Page 2 - Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
The DeepCool LD360 has a consistent design throughout. The large 360mm radiator is completely black with black braided tubing. All the fittings around the tubing are also black. There are two Velcro straps at different points along the tubing, which are black as well. There is some glossy DeepCool branding found on the CPU block, which slightly contrasts with the matte black behind it. The DeepCool LD360 is subtle, not providing a standout design, which is what the ARGB lighting abilities of it would accomplish. The radiator is made from the usual materials, mainly aluminum, while the tubes are made out of rubber. The CPU block features a large screen on the front, allowing one to keep an eye on the CPU power consumption, temperature, and load while the computer is on. There are a variety of cables leading away from the CPU block. These are an ARGB cable, pump power cable, and a connector to display the necessary statistics on the pump display.
The DeepCool LD360 works like all AIO water coolers. The radiator is designed to receive liquid at one end and then flow through small metal tubing through the rest of it. As the liquid passes through these tubes, the heat is transferred to all the small fins throughout the radiator. These wavy fins then dissipate the heat through air flowing over them, which is why there are fans connected to the radiator. The liquid continues running through the entire loop, but the heat is mostly dissipated through air going over the small fins. The liquid is transferred from the radiator to the CPU block through two long braided tubes. The braiding provides a clean final look, while the two Velcro straps on the tubing help to manage them. The tubes are 41cm long, meaning there should be enough length for the radiator to be placed at the front of the case. On one end of the radiator, there is a warranty sticker covering a valve. DeepCool boasts that they have anti-leak technology built into the AIO to ensure no liquid drips on your expensive components. Removing the sticker voids your warranty, so it is best left alone.
The radiator of the DeepCool LD360 measures 402mm long, 120mm wide, and 27mm high. This is a large radiator, but nothing unexpected for its class. The larger size provides more surface area for heat to dissipate, not to mention an extra fan compared to the DeepCool LD240. The extra airflow and larger size mean more area for the liquid to flow through, more fins for the heat to dissipate, and more air to flow over these fins. This should all have a measurable effect on the CPU temperatures compared to smaller coolers. Construction materials are also important to consider for heat dissipation. The LD360 is made out of aluminum, which has good heat transfer capabilities. Aluminum is the common choice for essentially all coolers in the PC market. It provides a good balance between cost, heat transfer ability, and weight. There are other metals that are better at heat transfer, like copper, but are heavier and cost more. Overall, the build quality for the LD360 is excellent. Braided cabling creates a more refined feel, while I could not spot any imperfections on the radiator or on the CPU block.
On this side of the tubing, we find the CPU block. It houses the 5th-generation pump and the actual metal plate, which makes contact with the CPU. The measurements for this block are 89mm in length, 78mm in width, and 53mm in height. This is a large CPU block and this is probably due in part to the screen found on the top of it. The screen presents some helpful information on the front, but the added cables and necessary components in the block mean the size is larger. It is a seven-segment digital LED display, so what is presented there should be clean and sharp. The screen, however, only presents preset information, including CPU power consumption, temperature, and load, which cannot be changed. There are also ARGB lighting capabilities on the screen, which can sync with your motherboard and other ARGB lighting components to provide a clean final look.
Moving towards the bottom of the CPU block of the DeepCool LD360, we find a copper plate with pre-applied thermal paste. The copper block provides excellent heat conducting qualities. This is valuable to have on the component that makes direct contact with the CPU. Heat transfer should be good due to the copper material and its clean smooth surface. That said, even though to our eyes the surface may look smooth, there are still microscopic imperfections, which reduces thermal conductivity. Thermal paste is included to fill those imperfections and provide cleaner contact between the CPU and the water block. Thermal paste is pre-applied from the factory for the DeepCool LD360, which is nice to a certain extent. It means a novice does not have to worry about applying too much or too little thermal paste. However, the factory often applies too much, meaning extra grease has to be cleaned up after changing the cooler setup. As well, without a tube of thermal paste, you will have to buy new thermal paste for any future changes. It would be nice to have a small tube of thermal paste included. A plastic cover does protect the thermal paste from being smudged during transport.
Finally, within the CPU block, we find the pump, which is rated at 12V with a current of 0.35A, translating to 4.2W of power use. The pump's speed is 3400RPM and connects via a 3-pin voltage connector to your motherboard.
The DeepCool LD360 comes with three FD12 120mm ARGB LED fans rated at 12V, 0.22A, and draws 2.64W. The white fan blades provide the main point of contrast with the rest of the build. The different color helps the LEDs to be seen more clearly. These fans have a hydro bearing, which is intended for smooth and quiet operation. We will investigate the actual noise output on the next page. The fan speed is rated to range from 600RPM to 2400RPM, generating up to 72.04 CFM of airflow. The fan air pressure is 3.48mmAq, while the rated noise output is 38.71dB(A). The fans connect to the motherboard via a 4-pin connector, meaning they are PWM.
Included with the DeepCool LD360 is a cable with a 4-pin connector on one end and with three other connectors daisy chained together. This cable connects the three fans together, meaning only one 4-pin connector is required. The cable is just long enough to connect the three fans connector. I actually had to stretch the final connection slightly, so this cable should have some more clearance built in. The connection is constantly at an angle due to it being stretched.
Installation for the DeepCool LD360 went quite smoothly. The process is rather direct, and the manual provides what is necessary. For AM4 or AM4+ sockets, the factory backplate is used. Four screws keep the backplate connected to the motherboard while providing the standoffs for the CPU block. The CPU block requires two brackets to be mounted to it. The manual is quite clear on which ones to install depending on the socket type. After these are installed, the CPU block can be mounted to the CPU and fastened with four screws.
From this angle, you can see the four standoff screws that keep the backplate on. After mounting the CPU block, I turned my attention to mounting the radiator. The radiator is large, so it required some careful movements to get it in place. I reversed the fans and mounted the radiator to the front of the case, creating a push and pull configuration. The case fans will push air through the radiator, while the DeepCool fans on the back of the radiator will pull the air through. The required long screws are included to make installing the radiator this way easy.
After both of these components were installed, I moved on to connect all the necessary cables. There are three important cables to install for the product to function correctly: The pump, the fans, and the screen, where the screen requires a USB 2.0 header on your motherboard. The ARGB cable can also be installed, but is mainly for aesthetic purposes.
After installing all the components, the software installs automatically on startup. A small DeepCool icon can be found in the system tray. There are some settings, like changing language, launching at system startup, and changing the temperature display between Celsius or Fahrenheit. It is simple and works well enough for its intended purpose.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
