THERE ARE FEW coolers out there that are quite as synonymous as NZXT’s Kraken line-up. Positively ancient now, the Kraken range has been around for well over a decade, initially launching all the way back in 2013. Since then, it has gone through revolution after revolution: from basic pump head to infinity mirror to full-on display. Now, we’re graced with this majestic LCD beauty, with arguably one of the sleekest and well thought-out designs yet.
There’s no beating around the bush here; this thing is wildly different to its predecessor. The pump-head by far sees the biggest change, gen on gen. First and foremost, NZXT has finally ditched the Asetek pump design, and opted for its own custom-built 'Turbine' solution instead. It has worked around Asetek’s many, many patents to manage that. According to NZXT, this helps deliver an increased performance delta of around ten percent for CPU cooling, dependent on myriad circumstances, while reducing noise generation in the process. Still, that’s a big change, and it’s great to see manufacturers being able to iterate on designs and finally find ways to navigate around Asetek’s giant trademark and litigation skirt.