All-in-one coolers are all the rage these days because they bring liquid cooling tech to the masses without having to deal with, well, liquid. Take the NZXT Kraken 240mm, for example. It packs in a bunch of features in an easy-to-use size, complete with a bit of extra pizzazz with a 1.5-inch LCD screen on the head unit. Will Smith tested it out for the latest PCWorld video on YouTube.
Will says that he loves the approachable price ($140 retail) and size of this Kraken variant, even if the small screen isn’t the flashiest on the market. It’s also probably not a go-to if you’re looking for that ultra-clean look for the interior of your PC, as it has a proprietary control cable dangling off the head. It’s not a deal-breaker in terms of aesthetics, but some won’t appreciate it. With a smaller radiator and less intense fans, this probably isn’t enough to cool the most ridiculous overclocked CPUs either—if you can afford a Threadripper, look elsewhere.
That said, it’s great for someone looking for a starter liquid cooling setup or anyone who wants something easy to set up and go. Once you’ve installed the fans and gotten power to both them and the integrated pump, you’re ready to rock, with an impressive default “silent” profile on the NZXT Cam software. It’s probably not for someone who wants the most interoperability or customization, but it’s a good pick for for regular users. The same design comes with an RGB variant in black or white.
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