CES 2016: Deepcool’s Genome is a Water Cooling Equipped Case with a Helix Reservoir

We’ve dealt with closed loop liquid coolers for computer processors for the best part of five years now, and there are users different sides of the fence regarding their utility, ease-of-use or performance. There are chassis being designed with these CLLCs in mind, such that users have enough space to cool multiple CPUs or GPUs with plenty of mounting points. Deepcool, via their brand Gamer Storm, had a case on display designed to fit their specific cooler which aims more towards the aesthetic of the boring black CLLCs we have had up to this point.

The cooler has an additional stage compared to other CLLCs, with a combination waterblock/pump, a triple 120mm radiator and then a helix shaped reservoir. The whole arrangement is designed to fit only in the Genome chassis, with the helix proudly on display on the outside, and the top of the chassis designed to accommodate the radiator.

For example here we have the white Genome chassis with a limited edition ASUS Z97 Mark S motherboard (read our review here) and white Avexir DRAM specifically built for the motherboard. I pointed out to Deepcool that here the CPU block and pipes should be white as well, to which they produced a model with that in mind but it wasn’t ready to be installed. The CPU block/pump has a design which splits them into semi-modular parts that allows Deepcool’s design team to avoid patent issues and produce new models in the future which can be an upgrade of one or the other.

I was told by Deepcool that the block has a variety of mounting mechanisms for all the major sockets, but they are currently working on an updated version to make it easier.

The chassis itself is an ATX case with a special area at the front of the case to give more room for cable routing but also for airflow. There is a bracket that can be removed for super long GPUs, and due to the design SSDs and HDDs are mounted at the bottom with the power supply.

I tell you what, the design is simple and effective. I have seen this sort of helix reservoir before so Deepcool is not unique in this, but the cooler and chassis is designed to be sold as a set in various color combinations yet to be decided. The price at retail for both should be around the $250 mark, which really puts $150-$180 in the triple-radiator cooler (with fans) and $70-$100 in the case.

Gallery: CES 2016: Deepcool’s Genome is a Water Cooling Equipped Case with a Helix Reservoir

CES 2016: Deepcool’s Gamer Storm brand Exhibits Water Cooling for a Power Supply

Typically the water cooling scene in PC building focuses on two main areas – the processor and the graphics card, with memory or the motherboard being a distant third. The process of water cooling allows heat to be removed by a medium (a liquid) that can absorb heat and move away from the source of heat very quickly – the component thus has more efficient cooling, and this can offer a better overclock or lower temperatures. The element not considered that much is efficiency, as cooler components are also more efficient. This was Deepcool’s play, via their high-end Gamer Storm brand, in their unit on show at CES this year.

As it stands, this is wholly a prototype and they were asking for input from both media and customers. The aluminium chassis is a sealed unit, with just inside the top plate being a water cooling block connected to the converters in the power supply. This cooling block is connected via pipes to an external pump and reservoir.

As it stands, the design is not particularly ergonomic and is a self-contained loop which arguably could add $70-$100 to the cost of the unit (even without the aluminium chassis). The aluminium water block is neat, and opening it up shows the water moving around, although we weren’t told if the connection to the converters was copper. Because it is a sealed unit, there are no vents, and the only sound would be the pump in the water cooling loop.

As it stands, this is a little more than a novelty, and few people would use a self-contained loop specifically for a power supply – mostly because of space and the fact that users would prefer a CPU/GPU cooling loop first. Typically the power supply is not the loudest item in the system either. I put it to Deepcool that they need a combination air/water model, and the water cooling part of the power supply is a build-your-own with G1/4” threads such that someone building their own custom loop can simply add it into their own. The cooler power supply makes it more efficient, and the fact that it is air/water means that there can be a fan that kicks in if a pump fails or to supplement the extra. There could be a separate water-only model for their modification team.

Personally I liked the look of the water block, but in my opinion the execution of water cooling is best left as an add-in model for custom loops. No doubt if Deepcool continues this design, we might see something a bit more final over the next few months. We were told that the unit on display was rated at 650W with 80PLUS Gold, and that future versions would be around that mark.

Gallery: CES 2016: Deepcool’s Gamer Storm brand Exhibits Water Cooling… for a Power Supply

CES 2016: be quiet! Doubles Revenue in 2015

One of my first meetings of the week here at CES 2016 is with be quiet!, a German based company that focuses on silent cooling, power supplies, and now cases. We see them every year, and long-time readers may remember our former PSU editor Christoph K…