Installation …
The Assassin IV is compatible with all common CPU sockets from Intel and AMD. These include, for example, the LGA 1700, 1200 and 1150 sockets and, for AMD, the AM4 and AM5 sockets, to name the most interesting representatives. In the following, we show an example of how to install the cooler on an AMD AM5 system. For the exact details, please refer to Deepcool’s very well-described installation instructions, which are included with the cooler in paper form and are also available online as a PDF file.
First, the two original AMD cooler brackets must be unscrewed from the mainboard and four spacer bolts screwed into the threaded holes of the backplate instead.
The two Deepcool brackets made of black sheet steel are then placed on the spacer bolts and secured with four nuts. The threaded bolts are located on the two brackets, which are then used to attach the cooler.
After applying heat-conducting paste to the CPU already in the socket, the cooler is fitted and screwed tight with the two nuts using the enclosed screwdriver. The middle fan is then inserted into the cooler and the connector is plugged into the mainboard. Finally, the top cover is replaced and the cooler is now ready for use. For the following practical test, we leave the cooler at the maximum power level, as the speed is regulated via the mainboard anyway and further throttling via a resistor, which unnecessarily consumes energy, is not necessary in modern computers. The Deepcool logo, which lights up during operation, can already be seen in the following photo. What is also immediately noticeable is the small distance to the graphics card. Deepcool really hasn’t wasted a millimeter here.
In the end, however, there were no space problems at all in our test setup. Without the optional third fan, there is also no need to worry about possible collisions with the RAM modules, as these are located to the side of the cooler. There were also no problems upwards towards the case fans and in the area of the VRM cooler, so that the external fan of the Assassin IV did not have to be moved upwards. With a height of 164mm, the Assassin IV should also fit into standard midi towers. It fitted into our Fractal North case without any problems.
Of course, we also checked whether the cooler was in proper contact with the CPU and there was nothing to complain about here either. The thermal paste was optimally distributed between the cooler and the processor, as can be seen from the residue on the CPU.
A look at the underside of the cooler also reveals that the contact surface of the cooler was designed to be more than large enough, as the thermal paste did not reach the edge of the cooler base.
DeepCool Assassin IV Test setup and results …