NZXT have refreshed their Kraken range of all-in-one watercooling loops, offering us the 240mm version to review today. NZXT mention improved synchronization of lighting modes, CAM controlled pump and LED control and easier installation due to the use of 400mm tubes. The cold plate is made of copper, and the lower portion of the housing is made of plastic. On the flip side, if you are OK with the RAM issue, clearance is otherwise sufficient, but again, that can change. The odd alignment leads us to the fact that the top of the head unit now turns 360-degrees! Next come the fans, which in this instance is a pair of Aer P120 fans. With AMD, out of the box, it shows support for only AM4, with a mention of TR4, but the bracket is not in the box. The goal of /r/hardware is a place for quality hardware news, reviews, and … When you put RGB ahead of everything else, this is what you get, a novel and innovative product that flounders at doing its primary job, cooling the CPU! This manual is available in the following languages: Engels, Chinees. While NZXT may not have been the first company to bring AIOs to the masses on a considerable scale, the Kraken series of coolers have made quite a name for itself. It's true, you get what you pay for, but this may put some people off. In my opinion, this is one instance where they needed fewer hands-on this design, or maybe they needed just one more to point out the obvious. However, NZXT is also offering the Z-3 series, which provides a customizable screen in the head unit and a hefty price increase. We can see where there are times the RGB environments do not play well with each other, and companies certainly benefit from creating an exclusive environment to control it. Thoughts on my parts selection for new Intel + NVIDIA-based gaming PC? Just in case the review somehow left any doubt as to the rotatable top portion, compare this to the previous image. In the chart we created from information in the PR we were sent, we start at the head unit. Even with a ton of noise, and all of that high praise in the features and charts, we have a hard time wrapping our head around the fact we only got another degree or so out of this cooler. In this instance, NZXT has done three things that are blatantly obvious once you have the cooler in your hands. The installation is enormously simplified by the original AMD Backplate. 0 reviews-Write a review ₹13,500. The Ryzen 9 3900X is a cracking CPU, allowing you to do pretty much everything on your PC. If the Kraken X53 didn't perform well then there'd be little use for it as a CPU cooler. The back of the box is where NZXT takes the time to drop information on its features. Still, it will also sit at any angle, and it just isn't "locked" by the segmentations. We then see there is better control with CAM for HUE components via a lead controlled by the pump. Overall the radiator is 123mm wide, it is 275mm long, and it is 30mm in thickness. Some love the Kraken series for how NZXT differentiates their style from others like Corsair, and there is the other camp that feels the software needs some love and tends to shy away from the brand. Part of the release of five new AIOs to the market is the Kraken X53 240mm liquid cooler with RGB. We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. X63 ($150). Even if you don't plan on using an NZXT PC case, the Kraken X53 will look smart on most PC builds. First things first, and as per the instructions, we made sure to shift the studs inward for LGA115X installation, line the studs up with the holes, and press the backplate into place. Only the font is a bit small. After a year of gaming, Chad caught the OC bug. Static pressure is also relatively high at 2.93 mmH2O, and the noise levels are shown not to exceed 36 dBA. We removed the plastic cap that protects the base and thermal paste, and we see that there are no signs of debris in the paste, and the copper is clean and free of staining. We find there are just too many problems and a couple of them compound as you try to find a solution to what should work out of the box, and it seems the Kraken X53 cannot do what everyone else, including their previous solutions, did and still do! We openly invite the companies who provide us with review samples / who are mentioned or discussed to express their opinion. No Cost EMI available EMI options Save Extra with 3 offers . Kraken X53 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler with RGB The refreshed Kraken X Series is a must-have for any build, providing better cooling, stunning visual effects, and intuitive installation. The company has an active family of Kraken AIOs split into three series: Z, X, and M. The Z series is the premium line with LCD displays on the CPU blocks and exceptional cooling capacity. 3x 120 mm. By that, we assume they mean the multi-function and USB cables, or on the other side, do not try to hot-plug devices into the X53 either. At 74.5 degrees, the use of PWM and the pursuit of silence in operation has left this AIO in a place where it is tough to justify the expense. They both have high-quality radiators, flexible tubing, and even the same mounting kit. Aside from the amount of static from all of the plastic, and the dust that sticks to it from that, our X53 got to us in perfect shape! X53 ($130)-2x 140 mm. This cooler certainly looks the part but falls a little short in the cooling performance department. These fans, along with the LED lights on the CPU block, are what drive the RGB effects of the AIO cooler. For an Intel CPU mounting an extra backplate is included in the delivery. I would like to receive mail from Future partners. We may earn an affiliate commission. So long as you pair it with one of these motherboards. The tubing that connects the head unit to the radiator is comprised of a pair of 400mm long hoses. There is no mention of how to obtain it, and we assume you would hit up support with proof of purchase to receive it. Even without the previous complaints, we still haven't looked into the encroachment on the memory! Add to Cart. Also, relying on my motherboard to do precisely what NZXT intended the fans to do may not coexist. You'd think that this AIO isn't really up to the task of an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X if you want to overclock it or continuously smash through games and video processing, but it's still a good indicator as to how powerful this CPU AIO cooler is. Ask your question here Graphics card tuning, monitoring, lighting and audio of NZXT’s own hardware/peripherals can be controlled by this software. Looking through the 240mm radiator, we see that Asetek still sticks with the 21-22 FPI density of their radiators. As said on the box, if you plan to use this with a TR4 system, you will need to procure the bracket for that. The thickness of the radiator is 27mm from the top edge to the bottom, and the fins are a bit thinner than that. In this image, we have the sets of standoffs spread out at the top. NZXT uses a pair of RF-AP120-FP fans, whose specifications can be found at the beginning of the review. 771 votes, 198 comments. Insert sad face emoji! The one on the left is the multi-functions 10-pin cable connecting point, and to the right of it is a Micro-USB port, which allows for USB port control over the X53 for CAM. EMI starts at ₹611 per month. This new cooler is compatible with CAM software. There are sixteen total washers so that they can be used on both sides of the radiator, and there were sixteen screws, one dropped on the floor, and was not discovered until after everything was ready to go. We do also have the 360mm version for testing in a later review. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for NZXT Kraken X53 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler with RGB at Amazon.com. First mentioned is the high-performance cooling and stunning RGB. EMI starts at ₹611. The company has an active family of Kraken AIOs split into three series: Z, X, and M. The Z series is the premium line with LCD displays on the CPU blocks and exceptional cooling capacity. It has the smallest radiator, undercutting the X63 by 40mm. As expected, the X53 sees the Ryzen 9 3900X run a little hotter than the X63 and X73. We do not suggest you do this, as 57dB is quite loud, and to get a bit more than a degree for the intrusion is not worth it at all! As we peek over the RAM to see the head unit, there isn't that much to see! The X63 and X73 land with 280mm or 360mm radiators if you need the increased cooling capacity. They both have high-quality radiators, flexible tubing, and even the . NZXT Kraken X72 Review NZXT just super-sized their Kraken series liquid coolers, meet the x72 for cases with 280 mm radiator mounts. Even with a vast gap from the top of the motherboard to where we hung the radiator in the D-Frame, we have more than enough tubing, as our fittings are still pointing downwards, not stress on any of the connections. However, th… The water block, as NZXT calls it, is 80mm in diameter, which is the same as earlier models, as is the 55mm height. All of the bits are protected again with cardboard over the radiator and plastic around everything else. The manual that ships with the X53 are all-inclusive. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a device chassis. As anyone would likely try to install the X53, we found that the head unit is indeed larger, even though the specifications show the same diameter, they did not account for the collar of the fittings! 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