How Much Does it Cost?
There’s no avoiding the issue here, they’re not cheap. I had the most affordable one, the Kraken X53 which costs $129.99. For that, you get a fantastic looking AIO, a 240mm radiator and that trick RGB infinity mirror. However, from there, the prices shoot up exponentially. Take the Z63 which Andy had in the video review, that’s $249.99, and as far as we can tell, that’s another $100 for that cool display in the pump. I mean, it’s awesome, but $100 awesome? that’s for your wallet to decide. The even bigger Kraken Z73 is $279.99.
Overview
As I said before, I’ve really fallen behind in my experience with AIO coolers. We used to use them on all of our test benches, but it became a chore when swapping motherboards and CPUs so we switched to air coolers. Using the new Kraken rekindled my hate for them if I’m brutally honest. I still think that there are just too many cables to the pump, and they’re a pain in the butt to route cleanly away from the pump, while avoiding conflicts with the RAM and VRM. However, my issues are not the same as those of your typical consumer, as you’ll install it likely just the once and leave it, so perhaps I’m just old and bitter about something that isn’t a big issue to you.
Build Quality
It’s built by Asetek, and let’s be fair, they’ve built millions and millions of coolers. They know what they’re doing, and this being their 7th Gen pump design, it’s their quietest, most efficient and coolest to date. The pump housing seems a little large to me, but given it needs to support some of the larger CPUs on the market today, that’s not that surprising. Plus, it allows for that fantastic infinity mirror design on the top. It’s a bit different, and it is sure to look great at the heart of your motherboard.
The radiator is well designed, albeit no big surprises with it. 240mm copper and aluminium design, it’ll more than get the job done. Plus, the tightly braided tubing look superb. However, it is their AER fans that get the most praise from me. They’re some of my favourite fans on the market, with great airflow, low noise and the look superb too.
Performance
The performance difference between the model I had, the NZXT Kraken X53, and the one Andy had, the Kraken Z63, was quite surprising. Clearly his was better, but wowzers, was it more expensive! For the price though, I think this one is very competitive and while at full load, it kept up with the Noctua flagship. However, at idle and gaming loads, there was a clear advantage to the X53 performance.
