water cooler with lcd screen free sample
To start off this is a Asetek AIO cooler at its core, so in terms of overall cooling performance it functions pretty much inline with its brethren regardless of what moniker they find themselves under, so if you"re looking for a in depth analysis of thermals etc. this will not be my focus.
This cooler comes at a significant premium mostly due to the included LCD screen on top of the pump for most prospective purchasers this will be the selling point, and that is where I will start, when I initially took the cooler out of the box the plastic outer case designed to protect the LCD came of i panicked but noticed it"s literally designed to come off and is secured by what seems to be a magnetized locking mechanism, however, the screen itself also literally popped out of its housing, I was surprised as to how easily it fell out, even after putting it back in I was equally surprised as to how poorly secured it felt, the screen feels flimsy and fragile and is secured to the pump by a ribbon connector I was genuinely concerned could easily tear, so be aware of this.
While all the included fans come with rgb lighting, the pump lcd does not, the Hardware Monitor presets are all monochrome and the preset visual effects are three toned and the colors cannot be adjusted, so RGB enthusiasts may have issue with this, you have the option of importing your own image as a BMP but I have not tested this feature.
Installation in and of itself for the most part is straight forward for anyone whose installed an AIO before, particularly an Asetek AIO, but this is where many of my significant caveats come about, my first gripe is the the ridiculous amount of cables, there"s a USB header, three RGB headers, three fan headers, a SATA header, plus the standard CPU fan header, both the RGB and Fan headers have three to one connectors, but as you can understand the amount of cabling was annoying to manage to say the least, it would be helpful to at the very least have a built in hub on the radiator to plug all these in for the sake of neatness like many other coolers do.
My second gripe is the fans themselves, the fans have no airflow indicators so if you do not intuitively know which direction the air travels through them it could cause issues for those less technically inclined. My assumption is the fans are to be mounted in a very specific direction as indicated on the box art and MSI does not expect any deviation from this but for those with specific needs in terms of intake vs exhaust placement, airflow indicators are a god send and for them to not be included on a modern fan is just surprising to me.
The cooler does not come with included software and in order to access the software you have to download MSI Center as well which might be a turn off for many who do not like needless bloatware.
So with all these concerns why did I still give it 4 stars? the cooler at its core is not at fault because at the end of the day as I said an Asetek Cooler is an Asetek Cooler and it functions admirably, furthermore my concerns regarding cabling I suspect comes with the territory of having three RGB fans and a LCD screen all needing power and the ability to communicate with your PC and I don"t have a large enough sample size to question if this is outside of the norm.
However the main selling point being the LCD screen and what it"s essentially justifying a 30 to 50 dollar mark up for is where I feel somewhat let down, the screen and the fans are the parts MSI are mostly responsible for and the gimmick feels like it was executed poorly with the least amount of effort.
We think out of the box and spin it differently. Each of our LCD fridges is newly developed to fit with the screen size. The front glass door is a FULL-SIZE advertising screen.
With the eye-catching retro design of round corners to stand out from the competitors. Inside space divided into 2 parts by 1 shelf. Fits 2 layers of drinks. Like 42 cans of 250 ml Red Bull energy drinks, or 35 cans of 330ml Coca-Cola.
With the eye-catching retro design of round corners to stand out from the competitors. Inside space divided into 5 parts by 4 shelves. Fits 5 layers of drinks. Like 315 cans of 250 ml Red Bull energy drinks, or 288 cans of 330ml Coca-Cola.
Your brand is the soul of your beverage. If your brand does not impress consumers, your beverages will not seize the market. This is a key point for every beverage company that wants to establish its own brand image. What’s your idea? Discuss with us and we’ll send you back awesome mock-ups that may refresh you.
When playing a video, the white part of the video on the screen is transparent. If the video is designed as black or dark blocks, the transparency will be reduced to about 8%.
There’s no room to add the cover with a lock upon the USB port. But we could add the rubber stopper to cover the USB port, and there is an extra charge.
We don’t supply the TLCD door only, as the TLCD door is matched with the custom cooler including the inside lighting system, wires, and etc. You can’t just change a standard glass door of a fridge to be a TLCD.
An all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler not only ensures quieter cooling than a traditional air cooler, but it might even lower temperatures enough to let you overclock further. AIOs are a super simple way to water-cool your PC without any mess or the headache of choosing components. We also recommend investing in a liquid cooler if you have or are planning to buy a high-performance processor like the new Intel Core i9-13900K or AMD"s Ryzen 7950x.
Most builds call for a 240mm AIO. To that end, we recommend the Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite, thanks to its solid software integration, excellent included fans, and good price tag. You can jump up or down depending on your PC build size or cooling needs, too, with various options available.
Note: Before diving in, you"ll need to take note of your CPU socket before picking up an AIO water cooler. Every CPU cooler is a little different, so you"ll need to know what CPU socket your motherboard has to see if the cooler supports it.
The Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite is a minor update to the H100i RGB Pro XT, which has been our top recommendation for a while. It features an updated pump design with 16 RGB LEDs, and thanks to iCUE, you can sync up all of your various RGB accessories for a unified look inside your build. The software also allows you to check on your CPU and coolant temperature to make sure everything is running smoothly.
In addition to a 240mm radiator, the kit comes with Corsair"s new AF Elite fans. These are high-performance 120mm PWM fluid dynamic bearing fans that combine a low-noise design with the company"s "AirGuide" technology for powerful cooling, quiet operation, and exceptional durability. They also support Zero RPM and Variable Pump Speed specialized cooling modes in iCUE to keep noise to a minimum when your system is idle or under light loads.
The Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite is an easy AIO to recommend. The company is behind some of the best desktop CPU coolers, and the cooler clocks in at about $140. Socket support is excellent, too, with mounting options for all recent Intel and AMD processors, including Threadripper.
When it comes to raw thermal performance, the Arctic Liquid Freezer II is the best 360mm AIO cooler on the market. It reaches similar performance to competing coolers from NZXT and Corsair while being very inexpensive. Currently selling for about $130, the price is comparable to and in some cases lesser than most competitive 360mm AIO coolers out there.
The pump on the AIO is controlled by PWM, allowing it to modulate with the workload rather than run at full speed all the time. The Liquid Freezer II also includes a 40 mm fan next to the pump, set to sit over your motherboard"s VRM chips. In more extreme overclocking sessions, this may improve stability. Otherwise, it includes three Arctic 120 mm fans to keep air flowing.
This cooler is all about performance and price. It gets those two bits right, but not without some concessions. It doesn"t feature any sort of lighting, and the design may not be to everyone"s tastes. Still, the Arctic Liquid Freezer II hits a sweet spot that other coolers can"t compete with. Socket support is a little limited, but the Liquid Freezer still supports most recent chips. On AMD, it supports AM4 CPUs, and on Intel, it supports all LGA115x sockets, as well as 2011-3 and 2066 with a square Independent Loading Mechanism (ILM).
NZXT"s third-generation Kraken X coolers are well worth the asking prices. The cooler is now available in an all-white finish with two 120mm Aer RGB 2 fans making it perfect for your next white PC build. This 240mm model clocks in at around $145, which still isn"t too expensive. The design is much more appealing than Arctic"s offering while achieving similar levels of thermal performance.
For looks, the Kraken X"s infinity mirror pump cap is a showstopper. It bounces light around inside the cap to create the illusion of infinite LED rings. Like nearly all NZXT products, the Kraken X53 is fully integrated with CAM, allowing you to monitor temperatures and tweak your lighting settings. Over the X52, the X53 also includes an NZXT Hue 2 connection on the pump, offering power for up to six Hue 2 accessories. If you want to trick out your rig with synced-up RGB, the NZXT Kraken X53 is for you.
Socket support is excellent, with support for TR4 and AM4 on AMD, and LGA115X, 1700, and 1,200 on Intel. NZXT rates the Kraken X53 for six years of continuous use — 60,000 hours, technically — which is around what we"d expect for most AIO coolers. NZXT offers a six-year warranty, though, so you"re covered from any defects for the rated life of the cooler.
120 mm AIOs usually aren"t very good, but the Corsair H80i v2 is the best 120 mm AIO around. Without proper surface area on the radiator, most 120 mm coolers just aren"t up to snuff when it comes to cooling power. The Corsair H80i v2 solves that problem. The radiator is twice as thick, clocking in at 49mm compared to the standard 25mm. The H80i v2 doesn"t match the cooling performance of a 240mm radiator, but it gets a lot closer than a standard 120 mm one.
As for support, the Corsair H80i v2 comes with Intel mounting hardware for socket 1366 up to LGA1200 (Intel"s redesign of LGA1151, designed for Comet Lake CPUs). Basically, if you have an Intel processor introduced after 2008, you"re fine. AMD support is a little sparser. The cooler technically supports AM2 up to AM4, but the box only ships with mounting hardware for up to AM3. You"ll need a separate AM4 bracket. Thankfully, Corsair sells them for only a few dollars. There"s no RGB on this one, either, though you can control fan speed and monitor temperatures through Corsair"s iCUE software.
Cooler Master offers a range of "lite" AIOs, which are basically previous iterations of Cooler Master"s MasterLiquid line with increased socket support and double FEP tubing. At around $85, the Cooler Master ML240L v2 is the best budget AIO available. It comes with a 240mm radiator, two RGB fans, and a small RGB controller. Thermal performance isn"t great, and the noise level is higher than some more costly options. However, the ML240L clocks in around $50 cheaper than most competing 240mm AIOs. Plus, you can always swap the fans out later for more lighting options and slightly better noise levels.
The Cooler Master ML240L comes with nearly universal socket support, too. On Intel, it supports LGA1200, LGA20xx, LGA115x, and LGA1366, and on AMD, it supports AM2 to AM4, as well as FM2 and FM1. For the price, it"s hard to beat the ML240L.
If you want the best RGB AIO cooler, the EK-AIO 240 D-RGB goes off the deep end. Short of a small black strip where the tubes connect, the mounting block has a translucent, slightly diffused surface, washing out the lights inside into a beautiful display of color. EK is the place for custom water cooling, and the EK-AIO 240 shows why.
This is Corsair"s first all-in-one liquid cooler with a built-in LCD on the pump block. The iCUE H100i Elite LCD is a step beyond the older H100i RGB Pro XT and an excellent choice if you care about RGB lighting and customizations. The bright 2.1-inch panel comes with a 480x480 resolution making it sharper than most AIO LCD displays. It can be used to showcase a variety of things including system temperatures, custom artwork, GIFs, videos, and more. This can be done with Corsair"s iCUE software which also offers additional information about the cooler.
The AIO comes with two 120mm Corsair ML RGB ELITE magnetic levitation fans for great cooling performance while maintaining quiet operation. There is also support for a zero-RPM cooling profile that allows the fans to stop entirely at low temperatures thus eliminating any fan noise. Expect excellent thermal performance thanks to the custom cold plate that features a high-density stack of 128 micro-skived fins per inch providing highly efficient cooling.
Apart from the 240mm option, the Corsair Elite LCD AIO is also available in 360mm and 420mm configurations and there is support for all modern CPU sockets including the latest Intel LGA 1700 and AMD"s upcoming AM5.
The Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora is a CPU cooler that you can refill. Unlike other AIO liquid coolers, you can swap out the fluid, upgrade the hoses and fittings, and even expand the loop. The most recent model supports digital RGB on the fans and CPU block, too, allowing you to trick out your lighting however you want.
The looks are right, but Alphacool didn"t sacrifice thermals with the Eisbaer Aurora. The radiator is made out of copper for a little extra cooling potential, and the nickel-plated copper CPU block has been slightly enlarged compared to previous versions. For CPU support, the Eisbaer Aurora supports most modern processors, though it doesn"t officially support Threadripper chips.
The most important part of an AIO CPU cooler is the radiator size. A larger radiator offers better cooling performance, but you need to make sure it can fit inside your case. Otherwise, look at the socket support to make sure you can use the cooler with your motherboard and buy from a reputable brand.
Most AIO coolers have a lifespan of six years, regardless of if they have RGB or not. You can expect an AIO cooler from a reputable brand to run for six years without issues, but every cooler is a little different. We recommend looking up individual AIO cooler reviews to see if others have had issues with reliability.
Before buying an AIO cooler, you need to know about the risks it may pose to your PC. Although failures are few and far between, every AIO cooler is still putting water dangerously close to your precious PC components, so there"s always a risk that the cooler could leak or fail and damage your parts. The fact that AIO coolers are closed makes matters worse because you can"t open the loop to see if there are any problems.
The best way to mitigate risk is to keep an eye on your cooler to see if there are any signs of leaking and to monitor your CPU temperature to see if the pump is failing. As long as you keep an eye on both, you can find most problems before they do any catastrophic damage.
In a typical setup, yes, liquid cooling is simply better at capturing and dissipating heat than an air cooling system alone — however, they aren"t necessarily better than the best air coolers. AIO coolers are a popular option to add liquid cooling because they offer the whole cooling system in a premade package that"s relatively easy to set up, and they tend to be very quiet.
That being said, AIO coolers may not be the best choice for every gaming station. As we mentioned above, not all PC cases have a lot of room to add a radiator, pump, and tubing. If you aren"t interested in overclocking and your current system manages temperatures just fine, you may not see a lot of benefit from switching to an AIO cooler, either.
That depends on several factors. The pump that moves the liquid in the cooler is typically silent or at least inconsequential compared to other PC noises. AIO models usually have fans, which will get noisy if they operate at high speed or are dirty. You can decrease fan noise by keeping them free of dust and monitoring their settings via the BIOS if possible. The good news is that, with liquid cooling, fans usually don"t have to work as hard and are less likely to make lots of noise.
Another source of noise can be gurgling from the liquid as it flows, especially at higher pump speeds. If your AIO cooler is chilling your PC just fine at lower pump speeds, you can easily keep noise levels down this way. If annoying gurgling noises persist, there could be air cycling in the system. Proper installation and pump placement can often help avoid bubbling issues like this, so it may be time to take a look at your mounting choices. You can also run the cooler through a process to clear out air bubbles.
The all-new Kraken Z Series lets you personalize your all-in-one liquid cooler like never before. Through CAM’s unique software interface, you can do more than simply ne-tune settings; you can now display your favorite images and animated gifs, or CAM system information, allowing for total customization. Backed by a 6-year warranty, the Kraken Z series provides superior performance in liquid cooling, simple installation, and a look that is uniquely your own.Customise Your Battlestation
With a bright, 2.36” LCD screen capable of displaying 24-bit color, you can now completely customize the look of your CPU cooler. Whether it’s an iconic image, personal photo, funny gif, or CAM data, you can use your Kraken to express yourself in an exciting new way.Stay In Control
CAM’s elegant, user-friendly software makes you the master of your PC. With simple-to-use, intuitive controls, you can manage your Kraken’s performance and appearance with ease.Incredible Performance
Fine nylon mesh sleeves strengthen the rubber tubing, providing durability and protection against mishandling. With the fully programmable display, the pump can be rotated in 90 degree increments to fit the needs of your motherboard without affecting the direction of the logo or image.Specification:Pump:- Motor Speed & Power: 2,000 – 2,800 + 300 RPM, 12V DC, 0.3ARadiator:- Dimensions: 143 x 315 x 30mm- Material: AluminumTube:- Length: 400mm- Material: Ultra-low Evaporation Rubber with Nylon Braided SleeveCap:- Display Orientation: Software adjustable 90° increments- Display Panel Active Area: 2.36” (60mm) diameter- Display Colour: 24-bit true color LCD- Display Resolution: 320 x 320 px- Display Brightness: 650 cd/m2Fans:- Quantity: 2- Dimension: 140 x 140 x 26mm- Speed: 500-1,800 + 300 RPM- Air Flow: 27.27 - 98 .17 CFM- Air Pressure: 0.21 - 2.71mm-H 2O- Noise: 21-38dBA- Bearing: Fluid Dynamic Bearing- Power Consumption: 12V DC, 0.38A, 4.56W- Connector: 4-pin PWM- Life: 60,000 hours / 6 Years- Warranty: 6 YearsSocket Compatibility:- Intel: Intel Socket LGA 1200, 1151, 1150, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2011-3, 2066- AMD: AMD Socket AM4, TR4(bracket not included)
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The last article has introduced to you what an AIO liquid CPU cooler is, if you still don’t understand it, go and make up the progress.Is a Liquid CPU Cooler Better Than the Air Cooler? Things You Need to Know Before Buying a CPU Cooler.
Today, I want to share with you how to install an AIO liquid CPU cooler after purchasing it. What should you pay attention to during the installation process?
In an AIO liquid CPU cooler, there are many parts besides the cooler itself, such as brackets, screws, and various wires. So the first thing you do is pick up the manual and make sure all parts are there or you may not be able to install smoothly! The following is a demonstration using T-FORCE SIREN GD240E All-in-One ARGB CPU Liquid Cooler.
When you see an AIO liquid CPU cooler for the first time, the first question most people have is how do I install this? The first thing you need to pay attention to is the fans on the water cooling row. Depending on the design of each case, there may be more than one place to install. Different installation locations have different installation methods for fans. The following two installation positions are more common in the market and have been tested to have more effective heat dissipation.
In the previous article, we mentioned that the purpose of the fan installed on top of the water cooling row is to bring the heat away from the water cooling row, thereby cooling the coolant. If the place you install is at the “top” of the case, the “concave side” of the fan should be installed facing the water cooling row, so that the wind will smoothly blow the heat away from the water cooling row.
If the place you install is the “front side” of the case, the “convex side” of the fan should be installed facing the water cooling row, and then installed on the front side of the case. It is because the front side of the case is for air intake and the back side is for exhaust, so this way the installation will be in a uniform direction of air flow.
The AIO liquid CPU cooler alone can’t cool down the entire PC. The PC itself must be equipped with other fan products to achieve an effective cooling effect. A quick tip, if you really forget which side is air intake and which side is the exhaust, try pushing the blades hard to feel the wind flow.
The installation direction of the fan has been mentioned in the previous paragraph. This time we install the water cooling row on top of the case, so the fan direction is as shown below. Confirm the direction and take the longer screws in the package to lock it.
Remove the copper bottom surface protection sticker on the water block of the SIREN GD240E All-in-One ARGB CPU Liquid Cooler. Take the appropriate screws and screw them on the motherboard. The screwing method is the same, following the order of X and do not screw it too tightly at once. Lock all the screws and then tighten them in the same order, so that the water block applies force to the CPU evenly, making the CPU less likely to be damaged.
After securing the AIO liquid cooler to the case and the motherboard, the last step, and the most important step, is wiring! First, you must identify the purpose of each wire.
Since the fan and the water block of T-FORCE SIREN GD240E AIO ARGB liquid cooler have ARGB function, therefore the fan has two cables individually, one for the power and one for the ARGB signal, while the water block only has one ARGB signal cable.
Find the one-to-three cable from the package, and get the fan and the ARGB signal cable of the water block and plug it in, then connect it to the 5V 3 PIN position on the motherboard and you are done.
Then there is the is the power cable. The power cable on the water cooling row should be connected to the AIO_PUMP on the motherboard. It will be marked on the motherboard, you don’t have to worry.
Brackets [ ], parenthesis ( ), less than/greater than < > and ellipsis ... are used to describe, respectively, optional, required, positional and repeating elements. Example commands are prefixed with a number sign #, which also serves to indicate that on Linux root permissions (or suitable udev rules) may be required.
Note: in addition to --debug, setting the PYUSB_DEBUG=debug and LIBUSB_DEBUG=4 environment variables can be helpful with problems suspected to relate to PyUSB or LibUSB.
In case more than one supported device is found, one them can be selected with --match
Color arguments containing spaces, parenthesis or commas need to be quoted, as these characters can have special meaning on the command-line; the easiest way to do this on all supported platforms is with double quotes.
Make sure that liquidctl is available in the context where the batch file will run: in short, liquidctl --version should work within a normal Command Prompt window.
This can be temporarily solved by manually rebinding the device to the kernel usbhid driver. Replace
Alternatively to running liquidctl as root (or with sudo), you can install the udev rules provided in extra/linux/71-liquidctl.rules to allow unprivileged access to the devices supported by liquidctl.
“My team"s been using Water Cooler Trivia for more than two years now. While we were in the office, it was really fun to discuss the results each week and celebrate the winners. Now that we are all remote, the fact that the quiz results still give us something to talk about each week over Slack that isn"t work-related is super appreciated.”
Our WaterSentry® filter is a carbon block filter with a polypropylene prefilter that is rated to NSF 42 and 53 for lead, chlorine taste and odor. We offer a 3,000-gallon filter (51300C) for all our bottle filling stations and a 6,000-gallon high-capacity filter (51600C) specifically for our enhanced bottle filling stations.
Our WaterSentry 51300C filter is rated for 3,000 gallons which is approximately 19,200 20-oz. bottles. Our WaterSentry 51600C filter is rated for 6,000 gallons which is approximately 38,400 20-oz. bottles. Actual filter life depends on usage. We recommend changing the filter at least once a year.
4. Write the date of filter installation on the label. Insert new filter into existing filter head and turn fully clockwise so the label with date is clearly visible.
We recommend using a genuine Elkay filter. Our filters are designed and manufactured to work within Elkay units and provide optimum performance. To purchase filters, click here or call 800-834-4816.
Yes. Elkay offers filter retrofit kits that can be added to many existing Elkay water delivery products. The EWF3000 Filter System Kit converts a non-filtered bottle filler into a filtered unit. The EWF172 Filter System Kit converts a non-filtered cooler or fountain into a filtered unit. See table below for all retrofit options.
While the traditional water cooler has been replaced in many offices with a fancy coffee machine, the organic effect of striking up a quick conversation with a colleague in the kitchen about last night’s sports game, TV episode, or weekend plans remains important as ever.With more people working remotely than ever before, that opportunity for casual social connection has been lost. Video calls help teams stay connected on work topics, and chat channels allow for ongoing conversation, but the importance of connecting casually to build camaraderie and conviviality is missing for many remote workers.
So, it’s time to introduce the virtual water cooler. Read on to find out how you can set up a virtual water cooler meeting on Conceptboard, and why you should.
A chance to reset: A virtual water cooler is the brain reset we often need in between intense meetings. It also gives you a chance to see the human side of your colleagues, and build empathy with each other, away from the business stresses.
It’s important to choose a time that is accessible for everyone. A rhythm of once per week around 10 or 11am is a good starting point, and you can always increase it if it’s gaining positive feedback. Of course with global teams, it’ll be harder to find a perfect time for everyone, so consider doing split times according to their work days.
One of the best things about the water cooler is that you can literally run into anybody. So maintain the same dynamic by opening the session to anyone within the business, not just your direct team. Not only is this a great way to create relationships across departments, it also gives discussions and chats more angles.
Like the actual water cooler, it helps to have something to centre on. By using a backdrop such as a virtual whiteboard, it gives team members somewhere to meet, albeit virtually, and can help create a mindset shift. Then it’s just a matter of setting up a group voice or video call, either through Conceptboard, or another software such as Zoom or Skype so everyone can chat easily.
On our free template we’ve created five simple activities that can help break the ice at the virtual water cooler. Of course, you can also create your own, or leave the board blank and invite team members to add their own creative conversation starters.
A great way of simulating the laid-back environment of an actual break room is with the help of fun games that multiple people can participate in at the same time. We’ve created a simple, visual game for this purpose that requires zero skill and preparation. We call it the ‘iconic scavenger hunt’. Just choose one icon from the ones we’ve cherry picked from our vast icons library and send your colleagues on a virtual scavenger hunt. It’s a great way to decompress and have fun virtually with your team.
It’s not long before office water cooler conversations turn to TV shows, movies or holidays. We’ve recreated that on the virtual water cooler board with question prompts such as “What was the last TV show you binge watched?” or “Where is your dream holiday destination?”. Find out if you have similar guilty pleasures, or similar holiday plans in this easy get to know you activity.
The virtual water cooler is the place to kick off a discussion or debate. Simply choose a beverage from the vast selection available and allow people to congregate around the water cooler and engage in casual chit chat. Add your images and names next to the beverages and so people can put a face to your virtual sticky note! Thanks to Conceptboard’s live cursor tracking, you can see who’s joining in.
No matter how big or small your team is, giving them the chance to connect on a personal level goes a long way to improving teamwork and communication. So if your team has been working alone for too long, it’s time to give a virtual water cooler a go. It’ll open dialogue, connect people across the business, and boost mental health and happiness levels during the workday- which can only be a good thing.
We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell with a full refund — and you won’t even need a receipt.* We want you to be satisfied with your Micro Center purchase. However, if you need help or need to return an item, we’re here for you!
*If you are a Micro Center Insider or if you have provided us with validated contact information (name, address, email address), you won’t even need your receipt.
Ever since it was founded back in 2004, NZXT has been focused on the always-lucrative PC gaming market. The company started out with just a few PC cases, yet their unique aesthetics and features were more than enough to let the company establish a solid foothold in the advanced PC market. Several years later, NZXT slowly began diversifying their product portfolio by adding cooling and power products to it. Today, the company produces a large variety of PC cases, cooling, and power products, as well as PC peripherals and accessories.
NZXT entered the PC cooling market nearly a decade ago by releasing all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooling solutions and accessories for them, including GPU mounting brackets. However unlike other manufacturers who have opted to build large, diverse product lineups, NZXT never kept more than a handful of AIO coolers available in their product line-up. Instead, the company has focused on delivering a few quality and aesthetically-unique designs, rather than trying to take the competition down on raw performance alone.
Today we are taking a look at NZXT’s latest liquid coolers, the Kraken X-3 and Z-3 series. These are more of a refresh rather a total upgrade over last year’s X-2 series, but NZXT has made some notable tweaks. Between the two families there are five different coolers in three sizes, covering the usual 240/280/360mm configurations. Both the X and Z series utilize the same cooling hardware, but NZXT has positioned the Z series as a premium option with a novel aesthetic feature – while the X series has RGB lighting on top of the pump base, the Z series tops its base with a full-fledged (and full color) LCD screen.
For this review we"re checking out both the X73 and the Z63, giving us a full view of the performance and features we can expect from most coolers that NZXT currently offers.
The new Kraken Z-3 and X-3 coolers ship in relatively simple packaging, based on the same white/purple artistic theme that NZXT has used over the last few years. A picture of the cooler covers the otherwise plain front of the packaging. Inside the box we found the coolers and their parts well protected by custom cardboard inserts.
All of the coolers share practically the same bundle, which is limited to the basics. Inside the box we only found the required mounting hardware, the necessary wiring, and an installation manual. We should also note that NZXT does not include the TR4 socket mounting plate by default, but they do have one available as an optional part for Threadripper owners.
The NZXT Z63 and X73 come with two 140 mm and three 120 mm fans respectively. The company went with high quality fans, with fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) engines and anti-vibration mounting pads. They are not overly powerful, though with their flat-bladed, high-pressure design they shouldn"t have much trouble overcoming the resistance of the radiator. There is no lighting about the fans, with the company focusing their artistic enhancement efforts on the pump block instead.
Digging into our review samples, let"s start with deciphering NZXT’s cooler names. The first character denotes the series, the second the size, and the third is the version. For example, the Z63 and the Z73 coolers belong to the same series and share most features but their radiator size differs, while the X73 and Z73 are of the same size but belong to different series. Thus the Z63 and the X73 that we will be reviewing today check both of these boxes, allowing us to explore the differences between the Z and X series and measure the thermal performance of both the 280 mm and the 360 mm coolers.
So what sets apart NZXT"s X and Z series coolers? In short, it"s all about displays. For the Z series, NZXT has topped off the the main block assembly with a 2.36” LCD screen. The LCD can be programmed to showcase everything from images and GIFs to real-time data. And despite the low 320×320 px resolution, it is crisp and bright, with beautiful color reproduction.
Otherwise for the X model, NZXT dials things back just a tad and uses a mirrored top with LEDs placed under it. Once powered, the company logo and a ring appear, with the mirror creating an infinity effect about the ring. The LEDs are RGB and users can adjust the colors of the ring using NZXT’s CAM software. On the whole it is a relatively simple and attractive visual setup.
Other than the display topping the main block, the X and Z series coolers are all but identical. The rest of the main block is the same between the two, going right down to the contact plate and mini pumps. So at the base of NZXT"s LCD and LED handiwork lies a circular copper plate, secured on the plastic body with eight stainless steel screws. A layer of thermal paste is pre-applied onto the contact plate. It is not machined down to a mirror finish but it is smooth and entirely flat. The contact plate is not large enough to cover Ryzen Threadripper processors and, although it should work okay, we generally advise against using coolers that are not specifically developed for the TR4 socket on Threadripper processors.
Moving on, let"s talk about NZXT"s radiators. Their different sizes aside, the radiators of both the Z63 and X73 seem to be identical in terms of design. The subtle but significant difference is that the 120 mm fan radiator of the X73/Z73 is 26 mm thick, while the 140 mm fan radiator of the Z63/X63 is 30 mm thick. It"s just a few millimeters, but it"s something that should absolutely be considered confirming the cooler’s compatibility with a given case, as sometimes a few millimeters makes all the difference. Both radiators are typical dual-pass cross-flow designs, with tiny fins soldered on thin oblong tubes. This is by far the most dominant radiator design for AIO systems and rightfully so, as it offers the best efficiency within limited proportions and for the temperature differences that AIO coolers have to deal with.
The hose fixings on the radiator side are immovable, making them a bit less flexible during installation. In order to cope with long-term evaporation losses, NZXT is using what they are calling “ultra-low evaporation” high-density rubber tubing, with external nylon sleeve braiding for additional mechanical protection. NZXT also took the time to punch the company logo on the sides of the radiators.