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Performance
Thermal Performance: 100% fan/pump RPM
In terms of raw thermal performance with the pump and fan speed running at maximum RPM, the Deepcool Castle 280EX performs very well. It produces similar thermal performance to other closed-loop coolers of its size and offers a slight improvement in performance over its smaller brother, the Castle 240EX. Even with the Intel Core i9-9900KS running at an all-core frequency of 5.1 GHz, the Castle 280EX shows it is capable of handling the heat output of a high-end overclocked CPU.
Thermal Performance: Noise normalised (40dBA)
During our noise normalised test with the Intel Core i9-9900KS configured to an all-core frequency of 4.7 GHz, again the Castle 280EX performs admirably, just a couple of degrees Celsius behind the 360mm NZXT Kraken X73 which is quite impressive since this is smaller and a much cheaper AIO.
Acoustic Performance: Maximum noise levels
In our maximum noise level test, the Deepcool Castle 280EX sits more or less in the middle of the chart. The 46.6dBA noise output is noticeable but not too distracting and is considerably quieter than the Castle 240EX with 120mm fans. If you are not too worried about maximum noise levels then the Castle 280EX could be a worthy contender for your next build.
