Nzxt kraken z63 review in Spanish (full analysis)

The AIO series of liquid cooling systems is one of the most recognized in the world of cooling, and now it has been renewed and in what way. We reviewed the NZXT KRAKEN Z63 system, a 280mm mount system that comes alongside the 360mm Z73. It features new generation fans and a 7th generation Asetek pump capable of up to 2, 800 rpm.

The aesthetic novelties are obvious, as is its 2.36 ”LCD screen integrated on the pumping block that monitors a large number of hardware parameters. It supports NZXT CAM in customization, it even supports animated GIFS and it supports all kinds of platforms and CPU.

We started this analysis, but not before thanking NZXT for the trust in us for giving us this product for analysis.

NZXT KRAKEN Z63 technical characteristics

Unboxing

We start as usual by unboxing the NZXT KRAKEN Z63, an AIO system that has arrived in a rigid cardboard box as normal, and with a case-type opening. The exterior area is entirely finished in white vinyl style, with a multitude of information about the product and a couple of photos that illustrate its design and its finish in an assembly with the H510 chassis.

We quickly open the box and of course, we have a cardboard mold where we have each of the elements perfectly arranged and in turn put into transparent plastic bags.

The purchase bundle of this system will include the following elements:

• Liquid AIO System NZXT KRAKEN Z63 140mm AER P Fans Screws for Intel and AMDA Mounts Mounting Adapters Rear Backplate for Intel Boards Power Cables for AIOs and Fans Internal Micro USB Cable Mounting and Bracket Manual

The mounting system used is the same used by many other manufacturers such as Asus, and AORUS, from Asetek, being one of the most effective and simple. In this case we will not need Backplate for AMD, so we only have one from Intel. And although it offers support for AMD Threadripper sockets, the support has not been included, which for the price of the system could be included perfectly, although NZXT knows that the Threadrippers already have this adapter included.

For the rest, we have more or less the usual, the corresponding screws, the instructions and fortunately the thermal paste already applied to the cold plate and in abundant quantity. The number of cables is less than on other occasions, since with a single connector everything is carried out.

Exterior design and features

NZXT is one of the longest running cooling component manufacturers, and finally its liquid cooling systems have been updated with the presence of LCD displays on its pumping block. It is something that other manufacturers such as AORUS or Asus already use, although we dare to say that in this NZXT KRAKEN Z63 the compatibility with plates is better and its visual style too.

The update comes with a second specification of 360 mm, and therefore triple fan, costing between 30 and 60 euros more. In fact, the performance difference of a 280 and 360 system is quite small. Both products have a guarantee of no less than 6 years that is not bad.

It is a design that does not rely on too much lighting, only the one available on the LCD screen, oozing build quality and the minimalist style that characterizes the brand. Let's see below its components in detail.

280mm radiator

Let's start by looking and analyzing the radiator of the NZXT KRAKEN Z63, whose mounting format for this model is 280 mm, that is, capacity for two 140 mm fans. The exchanger has somewhat atypical measurements, being a little shorter than normal with 315 mm in length, wider with its 143 mm and slightly thicker with 30 mm instead of the usual 27 in other manufacturers.

In any case, compatibility with any chassis that offers support for 280 mm formats is ensured , we will even appreciate in many of them that shorter half centimeter for a better installation. With standard 25mm fans your overall thickness will be 55mm, so there's no need to worry.

This block is entirely made of aluminum and painted in black both on the surface faces and inside the wave-like finned inside that it has. The exchange surface is about 450 cm ², with a total of 17 longitudinal flat ducts to transport the liquid throughout the surface.

The size is a little smaller due to having a fairly small bottom swap chamber. The entire radiator has a thick aluminum frame that protects it and is the one that provides the necessary rigidity to avoid deformation. Let's be careful when touching the inner finning as they bend easily because of being thin.

The upper exchange chamber is the largest, since the two liquid inlet and outlet ducts are installed in it. In them, metal sockets at 90 ^o with respect to the interchange plane have been used. In them the plastic and metal sleeves that connect the tubes to it will be placed. It is an impeccable assembly and that does not spill a drop of fluid at least in our unit.

As in many other cases, the TDP that is capable of dissipating the system is not specified, but the 280W will be assured by being compatible with mounts on AMD Ryzen Threadripper.

We do not forget the transport tubes, which have a length of 400 mm each and are built in ultra-low evaporation rubber to ensure the permanence of the liquid inside. They are in turn covered with a braided sheath of black nylon thread that provides rigidity to the hoses.

And finally, the fan installation system is exactly the same on both sides and will be carried out using typical star screws. These included fans will be right on the edge of the radiator.

140mm AER P fans

We now continue with the fans that have been included for this system, which consists of two 140mm NZXT AER P's. The total measurements are 140 x 140 x 26 mm, and of course they are optimized for heatsinks due to their high maximum static pressure of 2.71 mmH2O.

The design of its 7 fins is quite sober and traditional, practically flat, although with a chamfer on the outside that helps compress the air flow into the fan. The maximum air flow that we will obtain is 98.17 CFM, and generating a noise of between 21 and 38 dBA. RPM limiting LNA cables are not included, nor is it necessary as they allow 4-pin PWM control via NZXT CAM.

The bearing system that has been used in these AER P is of fluid oil type, delivering a speed of turns between 500 and 1, 800 rpm. The manufacturer estimates a useful life of 60, 000 hours, which has been 6 years. Consumption data is also offered, which will be 4.56 W working at 12V through a direct connection with the pumping head.

For practical purposes, they are fans that deliver very similar benefits to the Corsair ML140, although with a slightly lower static pressure and 200 rpm less.

In terms of aesthetics, the fans of the NZXT KRAKEN Z63 are minimalist, and do not have any type of integrated lighting, so they are completely black except for a gray band on the outer diameter. The installation holes are quite peculiar, since they are so wide that the screw head fits inside. The goal is that this head is not exposed, and a rubber coating on each hole will prevent vibrations from the running fan.

Pumping block with LCD screen

In the pumping block is where we have the main innovations of the system and not only in aesthetics, but also in benefits.

This used block presents a completely circular design with a diameter of 79 mm and 52 mm in height, which is not a small one. Most of the internal components are made of plastic to avoid corrosion with water, as well as the outer casing, being of a high quality. On the side of the body we have two connectors, one rectangular 14-pin to connect power and fans and another Micro-USB passes the connection with the motherboard.

Inside we will find a pump from the prestigious manufacturer of 7th generation Asetek systems . It has a double chamber system to separate cold from hot fluid and thus improve heat exchange. It will be able to rotate between 800 and 2800 rpm with PWM control and continuous 12V / 0.3A power.

But of course, the most interesting thing about the NZXT KRAKEN Z63 system is the screen that we have installed in the central part of the block. This is a 2.36-inch (60mm diameter) circular LCD type, with a resolution of 320x320p and 24-bit color depth. They are not bad at all, although perhaps we expected it to be of the OLED type, in fact, its brightness power is impressive, with no less than 650 nits (cd / m ²) to show its presence in our team.

Its content can be fully customized with the NZXT CAM software, being able to select the data to display of temperature, frequency and load of CPU, GPU and the pump itself. In principle, the position we choose for the installation does not exactly matter, since from the software we can configure the orientation of the screen to always see it correctly.

Finally, the NZXT KRAKEN Z63 cold plate is made of polished copper and installed using torx-type screws. It has the thermal compound already applied to the surface, in considerable quantity and of a non-conductive metallic type.

Mounting details

After seeing the elements, it remains to analyze and describe the mounting system for the NZXT KRAKEN Z63. Coming from the manufacturer Asetek we have a fairly familiar assembly as we have advanced to be used by Asetek itself, and manufacturers such as Asus or AORUS in their systems.

For this we have an interchangeable retention bracket system for Intel and AMD platforms. The exchange of them will be as simple as placing it in the crown of the pumping block and rotating it a few degrees so that they are fixed to it.

Compatibility will be as follows:

• Intel: LGA 1366, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 2011 v3 and 2066 AMD: AM4, TR4 and TRX40

Nothing is mentioned about it about previous AMD sockets like FM2 or FM3, so we consider it not compatible.

And while it does offer support for AMD Threadrippers, the installation bracket is not available. This will be included with the CPU itself, and in addition to the Asetek system itself, so we will not have problems.

The installation process has been carried out on our LGA 2066 platform, since it is where we usually test the performance of these systems. The process carried out for the NZXT KRAKEN Z63 is not a secret. It is just a matter of placing the adapter screws in the supplied bracket or in the pre-installed bracket if it has one, then we insert the retention bracket and finally tighten it with the 4 screws. We can tighten to the max without fright, as the system is designed to deliver just the right pressure.

Software and display options

The NZXT CAM software will be in charge of customizing and managing the screen of the NZXT KRAKEN Z63. This program underwent a significant interface change last year, now much more user-friendly and with more options.

The ones that interest us for the AIO system will be those that come in the lighting section, which will be where the screen appears. Another one that we can look at is in the monitoring section, since all the data that appears there can be displayed on this screen.

To personalize, we only have to select the operating mode of the screen and customize the colors to be displayed. In the central area the information or custom GIF that we place will appear, while in the outer circle we will have a temperature bar or, in its case, a lighting animation.

The data that we can show will be the temperature of the liquid, CPU and GPU, CPU load and GPU and frequency of GPU and CPU. Of course it is very different in aesthetics from what we have seen so far, and it gives a unique aspect to the system.

Performance testing with the NZXT KRAKEN Z63

After mounting, it is time to show the temperature results with this NZXT KRAKEN Z63 in our test bench that consists of the following hardware:

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	Intel Core i9-7900X
Base plate:	Asus X299 Prime Deluxe
Memory:	16 GB @ 3600 MHz
Heatsink	NZXT KRAKEN Z63
Graphic card	EVGA RTX 2080 SUPER
Power supply	Corsair AX860i

To test the performance of this heatsink with its two fans installed, we have subjected our Intel Core i9-7900X to a stress process with Prime95 Small for a total of 48 uninterrupted hours and at its stock speed. The entire process has been monitored by the HWiNFO x64 software to show the minimum, maximum and average temperature at all times.

Remember that we have tightened the tests a bit with Prime95's Small mode, so CPU temperatures will now be somewhat higher than before.

In this model we can see that stock values ​​are not a problem, with only a few degrees more than the external environment. The average temperature during the two days of stress has been 71 degrees, also a quite good and logical value although it seems that it is high compared to the previously tested systems.

Finally, the maximum recorded peak temperature is 81 ^o C, they are at the level of the most recent AIO we have tested, the Corsair H115i Pro XT also 280 mm. In conclusion they are excellent results for a stressed 10C / 20T CPU in cores, and cache memory.

Final words and conclusion about the NZXT KRAKEN Z63

NZXT has deeply updated its liquid cooling systems, where we find the tested model, NZXT KRAKEN Z63 and the Z73, the 360 ​​mm version with similar performance. In both we see the hallmark of the brand with clean and minimalist lines of its fans and pumping head.

The most striking aspect of the visual section is the LCD screen that is integrated into the head. Occupying the entire circular area with a diameter of 60 mm, it has perfect compatibility with all platforms for using NZXT CAM for customization, this program being the one that sends the data. With 24 bits of color, an impressive brightness and being able to show data of temperature, frequency, load or a GIF that we put. One of the best we have tried in an AIO.

The innovations are not only aesthetic, but the pump has also been upgraded to a 7th generation Asetek that works flawlessly. It is very quiet and effective to eliminate temperature peaks, being able to rotate at 2, 800 rpm. AER P fans also deliver great performance and aesthetics in a very quiet way, always managed by CAM software and the integrated electronics themselves.

We recommend our guide to the best heatsinks on the market

71 ^o C on average in 48 hours is not bad, considering that it is a CPU of the previous generation and quite warm under maximum stress. Its performance has been practically the same as the new generation Corsair H115i 280mm system, proving its high standard. A positive detail is its Asetek mounting system, the simplest of all surely and also compatible with Threadrippers whose adapter is included in the CPU bundle.

Without much more to say, it is one of the systems with the best aesthetics on the market. Despite not having lighting, it stands out for its good construction and perfect integration in an NZXT chassis. The price of the NZXT KRAKEN Z63 is at no less than 232.45 euros, which seems much more expensive than its direct rivals. This is its weak point, although the price is on par with other display systems such as Asus Ryujin.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ DESIGN AND AESTHETICS	- YOUR HIGH PRICE
+ 100% COMPATIBLE LCD DISPLAY WITH PLATFORMS
+ VERY SILENT ASETEK PUMP
+ IDEAL FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE CPU
+ MOUNTING SYSTEM AND COMPATIBLE WITH THREADRIPPER

The Professional Review team awarded him the platinum medal:

NZXT KRAKEN Z63

DESIGN - 100%

COMPONENTS - 93%

REFRIGERATION - 92%

COMPATIBILITY - 92%

PRICE - 83%

92%