DeepCool Assassin III – Silent killer of noise and temperature

Key Features

Today I have the pleasure of introducing the Assassin III premium air cooler from DeepCool. Its size and construction is majestic, yet its design is pleasantly minimalistic without unnecessary bling. It also boasts high cooling efficiency (claimed TDP is up to 280 W). So I’m really curious to see how it performs in real tests on a hot CPU and what its acoustic performance will be like.

Key features of the cooler

The initial impression of the cooler is simply excellent. Right out of the box, it is clear that you have purchased a truly premium product. Even without the fans installed, you are holding more than a kilogram of aluminum and copper in your hand. The workmanship is of a high standard, and everything is nicely complemented by a pleasantly simple design.

The cooler consists of two dense stacks of fins, which are connected by a total of seven copper heatpipes with a diameter of six millimetres. The heatpipes converge in a solid copper base with a nickel plated surface. The contact surface of the base is polished to a high degree of flatness (to within 100 µm, according to the manufacturer) and its shape is slightly convex for maximum effective contact with the processor’s heat spreader, which is usually slightly concave.

The upper surfaces of both heatsink towers are nickel plated and polished to a mirror shine, which contrasts nicely with the black covers of the heatpipes. Although the manufacturer refers to them as spoilers, their function is purely aesthetic. The passive part of the cooler is complemented by a pair of matte black fans, which make the whole cooler look really massive. Although no part of this cooler features RGB backlighting, its size and appearance will certainly make it a striking element of any build.

After a long time, I am really excited about the accessories in the cooler package. This is just what a premium product should look like. The mounting systems for both Intel and AMD sockets are accompanied by a well-crafted screwdriver with a magnetic tip. In addition to thermal paste paste with applicator, you also get a disposable cleaning cloth for perfect preparation of the IHS surface before installation. And as an added bonus to the fan cable splitter, you get a pair of adapters to lower the maximum fan speeds if you’re aiming more for silence than low temperatures. You’ll even find an extra set of clips for a possible third fan, though I don’t think adding one will increase the efficiency of the cooler in any way, rather it will only increase the noise level.

The mounting of the cooler is simple and there are no tricky parts. The whole system is very robust and apart from the (very strong) plastic backplate, all components are metal. Overall, I rate this part of the cooler an absolute A-star.

Pump, radiator and fan parameters

When comparing the Assassin III cooler with its direct competitor, the Noctua NH-D15, it can be noticed that the coolers are very similar in size and weight. The Assassin III is slightly slimmer thanks to the standard 140 mm fans, but it is 5 mm taller and heavier overall. Price-wise, however, the Assassin III doesn’t mess around either, making it one of the most expensive air coolers on the market.

* Maximum RAM height when the front fan position is unoccupied. I recommend using only low profile memory modules when this position is occupied. Alternatively, the front fan can be positioned higher, but this may lead to reduced cooling efficiency and also increase the overall height of the cooler, which should be kept in mind when selecting a computer case.

You get a pair of TF-140S fans with the cooler. These fans offer very similar performance to their Noctua counterparts on the NH-D15 cooler with very solid airflow and static pressure values. The speed range is also similar. So I expect a very close battle in terms of temperatures and noise levels.

• Contents
• Key Features
• Measurement methodology
• Results – 36 dBA
• Results – 39 dBA
• Results – 42 dBA
• Results - maximum speed
• Conclusion and rating