Deepcool GamerStorm GENOME Liquid-Cooled Case Review

Build Process

Installing the system begins the same way as any other enclosure, other than the need to keep the water block/pump assembly out of the way (I had it hanging over the edge of the case while installing the motherboard.

Once the motherboard was in place, installing the water block was the next logical step.

The cooler offers a secure mounting system that felt very solid once in place:

Installation involves a backplate with very nice threaded spacers holding it in place on the CPU side, and then a pair of metal bars support the block over the CPU.

With the cooler installed it was time to add the graphics card, and here builders have a choice between standard horizontal mounting, or vertical installation with the included kit. Naturally, I went with the second option – if it's in the box why not use it?

The kit includes a PCI Express slot card attached to an extension cable, and this card is secured to four standoffs that screw into pre-drilled holes in the case. The entire process only took a couple of minutes, after which my card was front and center (I'm wishing I had a fancier-looking card right about now).

The limitation of this mounting option is card width, as you are pretty close to the side panel with a standard dual-slot card. My XFX Radeon R9 290X DD fit without a problem, but I feel that a stock blower design might be more appropriate here.

As the GENOME is designed as a pre-configured cooling solution, I made no changes to the fans or cooler configuration. This left only the installation of a power supply and storage, and of course routing the needed cables.

Storage options include a pair of sliding SSD mounts behind the motherboard tray, and a 3.5-inch hard drive cage that mounts to the case floor.

Attaching SSDs involves standard screws with each tray, and 3.5-inch hard drives attach with screws to the cage provided (which does offer rubber washers on the mounting holes to prevent excessive vibration).

The power supply installs easily, and routing cable was quite pleasant with the GENOME thanks to a generous amount of room. One last thing needed to be taken care of before the build could be covered, and that is attaching the included fan hub to the interior of the case. This includes a double-sided adhesive strip, and I chose to place it out of view inside the back edge.

This hub allows for easy connection of the three CPU fans on the top-mounted radiator, and I connected the hub to the CPU fan header.

Next we'll take a look at the finished build and see how the GENOME performed!