NZXT Kraken X60 RL-KRX60-01 280mm Ultra Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

Pros: Amazing closed looped cooling solution for those of you looking for something easy to install that has great cooling capacity (280 mm radiator). Keeps my i7 3770k idling at 28C while for most gaming and video editing apps it keeps it running below 40C at all times. The software is very easy to use, it allows you monitor temps on each core, pump speed, and fan speed. Another thing that sets this apart from other closed loop liquid coolers is the LED lighting on the pump. You can set it to any color your want to match the color theme of your setup (mine is red to match the ROG theme). Also, you can set it up so that if the temperature surpasses a certain threshold, the led will change colors. The tubing is a soft and flexible rubber and the fan/pump cables have a nice sleeving around it. The pump is very compact, had no issues with it bumping into any of the MOSFETs or RAM.

Cons: No cons really...unless you have an NZXT Switch 810 case. On the website NZXT lists the Switch 810 case as being compatible with the Kraken X60. Turns out, if you were the unfortunate few that bought one of the first Switch 810 cases, the holes in the top panel will not align with mounting holes on the radiator. I contacted NZXT about the issue and they resolved it by sending me a new top panel free of charge. Although this set my build back for 2 weeks, I still gave this product 5 eggs because of the great customer service I got from NZXT for resolving this issue.

Other Thoughts: Got this for a great bargain via deal of the day.

Pros: Absolutely beautifully designed - it's a great match for NZXT Tempest 410.

My system core temperature is almost 9 degrees cooler on average automatically - haven't messed with overclocking this FX-8350 yet, and don't think I need to. I've had no need to leave my computer running at the Extreme setting, but it did drop by over another full degree after setting it there for a while in testing (again without overclocking). One degree is not worth the fan noise in my opinion but the software makes it customizable so you can tweak it to a nice middle ground between noise and cooling performance if you desire.

My collection of fans, 2x top+radiator 2xFront, 2xSide 1xRear, is actually much quieter after installing this CPU cooler because they need to do some much less work.

Cons: None to report.

Other Thoughts: I had to drill my own holes in the case to get it to fit, but I knew that before I bought it so I don't consider that a con.

This was one of the most fun and interesting customizations I've made to any computer I've owned and I couldn't be happier with the results.

Pros: After a rough start with the first unit (see earlier review), I must give NZXT kudos for coming through with a replacement unit which arrived this week. Wiser for the experience, it took less fumbling this time to get the radiator bolted in (after I gave up on trying to use the washers). Absolutely no problems whatsoever with fan speed reporting and USB device detection this time, the fans hum like a turbine, and my OC'd Core i7-860 is 10+ degrees C cooler than it got with its old air cooler (the radiator is using only the two included fans for now).

Cons: It took two RMA attempts (one unsuccessful via NewEgg) to get a working one, but things happen sometimes. The new one works as it should, and I'm happy.

Other Thoughts: Update the instructions to explain the bag of washers, maybe? It would be nice if there was an option to mount with two fans in a push configuration, and if there is one then include it in the instructions. Many reviews I read prior to the purchase seemed to show the radiator mounted with two fans pushing, but I could never find an explanation of how that was accomplished, and I wasn't about to risk damaging the second unit if I wasn't following the instructions by trying to mount it that way.

Pros: Love the stylish look on the X60. The wide 140mm x 2 fans give wide airflow.

Cons: Finding a case to fit this radiator is quite an issue, I even have a NZXT case and barely managed to make it fit. The fan connecters have 4 pin while my case has 3 pin for controlled airflow management which defeated the purpose. I might have to buy a different case that will support my x60 properly. Til than, I'll rate it 3.

Other Thoughts: Still love it,

Manufacturer Response:

I just wanted to thank you for being a customer of NZXT.

We appreciate your feedback and will continue to strive to make our products better. Feel free to contact us if you have any other questions about our products. You can email our support center at http://www.nzxt.com/support/ and create a ticket, we would like to help you out! also if you are looking for a compatibility sheet, we have one! http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/cpu_cooler/kraken_x60 you. You can locate it to the right, it is a PDF that can help you with clearence, or any other doubts you may have.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to let us know how you feel. We appreciate your business and truly want to make your experience as enjoyable as possible.

Best Regards,
NZXT Support

Pros: Largest all in one water cooler available. Easy install. Worked right from the start. Haven't done any overclocking yet, but it's doing it's job so far. Other reviewers may have more info on temps while overclocking.

Cons: Just make sure your case can fit it. It's big. Not a con, but it could be if you buy it and it doesn't fit, so definitely do your homework and measure it out before purchasing.

Other Thoughts: I don't know what some of these reviewers are talking about when it comes to installing this. It couldn't get any more simple. If you have ever installed any after market heatsink, this is no different. As for the instructions being bad, it's kind of true, but there is not much to this so I'm not really sure what people expect. To put it in perspective, if you can follow directions enough to build legos, you can install this.

Pros: Easy install, super quiet, great cooling!
The length of the cables is perfect for cable management in a mid size tower, running them around the back of your motherboard cleans up the looks nicely.

Cons: Software isn't quite as advanced as other control software out there, but It is simple to customize your fanspeeds for your particular application.
I wish the wires were all connected into a single harness for cable management reasons where you could connect the cables on the backside of the case to hide them easier, but that may not work as well for lower grade cases, so its not worth deducting an egg over that. The system still works flawlessly.

Other Thoughts: I wish the wires were all connected into a single harness for cable management reasons where you could connect the cables on the backside of the case to hide them easier, but that may not work as well for lower grade cases, so its not worth deducting an egg over that. The system still works flawlessly.

Pros: Works like a champ.

Cons: .... Does not make me breakfast in bed.

Other Thoughts: Nzxt Phantom case. Amd FX 4.0 8 core, 16 gigs gskill sniper ram, 2 NVidia gtx560ti in sli.

Pros: Cooled the CPU (i7-860 overclocked to 3.5Ghz) nicely vs. the air cooler that preceded it, even under load from a Folding@Home client running full tilt.

Cons: Installation was a royal pain in the backside. The instructions could have been way clearer, and like others posting here I had no idea what I was supposed to do with the bag of washers included. My favorite install instruction goof - the foldout clearly states 'Install software before installing hardware', and the Readme file with the software states 'Install hardware first, then when booting into Windows cancel any attempts by the OS to recognize the hardware before installing the software.' I guess one hand doesn't know what the other's doing. My case was an easy fit (I bought it specifically because the manufacturer said it would take 280mm coolers), but getting the cooler mounted was a multi-hour ordeal of trying to keep it steady while lining up the screws.

Once it was FINALLY installed, I noticed the fan speed was not reported (it was on my old air cooler just fine, from the same fan header). Because of this, the custom cooling profile - where fan speed varies with the cpu temp - in the software wouldn't work. My choices were Silent, Custom (which defaulted to Silent with no fan speed reported) and Extreme, which cooled great as mentioned but brought the fans to a roar. In troubleshooting the fan speed reporting issue, I tried attaching the USB cable to the two other motherboard headers I had available - and in doing so, the software stopped detecting the cooler AT ALL, which then locked the fans into the Extreme speed setting. Great. On top of that, both fans began to rattle - only a little at first, working up to a constant loud rattle, until finally snapping off a total of 3 fan blades. All of this within 3 days of ownership. The final insult? NewEgg refused to accept an RMA, citing 'user damage - stripped screws and screw threads, as well as bent radiator fins'. All of which has exactly jack squat to do with the failure of the USB connector or the failure to report fan speed. At this point an RMA direct from NZXT would be tantamount to a miracle, so I'm not holding my breath. You can bet if I persist in moving to watercooling, any replacement I buy will come from another company.

Other Thoughts: I have been building my own PCs since the mid-1990s, and have watched the steady rise in fan sizes during that time. I find it amazing that as we now are moving more and more to fans bigger than 120mm, no one seems to be giving any thought to reinforcing the blades' strength.

Manufacturer Response:

Thank you for choosing NZXT. We apologize for any inconvenience we caused you. We would be more than happy to assist you with any general or RMA questions. Please visit our support center at www.nzxt.com/support open and create a ticket we us. We hope to hear back from you soon.

Best Regards,

NZXT Service

Pros: It's a good cooler did the job and instruction is good no problem don't know why people got problem with instruction menu.

Cons: This is very very noise if don't care about the noise this cooler will do a good job I overclock my FX 8350 to 5 Ghz with no problem.

Manufacturer Response:

I just wanted to thank you for being a customer of NZXT.

we'll look into this issue and improve upon it. We appreciate your feedback and will continue to strive to make our products better. Feel free to contact us if you have any other questions about our products. You can email our support center at http://www.nzxt.com/support/ and create a ticket, we would like to help you out!

Once again, thank you for taking the time to let us know how you feel. We appreciate your business and truly want to make your experience as enjoyable as possible.

Best Regards,
NZXT Support

Pros: Coming from an H80i to the x60 my idle temps are in the 20s always. My load temps are ok 70s on prime shaved about 10-15c off my load temps on prime95.

Cons: Install ....wow needs better directions badly. Wouldn't recognize usb at first after a few hours it just started working randomly. Tubing is too long I understand why but not sure its that necessary. One of my fans rattles on maximum RPM but its fine at the preset RPM selections. For some reason on the x60 my liquid temp is 3c higher at all times than my h80i I would think it would be the opposite. The fans work but are very cheap I will be replacing mine as soon as I find a good 140 to put on.

Other Thoughts: After a I got all the problems sorted out its a good cooler temps are pretty good. If corsair releases a 280mm I series cooler I will buy that in a heartbeat. Cooler cools fine but its not the be all end all like its hailed to be by far. I probably would think it was a great cooler had I not owned the I series corsair first. But the corsair product even though they are all made by the same people felt and looked nicer and the install was so easy. Just go for the h 100i.