DeepCool's Assassin IV WH Review: DeepCool's Best Air Cooler, Now Available in White

• One of the strongest air coolers on the market
• Low Noise Mode offers strong performance
• Now available in White

Cooling enthusiasts are well familiar with DeepCool, whose previous products like the AK620 air cooler and the LT720 360mm AIO liquid cooler have pushed the bar for both value and total performance. Earlier this summer we reviewed the AK500 Digital, a rather unique air cooler from DeepCool that features a one of a kind LCD Display that showcases both CPU temperature and utilization statistics.

With today's review we'll be looking at DeepCool's best air cooler, the Assassin IV. It was originally launched this summer, and like the Model T Ford it was available in any color you wanted - as long as that color was black. DeepCool recently launched a white version of the Assassin IV, which we've tested on AMD's Ryzen 7700X and Intel's i7-13700K to see just how much this cooler can handle! 

Features of DeepCool's Assassin IV WH

• All White Design

Every part of the Assassin IV's heatsink and mounting are white. Depending on your preferences, you might like it better (or worse) compared to the original model.

• Seven Copper Heatpipes

The Assassin IV WH features 7 Copper heatpipes to transfer heat away from the CPU and into the heatsink's fins.

• Dual Tower, Cube Design

While you wouldn't notice it from the outside, as it looks like one solid cube, the Assassin IV radiates heat using two heatsink towers. Some users say it reminds them of a Borg cube from Star Trek.

• Checkerboard Matrix and Jigsaw Fin Design

Like most of DeepCool's recent air coolers, the Assassin IV WH features a checkerboard matrix designed to increase total static air pressure.

Only the rear heatsink utilizes the checkerboard design - the front end and inner ends utilize a jigsaw fin design.

• Full RAM compatibility and clearance

While spacing is tight, DeepCool's Assassin IV doesn't overhang RAM in any way in it's default configuration, meaning that you won't need to worry about any compatibility issues. However, if you choose to install an optional 3rd fan you'll need to limit your RAM to ~42mm.

• Low Noise Toggle

Many prefer to have their fans run quietly - DeepCool recognized that, and incorporated a low noise toggle switch into the Assassin IV. As you'll see in the benchmarks below, very little performance is lost when using the low noise mode.

•  1x 120mm, 1x 140mm fan for Vortex Effect

The fans included with a cooler can be just as important as the heatsink, and have a direct impact on performance and noise levels. Like many of the latest high end air coolers, DeepCool utilized mixed sizes of fans for a vortex effect which is said to increase air pressure. They include one 120mm and one 140mm fan of their latest models. Users who want every bit of cooling power possible can use the included frame to install an optional 3rd fan.

These fans also incorporate helpful arrows indicating the direction they should be installed.

Packing and Included Contents

The Assassin IV WH is packaged with cardboard, plastic, and molded foam for the protection of the product.

The contents included are shown in the picture below. Everything you need to install the cooler on both Intel and AMD platforms is included. Of particular note is the inclusion of a full size tube of thermal paste and the screwdriver with an anti-slip grip.

Installation

The installation of this cooler is similar for both Intel and AMD platforms, the primary difference being that you start by removing the default retention mechanism on Ryzen. The first step of installation is to screw in the standoffs - Intel users will need to press the included backplate against the motherboard while doing this. One thing worth pointing out is that even the lining of the standoffs are white, fitting the theme of the Assassin IV WH - showing DeepCool's attention to details, however small. Afterwards, attach the mounting bars and secure them with the included thumbscrews. Once the mounting bars have been secured, you'll mount the heatsink and use a screwdriver to secure the cooler against the mounting bars. You'll need to remove the top cover and the middle fan in order to do this. Re-attach the middle fan and replace the top cover, then connect the PWM cables to the motherboard and the installation is complete! One thing to note: If you're using a tall NVMe heatsink on the m.2 slot next to your CPU, it may not be compatible with this air cooler installed and you may need to move it to another m.2 slot. This is particularly an issue on some SFF motherboards, like the Gigabyte Z690 Aurous Pro motherboard which has a built in NVMe heatsink which is too tall to be used with this cooler.

Test Platform Configuration and Testing Methodology

AMD Platform

Intel Platform

I've tested the Assassin IV WH paired with AMD's Ryzen 7 7700X CPU and Intel's i7-13700K to show how this cooler performs on both AMD and Intel systems. Each system is tested with a full wattage workload and full fan speeds and at noise normalized settings. Two power restricted tests are also performed, with noise levels tested while tied to the default fan curve of the motherboard. Observant readers may notice that the noise graphs start at 35 instead of zero. This is because my sound meter cannot measure sound levels lower than 35 dBA. This makes it the "zero" for testing purposes. For those concerned that this might distort results - there's no worry. If anything, the graphs above will minimize the differences in noise levels because dBA measurements are logarithmic. For a  detailed explanation of how decibel measurements correspond to perceived noise levels, please check out the video below from BeQuiet! which makes it easy to visualize and understand the true impact of of increasing dBA levels.

Ryzen 7 7700X Thermal and Noise Benchmarks

Noise Normalized Results

Performance scales by an extremely limited amount with stronger coolers on AMD's Ryzen 7 7700X, which means there isn't much of a benefit to running fans at full speed. The results here are normalized to 36.4 dBA, an almost silent noise level. Cooling an average of 125W while virtually silent is extremely impressive, tied with DeepCool's own 360mm AIO for the best results we have thus far. Keep in mind the 7700X is a less power hungry CPU, so comparison results might be different with more power hungry CPUs (like the Intel i7-13700K, which you can find results later below in this article)

Maximum Cooling Performance at Default Power Limits

With the stock power limits of AMD's Ryzen 7 7700X, most coolers will cause the CPU to reach it's TJMax of 95C. In this configuration, we'll be evaluating the cooler by how many watts are dissipated by the cooler and the noise levels it produces at full speed.   DeepCool continues to deliver chart topping performance, cooling 130W - just a hair better than Noctua's NH-D15S. With the testing on AMD's Ryzen 7 7700X, I only tested this unit in the full speed mode. I have included benchmarks of both the low noise and full speed modes in the i7-13700K results which are shown below.

Maximum Noise Levels

When it comes to noise levels, the Assassin IV offers a tolerable maximum volume is equivalent to Noctua's NH-D15S. Most users won't mind this level of noise.

95W Thermals and Acoustics

It's important to test a cooler under a variety of power limits, because most workloads won't push the CPU to use it's full power budget. Cooling difficulty decreases dramatically with lower power workloads and how loud the cooler operates in these situations is more important.

As with our previous thermal results, the Assassin IV continues to top the charts, outperforming Noctua's NH-D15S by 4 degrees! It maintains this level of performance with noise levels of 39.1 dBA, one of the quietest results we've observed thus far.

75W Thermals and Acoustics

Workloads like gaming tend to use around 75 watts, so this test will represent the sort of noise levels and temperatures you'll encounter while gaming on Ryzen 7 7700X. This is a fairly easy thermal test, and even the weakest of coolers should handle it without problem.

While I show thermal results here in the graph above, they're not very important. Acoustics and noise levels are much more important, no matter what cooler you're planning on using. Really, all of the results above are good enough and even the worst result isn't any cause for concern. In this low intensity scenario, DeepCool's Assassin IV is tied for 2nd place for the lowest noise levels recorded in this scenario. At 36.4 dBA, very few users will notice the noise levels recorded here.

Intel i7-13700K Cooling and Acoustic Results

Maximum Cooling Power

We wanted to see how DeepCool's cooler performed on both AMD and Intel systems, so we also tested it on Intel's i7-13700K. When the fans are run at full speeds, the Assassin IV performs just a bit better than Noctua's NH-D15S with 236W cooled during the course of testing. Turning on the low noise mode reduces performance to just below that of the NH-D15S, bringing the average down to 228W.

Maximum Noise Levels

Performance is only one part of the picture, noise levels are equally important - and here the Assassin IV does well! When the low noise mode is enabled, DeepCool's Assassin IV only measured at 38.9 dBA. Full speed mode offers noise levels comparable to Noctua's NH-D15S at 43.4 dBA.

Noise Normalized Performance

With Ryzen our noise normalized results are set to a near silent 36.4 dBA, but with our Intel system we've set the fans just a bit louder at a moderately audible 38.2 dBA - this is still a fairly quiet level, and most users won't be bothered by it. The Assassin IV cooled 222W during the course of testing here, matching Cooler Master's 240L Core AIO and outperforming Noctua's NH-D15S by 4W.

175W Results

I mentioned earlier that in most results users won't notice a lick of difference between the low noise mode and full speed modes - and this result is the best example of that. While pushing 175W through the CPU, there's only a single degree of difference in the thermal results while reducing noise levels by a seriously significant 5dBA! Even if you reduce the cooler's volume by enabling the low noise toggle, the Assassin IV still remains one of the best air coolers on the market.

125W Results

125W is the lowest level of power I test, and it's similar to what users will consume with this CPU in demanding games. While I've tested and show thermal results, they're really not a concern because even Intel's stock cooler will keep the CPU cool enough in a workload like this. That being said, the Assassin IV's thermal performance was excellent, tied for the best results I've seen from any air cooler. Noise levels, that's what matters in low intensity workload like this. At 37.3 dBA, the Assassin IV tied for the most silent results I have recorded here - equal to the minimum noise levels the system fans create.

Conclusion

DeepCool's Assassin IV is amongst the best air coolers on the market, delivering chart topping performance in a unique form factor. Most users will appreciate the low noise toggle, which reduces volume levels significantly without any major impact to cooling performance. If you're interested in DeepCool's Assassin IV WH, it's currently available on Amazon for $99.99 USD. The black model is also available for the same price.

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