After having tested the Elite version of this new Kraken series, this time, we turn to the 240mm version and not Elite. Yes, NZXT sent us both versions of its new kits, so we will see what the physical differences are, but also what happens to the performance. Anyway, here we go!
Presentation :
With this new series of AIO, we are dealing with the “entry-level” models of NZXT. Indeed, the Kraken Elite occupy the premium offer of the brand’s catalog. Anyway, this series is declined in 240 mm for the smallest model then we go up crescendo with a version in 280 mm then the biggest in 360 mm. This model comes with the same radiator sizes as the Elite range.
In any case, NZXT continues to trust Asetek since its AIOs are equipped with a seventh generation Danish pump. As for the Elite, the brand misses the boat on the novelty since the 8th generation pumps are available, we saw it with the kits of Asus Ryuo or on the new Glacier One of Phanteks.
Otherwise, we always find a software control. Thus, it is possible to manage the entire kit, whether it is the RGB lighting, the speed of the pump, fans or the screen … Oops.
Yes, the big news of this series is the small 1.54″ LCD display. Of course, it’s clearly not as good as the one on the Elite series, but at least it has the merit of being there, on the most accessible offering of the brand. It will allow you to display data related to your system in real time such as the temperature of your processor.
Finally, we will talk about price since this series remains globally “affordable”. NZXT mentions prices between $179.99 and $219.99 ($199.99 for the 280mm) for the AIOs equipped with RGB fans. If you skip the lights, you can get the 240mm for $139.99, the 280mm for $159.99 and the 360mm for $179.99. Without lights, the pricing doesn’t seem totally excessive to us.
[nextpage title=”The Kraken 240 RGB”]
Unpacking:
Finally, the packaging remains quite similar to the Kraken Elite 360 that we tested previously. Indeed, we find a purple and white box highlighting the features and characteristics of the kit.
Inside, we can already count on the presence of a cardboard mold enveloping each element of the kit. Note also that the fans, the radiator or the pump benefit from an overpacking with plastic bags. This is still effective: no breakage.
The radiator:
Again, we are somewhat disappointed to find a radiator with rather basic finishes compared to what you can find in the competition. As for the Elite, it relies on rounded edges and visible rivets… Even if the NZXT logo stamped on the sides saves the day, we have clearly seen better. However, this version being white, the radiator is painted in this color, it’s a change.
Next to that, we find a radiator with a 240 mm format of the most classic. It measures 123 (W) x 275 (D) x 30 (H) mm. Compared to the Kraken Elite 360, this Kraken 240 RGB has a slightly thicker radiator of 3 mm. However, we are still far from the 38 mm of the Liquid Freezer II or the Glacier One 240 T30 from Phanteks.
To connect the pump to the radiator, we find two pipes of 40 cm in length. They are covered with a nice white nylon sheath very soft to the touch. Finally, the tubes are flexible, which facilitates the installation in the cases offering little space.
The waterblock:
We now move on to the waterblock of this Kraken 240 RGB which, if it is in the same vein as the Elite 360, offers a few differences all the same. If it offers a similar look, with a rounded shape and a top part with a mirror effect, it is more compact. The shell has a diameter of 74.7 mm and a height of 55.97 mm. For comparison, a Kraken Elite is 81.9 mm in diameter for a height of 59.7 mm.
However, this did not prevent NZXT to integrate a small LCD display. On this kit, the display offers a small diagonal of 1.54″ and a resolution of 240×240 pixels. For the brightness, the latter increases to 300 cd/m². The difference with the Kraken Elite is therefore quite marked with a smaller screen, less defined and less bright. We’ll have to see what it actually brings to the table.
As for the connectivity of the pump, we always find the removable cable that will allow to connect all the elements of the kit on it. This one has fourteen pins and will end with :
- 1x male SATA socket for the power supply
- 1x USB 2.0 header socket
- 1x three-pin fan socket to retrieve the pump speed
- 3x PWM female fan socket to connect the fans of the kit
Finally, underneath the pump, we have the circular copper base that is held in place with eight Torx screws. It will be wide enough to cover the IHS of an Intel LGA-1700 processor or an AMD AM5 CPU.
Compatibility:
With the Kraken 240 RGB, NZXT ensures compatibility with current mainstream platforms:
- Intel: LGA-1100 – LGA-1200 – LGA-1700
- AMD: AM5 – AM4
As for the other kits equipped with Asetek seventh generation pumps, mounting on TR4 motherboards and derivatives is possible via the adapter supplied with the processor. However, due to the size of these models, we do not recommend it.
Fans :
With this Kraken 240 RGB, NZXT slips two fans into the box, F120 RGB Core. From a visual point of view, there is no big change compared to the fans of the Kraken Elite 360. We find the same shape of frame with rubber silentblocks at the four corners. The same goes for the blades where, globally, they have the same design. They are seven in number and have a slight curvature, not to say that they are straight, while being relatively wide.
However, the central hub is wider on this model, but it’s hard to say if this is related to a different type of bearing or if it’s to hide the RGB diodes present at the engine. In the meantime, we know that these F120 RGB Core have a FDB type bearing (Fluid Dynamic Bearing).
In terms of connectivity, each fan has two cables, the first PWM for power and fan management. The second one will be used to manage the lighting via a proprietary four-pin plug. Anyway, the two cables measure about sixty centimeters.
In terms of characteristics, we now find two fans operating from 500 rpm to 1800 rpm. The air flow reaches 78.86 CFM while the static pressure is 2.57 mmH2O.
The bundle:
The accessory part of the kit rests in a small resealable plastic bag directly added in the box. This last one contains :
- An assembly manual
- A plastic backplate for Intel sockets
- Spacers for Intel sockets
- Clamping nuts
- AMD mounting arms
- And the spacers that go with it
- Control box for RGB lighting
- The power connector for the pump and fans
- A USB 2.0 splitter
- A sticky patch for mounting the RGB controller
- Screws for mounting the fans and the radiator
We find, overall, a complete accessory section with all the necessary for the assembly of the kit. In our box, we even had an extra set of screws for the fan in order to install four mills. The same goes for the USB 2.0 headers where we find a splitter à la Corsair.
Roughly speaking:
Finally, we are dealing with a rather nice kit in white. Nevertheless, in 2023, the radiator is clearly not very nice as the competition offers us blocks with a better finish.
[nextpage title=”Installation and RGB”]
For the installation part, you will have to keep your AMD backplate, the manufacturer does not provide one. If you don’t have one anymore, a quick look on eBay should allow you to find one easily.
Intel Socket:
In itself, the assembly steps do not change compared to the Kraken Elite 360, the pump being identical. For the time being, we have to remove the backplate on the back of the motherboard. Once positioned, all that remains is to screw the spacers corresponding to the platform (grooved on the Intel side) to the four corners of the socket.
All that remains is to screw the pump onto the CPU via the four hand nuts.
AMD socket :
In AMD, you will have to start by changing the mounting arms, by default, the Intel ones are installed. To do this, you have to remove them by pressing on them and turning them counter-clockwise. Once removed, we will position those of AMD by repeating the same operation but turning clockwise.
Next, after removing the original mounting arms, you will need to install the two sets of spacers. The first ones, in plastic, have a direction to respect. On AM5 platform, the grooves must be upwards. Then, we will screw the metal ones inside. In fact, the plastic spacers define the height of the stop for the metal spacers.
Once everything is in place, all that remains is to position the kit’s pump on the processor. Once again, it will be enough to screw the whole via the four hand nuts.
The installation will be completed by connecting the power cable to the pump, which will require a SATA power outlet. Likewise, the USB 2.0 plug will need to be connected to the motherboard to take advantage of the software support. Finally, the fans will also be connected to the pump in order to take advantage of the fan management via CAM. As for the RGB part, you will have to connect the fans to the control box which will have to be connected to the motherboard via a USB 2.0 socket and powered via a SATA socket at the power supply output.
[nextpage title=”The AniME Matrix panel”]
Now it’s time to see what NZXT has in store for us with its famous software: CAM. With this software, you will be able to fully customize your watercooling kit and adjust the speed of the pump or the fans as you wish. The same goes for the screen customization. Anyway, to get it, go to the following link.
Once installed, if you want to adjust the speed of fans / pump, it remains only to go to the cooling tab. There, two elements are displayed: the pump and the fans. Simply click on the element you wish to configure and apply either one of the pre-established profiles or customize its curve. The different points will be moved according to the temperature and the desired speed.
Finally, to take control of the screen and the RGB lighting, we must go to the lighting tab. There, just in front of ” LCD Display “, you can select the display style for the screen. Finally, various customization options are available such as the color, the target probe to scan for values, etc. There is even an “Image” option through which you can display a personalized .jpeg, but no .gif support. As for the fans, you just have to click on the corresponding part to customize the colors of your fans.
Clearly, the screen is not at the level of its elite counterpart. The luminosity is at half-mast since during our photo shoot , to see something, we had to make sure that there was no reflection at the pump. So be careful with the ambient light or you won’t see much. It’s a bit of a shame.
[nextpage title=”Protocol”]
Big update of our test protocol since we are changing the platform. First, we take temperature readings with a Ryzen 9 7900X coupled to an MSI X670E Carbon WiFi. The CPU is configured so that it consumes 100W, 150W and 200W. If it’s not the configuration that changes, our reading methods don’t change except the heating method. We then use the PowerMax software and launch a SSE type test on an unlimited duration.
Afterwards, other readings on LGA-1700 platform with Core i will be added to the protocol.
For the purpose of the test, the Kraken 240 RGB will be compared to other kits in 240mm, 280mm, 360mm and 420mm. Here is the list of AIOs in question:
- H170i Elite Capellix (Corsair)
- H170i Elite LCD XT (Corsair)
- Kraken Elite 360 (NZXT)
- Kraken 240 RGB (NZXT)
- Liquid Freezer II 240 (Arctic)
- Liquid Freezer II 280 (Arctic)
- Liquid Freezer II 420 (Arctic)
- Ryuo III 240 (Asus)
- Ryuo III 360 (Asus)
- Vida 240 Slim (Silverstone)
[nextpage title=”Speed and noise”]
Fan speed :
So we attack our series of temperature readings. Here, we start from zero. Let us specify all the same the speeds of ventilation recorded at the time of our statements (for 12V, 8V, 5V):
Concerning the fan speed, globally, we find fans working at the usual speeds for an all-in-one watercooling kit. Thus, at low speed, we measure about 900 rpm against 1400 rpm at medium speed. Finally, at full speed, the fan stays within its characteristics by running up to 1700 rpm. Either way, it remains faster than the Kraken Elite 360 ‘s at low RPM, but slower at full speed.
Noise:
Regarding noise now, you should know that we find a kit in the average. With 44.5 dB at full speed, it is clearly not the noisiestAIO, it is even quieter than the Ryuo III 240 from Asus which shares a similar format, but whose fans are faster.
If we muzzle it, we have a quite bearable noise level with its 35 dB. It will end up being totally discreet at low speed where it will hardly tickle our sound meter.
[nextpage title=”Temperatures”]
Processor at 100W :
Despite a more violent 100W profile, this still represents the least stressful phase of this protocol. It allows to highlight the performance obtained with compact/entry-level heatsinks.
So we start our temperature readings with our Ryzen 9 7900X consuming 100W. In these conditions, the small kit from NZXT manages, but does not particularly stand out, even if our processor remains under 60°C at low speed. In this respect, a Liquid Freezer II 240 or a Ryuo II 240 are much more efficient and share an equivalent 240mm size.
Processor at 150W:
Here, our CPU will run at 3.90 GHz constantly and on all its cores. We apply a VCore of 1.246V to obtain a consumption of about 150W. To simplify the reading of the graph, we may have rounded some values to the nearest integer.
At 150W of power consumption, the Kraken 240 RGB is still struggling, coming in last place behind the Kraken Elite 360. Here, at low RPM, the temperature is well over 70°C, flirting with 80°C. Even at full throttle, it is not a panacea, as we found 68°C on our CPU.
Processor at 200W :
Finally, we finish with our 200W profile. Here the heat release is more important, let’s see how our coolings are doing!
Unfortunately, on our Ryzen 9 7900X set to consume 200W, the NZXT 240mm kit does not manage to contain the heat. The temperature exceeds 90°C even at full speed, leading to a de facto failure.
Summary:
In the end, the situation is not so good since this Kraken 240 RGB kit does not manage to properly cool a Ryzen 7000 whose consumption reaches 200W. Let’s be clear, this is a model that should be reserved for less demanding processors such as the non-X Ryzen 7000 or the 7800X3D whose TDP is 120W, it should hold it.
[nextpage title=”The temperature/noise ratio”]
On these perf/noise ratio graphs, we remind you that the best is to be placed as much as possible at the bottom left of the graph. For the reading, the left most point symbolizes the ventilation in 12V, the one in the center the ventilation in 8V and the right most in 5V.
In 100W, we feel that the Kraken 240 RGB is not at ease on its highest speeds. Indeed, the kit clearly falls behind the rest of the pack. However, at low speeds, it seriously catches up with Kraken Elite 360 which lacks pep in these conditions.
Finally, at 150W, we still have an AIO kept away from the rest of the group. However, we should avoid running it at low speed on a power-hungry processor since the temperature-noise ratio deteriorates. This can be felt in the curve, which becomes significantly longer.
Beyond 150W, the NZXT heatsink is clearly not capable of performing its function, which is why there is no third graph in 200W.
[nextpage title=”Conclusion”]
We are now at the end of this test of the NZXT Kraken 240 RGB. So, what is this model worth? We take stock.
An AIO with a screen available from $140!
You will have understood, the main novelty brought by this generation of kits, lies in the appearance of a small screen on the most accessible series of NZXT. Which is a good thing in itself. However, don’t expect the same level of functionality or even display quality as the Elite 360. Here, you will have to deal with a small display with low resolution and low brightness. Especially since the related options are rather limited: display of .jpeg or system info.
Apart from the display, the kit does not offer anything new either, as it is limited to an old generation Asetek pump: Gen 7. The finish of the radiator is still as basic as ever, where the competition offers better.
Assembly is still as simple as ever!
Fortunately, mounting the pump is easy since in a few minutes it is screwed on the CPU, ready to work. Nevertheless, this RGB model will require a control box to manage the lighting. Therefore, you need a SATA socket at the power supply output and a free USB 2.0 socket on the motherboard… Well, two since you also need to connect the pump to enjoy the screen. On the other hand, the accessories section takes care of everything with a USB 2.0 splitter.
Not suitable for CPUs with high power consumption!
Already the Elite 360 was not very convincing, this 240mm version continues the trend initiated by the bigger model. The temperatures are therefore lower on our Ryzen 9 7900X. However, this is not a kit that we consider suitable for cooling processors that consume a lot of watts. As we have seen, it fails to properly cool our CPU set to consume 200W. Under these conditions, it is held in check.
Therefore, this is a heatsink that we will keep away from CPUs that consume too much power. On models such as non-X Ryzen, or non-K Core i, it should be able to cope, but don’t aim higher. Beyond that, you’ll have to turn to its big brother, or to other more powerful models.
For the time being, it doesn’t shine on the noise temperature ratio either, although it isn’t negatively impacted by too much noise pollution. Just avoid letting it run at low speed on a CPU consuming 150W or more, as the temperatures may quickly rise.
A bill that increases with RGB!
As for the price, NZXT announces its 240mm AIO at a price of $140 without lighting against $180 with lighting on the fans. Clearly, it is not cheap, far from it, the difference being $40 more. Sure, it’s one of those AIOs with full software control, but we’re forced to admit that the bill is very high just to add some lights. Clearly, it may suffer from the competition.
NZXT Kraken 240 RGB:
We like:
- The presence of a screen on NZXT’s “entry-level” kit
- A kit with screen available from $140 without RGB lighting
- The USB 2.0 splitter included in the bundle
- The flexibility of the pipes, they do not resist to the assembly
- Easy to assemble
- The complete management of the kit via the CAM software
- Its silence at low speed and its inaudible pump
We liked less :
- The lack of real novelty with this generation: still in Asetek Gen 7
- The finish of the radiator could be better
- The overall performance is not so good
- The fact that it is not adapted to cool large CPUs (failure in 200W)!
Once again, the NZXT kit did not really convince us as its performance is very seriously behind. This is not an AIO that we would recommend for large CPUs with high power consumption like our Ryzen 9 7900X or even the 13 generation Intel Core i. Nevertheless, on wiser models like the non-X Ryzen 7000 for example, it can do the trick.
Many thanks to NZXT!
