DeepCool Assassin-IV Now Released and Reviewed!!!

[WallacEngineering]

UPDATE NOVEMBER 26TH, 2023:

 

DeepCool Assassin-IV is awarded the "Best Mechanical Design" award for 2023: 

 

 

UPDATE OCTOBER 21ST, 2023:

 

DeepCool Assassin-IV is now available in White!

 

https://wccftech.com/review/deepcools-best-air-cooler-now-available-in-white-the-assassin-iv-wh-review/amp/

 

UPDATE JULY 11TH, 2023:

 

Today is the official release date for the DeepCool Assassin-IV Flagship Twin-Tower Cooler. You can tell because DeepCool has just uploaded the official advertisement video to their YouTube Channel 6 hours ago.

 

A company in Hong Kong accidentally released the cooler early and a few people were able to get their hands on it - but it was overpriced coming in at $149.99. Now it is being sold by DeepCool officially themselves on Amazon for $99.99 with free shipping available:

 

https://a.co/d/81ELLoO

 

The only full review done at the time of writing is by TechPowerUp but it is extremely thorough and tests against more than 30 other coolers. The review can be found here:

 

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/deepcool-assassin-iv-dual-tower-cpu-air-cooler/

 

The TL;DR from the review can be summarized by saying the Assassin-IV is about 2-3°C cooler than the Noctua D-15 on average but isn't as quiet at max fan speed, but it looks much better and is $20 less expensive.

 

Summary directly quoted from article:

 

"DeepCool's Assassin IV is a truly stellar air cooler that firmly cements itself as one of the best options available at the time of writing. While it isn't a massive upgrade over the Assassin III, it is better looking than its predecessor while performing similarly. More affordable than the Noctua NH-D15 and NH-D15S. All while delivering similar or, in some cases, better performance than both in the OC tests at the same noise level. If noise is not a concern, the Assassin IV easily pulls away with the victory."

 

ORIGINAL OP FROM APRIL 19:

 

Im a fan of air cooling (haha, get it?) and while asking and researching around for what kind of cooler to use in my new build, I came across info and a video about an upcoming CPU cooler - the DeepCool Assassin-IV.

 

It looks incredible and it is supposed to out-perform even the Noctua D-15. Does anyone know when the Assassin-IV is coming to market?

 

Its an exiting concept because of the engineering behind the design. You actually mount the cooler "backwards" in comparison to a standard Twin-Tower cooler and its fans are set up in Pull-Pull mode.

 

What this means is the ability to get performance similar to the legendary Noctua D-15 while not interfering with RAM slots whatsoever. For the first time, a huge Twin-Tower air cooler can be used in the intended way with maximum possible performance while also allowing room for the tallest RAM on the market.

 

As long as the performance gets close to the Noctua D-15, I believe we have a new contender that might end up becoming the most popular twin-140mm tower on the market, taking the crown from the D-15.

 

Don't worry about the Pull-Pull design. The engineering principles are 100% sound so long as you use this cooler in tandem with an Airflow-Focused case that can deliver a large amount of cool air to the immediate vicinity around the front of the CPU cooler.

 

The larger 140mm fan in the center of the two stacks will suck in the surrounding air through the front fin Stack and then will accelerate that air through the second stack with the assistance of the 120mm exhaust fan at the very back. And because the fin stacks are sealed on the sides, this will force the air through without losing a bunch of the air. Its quite similar to an intake Ram on a Jet Fighter. Its a very cool and unique concept with very clean aesthetics.

 

 

 

 

[GuiltySpark_]

That’s a damn good question. I’ve been asking the NA Twitter account that very question weekly since CES and they’re still ignoring me. 

[filpo]

47 minutes ago, WallacEngineering said:

Im a fan of air cooling (haha, get it?) and while asking and researching around for what kind of cooler to use in my new build, I came across info and a video about an upcoming CPU cooler - the DeepCool Assassin-IV.

 

It looks incredible and it is supposed to out-perform even the Noctua D-15. Does anyone know when the Assassin-IV is coming to market?

 

 

 

sometime now...

[WallacEngineering]

57 minutes ago, filpo said:

sometime now...

Lol thanks for the help

[RevGAM]

Did I skip over it or did it not give any specs?

[WallacEngineering]

14 minutes ago, RevGAM said:

Did I skip over it or did it not give any specs?

Because it isn't released yet there are no official specs yet, however here are the highlights:

 

- Twin-Tower Cooler

- 140mm Front (Middle) Fan - 1800 RPM

- 120mm Rear Fan - 1900 RPM

- 280 Watts Official Stated Heat Capacity

- Full Height RAM Clearance

- Competes with Noctua D-15

[RevGAM]

23 minutes ago, WallacEngineering said:

Because it isn't released yet there are no official specs yet, however here are the highlights:

 

- Twin-Tower Cooler

- 140mm Front (Middle) Fan - 1800 RPM

- 120mm Rear Fan - 1900 RPM

- 280 Watts Official Stated Heat Capacity

- Full Height RAM Clearance

- Competes with Noctua D-15

I expect to see a spate of reviews before it comes out.

[GuiltySpark_]

When it does launch, that’s getting dropped in in place of my AK620. I just think it looks fantastic. 

[WallacEngineering]

@GuiltySpark_

 

Finally, an update on the cooler:

 

https://www.techpowerup.com/308393/deepcool-readying-assassin-iv-premium-cpu-air-cooler-for-launch?amp

[GuiltySpark_]

32 minutes ago, WallacEngineering said:

@GuiltySpark_

 

Finally, an update on the cooler:

 

https://www.techpowerup.com/308393/deepcool-readying-assassin-iv-premium-cpu-air-cooler-for-launch?amp

I saw! About time. Still no pricing or actual launch date though.. .

[RevGAM]

Personally, I think that TPU's claim of how amazing it looks is ridiculous. I welcome a new cooler from DC, but a cube is a cube is a cube. It's not creative and if it wins a hardware design award, it should be because of the superior design - not the frankly uninspired appearance. If you want inspired, look at the Cooljag Falcons.
                                                                   

Cooljag Falcon 4 Quad Heatpipe PWM CPU Cooler (JYC8A03A-A) - Socket LGA 1366              Cooljag Falcon 92-AL Quad Heat Pipe Aluminum Silent PWM CPU Cooler (JYC8A02A) - Socket 754/775/939/940/AM2
Those two are pretty. I have no idea if they performed well, but I was tempted to buy them just for the looks - knowing I'd never be able to use them. I used to laugh at air coolers that looked like something like a car engine.  

[freeagent]

30 minutes ago, RevGAM said:

laugh at air coolers that looked like something like a car engine.  

Behold..

 

The jet engine cooler

 

This was my old setup eons ago.

 

[RevGAM]

8 hours ago, freeagent said:

Behold..

 

The jet engine cooler

 

This was my old setup eons ago.

 

That's it! I remember laughing at that stuff!

Now, of course...;) 

[WallacEngineering]

11 hours ago, RevGAM said:

Personally, I think that TPU's claim of how amazing it looks is ridiculous...

 

Well yea, its a standard cube but thats exactly what makes it look so amazing...

 

Its incredibly clean, as clean as a MotherBoard itself. Noctua Chromax Black designs look okay but they are still just giant heatsinks with fans that you can move around which throws off the looks.

 

The DeepCool Assassin-IV is unique in that it was engineered to sit in the exact same place with dual pulling fans for maximum cooling performance while allowing for tall RAM Clearance all while looking perfectly clean.

 

As long as the Assassin-IV cools as well as it is claimed to, it will probably take the title for "Most Popular High-Performance Air-Cooling Tower" away from the Noctua D-15. I think this will happen as long as the performance comes within 0.5-1.0°C of the D-15.

[RevGAM]

1 hour ago, WallacEngineering said:

 

Well yea, its a standard cube but thats exactly what makes it look so amazing...

 

Its incredibly clean, as clean as a MotherBoard itself. Noctua Chromax Black designs look okay but they are still just giant heatsinks with fans that you can move around which throws off the looks.

 

The DeepCool Assassin-IV is unique in that it was engineered to sit in the exact same place with dual pulling fans for maximum cooling performance while allowing for tall RAM Clearance all while looking perfectly clean.

 

As long as the Assassin-IV cools as well as it is claimed to, it will probably take the title for "Most Popular High-Performance Air-Cooling Tower" away from the Noctua D-15. I think this will happen as long as the performance comes within 0.5-1.0°C of the D-15.

Again, I have no argument with the design. I'm just starting my opinion about the appearance. If you like it, that's great!

[WallacEngineering]

1 hour ago, RevGAM said:

Again, I have no argument with the design. I'm just starting my opinion about the appearance. If you like it, that's great!

 

Well Im mostly exited for the fact that the pull + pull design that incorporates a high-flow, high-static pressure 140mm fan in the middle that pulls through a thinner section of heatsink then pushes through the thicker section of a heatsink to a medium-flow, extreme-static pressure 120mm fan at the back.

 

What this means is the engineering principles of this design are 100% sound. As long as you have unrestricted intake fans on your case, you don't need the push + push configuration that most large air towers use, and this means you end up with maximum performance while ALSO allowing full 100% RAM Clearance.

 

When mounted, no part of the Assassin-IV covers any parts of the RAM slots, and yet at the same time its about the same overall size as a D-15.

 

Ill update OP with why this is an exiting concept and design

 

@GuiltySpark_ Would you say the OP update describes the cooler well enough?

 

[RevGAM]

1 hour ago, WallacEngineering said:

 

Well Im mostly exited for the fact that the pull + pull design that incorporates a high-flow, high-static pressure 140mm fan in the middle that pulls through a thinner section of heatsink then pushes through the thicker section of a heatsink to a medium-flow, extreme-static pressure 120mm fan at the back.

 

What this means is the engineering principles of this design are 100% sound. As long as you have unrestricted intake fans on your case, you don't need the push + push configuration that most large air towers use, and this means you end up with maximum performance while ALSO allowing full 100% RAM Clearance.

 

When mounted, no part of the Assassin-IV covers any parts of the RAM slots, and yet at the same time its about the same overall size as a D-15.

 

Ill update OP with why this is an exiting concept and design

 

@GuiltySpark_ Would you say the OP update describes the cooler well enough?

 

Could you explain why pull-pull is better?

[WallacEngineering]

2 hours ago, RevGAM said:

Could you explain why pull-pull is better?

Well technically Push+Push is better for the absolute best cooling performance, however the difference on most coolers if you switch the fans around to pull-pull (D-15 for example) is only 1-2°C warmer so long as that first fan is supplied with fresh air and your case intake fans are not restricted.

 

This is because of Air Speed. If a fan can grab the air BEFORE it hits any obstacles, with no restrictions in place that fan will be able to move that air at absolute maximum speed. Inversely, pulling air through a heatsink BEFORE the air get to the fan causes the airflow to slow down. This is why push+push performs ever so slightly better than pull-pull in general. This specific difference is what the Assassin-IV is supposed to overcome with its engineering and design. By tunneling the air through a specific area and not allowing the air to escape, this DOES increase air speed. Its a fundamental LAW of fluid dynamics (air is considered a fluid in scientific studies).

 

DeepCool aims to nullify even that small gap in performance with the shroud around the heatsink fins. An inefficiency that has ALWAYS existed with all twin-tower air coolers is that as the front fan pushes the air through the first fin stack, a lot of that air escapes out of the sides, which drops cooling efficiency a bit.

 

So with the shroud and the fact that the air is funneled through a larger 140mm fan to a smaller 120mm fan (funnel effect in action), DeepCool claims that the Assassin-IV can make up the small cooling performance loss from moving to pull+pull configuration and return to the same amount of performance as if the cooler used a classic push+push design. Again assuming your case intake fans are unrestricted and can deliver an ample amount of fresh air to the cooler area.

 

The result is an extremely clean aesthetic thanks to the shroud concealing the fin stacks, performance on par to push+push configuration thanks to the shroud and general engineering decisions, and all while offering 100% RAM height clearance.

 

One of the biggest downsides to classic large push+push Twin-Tower designs like the Noctua D-15 is that the front fan overhangs the RAM slots, meaning you either have to remove the front fan effectively converting it into a D-15S or you have to buy low-profile RAM that usually eliminates RGB and also tends to run a bit hotter thanks to being tucked underneath the front fan where no airflow goes.

 

So while push+push is technically slightly better in terms of CPU temps, with large coolers that overhand your RAM slots, RAM temps tend to be worse and your choices of RAM sticks are limited. The Assassin-IV aims to allow for use of any kind of RAM like a water cooler does, but while allowing you to use air cooling that is hopefully on par or better than the D-15.

 

We will just have to wait for reviews to confirm cooling performance, but the engineering ideas are definitely 100% sound and everything they have done with this design makes perfect sense technically speaking. The performance won't be bad, thats for sure. What we wait to see is if it can actually defeat the D-15. The higher RPM and higher static pressure fans VS the D-15 will certainly help their chances in a big way.

[WallacEngineering]

@RevGAM @GuiltySpark_ @freeagent

 

If the Assassin-IV can best the D-15, it will effectively be a nail in the D-15's coffin.

 

The Noctua D-15 actually has several issues due to its age. While still a fantastic cooler overall, the cold plate was designed a decade ago and is no longer optimized for tiny compute dies that focus a vast majority of their heat in a single area on the IHS. Noctua actually plans to release a new version of the D-15 updating the design by the end of 2023 because of this.

 

If the Assassin-IV can cool equal to or better than the existing D-15 design while offering cleaner asthetics and full 100% RAM compatibility all while being about the same price (projected pricing is nearly identical to D-15 Chromax Black), then there is simply no reason to buy a D-15 anymore, and we will have to wait to see what the 2023 D-15 update brings to the table.

[RevGAM]

8 minutes ago, WallacEngineering said:

@RevGAM @GuiltySpark_ @freeagent

 

If the Assassin-IV can best the D-15, it will effectively be a nail in the D-15's coffin.

 

The Noctua D-15 actually has several issues due to its age. While still a fantastic cooler overall, the cold plate was designed a decade ago and is no longer optimized for tiny compute dies that focus a vast majority of their heat in a single area on the IHS. Noctua actually plans to release a new version of the D-15 updating the design by the end of 2023 because of this.

 

If the Assassin-IV can cool equal to or better than the existing D-15 design while offering cleaner asthetics and full 100% RAM compatibility all while being about the same price (projected pricing is nearly identical to D-15 Chromax Black), then there is simply no reason to buy a D-15 anymore, and we will have to wait to see what the 2023 D-15 update brings to the table.

Thank you for the detailed explanation. The overhang issue was why I got the U12A. My config eliminated a lot of other coolers, and the summers plus no AC eliminated most others. 

 

I don't think the D15 will be killed, but it will definitely be dethroned.

[filpo]

45 minutes ago, RevGAM said:

I don't think the D15 will be killed

Since noctua's seen in the pc world as a good company for their coolers and fans, people will continue to buy them. But less due to all the good competition their getting (not good for them, just good products in general). 

Example: The Thermalright PA120 was a big ripple in the pond of cpu coolers. The ak620 was also one but not as big as the PA120

[GuiltySpark_]

Frankly I don't care what it beats or doesn't beat. I'll cool well enough.. I just think it looks cool. 

[WallacEngineering]

1 hour ago, GuiltySpark_ said:

Frankly I don't care what it beats or doesn't beat. I'll cool well enough.. I just think it looks cool. 

 

Im happy as long as it gets pretty damn close to the D-15.

 

All this engineering and the price HAS to mean something. Because honestly, the D-15 in Chromax Black already looks pretty good (although the Assassin-IV is probably the best looking air cooler to ever be made).

 

One of the biggest bonuses for me is to be able to run my Trident Z RAM with no clearance issues.

 

But if the price is going to be the same as the D-15, then it can NOT loose to the decade-old design or it will just be a joke and I won't buy it.

 

Especially considering DeepCool kicked so much ass with the AK620, there is absolutely NO EXCUSE if the performance is sub-par, especially considering the price point.

[GuiltySpark_]

5 minutes ago, WallacEngineering said:

One of the biggest bonuses for me is to be able to run my Trident Z RAM with no clearance issues.

Luckily my Trident Z5 stuff just fits under AK620.

 

 

[freeagent]

4 hours ago, WallacEngineering said:

If the Assassin-IV can best the D-15, it will effectively be a nail in the D-15's coffin.

I have no doubts that it will beat a D15. It isn't hard to do at all these days. D15 lost rank back in 2016.