The DeepCool LS520 SE is 240mm AIO liquid cooler. It features aluminium radiator, ARGB fans and CPU block. LS520 SE released in 2023 and is priced at €99 / $109.
SPECIFICATIONS
| MODEL | LS520 SE |
| COMPATIBILITY | Intel: LGA115X/1200/1700 AMD: AM4/AM5 |
| DIMENSIONS | 282×120×27mm (L×W×H) |
| RADIATOR MATERIAL | Aluminum |
| TUBE LENGTH | 410mm |
| PUMP DIMENSIONS | 85×73×55mm (L×W×H) |
| PUMP SPEED | 3100 RPM±10% |
| PUMP NOISE | 19 dB(A) |
| PUMP CONNECTOR | 3-pin |
| PUMP POWERDRAW | 4.56W |
| FAN DIMENSIONS | 120×120×25mm (L×W×H) |
| FAN SPEED | 500~2250 RPM±10% |
| FAN AIRFLOW | 85.85 CFM |
| FAN AIR PRESSURE | 3.27 mmAq |
| FAN NOISE | ≤32.9 dB(A) |
BOX CONTENTS
Included in box: LS520 SE AIO, 2x 120x25mm ARGB fans, 2x low noise adapters, 1x fan extension cable, mounting brackets for Intel/AMD and user manuals.
FANS
The included ARGB fans measure 25.4mm including anti-vibration pads. We didn’t encounter any high frequency buzzing or motor noise during testing. The fans operate around 35dB(A) at 50%, 42dB(A) at 75% and 47dB(A) at 100% fan speed. Noise levels were recorded at distance of 50cm from open testbench. The included fans may be perceived as loud on default motherboard fan curves. We’d recommend locking the max fan speed between 40~60% or use the included low-noise adapters. Fan PWM cables lengths are roughly 28cm in length and offer reasonably tidy routing with the included 50cm long dual 4pin PWM extension cable.
CPU BLOCK
The CPU pump block is 55mm tall and features an infinity ARGB mirror. The pump noise is audible at very close distances, or very quiet environments. This isn’t however distracting, or high pitch at 100% speed. The pump is controlled by 25cm long 3pin voltage controlled fan cable/header.
RADIATOR & TUBING
The radiator features aluminium fins and measures 27.5mm at its thickest point. Not alot else to say really… The LS520 SE uses 12mm diameter soft sleeved tubing, with total length of 410mm.
MOUNTING
Included is an effective and straightforward mounting solution. The pump block can be mounted in any orientation on both Intel and AMD platforms, granted the motherboard has keepout space available for tubing.
TESTING
Testing is carried out on BC1 Mini v2 (open testbench), using the following hardware, in 20°C ambient room temperature. We noise normalised the fan speeds to 35dB(A) at distance of 50cm. This helps eliminate brute force cooling from higher RPM fans.
| CASE | BC1 Mini v2 (Open Testbench) |
| MOTHERBOARD | Rog Strix B650E-I Gaming WiFi (paid link) |
| CPU | R7 7800X3D (paid links) |
| CPU COOLER | DeepCool LS520 SE (paid link) |
| PSU | Extreme 850R (paid link) |
| RAM | 32GB Gskill DDR5, 6000MHz, CL30 (paid link) |
BENCHMARKS
We run Cinebench R23 multicore (stability test), for period of 30 minutes. This provides worse case scenario for a given CPU. CPU coolers are typically tested across range of CPU’s for data validation and to reduce risk of errors in testing. This also helps account for variables between CPU platforms.
CONCLUSIONS
| LIKED | DISLIKED |
| Thermal Performance | Only available with RGB, and no ARGB extension cable included. |
| CPU block can be mounted in in any orientation. | No PWM pump control, unable to control pump speed (under further review) |
| 55mm tall CPU block. | Loud fans above 70% fan speed. |
Thermal performance is good and about where you’d expect for decent 240mm AIO. The included pump block is relatively low profile at 55mm for today’s standards. This offers improved compatibility with small ITX cases. Pump noise is thankfully tolerable, since it offers no PWM speed control. The radiator tubing is on longer side, which is both positive and negative, depending on the use case. Like most PC components these days, everything must be plastered with RGB. Both fans and CPU block use same ARGB cable length/structure. This means individual ARGB cables have to be routed to the CPU block separately and leaves a birds nest of cables/headers around the CPU block (not everyone uses ARGB hubs or wants to. The included fans are adequate and get the job done, but are on louder side of fans we’ve tested. Overall, the LS520 SE is solid performer and a go to choice for ITX systems.