NZXT Kraken X72 Review - Core i7 4790K Baseline Test

Testing the cooler

Time to test. Today's tested cooler will work absolutely great with any processor from low to high-end (Core i3/Core i5/Core i7 quad-core and even six-core including up-to 130W) at default operating frequencies, of course, there's room left for overclocking as well. We have built a new test system policy for cooling benchmarks. Let's have a look at the results for the system in its default non-overclocked state. Below, the IDLE temperatures, thus your processor is doing barely anything to nothing. Just sitting and waiting in your system.

If you have a look at the chart above you can see the processor LOAD temperatures (in the non-overclocked state). We measure in a 21 Degrees C ambient room temperature. Ambient temperatures do affect the cooling performance, albeit a little bit. We note down the hottest measured CPU package temperature. 

Guru3D's rule of thumb on CPU load vs cooling temps:

• Anything up-to to roughly 50 Degrees C or lower we consider enthusiast class cooling
• Anything in-between 51 to 60 Degrees C we consider performance cooling
• Anything in-between 61 to 70 Degrees C we consider mainstream cooling
• Anything above 71 Degrees C we consider average cooling

This LCS kit thus offers performance cooling. The Kraken is forfeiting a tiny bit in its temperature delta compared to the pro stuff from EK in order to remain silent. On the next page, we'll show you how silent the unit really is. But that is impressive.