NZXT Kraken X40 review - Introduction

Meet the NZXT Kraken X60 all-in-one 280mm liquid cooler

After reviewing the X60, we could not leave the Kraken X40 untouched, NZXT recently unleashed the Kraken X40 and X60 liquid coolers. We are impressed with the X60, but does the X40 with its single fan and smaller radiator still do a sufficient enough job ? Sure it will ...

The NZXT Kraken X40 is a 140mm radiator based LCS unit that offers solid performance numbers as you are about to find out. Combined with a cooling infrastructure provided by Asetek this all-in-one and easy to install kit can even be connected towards your PC over the USB port, now you can monitor and regulate the LCS unit and apply presets to make the LCS unit either silent, or high performance.

Why go for LCS (Liquid Cooling System) ? Well, in the world of CPU coolers nothing ever stops developing. These days you can pick a hundred different heatpipe based coolers, many are shaped, formed and priced the same. The better heatpipe based coolers are good though. Next in line are LCS kits (liquid cooling), the entry level products are affordable, easy to install pre-fab liquid cooling kits. We've seen and tested many of them as Corsair, Asetek, Thermaltake, CoolIT and so on all have interesting kits.

The bigger problem is cooling performance. The gear behind these kits are good yet the performance is often battling a small included 120mm radiator with thin tubing and lacking coolant levels due to missing reservoirs. To compensate FAN RPM goes up making a good looking product noisy again. With that issue in mind NZXT started to develop the Kraken coolers.

The product in specific is the Kraken X40, based on an Asetek cooling block with internally regulated control for pump and fans. Next to that what's interesting is that this product is based on a dual fan 140mm radiator, a hint bigger then the more usual 120mm kits.

A cooler series that is easy on the eyes and has a relatively tool free installation, the Kraken X40 can be controlled with software. You hook up the LCS unit towards a USB port and then software allows you to program, customize and monitor this Liquid Cooling Solution. 

So without further ado, let's have a peek at the Kraken X40 and then head onwards into the review.