Closed Loop AIO Liquid Coolers: 14-way Mega Roundup Review
by E. Fylladitakis on February 12, 2014 7:00 AM ESTNZXT
NZXT is another company that recently decided to jump on the AIO cooling bandwagon and they did so a little bit furiously. Instead of releasing a wide selection of products, NZXT released only two coolers, both meant for 140mm fans alone, clearly aiming for the high-performance segments of the AIO coolers market. They supplied us with both of their AIO coolers for this review.
NZXT Kraken X40
We received the Kraken X40 in a well-designed, white box with plenty of information about the product printed on its back and sides. Inside the box, the cooler is protected by cardboard packaging and nylon bags. The bundle of the Kraken X40 comes well presented, with the mounting hardware categorized into separate nylon bags. All of the mounting hardware and brackets are black. There also is a leaflet with installation instructions and a CD with the Kraken Control software, a rather simple piece of software that can be used to control the speed of the pump, fans, and the lighting of the CPU block. A single 140mm fan with a black frame and white blades is supplied with the X40. The fan has a very wide speed range of 800 to 2000 RPM and a fluid bearing for high performance and reliability.
Aesthetically, the Kraken X40 is hardly any different from most other Asetek designs. NZXT went with the normal thickness (27mm) on a 140mm wide radiator, most likely to ensure the compatibility of the cooler with most of their cases. The radiator follows the standard design of every other Asetek-made AIO cooler to this date, with wavy aluminum heat dissipation fins soldered on to the liquid pass-through channels. Unfortunately, fin deformations and imperfections are once again common. NZXT is using black, kink resistant tubing made of hard, smooth rubber. It is noteworthy to mention that the Kraken X40 has 16" (40cm) long tubing, which is about 4" (10cm) longer than that in most other kits.
The circular block-pump assembly does look like the standard Asetek designs, such as the ones of the Corsair H90/H110 kits, yet there is more to it than first meets the eye. There are many wires coming in and out of the block; one is a 3-pin header for power, one is for the USB interface, and the third is for the connection of up to two fans. If the fans are to be controlled via NZXT's Kraken Control software, they need to be connected to the block. NZXT is confident that all of these can be powered via a single 3-pin fan header. At the top of the block, covered by a sticker that is a pain to remove, a circular ring with NZXT's logo on the side can be seen. There is not one but several LED lights beneath it, allowing full control of its lighting color via the supplied software. It is also possible to adjust the color according to the temperature. However, the pump will not light up until it receives a command from the software, so do not get concerned if there is no lighting when you first start up your system.
NZXT Kraken X60
The Kraken X60 essentially is the bigger brother of the X40. It comes supplied in a similarly designed cardboard box, just a little bit larger and with thicker packaging material inside. The bundle is virtually identical, with the same black mounting hardware and a similar manual with installation instructions. However, two 140mm fans are now supplied with the cooler, the same 140mm fans with the black frame and white blades as the one supplied with the X40.
Essentially, the Kraken X60 is both technically and visually identical to the X40, with the exception of the radiator, which is twice as long. The 280mm long radiator can now support up to four 140mm fans, with two supplied by NZXT. Other than that, it has the exact same width and thickness as the radiator of the X40, as well as the same issues with the quality of the heat dissipation fins.
The block-pump assembly is very similar to that of the X40 as well, featuring the same circular design and the same multi-color LED lighting. There are differences on the wiring though, as the assembly now requires power from a SATA connector and can be used to control up to four fans. It appears that the pump is still being powered by the 3-pin header, allowing the control of its speed by the motherboard, with the SATA connector reserved for powering the USB interface and the fans. Thermal compound has been pre-applied on the copper base of the cooler, which is machined to a nearly perfect finish.
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jmke - Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - link
as with everything, the noise scale and extreme focus of SPCR does give a slightly twisted view.none of these AIO would qualify as silent, anything above 30dBA would be loud for him; his kitchen is <30dBA... ;-)
EnzoFX - Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - link
>30DB is loud lol. At least audible to anyone I would say, so can't we at least say it's not silent? Furthermore he'd provide at least a vast array of reference points, where Anandtech is severely lacking when it comes to cooling/cases/etc.E.Fyll - Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - link
Definitely not loud and not even audible to most. 30 dB(A) is the lowermost threshold that the vast majority of sound level meters can take a reading from. I have provided a thorough explanation about this down below in the comments. I personally consider any test that I have seen stating that they got a valid reading below 30 dB(A) with sub - $30k equipment to be rubbish.Jon-R - Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - link
So you're saying that the tests over at SilentPCReview are rubbish? What sound measurement equipment did you use? I couldn't find a mention of it.JlHADJOE - Thursday, February 13, 2014 - link
30 dB is very quiet far as background noise goes.Whisper Quiet Library at 6' 30dB
Sauce: http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.h...
JlHADJOE - Friday, February 14, 2014 - link
It's not so much that their tests are rubbish, just unrealistic.SilentPC tests in an anechoic chamber, so the noise floor when they test is near zero. Compared to that, an increase to 30dBA is very loud. But in a real-world environment, 30dBA is whisper quiet.
I do agree though that use of the anechoic chamber keeps their tests consistent and repeatable. Just not necessarily representative of what a case will actually sound like in a real room.
YazX_ - Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - link
Thx for this thorough review, i have corsair H100i, its awesome AIO cooler, but the fans are piece of shit and very noisy, i replaced them with Bitfenix LED ones, although they operate at 1800 RPM, but i never had to see them operate on that speed, my CPU is OCed to 4.5Ghz and max temp is 65, so they work 50% most of the time and pretty silent.AshyPistachios - Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - link
This ended up comparing fans more than it did rads/pumps. I would like to see a test scenario where identical fans are used on each rad. The current testing methodology does test the complete package, but people seeking silent setups tend to swap all of the fans anywayMrSpadge - Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - link
Agreed - comparing performance doesn't mean much with such different fan noise levels. You could use some high pressure fans for all systems, for example.And I couldn't care less if a stock fan runs at 7 V or what ever. What I do care about is the noise. In practice I set my rigs up for the best cooling I can get at subjectively low noise level (they're running 24/7 under load). So pick any reasonably quiet noise level, set the fans to whatever speed is required to get there and then compare performance (note: this is even more meaningful if you use similar fans). With PWM you're not limited to 12V and 7V, it's not 2005 any more.
E.Fyll - Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - link
7 Volts is about the same voltage level as most modern motherboard apply in their "quiet" mode. High enough to start nearly all fans ever made, low enough to keep things quiet. Unfortunately, I cannot perform testing the way you propose. As you mentioned yourself, it would have to be a "subjectively low" noise level. The very word "subjectively" puts me off. Even if I do set such a noise limit, which would be terribly wrong as it would just be based on my subjective opinion, not all coolers would be able to operate as such a noise level at all.It is even less meaningful to use the same fans; when you are buying a kit, you are buying the kit with its fans. Purchasing additional fans not only raises its cost but, depending on the characteristic behavior of the fan, the fan itself can affect performance and favor some kits over others. The actual performance of a fan is not based on its RPM or CFM ratings, it is a very complicated matter. That would render any comparisons between different kits virtually useless. Furthermore, the choice of fans would be based on my subjective opinion as well, nobody warranties that the end user will be purchasing the same fans out of the hundreds of possible choices. Someone would want me to use a quieter fan, others might want something more powerful, others something cheaper, others something fancier and so on. And of course, most would just want to buy a kit and be done with it. The only objective comparison is to compare the performance of a kit with its stock fans, as it comes supplied from the factory. Everything else is based on assumptions and subjective opinions that, including mine, have no place in an objective review.