Introduction
If you are in the market for a top of the line cooler, you will need to consider AIO or All In One Coolers. Basically the middle ground between the mystery of watercooling and the predictable land of air cooling limitations. Unless you have a large chassis and can cope with a be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 or the superb Noctua NH-D15 then you are going to be need to compromise in some way. Either in the way of overheating or increasing the decibels by pushing more air though the case.
AIO coolers are not a perfect science, and they will not tick all the boxes of the high end watercoolers or in fact the high end coolers, but they will offer solutions to a group of users who have particular needs.
The needs vary, but they all exist in a small window; High performance, small footprint, low or controllable sound levels and it needs to look good.
The AIO product ranges have a few entrants that do not usually produce cooling components, Corsair and NZXT for example. Would it be fair to pitch them against a high end air cooler?
Today we are reviewing the NZXT Kraken X61 AIO CPU Cooler, and we are going to put it against two of the best air coolers money can buy.
Specification
| NZXT Kraken X61 | |
|---|---|
| Model Number | RL-KRX61-01 |
| Fan Air Flow | 42.4-106.1 CFM |
| Dimensions | 140 (W) x 280 (H) x 27mm (D) |
| Fan Air Pressure | 0.36-1.97mmH2O |
| Fan Bearing | Nano Bearing |
| Motor Speed | 2400-3600 ± 150 RPM |
| Fan Connector | 4 Pin PWM |
| Compatibility | Intel LGA 2011-3, 1366, 1156, 1155, 1150 CPUs AMD FM2, FM1, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2 CPUs |
| Fan Dimensions | 140 x 140 x 25mm |
| Fan Model | NZXT FX V2 140mm Performance PWM Fan |
| Material | Copper Aluminium Rubber Plastic |
| Tube Length | 400mm |
| LED Color | Hue Controlled Color Changing Lights |
| Fan Speed | 800~2000 RPM ± 10% |
| Radiator | 280mm |
Product Shots
The Kraken comes packed in a carton with everything neatly protected. The box sports a red detail but this isn’t a red version, you can change the colour of the LED’s using the CAM software.
The colour scheme is in fact neutral, with black and white fans and pretty much black everything else.
All the wires have a nice sheath to them, and the fans have a waxy feel to their cables, making them feel slightly higher quality.
NZXT Kraken X61 AIO CPU Cooler Review
Package - 8.5
Performance - 9.5
Price - 8.5
Consumer Experience - 8.5
8.8
All round, the NZXT Kraken X61 AIO CPU Cooler is superb. It cools really well, looks really good, and is generally whisper quiet. Our only issue with the NZXT Kraken X61 is the price, £102.25 (inc VAT) currently, which is about 30% more than the Noctua NH-D15 at £65.46 (inc VAT).