ensuring a visual impact of sure effect inside the cabinet. Advanced lighting management involves the use of the control software provided by the manufacturer of your motherboard, obviously if this has integrated RGB technologies (and specifically Addressable-RGB support ). The main technologies of the sector are fully supported ( AURA Sync , MysticLight , RGB Fusion , Polychrome Sync RGB , Razer Chroma etc.), in order to ensure the perfect match within the most diverse hardware configurations and thus represent the optimal choice for everyone those enthusiasts who like to keep the internal components of their computer in sight.




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.



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 AIO has no clearance issue for the RAM and PCIe slot.



The motherboard handles lighting control and synchronisation which means you don’t need to install additional vendor-specific software.



The lighting quality is nothing short of excellent and very well balanced.





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 LT520 outperforming the 280mm versions and some 360mm versions as well.



The surprises continue in this test as well, with the Deepcool LT520 thermally outperforming the larger 360mm AIO's. On the other hand, the Deepcool LT520 significantly outperformed all 240/280mm 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 LΤ520 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 RealBench 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. The square pump with a multidimensional infinity mirror design is flanked by ARGB lighting, whereby the lighting can be synchronized throughout the system via a 5V ARGB header with supported mainboard software. The block’s cover is removable from the pump and there is a three-dimensional infinity mirror surface underneath the top cover that offers a new visual experience through a multi-faceted geometric reflection. A particular micro-channel structure has been provided inside, capable of guaranteeing greater efficiency in the transfer and dissipation of heat. The coolant in the circuit is moved by a brand new and powerful fourth generation pump with three-phase motor, developed by the manufacturer in order to ensure the best performance in all circumstances. Installing the DeepCool’s LΤ520 was fairly easy. The cooler has no clearance issue for the RAM and PCIe slot.



Everything considered, the Deepcool LT520 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 LT520 is an absolute bargain at this price point (125€). Other than that, Deepcool also seems confident in the LT520 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.

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