We’ve already had a chance to test NZXT’s new watercooling kits, including a Kraken Elite 360 RGB. This time, the brand sends us a new AIO, but we’re moving up a size with the Kraken Elite 420 RGB, the largest model in the range. So, is it a success? That’s what we’re going to find out in this review, so hang on to your socks, here we go!
Presentation:
This new Kraken Elite 420 RGB is the latest addition to an already extensive range. Indeed, the range boasts 240, 280, 360 and now 420 mm versions. Clearly, there’s something to satisfy every need, with kits capable of fitting a wide range of cases.
With this Elite series, the brand is obviously showcasing a kit featuring an imposing circular screen. Moreover, we find that the brand’s kits offer the most advanced customization options when it comes to the screen. Indeed, .gif files can be displayed via software connected to the Giphy database. The visuals are convincing, and you can display two or even three pieces of data related to your system in real time. In short, coupled with a quality screen, you can really enjoy yourself here.
Another important subject is NZXT’s proprietary turbine, capable of delivering, according to the brand: “an impressive fusion of high pressure and flow for unparalleled performance”. In the rest of the speech, the brand boasts a durable design with reinforced rubber tubes offering long-lasting protection against leaks. What’s more, we can count on compatibility with all current motherboards, whether Intel or AMD.
On the ventilation side, the brand offers mills sharing a single frame. They are also RGB, so you can customize their lighting. Of course, all this is controlled via the brand’s CAM software. It will not only take advantage of the screen, but also manage fan speed and the kit’s various LEDs.
Last but not least, we’d like to highlight the simplified cabling for this kit, with a single cable for the fans. This limits the number of cables in your installation, and between you and me, that’s a good thing.
In terms of sales price, we’re obliged to note a hefty bill of €344.99, a sign that NZXT’s kit is positioned in the high-end sector. To put it plainly, €345 for an AIO is very expensive, and at this price, you’d be better off buying a custom kit that’s already been put together.
[nextpage title=”The Kraken Elite 420 RGB”]
As far as the packaging is concerned, there’s not really a big change in the brand’s habits. We’re back to purple and white packaging. As always, detailed specifications are shown on the sides, with a reminder of features on the back and an illustration of the kit on the front.
Inside, we still have the same cardboard protections lined with plastic bags. Accessories and mounting screws are individually wrapped in plastic bags.
The radiator :
For the radiator, the NZXT kit, based on a CoolIt base, offers a very attractive finish. Indeed, the block adopts a square shape with no visible rivets, something we’ve had to face with the LC360 RGB from ASUS in particular. NZXT logos are embossed directly into the sides of the kit, so it looks good, especially as the coating is uniformly applied.
However, you’ll need to be careful when choosing this model, as the exchanger boasts imposing dimensions… 420 mm format. This translates into a length of 457, a width of 140 mm and a standard thickness of 27 mm. What’s more, a proprietary connector appears between the two pipes. This is where the kit’s connectors will be plugged in.
Otherwise, the AIO takes advantage of two 46 cm long pipes, while benefiting from good flexibility. This makes it easy to position the pump as required, without having to exert too much effort. Finally, we’d like to point out that the tubes are clad in an attractive white nylon sheath.
The pump :
On NZXT kits, the pump always makes an impression, especially since the brand changed OEM. Here, it’s much larger than on original Asetek products (93.5 mm in diameter for a height of 65 mm) and features a glossy treatment while the strapping is matte. This not only looks good, but also offers a respectably sized screen.
Here, we’re dealing with a 2.72″ LCD model. IPS-type, it offers 640x640px resolution, while displaying at a frequency of 60 Hz. It’s also very bright, with a claimed 690 cd/m². As for orientation, this can be set directly via the brand’s CAM software.
Beneath this, we find the rather imposing cold plate. It measures 55 mm square and is held in place by eight Philips-head screws. By default, as you can see, we have pre-applied thermal paste… And you know what that means. Otherwise, the treatment of the base is good, with fine machining similar to sandblasting.
There are no connectors at the pump outlet here, as the pump is routed through the pipe sheaths to the radiator. Finally, we’d like to mention an operating speed of between 1200 and 2800 rpm ±300 rpm. And that’s all there is to it. NZXT is one of those brands that doesn’t advertise complete pump specifications (flow rate and water column). The Kraken Elite 420 RGB is no exception.
Compatibility :
In terms of compatible platforms, NZXT highlights support for motherboards in :
- Intel: LGA-1851/1700/1200/115X
- AMD: AM5 – AM4
Nothing unusual in the list of compatible motherboards, since HEDT has long since disappeared… Well, it’s still available from AMD, but the prerequisites are much more stringent, so we have no support for STRX50 boards in particular.
Fans :
In terms of ventilation, there are three 140 mm fans. However, they are rather unusual in that they share a common frame. While this makes assembly easier, in the event of failure, all three fans have to be replaced at once. We think this is a shame, and prefer fans with separate frames, precisely in this context.
On the other hand, the frame is smooth and unobtrusive, with only a small NZXT logo in one corner. Rubber silent blocks are also present at all four corners, while connectivity is handled by a single proprietary 8-pin connector. Each fan has nine rather slender blades.
In terms of features, the F420 RGB Core Fan runs from 500 to 2000 rpm. At full speed, the advertised airflow is 98.61 CFM, while static pressure reaches 3.2 mmH2O. In short, it promises to blow. The main question, then, concerns noise pollution.
The bundle:
The accessories are packaged in small plastic bags containing :
- Assembly instructions
- AMD mounting brackets with corresponding screws and bolts
- Clamping nuts
- Intel multi socket backplate and corresponding screws and bolts
- screws and bolts for fan and radiator mounting
- Cable harness
Obviously, with thermal paste pre-applied to the base, the brand doesn’t supply any in the accessory section. Otherwise, NZXT goes straight to the point, supplying only the components needed to assemble the kit.
Roughly speaking:
On the whole, this Kraken Elite 420 RGB kit from NZXT looks very good, and the pump’s design is convincing indeed. Of course, you’ll need to take the usual precautions with this 420 mm model, and make sure your case will accommodate the kit’s radiator. 420 mm really is big!
[nextpage title=”Installation”]
For installation, you’ll need to keep your AMD backplate, as ASUS doesn’t supply one. If you don’t have one any more, a quick look on eBay should make it easy to find one.
Kraken Elite 420 RGB assembly :
If you have an AMD motherboard, the first thing to do will be to fit the mounting lugs corresponding to your socket. Nothing too complicated here, since you’ll need to remove the default Intel ones and fit the AMD ones. Once in place, we can move on to the next step.
This involves removing the motherboard’s original mounting arms and screwing on the spacers corresponding to your platform. Next, we position the pump and screw it on using the tightening nuts.
On the Intel side, you’ll need to remove the backplate supplied from the back of the motherboard before screwing the spacers onto it. Note that those for LGA-1851/1700 platforms are smooth, while those with a central groove are for older platforms such as LGA-1200/115x. Finally, you’ll need to place the pump on the CPU and screw it on using hand nuts.
For wiring, you’ll need to connect the cable harness between the radiator pipes. From here, we have several cables, including a SATA for power, followed by a USB 2.0 to be connected to a header on your motherboard. Finally, there’s a two-pin fan plug for monitoring pump speed, and a connector for connecting the fans. Once everything’s connected, you’re ready to power up your PC!
As required by NZXT, the management of the kit is entrusted to the CAM software, which will enable you to take advantage of the Kraken Elite 420 RGB screen as well as manage the speed of the fans or the pump. It is available at this address.
Once switched on, the magic happens and, as you can see, the screen is perfectly legible and offers a good screen surface. It’s easy to display .gif files on it, without looking too small. Brightness is also top-notch, as are viewing angles… IPS oblige. In short, there’s plenty to enjoy.
[nextpage title=”Protocol”]
We’ll show you the readings taken on our Ryzen 7 7900X and i5 13600KF, consuming 105W and 170W for AMD and 125 and 170W for Intel. No 65W, as we don’t consider this consumption to be relevant for assessing the performance of watercooling kits.
Here, we now measure the delta between the temperature measured on our CPU and the ambient temperature. Finally, the management of fan speed is now entrusted to our motherboard. In our tests, we run the fans successively at 100%, 66% and 33%.
For test purposes, we’ll be comparing the Kraken 420 Elite RGB with other models in 240 mm, 280 mm, 360 mm and even 420 mm:
- iCUE Link Titan 360 RX RGB (Corsair): AMD
- iCUE Link H170i RGB (Corsair): AMD – Intel
- Kraken Elite 360 (NZXT): AMD
- Light Loop 240 (be quiet!): AMD
- Liquid Freezer 2 240 (Arctic): AMD – Intel
- LQ360 (DeepCool): AMD – Intel
- MAG CoreLiquid A15 360 (MSI): AMD – Intel
- MAG CoreLiquid I360 (MSI): AMD – Intel
- Ryuo III 360 (ASUS): AMD – Intel
- Silent Loop 3 420 (be quiet!): AMD – Intel
[nextpage title=”Speed and noise”]
Fan speed :
We’re now starting our series of temperature readings from scratch. Let’s specify the fan speeds recorded during our readings (for 12V, 8V, 5V):
As you can see, the fan speeds of this Kraken Elite 420 RGB are fairly standard for this type of product. In fact, at 100%, we’re looking at a speed of around 2000 rpm, as opposed to 1400 rpm at 66%. Finally, at 33% PWM signal, speed drops to just over 700 rpm. This is a long way from the 2650 rpm of an ASUS Prime LC360 aRGB LCD, for example.
Noise :
As far as noise levels are concerned, when the fan is running at full speed, it seriously tickles our sound level meter, as we can see. The meter reads 47.5 dB. However, this is also the noise level measured with DeepCool’s LQ360. At 66% speed, the noise level is still quite high at 37 dB, but this is still lower than that of DeepCool’s rival or ASUS’s Ryuo III 360 kit, for example. Finally, at 33%, the ventilation is perfectly silent, especially as the pump is discreet, unlike that of the Ryuo III.
[nextpage title=”AMD CPU temperatures”]
CPU at 105W :
Here, our CPU will run at 2.70 GHz constantly and on all its cores. We apply a Core Voltage of 1,030V to obtain a power consumption of around 100 watts. This corresponds to the TDP of a Ryzen 7 7700X.
Temperature-wise, NZXT’s kit comes off well – let’s say in the top tier, as we can see. This Kraken Elite 420 RGB is in the same league as the Ryuo III 360, LQ360 and Silent Loop 3 420. In fact, there’s a serious gap between these AIOs and the rest of the comparison.
170W processor :
Finally, we end with our 170W profile. Here, heat dissipation is higher, and corresponds to the default TDP of the 7900X. Let’s see how our coolings fare!
With a consumption of 170W, the NZXT kit doesn’t fall short of the mark, still ranking among the best-performing kits in the comparison. In fact, the difference with the Kraken Elite 360 RGB is quite marked.
Summary :
On AMD CPUs , this new NZXT kit performs well, much better than its little brother in 360 mm. As we’ve seen, it easily rivals the be quiet! kit in the same dimensions, and even the ASUS Ryuo III 360 using an Asetek Gen8 pump, for example.
[nextpage title=”AMD temperature-to-noise ratio”]
On these perf/noise ratio graphs, we remind you that it’s best to be positioned as far to the bottom left of the graph as possible. For ease of reading, the leftmost point symbolizes 12V ventilation, the central one 8V ventilation and the rightmost 5V.
105W consumption :
When we combine noise and temperature, we find some interesting values, as you can see. NZXT’s kit is certainly one of the front-runners, but in reality it rivals the LQ360 more than the Silent Loop 3 420. However, it’s better with this kit than a Ryuo III 360, which generates a lot of noise.
170W power consumption:
With a power consumption of 170W, the Kraken Elite 420 RGB is more in line with DeepCool’s LQ360, this time gaining the upper hand over the ASUS kit. It has to be said that this model’s larger heatsink should help.
[nextpage title=”Intel CPU temperatures”]
Processor at 125W :
Here, we’re taking our readings on a Core i5 13600KF, so power consumption reaches 125W. To achieve this, the P-Cores run at 4.5 GHz with the E-Cores running at 3.5 GHz, while the Core Voltage is set at 1.250V!
On an Intel processor, the Kraken Elite 420 RGB is therefore on a par with a Silent Loop 3 420 in terms of temperature. At low speeds, both kits keep our CPUs at equivalent temperatures. However, on this platform, the Ryuo III 360 remains untouchable at low speeds.
Processor at 170W :
Here, we take our readings on a Core i5 13600KF, so power consumption reaches 170W. The P-Core runs at 5.00 GHz, the E-Core at 4.00 GHz and the Core Voltage at 1.350V!
With 170W of consumption on our processor, even at constant speed, the Kraken Elite 420 RGB performs well, once again ranking among the best kits, especially at low speeds. We like it.
Summary:
Whether on Intel or AMD CPUs , this Kraken 420 RGB knows how to be efficient. In fact, it’s one of the top performers time after time. Definitely a model to remember!
[nextpage title=”Intel temperature-to-noise ratio”]
On these perf/noise ratio graphs, we remind you that it’s best to be positioned as far to the bottom left of the graph as possible. For ease of reading, the leftmost point symbolizes 12V ventilation, the one in the center, 8V ventilation, and the rightmost, 5V.
125W consumption :
Despite its interesting temperatures of 125W, the Kraken Elite 420 RGB is positioned in the mass with a curve seriously following that of an ASUS Prime LC360 aRGB LCD. While NZXT’s kit offers good temperatures at low speeds, we find more balanced kits at high speeds.
170W power consumption :
With a more pronounced consumption of 170W, NZXT’s kit stands out more, showing that it’s more at ease with higher consumptions. In these conditions, it becomes a serious competitor to the BeQuiet! Silent Loop 3 420 or DeepCool’s LQ360.
[nextpage title=”Conclusion”]
We’ve come to the end of this test of NZXT’s Kraken Elite 420 RGB. Are we dealing with a successful product? Let’s take a closer look!
A beautiful, perfectly integrated screen!
Clearly, the strong point of this kit is its high-quality IPS LCD screen. It’s well integrated into the pump, with good brightness and a resolution that makes it perfectly usable. What’s more, via CAM, you can do more or less what you want with it, which is a real plus.
Beyond the screen, NZXT relies on a CoolIt base, and the finish is excellent. The radiator is clean, with no visible rivets. On the other hand, we find simplified cabling with fans sharing a single frame. Admittedly, we don’t find this ideal, since if one fan fails, the whole unit will have to be replaced. On the other hand, this limits the number of cables in the installation, with a single connector to be connected to a single wiring harness.
Unfortunately, the accessory part is reduced to the bare minimum, with screws and connectors. As the paste is pre-applied to the base, no additional syringe is supplied. As for screws and bolts, we’ve got twelve long fan screws, four of which will be used for the original fans, so there’s not even enough to install three more for push/pull configurations… Unless you buy an F420 RGB Core Fan block.
As for assembly, it’s business as usual, with a simplified assembly set and few parts to handle. In short, it’s up and running in minutes.
And the performance?
In terms of performance, NZXT has pleasantly surprised us with this kit, since it does very well from a temperature point of view in AM5, and is far superior to its 360 mm counterpart. On Intel sockets, it’s at low revs that it’ll hold its own, while at high speeds it’s unfortunately up against strong competition.
In any case, with its 420 mm heatsink, it’s best suited to processors with high power consumption. This is also reflected in the temperature/noise ratio, where it’s more at home with 170W consoles.
As for noise, the kit won’t be quiet at high speeds, that’s a fact… But we’ve clearly seen worse, even at mid-range. So on that score, we’d say that noise levels are well under control. And if you’re allergic to noise, you should know that it holds the load of our CPUs very well at low speeds.
Top-of-the-range kit, top-of-the-range invoice:
Unfortunately, you’ll have to digest a hefty bill of €345. This is clearly a lot of money for an all-in-one watercooling kit. If at this price you can easily assemble a custom loop for the CPU, some prefer not to bother with the maintenance and assembly of the loop, that’s a choice. However, unless you fall in love with the NZXT design, other references offer a better quality/price ratio.
NZXT Kraken Elite 420 RGB:
We like:
- The meticulous finish of this set
- The quality of the screen and its integration into the pump
- The screen’s functionalities
- Quick and easy assembly
- Software support via CAM
- Noise levels under control… We’ve seen worse
- Quiet pump, even at full power!
- Good performance on high consumption levels
We liked it less :
- The single-frame fans, which will have to be replaced if they fail.
- The sparse accessories section: not even a paste supplement on a €345 kit!
- The high-end bill too
In the end, we choose to award silver to this AIO from NZXT. It has its qualities, the main one being its screen, its software support and its finish, but the price is very high: €345. At this price, you can build custom loops, provided you’re willing to get your hands dirty. Otherwise, in terms of temperature and nuisance, it holds its own, but you’ll certainly find better quality/price ratios, notably at be quiet! who offer a solid kit in these dimensions… But there’s no screen.
Many thanks to NZXT!
