NZXT Kraken X60 280mm AIO CPU Cooler Review

Introduction

Not that long ago now we took a look at the Kraken series and more specifically the X40. What we saw then is that the Kraken series of AIO coolers, while being a bit loud, now shares top honors amongst AIO coolers with the Swiftech H220. Considering the radiator is a bit smaller when we discuss surface area with the Kraken X40 compared to the H220, and that the H220 used two fans to obtain that level of efficiency, there is a lot going for the Kraken coolers. I know we could even improve on the X40 results by adding a pair of fans by at least a couple of degrees, and that takes results right on into the custom kit temperatures. I think the day has finally arrived where a closed loop AIO can really start to take on custom water kits, and with most of the old issues well in the past, there is no reason to shy away from these systems to cool your processor.

As with any AIO that has been released outside of the "big two" companies making all of them, they come in some sort of pairs. Since we looked at the single 140mm radiator, a thin version, there are two routes to take to offer a more efficient version. The first way is to thicken the single 140mm radiator to give you double the surface area of the fins, but with a thicker radiator come issues with finding a fan really capable of getting all the way through with anything left in the tank. This is why they come with a pair of fans in most cases, because with one fan, they don't get the air flow they need. The other way to go is to offer a double radiator, or in the case of NZXT, they offer a 280mm by 140mm radiator in this new release.

With what I have seen from the X40, the Kraken series is already in the top of the game, and with the new larger radiator, I can only think that the Kraken X60 we are looking at today is going to kick some ass and take names as it climbs higher up the chart. To be honest, I am not expecting this unit to go right to the top, but I know the larger design has to be worth a few degrees over the X40, and that is promising enough to make me excited to try it.

Hang tight as I work my way through all the aspects and features that this new X60 has to offer as we then get to the meat and potatoes of the results and see just where the Kraken X60 stands.