Layout, design and features …
The following 360° panoramic view shows the Assassin IV in full detail.
When we first look at the Assassin IV, we can’t help but grin discreetly. The workmanship of the dual tower cooler is excellent and Deepcool has obviously put a lot of effort into the design. The Assassin IV has no jagged contours or awkward yet wobbly mounted fans. All parts fit tightly and the casing looks as if it has been cast from a single mold. Only one of the two fans is even visible, as only the cooling fins can be seen on the intake side. These were not provided with straight edges to optimize the flow, which reduces noise development. They also have a black coating, which creates a nice contrast with the slightly lighter plastic housing and leaves a pleasing overall impression.
The middle section is covered with perforated steel grids, the upper part of which has small notches to make it easy to remove with your fingers. Magnets of just the right strength hold the lid perfectly in place. In terms of color and geometry, the external steel parts and plastic parts have been perfectly coordinated so that everything looks like one unit.
On the exhaust air side, the 120mm fan from Deepcool has a reversed design, i.e. with the hub on the exhaust side. This design trick clearly contributes to the elegant overall impression of the Assassin IV.
The illuminated Deepcool logo is located on the top left and the small selector switch for the two power levels is on the right. 4 points mean full power, 2 points stand for silent mode with reduced maximum fan speed.
The magnetically fixed upper cover grille can be easily lifted upwards, giving access to the inner 140 mm fan, which must be removed to install the cooler. Fortunately, this can be done without the aid of a screwdriver, as the fan is held in place by 2 spring-loaded steel clamps. Using 2 fingers, you press the two brackets slightly inwards and can pull the fan out straight away.
In the now free center, you can again see the flow-optimized edges of the cooling fins and the fastening nuts of the radiator, which look like screws, are now accessible from above.
All visible surfaces on the underside have also been coated in black, apart from the tiny springs and lock washers – Deepcool has literally done a great job here. The seven heatpipes lie close together at the bottom and distribute the heat evenly upwards to the two cooling towers. In order to generate the highest possible cooling performance, even the underside has been covered with an elaborately cut-out plate so that as little air as possible leaves the cooler prematurely. It also connects the remaining housing parts to each other.
For the base plate of the Assassin IV, Deepcool has opted for a solid copper plate, which distributes the heat to the 7 heatpipes. For the best possible compatibility with all thermally conductive pastes and for corrosion protection, it has even been nickel-plated. Moreover, we have rarely seen such a perfect surface quality in the past. Deepcool ensures compatibility with the various AMD and Intel sockets via various spacer bolts and adapter plates, which are included in the scope of delivery and must be fitted to the mainboard.
If the mainboard has higher VRM coolers than usual, the rear fan of the Assassin IV can even be mounted one step higher to ensure maximum compatibility. To be on the safe side, however, you should always check the manufacturer’s compatibility lists before buying a cooler, as any known incompatibilities are listed there, and it is also best to take another look at the Interactive Fit for Fan guide.
The rear fan can also be removed with a little tug and, fortunately, a closer look reveals that there is a standard-sized fan in the frame. If the fan should ever fail, it could quickly be replaced with a standard fan. Normally, however, fan defects are very rare with well-known manufacturers.
The nine-bladed 140mm fan, which is located between the two cooling towers, does not quite correspond to the standard shape, but in an emergency, a standard fan could be brought into the required shape with a little skill if a replacement is needed quickly. It is slightly more powerful than the outer fan and is fitted with rubber dampers at the lower end. Both fans of the Assassin IV are mounted on liquid bearings, which can be expected to ensure smooth running.
In order to avoid unnecessarily occupying too many fan connections on the mainboard, the connectors for the two fans were combined with Y-distributors to form a single 4-pin connector and the LED for the illuminated Deepcool logo is also fed via this. Behind the fabric tube near the connector are resistors for the two power levels and the LED.
DeepCool Assassin IV Installation …