If the Kraken is already connected directly to the Motherboard's Internal USB header, try testing an different header on the motherboard to check if the header itself may have faulted. What we found was that the temperatures under load were around the same, but we noticed a ~2C drop as the Kraken stabilized under heavy load and a ~3C drop during idle. The active thermal monitoring on the pump’s LCD is a nice feature and the AER 2 fans provide multi-zone RGB with limited cabling. For an AIO, these are promising readings, especially given the sound output and how slow the three fans were able to run for prolonged periods of heavy use — Stellaris ran for approximately 90 minutes while the stress test was run in two bursts of 20 minutes. Actual performance varies with AIO coolers since these products allow for almost anyone to get into water-cooling, but they omit one vital component of any custom loop — the reservoir.

This latest refresh makes them even better, rocking Asetek's 7th gen pumps and other notable improvements.

This is easy to check by simply setting your Kraken to a few sample colors to see which LEDs may have failed. This AIO isn't quite as obnoxious as the X RGB series that come with Aer RGB fans or other competing AIO coolers, but it oozes style with that fancy LCD display that can be customized through CAM. This can include changing the look of the RGB lighting, or just getting a sense of how your CPU is doing and how well the AIO cooler is really working.

The biggest difference for Intel installs is just making sure you are using the right height of threaded posts for your CPU socket. The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is a powerful 12-core CPU with plenty of performance available, Running a stress test with this capable processor installed is quite the challenge for even the largest air cooler to keep within optimal operating temperature ranges. With the file downloaded, extract the program to your desktop and run the appropriate version of Process Explorer. The small changes to the design and lighting make it great for customization, and the overall performance is what you would expect from NZXT.In case you haven’t installed an all-in-one cooler before, it can seem daunting, but an option like that Kraken makes it fairly simple on either side of the CPU aisle.

Still, with the software and AIO installed, you can control fan speeds, as well as what's displayed the LCD display. With simple-to-use, intuitive controls, you can manage your Kraken’s performance and appearance with ease. It may be a more compact AIO, but this cooler has plenty going for it, including the same excellent performance and LCD display.For Kraken X53, X63, and X73 coolers or the Kraken Z series, please connect a Micro USB (Micro-B) to USB Type-A cable from the USB port on the Kraken to any open USB Type-A port on your PC. After being under load for about twelve minutes into the test, temperatures dipped to around 42C over ambient temperatures as the Kraken stabilized. It's the most affordable Z-class AIO cooler, and the smallest in the range, but it's also pretty good at what it does.

For example, a failing Blue channel will cause White to appear as Yellow while a failing Green channel will cause White to appear as Magenta. Bringing us to the present, NZXT has released a new set of packages for both the Kraken Z-3 and X-3 series. If you are using any kind of USB Expansion, Splitter, or Hub within the PC it is recommend to connect the Kraken directly to the Motherboard's internal USB 2.No, we didn’t take a picture of the wrong box and you read the title right, friends: after years of system builders begging for this option, NZXT has released an aesthetic update into the X and Z families of Kraken all-in-one CPU coolers. He has participated in a number of MMOs over the years, including World of Warcraft, RIFT, Guild Wars 2, and the Destiny series. With the rather large 280mm and 360mm radiator setup for the Z63 nd Z73, NZXT has been able to largely distance itself from such problems.