NZXT Kraken X40 Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging and Bundle3. The NZXT Kraken X604. Installing the Corsair H905. NZXT Kraken Control Software6. Testing Methodology and Overclocking7. Thermal Performance8. Acoustic Performance9. Closing Thoughts10. View All Pages

Today we are going to take a look at the Kraken X40, which is one of NZXT's first attempts at a performance liquid cooler.  It is a similar design to the X60, however it features a smaller 140 mm radiator for those who don't have room for a 280 mm unit in their case.  We look forward to seeing how it performs in our tests.

Like the Kraken X60, the X40 is based on Asetek technology, making it similar to the Corsair H90.  We will be looking at the differences between the two coolers in this review, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each.

We will also look at how it compares to the Kraken X60 and Corsair H110, to show how the larger radiator affects performance.  The 140 mm radiator differentiates the X40 from the competition as it has more surface area than the myriad of 120 mm coolers on the market.

Features:

The Kraken X40 is supplied in a very similarly designed box to the X60, which features a large image of the cooler on the front.  The black and white colour scheme reflects that used for the cooler's fans.

Turning the box around reveals further images of  the cooler alongside some details of the key features and specifications of the unit.  The packaging is fairly substantial and should be able to withstand a torment of abuse from negligent couriers.

There are a number of accessories included within the box, most of which relate to the rather complicated mounting mechanism that ensures compatibility with all major sockets.  There is also a software CD and installation guide included.

The similarities between the NZXT Kraken X40 and the Corsair H90 are extensive, as the same basic design is shared between the two.  There are a couple of differences here and there which will attract different buyers however. Unlike the larger X60, the X40 is widely compatible and isn't restricted by the lack of industry fan spacings.

Here is a list put together by NZXT, highlighting case compatibility.  As you can see there are plenty of cases on offer which provide support for the 140 mm X40.

The Kraken X40 shares it's CPU block design with the Corsair H90 as they are both based on an Asetek design.  This features a large circular copper contact plate with screws all the way around.  The thermal paste is pre-applied to the block to ensure the easiest possible installation procedure.

One way in which the X60 differs from the H110 is that it features LED-lighting in the pump cap.  This can be configured through a software application which is supplied on a CD with the cooler. We will take a closer look at the software later in the review.

The CPU block is connected to the radiator using two flexible rubber tubes which are thick and feel durable.  These are preferable to the more rigid FEP tubes which are found on other all-in-one liquid coolers such as the Cooler Master Seidon 120M.

One of the main differentiating factors between the X40 and the H90 is the fan bundled with the unit.  The X40 features a two-tone black and white fan which is PWM controlled, spinning at a maximum of 2000 RPM.  This is notably faster than the Corsair H90 fan which can only spin up to 1500 RPM.

The Kraken X40 uses exactly the same mounting mechanism as the H110 which isn't quite as elegant a solution as that adopted by Corsair on the H100i, however, it is fairly straight forward when using the Intel Sandy Bridge-E platform which we will be documenting today.  If you want to see the cooler being mounted on Ivy Bridge, please see the Corsair H110 review here.

First of all, the retention ring must be prepared by fixing plastic mounts in each corner, so that the spacing is correct for the 2011 socket.  Then, the four thumbscrews can be inserted into place.

Next, the radiator and fans can be attached to the case.  Then, the ring must be affixed to the CPU block using the plastic bracket provided.

Then, the unit can be secured down into place, using the in built 2011 cooler mounts.  This does away with the need for a custom backplate.

Finally, all of the cables need attaching to your system.  The unit needs to be hooked up to the CPU fan header and the fan needs to be plugged into the fan controller in the CPU block.  The fan controller has an extra socket should you want to install fans in a push-pull configuration.

The X60 is supplied with NZXT Kraken Control software which lets you configure various aspects of the cooler, similar to Corsair's Link technology.  It's supplied on a CD inside the box but we would recommend downloading it from the NZXT website to ensure that you have the latest version.

The main page of the software gives a number of readouts, including CPU temperatures, coolant temperature and fan and pump speeds.

Clicking the ‘Graph' tab at the bottom brings up two graphs of fan speed and temperature over time.

On the ‘Fan Setting' page, we can configure the ‘Extreme' and ‘Silent' fan profiles, as well as creating our own ‘Custom' profile.  This isn't quite as advanced as Corsair's system as we aren't able to set specific RPMs, instead having to move points on a graph of Fan Speed %.

The ‘Light Setting' page gives us full control over the RGB LED Lighting in the pump cover, with a number of effects to choose from.

On the ‘General Setting' page, we can configure various aspects of the software including fan speed and liquid temperature notifications.

To test the performance of the NZXT Kraken X40, we built a powerful X79 based system on an open test bench to push the cooler to it's limits.  As we were testing on an open test bench, we directed a Be Quiet! Shadow Wings 120 mm fan at the VRM circuitry to better simulate the airflow generated in a case.

We tested the Kraken X40 and X60 in both the ‘Silent' and ‘Extreme' modes in the software, as well as with the fans at maximum speed (2000 RPM).

Coolers Tested

• NZXT Kraken X60
• NZXT Kraken X40
• Corsair H110 (fans at 12V)
• Corsair H90 (fan at 12V)
• Phanteks PH-TC14PE (fans at 12V)
• Noctua NH-D14 (fans at 12V)

Overclocking

We manually overclocked the i7-3930K to 4.7 GHz by increasing the multiplier to 47x, leaving the baseclock set at 100 MHz.  We set Load Line Calibration to ‘High', and increased the CPU Current Capability to 120% with a minor voltage increase.  Speed stepping was disabled for both stock and overclocked tests.

See validation here.

For our temperature tests we loaded the system for 10 minutes using Prime 95 and recorded the CPU temperature using CPUID HWMonitor.  We then restarted the system and left it idling at the desktop for 10 minutes before recording temperatures. The temperatures recorded are based on an ambient temperature of 20 degrees C.

The thermal performance of the X40 was impressive in our tests, offering similar results to the H90.

Obviously the results were slightly different thanks to the fan speed profiles defined within the software.  When in ‘Silent' mode, the cooler wasn't able to cope with the large overclock we applied, resulting in the system crashing around 2 minutes into the test.

In our noise level tests we switched off all the case fans and replaced the AMD Radeon HD 7950 graphics card with a HD 5550 passive model so were  just taking into account the noise generated by the cooler fans themselves.

We measured the noise level with a Digital Noise Level meter at a distance of 1 m from the front of the system.

None of the all-in-one coolers on test offer great acoustic performance.  Don't be fooled by the ‘Silent' mode of the NZXT coolers as they are far from silent, just less abrasive than the ‘Extreme' mode.

With the fans running at full speed, the X40 is unbearably loud, so the performance improvements gained by having a 500 RPM faster fan than the Corsair unit are negated.

The NZXT Kraken X40 is a decent cooler which gives the Corsair H90 a run for it's money.

This latest Asetek design is clearly very capable and benefits from an inbuilt fan controller and configurable LED lighting like the top-end coolers from Corsair.  While the implementation of the software control isn't quite as good as Corsair's, we expect it will improve with future generations.

The performance differences between the Kraken X40 and the H90 are clearly down to the different fan configurations of the two units.  They feature identical radiators, pumps and tubing, with the only major difference being the fans included.

The NZXT fan looks and feels much better quality than the Corsair model and can spin faster.  The unit didn't manage to sustain our overclock with the fan in ‘Silent' mode, though, which is disappointing for those looking to build a quiet, powerful system.

It's clear that the NZXT Kraken X40 has a major advantage over the H90 as it features an inbuilt fan controller and LED lighting system.  However, this increases the cost of the unit significantly.

The Kraken X40 can be yours for £85 from Specialtech, making it around £15 more expensive than the H90.  It's up to you to decide whether the NZXT Kraken X40 is worth the price premium, however we would be inclined to opt for the Corsair H90 as it offers a 5-year warranty, compared to the X40's 2-years.

Pros:

• Good performance.
• LED Lighting.
• Inbuilt fan controller.

Cons:

• 2 year warranty (compared to 5 years for Corsair units).
• Fairly noisy.
• Expensive.

KitGuru says: Another impressive cooler from NZXT.

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