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, CPU coolers and compact water cooling systems. What DeepCool did not previously have in its portfolio, however, were compact water cooling systems with a display in the pump unit, which are currently very much in vogue. This changed in February 2024, when the manufacturer introduced the new Mystique series, which is available with both a 360 mm and 240 mm radiator. In this test, we take a closer look at the DeepCool Mystique 240 and see whether the compact water cooling system can impress both visually and in terms of performance.
DeepCool Mystique 240 test: Technical details
General specifications |
|
| Weight | 1543 g |
| Compatibility AMD | AM5 / AM4 |
| Intel compatibility | LGA 115X / 1200 / 1700 |
| Cooling capacity |
N/A |
| Price |
€ 149.90 * |
Radiator specifications |
|
| Radiator type | Soldered radiator |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 282 x 120 x 27 mm |
| Radiator material | Aluminum alloy (painted black) |
Fan specifications |
|
| Number of fans | 2 |
| Fan designation | DeepCool FT12 SE FDB |
| Bearing type | hydrodynamic sleeve bearing (FDB) |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 120 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Fan speed | 500 ~ 2150 rpm ± 10 % |
| Max. Noise level | 36.49 db(A) |
| Max. Volume flow | 123.09 m³/h |
| Max. Air pressure | 4.32 mm H2O |
| Rated voltage (fan) | 12 V |
| Rated current (fan) | 0,3 A |
| Rated power (fan) | 3,6 W |
| Fan connection | 4-pin PWM |
| Fan cable length | 120 mm (fan), 520 mm (fan) |
Pump specifications |
|
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 93 x 77 x 66 mm |
| Cooling plate material | Copper |
| Pump speed | 3400 rpm ± 10 % |
| Max. Noise level | 21 db(A) |
| Nominal voltage (pump) | 12 V |
| Nominal voltage (LEDs) | 5 V |
| Rated current (pump) | 0,28 A |
| Rated current (LEDs) | 0,49 A |
| Nominal power (pump) | 3,36 W |
| Nominal power (LEDs) | 2,45 W |
| Pump connection | 3-pin |
| LED connection | 3-pin (5V-D-coded-G) |
| Display connector | SATA power internal USB 2.0 |
| Tube length |
410 mm |
| Special features | 2.83 inch 480×640 TFT LCD |
Packaging & scope of delivery
Even though the DeepCool Mystique 240 has some new visual features, the packaging remains unspectacular. The cardboard box is brown and has been printed with a few colorful accents. The manufacturer has placed a picture of the compact water cooling system, the technical data and all the important features on a banderole that can be easily removed.
When you open the packaging, you first encounter a lot of foam and a cardboard box. This, together with a plastic film and more foam, provides good protection for the radiator. Underneath the radiator, we find another box containing all the mounting accessories. These include all the necessary screws, spacers, a metal backplate, an extension cable for the fans and assembly instructions.
Design & workmanship
Visually, there is no difference between the radiator of the DeepCool LS520S Zero Dark and the radiator of the Mystique 240. The radiator of the Mystique 240 is also made of black painted aluminum, is 27 millimeters thick and has neither lettering nor other colored accents or lighting. We can also see a valve at the rear end, which is intended to equalize the pressure and thus extend the service life of the compact water cooling system.
The water pipes have black, textile-coated hoses, each of which is 410 millimetres long on average. In conjunction with the rotating joints on the pump block, this should allow flexible positioning in the housing. As the hoses on both the radiator and the swivel joints of the pump block have been pressed tight using steel sleeves, this compact water cooling system cannot be expanded or refilled.
The visual centerpiece of the Mystique 240 is the pump block. When switched off, however, the block is kept very simple and the colors black and silver or grey dominate. Only the flat, slightly reflective surface on the top suggests more. More on this in a later chapter. The pump itself has a copper plate on the base, to which thermal paste has already been applied at the factory. DeepCool also specifies a speed of 3400 revolutions per minute for the pump and it is controlled via a 3-pin connector on the mainboard.
The two DeepCool FT12 SE FDB fans, on the other hand, are again very simple. Both the frame and the 9-blade rotors are made of black plastic and the rubber elements in the corners are also dark in color. The dimensions are 120x120x25 millimetres and the connection to the mainboard is made via a very short PWM connection with a corresponding Y-switch and a generously dimensioned cable extension. DeepCool specifies a speed range between 500 and 2150 revolutions per minute for the fans.
The DeepCool Mystique 240 weighs a total of 1543 grams with radiator, fan and pump. This is a typical weight for a compact water cooling system with a 240 mm radiator and the dimensions and, above all, the overall depth of 52 millimeters for the radiator and fan are absolutely average. Despite the display and ARGB, the overall design is kept rather simple and should visually fit into almost any system.
DeepCool Mystique 240 Test: Assembly
A test system is used for the review, which is mounted on a benchtable. This allows us to rule out factors such as heat build-up in the case. The test system consists of the following components.
- AMD Ryzen 5 1400 @ 3.8 GHz at 1.175V*
- ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-Plus*
- Crucial Ballistix Sport LT gray 32 GB DDR4-3000*
- Corsair Force Series MP510 960GB Nvme*
- Gigabyte AORUS GTX 1060 6G*
- LC-Power LC550 V2.31 Platinum Series 550W*
DeepCool also relies on a proven mounting system for the Mystique 240, which has also been used for other compact water cooling systems from the manufacturer. With an AMD socket, this first means removing the plastic bracket of the AMD retention module. Four threaded spacers are then screwed into the remaining backplate.
The next step is to prepare the pump block by screwing two mounting brackets to it from below. Orientation is theoretically possible in 90-degree steps. The pump block is then placed on the CPU and secured with four knurled screws. The thermal compound is already pre-applied to the Mystique 240. In the final step, the radiator and fan are mounted in the housing.
Installation was very straightforward and should not be a major challenge even for beginners. All the bags for the screws and spacers are clearly labeled and the thermal paste does not have to be applied manually. If you have any questions or problems, the clearly structured assembly instructions should be able to help you quickly.
Cooling performance and volume
As already shown in the previous chapter, we use an AM4 system based on the Ryzen 5 1400 and the ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-Plus as test hardware. The Ryzen runs at 3.8 GHz at 1.175 V. To heat up the processor, it was loaded with Prime95 for 30 minutes. The temperature of the CPU was then read out with the CPUID hardware monitor. The room temperature was always around 20 °C during the measurements.
| wdt_ID | CPU-Kühler | Temperatur 50% PWM (in °C) | Temperatur 100% PWM (in °C) | Minimale Lüftergeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) | Minimale Pumpengeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123 | Thermaltake TH280 V2 ARGB | 46,60 | 45,90 | 550 | 1.200 | 1.800 | 680 | 2.100 | 3.200 |
| 124 | Cooler Master MasterLiquid 240 Atmos ARGB | 50,40 | 46,50 | 560 | 1.340 | 2.270 | 1.965 | 6.620 | 10.230 |
| 125 | be quiet! Pure Loop 2 240mm | 50,70 | 46,70 | 800 | 1.070 | 2.080 | 4.150 | 4.700 | 5.530 |
| 126 | Alpenföhn Panorama 2 | 76,00 | 66,80 | 450 | 1.450 | 2.720 | |||
| 127 | Alpenföhn Brocken 4 | 53,60 | 49,60 | 410 | 870 | 1.610 | |||
| 128 | AMD Wraith Stealth | 95,00 | 76,00 | 800 | 1.430 | 2.630 | |||
| 129 | Corsair A115 | 49,40 | 46,90 | 190 | 920 | 1.560 | |||
| 130 | Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE | 49,50 | 47,50 | 350 | 1.050 | 1.680 | |||
| 131 | Thermalright Assassin X 120 SE | 53,60 | 50,60 | 340 | 1.070 | 1.690 | |||
| 132 | DeepCool Assassin IV (Silent) | 51,40 | 48,70 | 500 | 860 | 1.330 | |||
| CPU-Kühler | Temperatur 50% PWM (in °C) | Temperatur 100% PWM (in °C) | Minimale Lüftergeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) | Minimale Pumpengeschwindigkeit (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) | Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) |
As can be seen from the table and the diagram, the CPU of our test system reaches a maximum of 47.10 °C (with 50% PWM fan and 12V pump) or 45.40 °C (with 100% PWM fan and 12V pump) under full load. This puts it at the same level as the previously tested DeepCool LS520S Zero Dark and therefore very far ahead in the test field. There is absolutely nothing to criticize about the cooling performance.
However, as with the LS520S Zero Dark, the Mystique 240 also has two disadvantages. The fans can be described as loud at full speed (2150 rpm) and even the minimum speed of 600 rpm is quite high. However, the problem with the pump is once again much greater. This can only be operated with an operating voltage of 12V and therefore only at speed. This leads to a clearly audible humming or humming noise. The Mystique 240 is therefore definitely not for silent lovers due to the fans and pump.
DeepCool Mystique 240 test: The display and ARGB
As already mentioned, the DeepCool Mystique 240 Test has a 2.83″ LCD with a resolution of 480×640 pixels. The Windows application DeepCool DeepCreative can then be used to display information such as the CPU temperature or CPU load, or images and GIFs in general. The software is clearly laid out and the display looks good. In addition, the display always orients itself correctly thanks to a built-in gyroscope. However, in order for this to be addressed at all, you need a free USB 2.0 header on the mainboard and a free SATA power connector on the power supply unit in addition to the software.
The pump block also has two downward-facing ARGB elements that can be controlled via the mainboard and provide indirect lighting. They are controlled via a 3-pin 5V ARGB connector. To facilitate connection to a mainboard with few connections, the cable also has a splitter for the ARGB signal. Finally, a few impressions of the activated lighting.
Conclusion of the DeepCool Mystique 240 test
Now we come to the conclusion of this test. The DeepCool Mystique 240 is an interesting compact water cooling system with some positive but also negative aspects. The Mystique 240 particularly impressed us in the areas of cooling performance and installation. Despite a 240 mm radiator, the compact water cooling system outperforms some competitors with 360 mm radiators. Installation is also very easy thanks to a well thought-out mounting system and pre-applied thermal compound. We also found the general build quality and the implementation of the display and indirect ARGB lighting to be positive. Neither looks overdone and does not detract from the otherwise very simple appearance.
The number of negative aspects is limited, but they are all the more significant. The pre-installed fans are loud at full speed and even at a minimum speed of 600 revolutions per minute, the fans could be perceptible to sensitive ears. Much worse, however, is the fact that DeepCool also uses a pump in the Mystique 240 that can only be operated with a voltage of 12V and therefore always runs at full speed. As a result, a constant humming or buzzing noise is audible, which will quickly make the DeepCool Mystique 240 uninteresting for silent enthusiasts.
At € 149.90 *, the DeepCool Mystique 240 also costs around €60 more than the LS520S Zero Dark, which showed an almost identical cooling performance in our review. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether the display and ARGB lighting are worth the extra cost. In a nutshell, however, the DeepCool Mystique 240 can be summarized as follows: Cooling and looks are great, but the volume is unfortunately a flop.
DeepCool Mystique 240
Design
Workmanship
Mounting
Performance
Value for money
89/100
The DeepCool Mystique 240 is powerful, visually appealing and highly customizable thanks to the display. It is also easy to install. However, both the volume of the fans and the uncontrollable pump unfortunately make the Mystique 240 unsuitable for silent enthusiasts.
No replies yet
Neue Antworten laden...
Gehört zum Inventar
Beteilige dich an der Diskussion in der Basic Tutorials Community →