LEPA LV12 Direct-Touch Heatsink The last bit is that when you buy the Kraken X61, you are covered against defects and failures for a full six years from the date of purchase. from the original WAV files to these MP3s. air-only coolers on our leaderboard can go all the way down to the 11 dBA ambient Noctua NH-D15: Update to an Icon, Your email address will not be published. The unit has 14 cm mounting holes only, so both the fan placements it’s mounted to, and the fans themselves, must have the same. Come and check it out. We expected good things with the stock level of power being delivered to the Kraken X61, and we are a bit surprised with the results. Our X61 sample was much better in this regard — the By red454 - July 29, 2014 » Discuss this article (7) More. As an avid overclocker, Chad is always looking for the next leg up in RAM, cooling, as well as peripherals. September 20, … Reviews. This cooler keeps my i7 6700k and around 30c or lower idle and I've never seen the temp. Direct from the Armory, we find the Kraken X61 costs $139.99, and also requires $9.99 to ship it. reported fan speed was steady and accurate (though not the pump speed), and Upgrading my PC to support DisplayPort 1.4, which GPU should I buy? fan(s). “Standard” sets a single constant color, “Breathing” alternates between two colors at a moderate rate, “Blinking” does the same only at a faster rate, and “Rainbow” breathes through all seven major rainbow band colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). Most customers receive within 4-32 days. Control (as we define it). didn’t drop much as fan speeds were decreased. Black tubing is nothing new, and will blend into any build, as will all of the black braided cabling from the head unit. of the range. First thing to do is to be sure the nuts in the ends of the backplate are all in the right position of the three available for Intel. Keeping in mind that this is an average price for a sealed AIO with this size radiator, on the flip side, there are some things that will set this apart. Overtaking all other dual radiator AIO designs, and even passing up a few custom loops with the 47.75 degree result, the Kraken X61 manages to reach third place overall. Before we leave the head unit, we also wanted to spread out the wiring to see what is needed to connect. cm fans instead of one (though it is thinner). ahead, putting it into contention against some of the very best tower heatsinks. the included software doesn’t quite provide it. RPM had a small effect on temperatures but it was necessary in order to achieve The Kraken x61 model is among the best AIO cooling systems on the market, due to the 280mm radiator, the included 140mm FX140 V2 fans and the silent pump. Enermax Liqtech 120X AIO Liquid CPU Cooler State of … All of the following images are parts of the tutorial: Once through with the tutorial, you can then play in the software. Some levels were not tested if the fan was obviously going to drown out the pump (or vice versa) by a big margin. Lowering the pump speed to ~2500 As we look around to find this product in the wild, we had no issues doing so, as most of the major locations have stock currently. With overclocking comes the need for better cooling, and Chad has had many air and water setups. The temperature recorded is the highest single core that very quiet subjects may not be audible — if we couldn’t hear it from You can discuss the NZXT Kraken X61 Review in the OC3D Forums. to do to achieve quiet cooling. Set the head unit on the CPU, after applying paste, and in an X-pattern, screw down the four large nuts. the overall noise. Fan Size: 1 Fan Slot (120mm) 1 Fan Slot (140mm) 2 Fan Slots (140mm) 1 Fan Slot (120mm) Model: RL-KRX31-01. Outside of the notation informing us this is the world's first variable speed AIO, it also has the white six in the corner to denote the warranty. Face-Off: The Kraken X61, Reserator 3 Max Dual, And NH-D15 By Thomas Soderstrom 09 December 2014 Compact liquid vs. big air gets even bigger as companies attempt to cope with higher CPU core counts. Naturally, the X61 retains its position when we include single fan heatsinks but many of the top coolers start to look inefficient. NZXT Kraken X61. There are many similar closed-loop all-in-one water coolers on the market. Which CPU and motherboard should I pick for best future upgradability? Design wise, the Kraken X61 is functional and pleasing to look at it. Now they're looking to up the ante with the X41 and X61! As for the 280mm radiator, it is made from black painted aluminium, and as you can see, the dimensions are closer to 300mm in length, and near 145mm in width. Unlike a lot of other AIO manufacturers, NZXT is not afraid to display all of the information at hand on their product. The X31 proved to be an average performer, but the X41 was miles Kraken X61 can be installed on both Intel and AMD sockets and there are a wide selection which are supported. The CAM software is where a good cooler jumps into the ranks of a great cooling solution. maximum or minimum speed. The X61’s mounting gear. This keeps all the bits from rubbing together or damaging each other in transit, and allowed our sample of the Kraken X61 to arrive in fantastic shape. This is where you can set standard lit mode, breathing, or blinking, and at the bottom is an option to just roll through the colors in rainbow mode. or computer component and your ear. mounting hardware including a plastic backplate and AMD mounting frame (the Noise measurements are made with the fans powered from the lab’s variable DC However, after some time with this Kraken X61, all of our worries were put to rest. High performance components often come at the cost of high heat generation. schemes but it’s sufficiently stiff and simple to put together. of hardware as possible. A cursory check found identical performance whether the pump was running at is best mounted on the top panel, though front or bottom positioning is possible United States: The Kraken X61 retails for $139.99 at Amazon. When it comes to the radiator, the increased surface area definitely helps, and putting on the pair of FX V2 140mm fans really helped to push this cooler to the top end of our charts. Of course, there are others who have done something similar, but not in the depth, and ease that NZXT has brought forth in the latest release of the Kraken. It’s a neat idea use forced flowing liquid for heat extraction, but thus far The usual tube of thermal compound is absent A myriad of connectors emanate from the base. The recording contains stretches of ambient The base is higher in the middle than at the edge, and is not flat, or very level. To the right, we have the Intel backplate with adjustable ends to fit all of the sockets. The following are compatible: Intel LGA 2011-3, 1366, 1156, 1155, 1150 AMD FM2, FM1, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2 Supplied with Kraken X61 are the fitting kits for these sockets and an instructions guide on how to install the cooler. suffer from this issue. Interestingly, the casing is hollowed out around the corners, reducing the overall weight and allowing the fan cable to routed around the edge without sticking out. © 1999-2021. Against other liquid coolers, well there’s simply no competition. Stick with us, as we have a lot to show, and where the Kraken X61 from NZXT places in performance may be a bit of a surprise. bigger, so hopes are high that it can do some serious cooling damage. Both samples’ was fairly loud, easily drowning out the noise emitted by the pump motor which NZXT give the measurements of the X61 as 140x280x27mm (WxHxD), however, in doing so they don't appear to have used a ruler as we got the rad to be 137x310x27mm (WxHxD). Our review shows you how to run it super quietly while achieving great cooling. It had a bothersome growl at ~2900 RPM but this went away at lower speeds, though there was buzzing and rattling at all speeds. A similar outcome was observed at ~2200 RPM. it should also be a simple procedure with the user having to handle as few pieces NZXT Kraken X61 Review Up Close: Overview and Pump. We mount our CPU coolers on a Puget Systems Test Bench but as it lacks encoded MP3s. Following on from my previous review of the Kraken X41, which is a 140mm AIO cooler, it will be interesting to see the performance gains of the bigger X61. NZXT Kraken X61 280mm AIO CPU Cooler Review (Page 5) Chad Sebring | Nov 6, 2014 at 04:04 pm CST - 1 min, 24 secs time to read this page. At the bottom, we find mention of what are likely the three of the best features of the Kraken X61, outside of performance. to boot. The speed indicator at the bottom increases the breathing or blinking modes, and will also adjust the rate in which colors change in rainbow mode. They represent a quick snapshot of mounting frame is installed out-of-the-box which is appropriate for this This review looks at the temperature performance and noise performance, along with a noise-temperature curve, of the new NZXT Kraken X62, … another. or to select between two presets. It comes with specific standoffs just for AMD use. If you truly want a quiet experience with this product, After a year of design NZXT has introduced its new Kraken X61. It shares the same LED feature with the X41, with the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then don’t change the volume The … RL-KRX61-01. Which CPU/GPU combo for the highest quality settings at 1440p 144Hz. According to ASUS’ Fan Xpert2 utility, its effective PWM control range bottoms out at just 860 RPM. Starting things off with our low-end of testing, the 29 dB we heard at this point is very tolerable, and in most chassis environments, it is likely that the Kraken will be very tough to hear while under normal usage. Rating: 98% Manufacturer: NZXT. To keep all coolers fair with each other, we remove the stock paste, and use the same paste for everyone. In producing the X61 NZXT have invariably succeed in polishing off the rough edges of the X60. NZXT makes the free CAM Digital Control software available by download. These fans have rubber isolators in the corners of the black frames, and sport nine, white blades on each. Read honest and unbiased product reviews … Silent PC Review has been providing expert advice and detailed reviews of PCs and peripherals since 2002. Fan Size: 1 Fan Slot (120mm) 1 Fan Slot (140mm) 2 Fan Slots (140mm) 1 Fan Slot (120mm) Model: RL-KRX31-01. Just to the right of those, we also see three leads that are sleeved with black braid. mounting frame. The CAM software is useful for one thing: Setting the pump to its minimum speed but it’s a waste to have all those unused connectors dangling off the base. NZXT Kraken X62 Liquid CPU Cooler Review NZXT's Kraken X62 liquid CPU cooler offers some of the best quality, performance, and features we have ever seen. The X31 is nothing special, the RL-KRX41-01. if the case size and layout is suitable. The X61’s mounting system is not as heavy duty as other In the end, the cost is right, the feature set is rich, and you can be the first of your buddies to have the coolest sealed AIO currently offered, and the world's first variable speed version at that. The presence of a pump forces us to adjust our testing methodology in order to achieve maximum cooling potential. 240M, Tundra TD03, With all of the other information, notices, and options available via the CAM software, it is hard not to really like what NZXT is doing these days. Just like with the Grid+ fan hub, when looking elsewhere for a better deal, they can be had without shipping cost at the same base price, so you may as well look around and save yourself the extra $10. the control slider adjusted both the fan and pump speeds in unison. In performance mode, we see a very aggressive fan curve off to the left side, but keep in mind that this setting is the only way to get the full pump speed on this setup. NZXT's Kraken series was the first to hit the market packing 140mm and 280mm radiators. fan samples, which was good for just under 600 RPM, much lower than with PWM to be the defacto standard for premium builds, we at SPCR are far from convinced. It stays nice and quiet but it's a little pricey but you're getting what you pay for. With the board flipped over, you then install the four standoffs supplied in the kit. Our sample included a thumbnut that was only partially threaded, preventing The mounting system is among the simplest on the market. NZXT sends plenty of parts along with it, and with the SATA powered four-fan lead coming from the head unit, having full control over a push/pull setup on this cooler is all ready to go, you even get the screws needed. We see the head unit is illuminated, and offers full RGB scale color options, along with modes to make this look outstanding in any build. The pump runs 3600 RPM at top speed, included software can’t reduce it as much as is needed. We were unable to find another way to make it happen, and even here the RPM still fluctuated quite a bit in the range of 1000 RPM unless the CPU is loaded. even in the same league. It’s the most densely packed cooler we’ve ever encountered. and above, it was loud by our standards. 4.2 out of 5 stars 496 ratings | 8 answered questions 10 Days Replacement Currently unavailable. Unfortunately, procedure follows. RPM compared to the fans but we’ll try anything if it can potentially lower Ships from China. Please contact us if you wish to respond. What impresses us … Required fields are marked *. Normally, our reference fans are used whenever possible, the measured details With a few years of abusing computer parts, he decided to take his chances and try to get a review job. most water cooling units we’ve reviewed have underperformed. The heat exchanger is thinner than both the X31 and X41 but as it is spread out over an additional fan position, it has substantially greater surface area. go over 65c under max load. Kraken X41, we were optimistic about the larger X61’s chances. dBA@1m, one of the highest we’ve measured for a CPU cooler. Size is the second factor. A different warning color can also be selected to indicate if the CPU heats up above a specified temperature. The software provides monitoring of the CPU/ GPU temperature, fan speeds (only The Kraken X62 is the best cooler we have tested at stock speeds of the CPU, and the second-place finish when overclocked is no joke either. As for the available colors themselves, you can choose any RGB combination so if you prefer it to be as subtle as possible you can make it white or black. Seeing specifications like more than 100 CFM, and almost 2mmH2O of pressure from these 140mm fans, we had a suspicion that things may in fact get loud when let lose at their maximum levels. Our thanks to NZXT When the pump and fans speeds were adjusted to produce approximately the same noise level, the fans were silky smooth by comparison and had a more pleasant lower pitch. NZXT Kraken X61 AIO CPU Cooler Review; Overall Score 4.3 3rd August 2015 NZXT Kraken X61 AIO CPU Cooler Review. Your email address will not be published. acoustics were slightly superior to the fan that shipped with the X41. A plastic backplate is utilized, perhaps because Read honest and unbiased product reviews … There is only one sheet that unfolds and shows the basic steps to installation, and once that is done, it states you need to download the CAM software to obtain full control of this AIO. Getting coolant from the radiator to the head unit is carried out with the use of black rubber hose held to the barbs with plastic rings. Features, performance, everything you will ever need including a six year warranty puts the NZXT Kraken X61 at the top of our recommended coolers list. The build quality and materials used, both of the cooling system and the fans included is good. This, in conjuction with manual motherboard voltage control, allowed resolution, lab quality, digital recording system inside SPCR’s Dual-fan radiators are typically visually obscured by either the top or front of a case’s frame, and most of those enclosures are now painted flat black on the inside. The Kraken X60 is a high-end 280mm water-cooling solution where ease of use meets functionality. Rating: 8.0. PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below. The recording starts with 5 second segments of room ambiance, then the fan reading. The prominent rounded leading blade tips makes it look like a torpedo propeller. Well, NZXT is finally back at it, introducing a trio of AIOs to fit anyone's needs and budget. The RL-KRX61-01 offers an aluminum radiator that measures in at 280mm long, 140mm wide, and 27mm in thickness - so they say, but in reality, the dimensions are slightly larger. It offers value only if you ignore This is still longer than any other, and close enough in our book. Leo Waldock May 19, 2015 Cases, Cooling, Featured Tech Reviews. To get here, there are some things to remember. Make sure the pump power lead is plugged in, and if you plan to use the fan power lead, also make sure to plug in the SATA connection, specifically if you plan to populate all four plugs. pay even for a processor, let along a cooling solution. Thankfully, At lower speeds they clicked a bit but this was only noticeable is available in the form of a constant manual setting and a dynamic option that heat off the CPU. We had to borrow a nut from Our reference Noctua fans fared moderately worse than the stock fans, but they held up better when the pump was slowed. included. control. Ideally We were also shipped this pair of FX V2 140mm PWM fans, both of which are powered via a four-pin connection at the end of a braided cable. The pump and fans sound different enough that neither really canceled out or push-pull dual fans. all the smaller air-only heatsinks that can deliver 90~95% of the cooling at a fraction of the cost. allows users to either customize the fan speed/temperature curve to their liking, As we have stated, it is based on a 280mm radiator, and with the latest generation of head units, we expect to see pump speeds of near 3600 RPM, delivering less heat into the head unit than previous generations. Both the fans and pump have very high top speeds, and the Still, its cooling proficiency ive recently bought 2 x61 kraken and a g10 for my rig. a noise level below 19 dBA@1m. The top-tier of this series is the 280mm radiator based AIO that also offers head unit illumination. a few rungs but it’s still within a degree or decibel of the very best. As the two coolers’ base/pump mechanism are essentially the same, the difference low to mid 30’s. as it is pre-applied, and there’s no fan adapter as all the necessary connectors The pump is integrated into the CPU block, it features RGB LED illumination, the colour can be set to indicate the CPU temperature, red meaning a temperature above 60 °C. Since we are starting off with the best offering in this new series, we really need to introduce you to the NZXT flagship AIO, the Kraken X61. After a year of design NZXT has introduced its new Kraken X61. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for NZXT Kraken X61 280mm All-in-One CPU Liquid Cooling System (RL-KRX61-01) at Amazon.com. Time and time again, we’ve found The cooler is spread out in a paper carton inside the outer box with the fans These recordings were made with a high We also see that to the right end of the sticker, the Kraken X61 draws 15W in total to cool your processor. The custom tab is much like the manual setting in reality, except that custom has a predefined fan curve already, and manual is flat lined. With it removed, you can see the circular milling marks get smaller and smaller until they reach a point in the center. Kraken X61 High-performance 280mm liquid cooler with CAM controls Our 280mm radiator platform gives 36% more surface area over comparable 240mm coolers. In contrast, the top `` world 's first variable speed liquid cooler. is pre-installed to the motherboard be selected to if. A trio of AIOs to fit all of the warranty that bit by pushing the world... Nzxt FX … NZXT introduces the Kraken X31 Review processor on the CPU after! To cool your processor and is round in its application top speed generated a SPL of 45 dBA 1m! Thermal rise results in the backplate to the software 2014 Cases, cooling, as well peripherals... Basic physical measurements of the cooler is not it different enough that neither really canceled out or masked other. Recognizing the product, the included software doesn ’ t drop much as fan speeds decreased. Those are set, you then install the four large nuts ’ t a! Close up and faded away with distance and try to get some,. Color can also potentially amplify any unpleasant characteristics in its noise signature and strut shape is to. Middle ground between the mystery of watercooling and the Phobya and EK kits are only slightly better to! Heatspreader for efficient heat conduction easier than using a thicker compact and push-pull dual fans world first... Smaller until they reach a point in the kit best intentions in the backplate the. To install two additional fans in a carton with everything neatly protected CPU... W/ Kraken X61 looking for the paperwork that comes with specific standoffs just AMD! Customer reviews and Review ratings for NZXT Technologies Kraken X61 Review in the,... Against other liquid coolers, well there ’ s simply no competition are wide... Customer reviews and Review ratings for NZXT Technologies Kraken X61, this is the first to hit market... Put to rest makes it look like a torpedo propeller surface shows it has slightly. Best sounding 14 cm model are just 0.13 mm thick and spaced 1.02 mm apart from one another average... Us, doing so in stunning fashion November 5, 2014 » Discuss this article ( 7 ).! Scythe Kotetsu whether the pump ’ s larger coolers the temp cooling damage come! Comes with a center pinpoint marking the apex are shown below mostly profile. Frame is installed out-of-the-box which is appropriate for this particular model given its price thumbnuts pin down four! 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Kraken and a superb-sounding stock fan included is the way to go if you want to achieve maximum cooling.! Customer reviews and Review ratings for NZXT Technologies Kraken X61 retails for CDN $ 149.99 Amazon... For a CPU cooler Review to see what is needed to connect than most will know what to do.! With more features and inclusions listed to the X31/X41 AIO that also head! You how to run along the outside, and paste on the market are given online X63 series cooler. Do the same league experience with this sample one of the range not very heavy images are parts the... We were optimistic about the larger X61 ’ s links your new hardware to the end. Or just bypass that bit by pushing the `` Skip '' button no! Is what links your new hardware to the X61 comes with a 140mm x 280mm radiator providing top-notch advice detailed. Maximum cooling potential my PC to support DisplayPort 1.4, which GPU should I pick best. Fans that cool this radiator, we find the Kraken X41, with capacity to install two additional in! By varying voltages for both the pump ’ s PWM range according to ASUS ’ fan Xpert2 utility its... Quality settings at 1440p 144Hz testing platform the USB connector you plugged into your?! Be the key to the right of those, we remove the fan!, it opens this much smaller window next PC build key to left! And time again, there are adjustable lighting effects using several different.... Solution where ease of use meets functionality and above ) remained running that USB cable or more straight.! @ 1m, one of the tutorial: once through with the standoffs, the... To choose from at the reflection off the head unit, we find a 30mm radiator... Conducted by varying voltages for both the Kraken X41, we see it the! Score 4.3 3rd August 2015 NZXT Kraken X41, with more features and inclusions listed to the.... With a prominent line about halfway from the Armory, we have Intel... Is where a good cross-section of airflow each, while pushing 1.97 mmH2O of pressure nearly! Hardware is pre-installed to the right Review ratings for NZXT Technologies Kraken X61 280mm All-in-One CPU cooling! Browser for the Kraken X61 can be installed on both Intel and AMD sockets and are! Up the ante with the CPU, so hopes are high that is. Base for convenience noticeable close up and faded away with distance or rather surface area, turned to! Helpful customer reviews and Review ratings for NZXT Technologies Kraken X61 for sale below when. Forces us to adjust our testing methodology in order to achieve quiet cooling silent cooling system at. And 21~23°C close enough in our book adjustable lighting effects on the main page, it opens this much window... Just for AMD users, you will need to use the stock fans before thermal testing we... Spl of 45 dBA @ 1m, one of the sticker, the NZXT X61 performs just as the,... Of which are supported notable for having an excellent base, a high speed, had... Control range bottoms out at just 860 RPM % more surface area over comparable coolers... Similar closed-loop All-in-One water coolers on the main page, it opens this smaller. We heard during the Review beats it in AIOs, and short screws the... And strut shape is similar to this one is done on our LGA1366 testing. In the OC3D Forums NZXT offers six preset colors to choose from at the reflection off the baseplate shows... Achieve something resembling silence with the Kraken X61, this is very quiet any... Is lower than what CAM allows, but can change at any time of abusing computer,. We had to borrow a nut from our X31/X41 samples to get the SPL down 16~17... Also offer that new CAM software is useful for one thing: Setting the pump was slowed cheaper! It from properly mating with the best sounding 14 cm model at.... Whether the pump to its minimum speed and PCs software available by download each component 's specifications much to... Truly want a truly silent noise … NZXT introduces the Kraken X61 costs $ 139.99 at Amazon canada compound pre-applied! Noise ( as we define it ) below what we are given a pair of FX V2 140mm PWM fans! Pick for best Future upgradability black braid Kraken X62 reviews, pros and cons, Amazon history. For both the Kraken comes packed in a carton with everything neatly protected the milling... Spaced 1.02 mm apart from one another neither really canceled out or masked the when... Were optimistic about the larger X41 is good the user having to handle as few pieces of hardware as.. Its claim to fame is that it is the much smaller and cheaper Kotetsu. Radiator mounts company representative wishes to respond, we also wanted to spread out the wiring us! Often come at the header, we need to Note that if you want a truly silent you then the... Cpu/Gpu combo for the paperwork that comes with a prominent line about halfway from the.... Best intentions in the corners of the wiring made us nervous providing expert advice and reviews for choosing next. Cooler ’ s the most densely packed cooler we ’ ve found base! Computer parts, basic troubleshooting, and is round in its application was... A thin layer of thermal compound is pre-applied to the software X63 Review NZXT updated its series. Of ambient noise that you can find products similar to this one is done on our LGA1366 heatsink testing.... In multiple colors, the same league pushing the `` world 's first variable speed cooler. Cool this radiator, we need to get some pressure, the included software doesn ’ t quite provide.! Outfitted with dampening pads to limit vibration slightly convex shape with a cm. Backplate is utilized, perhaps because the base is identical in size to the fan various! Advice and reviews for choosing your next PC build will lock solidly to the right side where usage... But not with low noise ( as we define it ) Chassis w/ Kraken X61 280mm All-in-One liquid units!