Reviewed: Deep Cool Gabriel CPU Cooler

Size / Clearance

If using low profile RAM (duh) the Gabriel has clearance and size covered – it’s a low and compact unit that doesn’t block anything and looked small on anything bigger than a Mini ITX motherboard. The 1st PCIE slot is also easily accessible with plenty of space – this is important when you want to reach the PCIE board ejection lever at the back of the slot on a PCIE 8x/16.

Acoustics

It isn’t silent as such but inside a case fitted to a CPU that isn’t overclocked it will be quiet enough for the vast majority of people – I’m a quiet freak and it would be alright for me under those conditions. For the record, the Intel Fan made a lot more noise than the Gabriel in PWM mode but the Noctua NH-L9i was also barely audible despite running at almost twice the speed in our “Stock” load tests.

Thermal Performance

I’d like to have seen a better performance against the Noctua NH-L9i for the size difference and I also expected it to do better than it did in comparison to the Intel cooler.  That said, the Gabriel is a very capable cooler for a locked i3/i5 in a HTPC or small form factor workstation and an adequate low profile cooler in a high end Mini ITX gaming rig.

Value

The RRP of $49 places the Gabriel in the middle of the range as far as low profile 120mm coolers go. The NH-L9i is $6 more expensive in this regard.

Final Thoughts

The Gabriel’s strengths are its ability to fit every board we tested it on and the fact that it should fit in most small cases. The low profile fan makes the total height only 60mm whilst still giving you a 120mm fan. The unit couldn’t be much easier to attach and the colour scheme is relatively plain so it shouldn’t clash with most builds. Overall, I liked the potential of this cooler but felt that they cut a corner or two too many to get the price right. I never expected it to be an awesome overclocking cooler but I did expect better from the stock CPU load results.

On the flip side, the Gabriel also feel s a little immature in that there are some areas that could be improved to make this product even better and I really hope that Deep Cool invest in improving it for version 2.

Bottom line, the Gabriel kept our high end i5-4670K CPU at a sensible temperature whilst remaining barely audible and although the synthetic tests didn’t see it shine, the real world tests showed that it delivers on its promises. If you need something with a height of 60mm for a small project, it’s worth a look.

 

  Deep Cool
Gamer Storm Gabriel Low Profile CPU Cooler
   1b6d22171d424a74a899f291823bc335

PROS

Quiet in general use
The price is reasonable
Installation is quick and easy
Fit on the MSI Z97I Gaming AC board without blocking the PCIE slot or fouling the chokes.
clear instructions and mounting options for those looking to repurpose an older platform for a HTPC

CONS

Not as good as we’d hoped thermally
A little fiddly to install – the fan clips are tedious and the fan cable is too long.
Can’t easily swap out the fan for aesthetics
Awards  

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