Behind the name DeepCool is a Chinese manufacturer of PC components. DeepCool was founded in Beijing in 1996. The manufacturer’s product portfolio includes cases as well as CPU coolers and compact water cooling systems. In January 2022, DeepCool introduced two more midi towers, the CK500 and CK560. In this review, we will introduce you to the CK500 in more detail.
The CK500 was not fundamentally reinvented and instead takes many features from the DeepCool CG560, which we have already tested here. Thus, the spacious interior, a sleek look and high hardware compatibility remain. On top of that, there is now a plain steel front panel, two pre-installed 140-millimeter fans, a USB 3.2 Type-C port and a graphics card holder. However, you have to do without any RGB effects. DeepCool’s price for the CK500 is €79.90 (RRP). Whether it is worth it, you can read here.
Technical details
| Model: | DeepCool CK500 |
| Case type: | ATX |
| Dimensions: | 230 mm (W) x 471 mm (H) x 456 mm (D) |
| Weight: | 8 kg |
| Material: | Steel, Plastic, Tempered Glass |
| Color: | Black |
| Front connectors | 1x USB 3.2 Type-C, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x HD audio, 1x power, 1x reset |
| Drive bays: | 2x 3.5″/2.5″ (internal) 2x 2.5″ (internal) |
| Expansion slots: | 7x horizontal |
| Shape factors: | ITX, µATX, ATX, E-ATX |
| Ventilation: | Front: 3x 120 / 2x 140 mm. Rear: 1x 120 / 140 mm Lid: 2x 120 / 2x 140 mm |
| Radiators: | Front: 1x max 360 / 280 mm. Rear: 1x max. 140 mm Lid: 1x max. 280 / 240 mm |
| Max. CPU cooler height: | 175 mm |
| Max. Graphics card length: | 380 mm |
| Max. Net part length: | 160 mm (with HDD cage) |
| Cable management space | 21 mm |
| Price: | €79.90 (MSRP), current: € 84.90 * |
| Features: | Tempered Glass, 2 pre-installed fans, steel front panel |
Scope of delivery
In terms of packaging, DeepCool does not change its approach. Thus, the predominantly brown cardboard box has only been printed with some turquoise color elements and has also been provided with a sticker. The colored sticker shows a picture of the case and the most important technical data about the tower. Inside the box, DeepCool has wrapped the CK500 in two normal styrofoam blocks and additional foam mats. These precautions should do a good job of preventing possible damage during transport. The steel front panel was packed separately and is additionally protected with foam. The manufacturer has placed all the mounting accessories in a bag inside the case. This contains all the necessary screws, some cable ties and assembly instructions.
Exterior Impression
DeepCool has designed the CK500 to be very sleek and timeless. The front panel features a black painted steel plate that is fully enclosed and rounded towards the back. Sufficient airflow is supposed to be provided by the elongated vents, which can be found on both sides at the end of the front panel. With a slight tug, the magnetically locked front panel can be removed, revealing a fine dust filter. Behind this filter, DeepCool has also positioned a single 140-millimeter fan. We’ll examine whether and how much the closed steel panel affects the airflow in a bit more detail later.
Unlike the front, the lid was designed to be rather airy and optimized for the installation of fans or radiators. Dominated by a large fan opening including a dust filter, the manufacturer has also accommodated the I/O panel here. It has one USB 3.2 Type-C and two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, an HD audio combo port and two buttons for power and reset.
Despite the lack of RGB, DeepCool gives the CK500 a Tempered Glass side window with a material thickness of four millimeters. As usual, the glass window is located on the left side and was glued to a steel frame, which in turn was attached to the body with two thumbscrews. The right side panel is made of steel and can boast a material thickness of 0.55 millimeters. Considering the size of the panel, this is already borderline. On the other hand, it also has knurled screws and an extraction aid.
The back of the CK500 does not hide anything extraordinary. The power supply is placed at the bottom and above it there are seven expansion slots with reusable bezels. Surprisingly, the expansion cards are screwed inside and not outside. Above the expansion slots is the second pre-installed 140-format fan and the cutout for the motherboard’s I/O panel.
Unlike the CG560, the CK500 doesn’t skimp on the dust filter. Thus, no simple mat made of mesh was placed in front of the power supply, but a fine dust filter with a plastic frame was installed. This can be easily pulled off to the back for cleaning. Four plastic feet, which are additionally covered with a layer of rubber, provide the tower with a secure stand. Another striking feature are two screws near the HDD cage, which indicate modularity.
Interior impression
Inside, there are no differences from the CG560 in terms of layout. Thus, the interior is divided into two chambers. The upper chamber is very large and features a flat motherboard tray. To optimize cabling, DeepCool has equipped the tray with two large and three small cable management holes. The two large holes also feature rubber grommets. The open design of the interior allows the pre-installed front fan to easily push fresh air into the interior. However, another feature of the CK500 can be found in the front area at the height of the graphics card. DeepCool has equipped this midi tower with a modular GPU mount.
As is often the case, the CK500 comes with a power supply cover. This covers the power supply, its cables and the HDD cage. To facilitate cabling, the cover also has two cable management openings and, in the front area, a large cutout that should increase compatibility with radiators.
Obviously hiding below the PSU cover are the PSU and a modular HDD cage. The PSU mounting location has thin rubber bumpers to minimize vibrations. Otherwise, there is mainly space for cables on the back of the motherboard tray. In order to be able to route the power supply’s connections even better, the manufacturer has had eyelets for cable ties punched into the rear panel in numerous places and has already pre-routed the I/O panel’s cables.
The installation options for conventional data media correspond to the selected layout. Thus, either two 3.5″ or 2.5″ HDDs can be installed in the modular HDD cage. For this purpose, the plastic frames have to be pulled out, equipped and pushed back in. Additionally, two more SSDs can be placed on the back of the motherboard tray. The mounting is done via rubber rings and oblong screws. You have to fix four of these screws per SSD and then press the data medium onto the rubber rings. It couldn’t be simpler.
The external and internal build quality is mainly on a good to very good level. Thus, no sharp edges or paint defects are visible throughout. The same applies to the material quality. Only the material thickness of the side panel is rather borderline for the targeted price range.
System installation in the DeepCool CK500
Now we come to the system installation. For hardware, we’re using a AMD Ryzen 5 1400 on a MSI B350 PC Mate with 16GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT gray DDR4-2666. The Ryzen is cooled by an LC-Power Cosmo Cool LC-CC-120-RGB and is overclocked to 3.8 GHz (1.25 V). A GTX 1060 6GB from Gigabyte AORUS is responsible for the image output. The power supply is handled by the fully modular LC-Power LC550 V2.31 Platinum with an 80 Plus Platinum efficiency rating.
A well thought-out layout and generous space made installing all components very easy and everything was done quickly. The flat motherboard tray allows for particularly wide motherboards and has well-positioned cable management openings, some of which were even rubberized. Together with the very good space on the back of the motherboard tray, a very neat system can be created.
Since the body of the CK500 has not changed from the CG560, hardware compatibility remains excellent. CPU coolers may be up to 175 millimeters high and graphics cards up to 380 millimeters long. Without the HDD cage, this length potentially applies to the PSU as well. With the HDD cage, the PSU may be a maximum of 160 millimeters long. The CK500 should also have enough room for a water cooling system. According to the manufacturer, it has room for a 360 radiator in the front and a 280/240 radiator in the lid.
DeepCool installs two fans in the CK560 ex-works. These each have a frame width of 140 millimeters, rotate at a maximum of 1000 rpm and are kept completely black. They are connected to the motherboard via black 3-pin cables, which are unfortunately a bit short. Slight bearing noises were perceptible during operation or at reduced revolutions.
Finally, we come to the temperatures that were reached in the DeepCool CG560. During the stress test, Prime95 and FurMark were run for 15 minutes at a room temperature of 20 °C. Furthermore, the test was performed with two different fan speeds and without a dust filter.
Scenario |
Temperature |
| CPU: 50% PWM (1300 rpm) GPU: 50% PWM (1650 rpm) 2x 140 mm (700 rpm) |
CPU: 74 °C GPU: 66 °C |
| CPU: 50% PWM (1300 rpm) GPU: 50% PWM (1650 rpm) 2x 140 mm (1000 rpm) |
CPU: 70 °C GPU: 64 °C |
| CPU: 50% PWM (1300 rpm) GPU: 50% PWM (1650 rpm) 2x 140 mm (1000 rpm) Without front panel |
CPU: 66 °C GPU: 59 °C |
In terms of temperature, the CK500 can’t keep up with the CG560. The reason for this is the two missing fans in the front and the much more restrictive front panel. Without the front panel, the CPU and GPU were about 5 degrees cooler at the same fan speeds. However, considering that our test was a worst-case scenario, the achieved temperatures are OK. We would, however, recommend placing at least a second case fan in the front, which transports fresh air directly towards the CPU cooler. At full RPM, the fans are well audible from the case, but do not seem very annoying.
Summary of the DeepCool CK500
The DeepCool CK500 and CK560 are basically supposed to be a further development of the CG560. In many respects, this has also been successful. For example, the case now features an up-to-date I/O panel with USB Type-C port, a practical GPU support and the mounting of data carriers has also been significantly improved in the CK500 compared to the CG560. The same applies to the clearly better dust filters for the power supply and front fan. The general interior layout, the cable management system and the basic workmanship are still good. The overall package is rounded off by a glass side window, which should not be missing from any case nowadays.
However, the buyer has to cut back on the RGB effects and the cooling performance in this case. The temperatures of the system are higher due to the closed front. In addition, the steel plate on the front looks solid, but the mounting mechanism via magnets has certain weaknesses. If you move the case, the plate wobbles slightly back and forth. The material thickness of the right side panel could also be better for the targeted price range.
Now that we have summarized the positive and negative aspects of the CK500 once again, the factor of the purchase price comes next. At €79.90 (MSRP), this midi tower is on a similar level as the CG560. However, you have to do without the RGB fans and the airflow-optimized front panel. For those who prefer the use of RGB, but do not want to miss the advantages of the CK series, the CK560 might be more suitable. This comes with a more airy front panel and three RGB fans in the front, but costs €20 more.
DeepCool CK500
Workmanship
Structure
Features
Cooling
Value for money
86/100
DeepCool does without RGB in the CK500, but relies on a chic and timeless look, a basically good build quality and an excellent layout with plenty of space for hardware. Only the airflow suffers a bit from the design of the steel front panel.
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