For some PC enthusiasts, using an all-in-one water cooler (AIO) is a means to an end. They want the benefits of putting their CPU under water without the hassle of building an open loop. For some, though, an AIO is much more than a simple cooling solution. There are those out there whose PC case is an artistic extension of their gaming persona, and their AIO cooler sits at the core of all the metal, RGB fans, and tempered glass. NZXT's Kraken all-in-one coolers are an excellent example of how cooling systems can go beyond their necessary utility to include striking features that enhance the overall look of a computer build.
The AIO market has really been heating up over the last few years, and with the new thermal challenges posed by the latest Intel and AMD processors, it should be no surprise that NZXT's long-running Kraken series of coolers was due for a refresh. This newest iteration of the Kraken lineup comes in two tiers, the base Kraken and the Kraken Elite series. Both series offer 260mm, 280mm, and 360mm variants with standard or RGB fans. The main difference between the Kraken and Kraken Elite lies in the LCD screen perched atop the pump head. The Kraken sports a 1.54-inch, 240x240p LCD screen, while the Kraken Elite goes bigger and bolder with a more capable 2.36-inch, 640x640p screen. Regardless of which trim level you go with, you can rest assured that you are getting a cooler that will keep your temps under control and look good while doing so.
The all-in-one cooler that we are reviewing today is the Kraken Elite 280 RGB, the mid-sized option in the Elite lineup.
Specifications
- Current Price: $269.99 (NZXT)
- Water Block
- Materials: Copper block with plastic housing
- Dimensions: Diameter 81.9mm, Height 59.5mm
- Pump
- Speed: 800 - 2800 ± 300rpm
- Power: 12V DC, 0.3A
- Pump Cap: 2.36” TFT-LCD Display
- Resolution: 640 x 640 pixels @ 60Hz
- Brightness: 690 cd/m2
- Color: 24-bit true color
- Radiator
- Material: Aluminum
- Dimensions: 143 x 315 x 30mm
- Tubes: 400mm Ultra-low evaporation rubber with nylon braided sleeve
- Fans: NZXT F140 RGB Core x2
- Dimensions: 140 x 140 x 26mm
- Speed: 500 - 1500 ± 150rpm
- Maximum Airflow: 90.79 CFM
- Air Pressure: 3.22 mm H20
- Bearing: Fluid Dynamic Bearing
- Connector: 4-pin PWM
- RGB Controller
- Dimensions: 63.2 x 53.2 x 12.8mm
- Mounting: Magnet and 3M Dual Lock tape
- Lighting Channels: 3
- Socket Compatability
- Intel: LGA 1700, 1200/115X
- AMD: Socket AM5, AM4, optional bracket for Threadripper
- Warranty: 6 years
The Design and Features
Available in white or black, the Kraken Elite 280 RGB is powered by a 7th-generation Asetek pump with a speed of 800-2800 RPM. It has a copper block held within a plastic housing, and the pump cap has a 2.36" diameter wide-angle LCD. The radiator itself is not unique, with only the NZXT name stamped on each side to differentiate it from every other aluminum radiator on the market. The tubes are covered in a braided nylon sleeve, giving them a premium look.
While the pump keeps the water flowing, the Kraken Elite maximizes heat dissipation at the radiator with two F140 RGB Core fans. The 140mm fans have eight LEDs positioned around the inner hub to create a wide array of lighting effects. They are also quite capable, producing a maximum airflow of nearly 91 CFM with a pressure of 3.22 mm H20 to push air through the radiator. Even with their fluid dynamic bearings, the fans produce a large amount of noise, but as we’ll discuss later, you don’t need to push the Kraken Elite to its limits to keep your system running cool.
The AIO performed admirably in testing, but the pump cap is the main attraction here. The Kraken Elite 280 RGB is the first AIO I’ve worked with that comes with an LCD screen, so the pump head looks massive compared to my other coolers. I can only imagine that the 2.36” screen came about in a “hold my beer” moment after someone remarked that all AIOs have temperature readouts these days.
Yes, the screen can display a single or dual infographic to monitor CPU and GPU temps, clock speeds, or other data. You can also upload PNGs, JPGs, and GIFs to display as a standalone image or backdrop to your infographics; these are limited to 25MB, so GIFs with high frame counts will fail during uploading. You can also pick from a selection of color patterns if you want to turn the screen into an audio visualizer. Using the screen’s Web Integration, you can create a Google Photos slideshow, grab the album cover for your current Spotify song, or create a custom display to stream topics from your favorite news site. Or, just go low-tech and turn the pump head into a clock.
Along with controlling pump and fan speeds, all of the Kraken Elite’s RGB lighting and screen functionality is handled by NZXT's CAM software. I found the software intuitive and easy to navigate. Multiple configurations can be set up and stored, allowing you to tweak fan speeds and lighting choices for various situations. Once everything is set up, you can close the software to free up resources or keep it running in full size or mini mode to keep track of your PC’s vitals.
Installation
Installation of the NZXT Kraken Elite 280 RGB is straightforward. The box includes standoffs and mounting plates for modern AMD and Intel CPUs. Mounting the pump really is as easy as screwing in the correct standoffs for your CPU, placing the pump and bracket onto the standoffs, and tightening down the bolts. The pump comes with the Intel bracket pre-installed, but it can be removed with a simple twist and pull to be replaced with the AMD bracket. The pump even has thermal paste applied for a clean, mess-free installation.
The 400mm tubes allow you to place the radiator virtually anywhere within the PC case. The pump can be rotated at 30-degree intervals to position the tube connectors for the best possible tube routing. The radiator comes with short and passthrough screws to accommodate various mounting configurations, and the installation itself is a breeze.
Power for the pump and the LCD display are handled with a single cable that eases cable management on the motherboard's front side. After a few inches, the single cable breaks out into a SATA connector for power and a USB 2.0 connector for the LCD. The fans come with a three-way splitter that connects directly to a PWM connector on your motherboard. The fans use a proprietary connector that plugs into the included RGB controller. The small housing of the controller uses magnets to attach anywhere within your case; a piece of 3M tape is included for a more permanent solution. Although the controller and fans use a proprietary connector (aka no swapping fans without tossing out the controller), the controller uses a standard 5V ARGB connector to interface with the motherboard and draws power through a SATA power connector. Still, I would like fans with standard headers so I could use them with a larger controller or plug them directly into my motherboard.
Thermal Performance
The NZXT Kraken Elite 280 RGB's thermal performance may be secondary to its visual flair, but it still has to be up to the task of cooling your CPU. I had just completed a PC upgrade right before the Kraken Elite arrived, so I could challenge the AIO's cooling capabilities with a Ryzen 9 7900X CPU. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to benchmark all of my regular coolers to see how the Kraken Elite 280 RGB compared to other cooling options. Still, I was able to test the Kraken Elite in two modes: 100% fans and a preset Silent Mode. The silent mode was configured with the fans at 25% speed with a curve that kicked up to 100% once the AIO’s liquid temperature hit 50C (note, it never did). I still wanted to get some sort of comparison, so I also tested the new system with a bigger AIO - Cougar’s Poseidon GT360 with fans at 100%.
At idle, the coolers performed within 1C of each other. With idle out of the way, we moved on to more demanding situations to see how things would pan out for the Kraken Elite. Before checking temperatures in a few games, we used Cinebench and Blender to see how the coolers could handle a maximum load.
As expected, running in Silent Mode, the Kraken Elite’s low fan speed wasn’t enough to stop the CPU from throttling during a 10-minute Cinebench test. At 100% fans, though, the larger radiator of the Poseidon GT360 gave it a 2C advantage over the Kraken Elite, but the Kraken Elite was still able to keep the 7900X from hitting its thermal limit. The Kraken and GT360 had final scores of 29992 and 30036, respectively, well within a margin of error.
Even the silent-running Kraken Elite pushed temps off the 95C limit in Blender, and both coolers could get temps down into a more comfortable range at full fans. Although the Kraken Elite was able to claim victory in Blender, a .3C difference is negligible, and their final render times were less than a second apart.
We saw similar results in our gaming tests. Even at low fan speeds, the Kraken barely topped a 56C average in Cyberpunk 2077, with all other tests coming in below that mark. I would note that the tests were run using an Asus Tuf RTX 3080, so the CPU wasn’t pushed as hard as it would be with a more capable GPU. But with 50+ degrees of headroom, it’s safe to say that the Kraken Elite 280 could handle any real-world gaming scenario, no matter what GPU you pair it with.
Final Thoughts
You might be asking yourself, who needs a 2.5-inch screen on their AIO pump? No one. No one needs a Kraken Elite 280 RGB. There are other cheaper Kraken offerings to merely fulfill your water-cooling needs if all you care about is performance.
The Kraken Elite 280 RGB is all about wants. I want RGB fans. I want to spend a couple of hours hunting down the perfect gif (Go Hawks!) and setting the color of my fans to match. And no matter how you slice it, the Kraken Elite 280 RGB lets me flex my RGB muscles with great lighting and one of the best - if not the best - LCD screens you can find on an AIO pump. Oh, and it cools your CPU pretty darn well too.
