INTRODUCTION

   With temperatures all over the world easily exceeding 37 degrees Celsius during the summer it's no surprise that more and more people are turning towards AIO liquid CPU coolers. For good or bad however not all AIO are created equal and so there's a number of things buyers should be aware when out in the market for one. These of course include radiator thickness and size, number of fans, fan and pump specifications and of course the size of the coldplate (for example some AIO feature extra-large coldplates for CPUs like AMD's Threadripper). The Kraken X series of AIO liquid coolers by NZXT was announced in late 2020 and since then it's been extremely popular among gamers so since some of you asked today, I’ll be testing the Kraken X63 RGB 280mm AIO Liquid Cooler.

   Founded in 2004, NZXT is a leader of gaming products and services. Their award-winning products include computer cases, PC cooling solutions, RGB lighting kits, power supplies, and their free PC monitoring software, NZXT CAM. NZXT was created out of a passion for PC gaming and is dedicated to improving products and services to achieve extraordinary gaming experiences.

   The Kraken X63 RGB is the dual-fan 280mm (315mm total length) version of the Kraken X line of AIO liquid CPU coolers and so it also uses Asetek's 7th generation pump (2800RPM/12VDC/0.3A) which always according to them is not only more durable compared to its predecessor but also more silent. The Kraken X63 RGB also features the RGB infinity mirror design along with an enlarged ring size for the pump (10% larger featuring 9 RGB LEDs), rotatable top cap (360 degrees with 30 degree increments), 400m long nylon braided tubings and two AER RGB 2 140mm fluid dynamic bearing fans (1500RPM/91.19CFM/1.52mmH2O/33dBA). Now even though 280mm AIO models may not be as compatible with PC towers as their 240mm brothers they are actually far more compatible than 360mm models and on top of that can deliver similar cooling efficiency so let’s see if that’s also the case with the Kraken X63 RGB.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Kraken X63 RGB arrived inside a white and purple box that has a product picture at the front right beneath the product description.

On the right side we find the product specifications in 3 languages.

Printed on the left side are the system requirements and product features in 11 languages.

A picture of the product installed in an NZXT case is placed at the rear of the box right next to a few words about it and the CAM software in 3 languages.

As expected, the AIO is placed inside a formed piece of cardboard.

Along with the Kraken X63 RGB and its two AER RGB 2 140mm fans the box also contains a fan y-splitter, fan and pump connector cables, motherboard USB header cable, SATA power connector, paper with 3D barcode (you can access the manual via this) and all the necessary bits and pieces to install the AIO onto Intel LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/1366/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM4 motherboards.

THE KRAKEN X63 RGB

The Kraken X63 RGB consists by an 315mm long and 123mm wide aluminum radiator, 400mm braided tubings and a thick pump/waterblock combo.

Tiny details like the NZXT logo on the aluminum radiator are nice to see.

The radiator NZXT has used is indeed 30mm thick and thus could be more efficient compared to 27mm thick models.

We also see an FPI (fins per inch) count of 19-20.

This model features 400mm long nylon sleeved tubings which should be enough even for use in full towers.

The 80mm in diameter and 55mm thick pump/waterblock combo has a rotatable top cap with a total of 9 RGB LEDs beneath it (the NZXT logo is slightly visible even when not in operation).

You can connect up to 4 LED strips (10 LEDs per strip), five Aer RGB fans or six NZXT RGB accessories directly onto the pump for RGB sync (the microUSB port is for the NZXT Cam software).

As usual, the sleeved tubes can rotate up to 90+ degrees from the base.

The copper coldplate base has a thin layer of thermal conductive material pre-applied from the factory (i always remove those for my tests).

The AER RGB 2 140mm FDB fans can reach speeds of up to 1500RPM to produce up to 91.19CFM of airflow with 1.52mmH2O air pressure and 33dBA of noise.

Of course, these fans feature anti-vibration rubber pads on all four corners.

With both fans mounted the thickness of the Kraken X63 RGB increases to roughly 55mm.

NZXT CAM

The CAM software by NZXT can be used to monitor your system and control your NZXT AIO (among other things).

You can also adjust the RGB effects of the fans (8 available ones) and of course their speed and brightness.

Even though there are 8 RGB effect presets if you go into each of the fans you will see a total of 24 effects.

You can of course pick specific colors for the fans.

From the cooling tab you can adjust the speed of the pump (4 presets).

Finally, the settings tab allows you to check the firmware version, enable and configure mini mode and sync the profiles.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Testing complete water cooling kits or individual radiators is no different than testing CPU Coolers and since we want all of you to be able to compare similar products, we created new and separate charts (you can still cross-compare results however since we are using the same test rig). So once again single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests complete water cooling kits or radiators with bundled fans are measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. Finally, much like when testing CPU Coolers, it's very important to point out that just because a water cooling kit outperforms another when tested with our test rig (when we test complete water cooling kits) that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

   To successfully record the load temperatures, we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded, we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests (when fans exist in the bundle) are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the radiator. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here, we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   Two things I was expecting from the KRAKEN X63 RGB, better cooling efficiency and slightly higher noise levels compared to its smaller brother (the KRAKEN X53 RGB) and as it’s clear from my charts I was right on the spot for both. Now the reason I mention noise levels is because on the specifications page NZXT clearly states up to 33dBA for both the X53 RGB and the X63 RGB something which obviously didn’t sit well with me. Still even though the AER 2 140mm fans of the X63 RGB are a bit louder the AIO as a whole is far from the loudest one in my charts. As for everything else the CAM software is certainly something we don’t see a lot with other AIO models (keep in mind that the screenshots used here are the same i used with the X53 RGB review – by the time i remembered i had removed the AIO from my test rig and placed back in its box) and as for looks the infinity mirror never ceases to amaze.

   Price is probably the sole drawback of the KRAKEN X63 RGB by NZXT since it currently retails for USD169.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 161.90Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) landing it right next to numerous 360mm models. The good news of course is that it has very little to be jealous of those models and since it’s also more compatible with PC cases that might not be an issue for many people. As for myself the KRAKEN X63 RGB lived up to my expectations and for that it deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Very Good Cooling Efficiency
- ARGB Lighting / Infinity Mirror Rotatable Top Cap
- Up To Four 140mm Fans In Push & Pull
- Available In Black & White Models
- 400mm Long Sleeved Tubes
- 6 Year Limited Warranty
- NZXT CAM Software

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- RGB Fans (Limited Illumination)