The all-in-one liquid cooler train keeps on rolling, and today we have the latest model to be released by Gamer Storm. Not only that, but it also promises to deliver a never before seen feature in a closed loop cooler. This is the Gamer Storm Captain 240 Pro.
Gamer Storm Captain 240 Specifications & Features
| Radiator Dimensions | 290×120×27 mm |
| Radiator Material | Aluminium |
| Net Weight | 1478 g |
| Tube length | 300 mm |
| Pump Dimensions | 93.7×93×85 mm |
| Pump Speed | 2200 RPM±10% |
| Pump Noise | 17.8 dB(A) |
| Pump Connector | 3-pin |
| Pump Rated Voltage | 12 VDC |
| Pump Rated Current | 0.13 A |
| Pump Power Consumption | 1.56 W |
| Fan Dimensions | 120×120×25 mm |
| Fan Speed | 500~1800 RPM±10% |
| Fan Airflow | 69.34 CFM |
| Fan Air Pressure | 2.42 mmAq |
| Fan Noise | ≤30 dB(A) |
| Fan Connector | 4-pin PWM |
| Bearing Type | Hydro Bearing |
| Fan Rated Voltage | 12 VDC |
| Fan Rated Current | 0.17 A |
| Fan Power Consumption | 2.04 W |
| LED Type | Addressable RGB LED |
| LED Connector | 3-pin(+5V-D-G) |
| LED Rated Voltage | 5 VDC |
| LED Power Consumption | 5.7 W |
Gamer Storm Captain 240 Closer Look
Straight off the bat, the Captain 240 Pro oozes real quality. There’s little that differentiates many AIO coolers on the market, but immediately a couple of features really stand out.
The usually bland and featureless radiator is enhanced with a mirrored plate attached to both sides, bolted on with really nicely polished bolts, with a subtle Gamer Storm logo sat in the middle.
Sat alongside the mirrored plate on one side of the radiator is the feature that gives weight to the manufacturers claim to be “the new standard”. Pictured above is an automatic pressure relieving valve, and it promises to ensure that the unit never leaks!
The explanation of how this works is as follows; inside the radiator, an elastic pressure relief bag has one side exposed to air and the other side dipped in the coolant. When the internal pressure exceeds atmospheric pressures, the bag will be squeezed and thereby increases the system’s internal volume. As a result, the increased pressure is released, and the risk of leakage is avoided. Clever stuff eh? Full details can be found on the Deepcool website.
The CPU block also shuns the standard design template, with an exposed glass tube that feeds the coolant into the pump. This isn’t a new design by Deepcool/Gamer Storm, but it’s the first time I have seen it in the flesh personally, and I can say I’m a big fan.
The cold plate covers a nice big area and is made of pure copper for effective heat dissipation. From a socket support perspective, all main stream variants from Intel and AMD are catered for, including TR4.
Finally the Captain 240 Pro comes complete with two addressable RGB fans, the same of which we saw on the Castle 360RGB. If your motherboard doesn’t support ARGB, never fear as a stand alone controller is also included.
Gamer Storm Captain 240 Pro: Thermal Performance
Since our previous cooling reviews prior to November 2016, we have decided to update the method accordingly for better and consistent results. It isn’t ideal running Prime95 for a prolonged period of time and if you get called away to do something, it could be left running for much longer than needed. Our new methodology involves running a very stressful multi-threaded performance benchmark called ROG RealBench.
It should also be noted that the reason we omit acoustic/noise testing is due to an inaccuracy within the readings and method. To provide truly accurate readings, you need a lab setting with the same ambient noise on an hour by hour, day by day and week by week basis. As ambient noise can increase at different times of the day, we believe that it’s pointless providing noise testing if we can’t measure consistent and accurate data due to our office being a busy setting.
Test Setup
- CPU – Intel Core i7 6700k – (4.2GHz at 1.25v & 4.5GHz at 1.38v)
- Motherboard – Asus ROG Maximus VIII Hero Alpha
- GPU – MSI GTX 1080 Armor 8G OC
- RAM – Crucial Ballistix Elite 16GB DDR4 3000MHz
- PSU – BeQuiet Dark Power Pro 11 1000w
- SSD – Crucial MX300 525GB SSD
- Monitor – MSI Optix MPG27CQ
In addition to keeping our test setup consistent for all CPU cooling tests, we also always use the same thermal paste rather than any that comes supplied or pre-applied. Our thermal paste of choice is NT-H1 from Noctua.
Idle Testing Methodology
To test each cooler at idle, the minimum temperature is taken after leaving the PC with only start-up programs on Windows 10 being allowed to run for 5 minutes. After this, the minimum temperature with the core temperature being offset against the room temperature; thus achieving delta.
Load Testing Methodology
To load test, we run RealBench while selecting the heavy multitasking benchmark only. We run this a maximum of 3 times concurrently and the maximum temperature recorded is taken. This temperature is deducted from the current room temperature and our final delta temperature is provided.
Results
The Gamer Storm Captain 240 Review: The Verdict
The Captain 240 Pro is heralded as the new standard, given the inclusion of the patented anti-leak system. Only time will tell if it can live up to that claim, but the science behind it is solid, and given our limited testing we have no reason to doubt it.
Even aside from the new technology introduced, the cooler is a real looker. Addressable RGB is present, which now seems to be the new standard on any product featuring LED’s, and I am a huge fan of the design of the CPU block & pump. In operation it really stands out, and ranks on a par with my previous favourite design of the NZXT Kraken series.
Performance is also really strong, pretty much matching the bigger Castle 360 cooler from the same company to within a tenth of a degree on every single test.
Finally, the price… Gamer Storm informed us that it had set the RRP at £129.99 in the UK, which I feel is an extremely competitive starting point. However at the time of the review it was listed at just £119.99 on Amazon UK*.
What’s hot:
- Stunning looks, and it’s nice to see a little variation on the radiator
- Great performance, matching (and sometimes beating) larger 360mm AIO’s
- Keen pricing given everything you get in the total package
- Introduction of anti-leak feature
What’s not:
- Absolutely nothing
For a cooler that includes newly introduced technology, stunning looks, great performance, and really good value for money, there’s only one award I can give it….Platinum.
Thanks to Deepcool/Gamer Storm for sending a sample of the Captain 240 Pro in for review.
Related Reading:
- Deepcool Gammax L240 AIO CPU Cooler Review
- Best CPU Coolers 2019: The 360mm AIO Shoot-Out
- Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120R RGB Cooler Review
- GamerStorm Castle 240 RGB AIO Overview
- Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120L RGB
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