NZXT Kraken Z63 and Z73 review: Amazing AIO coolers with a fancy LCD display

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Cardinal

At that place'due south no shortage of all-in-one (AIO) CPU water coolers, only NZXT has always been amidst the top-rated in terms of pattern and performance. Instead of relying on simply air to cool downwards your CPU, an AIO utilizes a liquid to transfer heat from the processor to a radiator, which has fans attached to it to dissipate.

Compared to traditional air coolers, these are an excellent centre-ground betwixt them and an all-out custom water-cooling loop. The new Kraken Z63 and Z73 have everything to the next level with a new LCD brandish, plenty of headroom with a 280mm or 360mm radiator, improved pump blueprint, and support for the much-improved CAM software.

The Beast

NZXT Kraken Z73

$280

Bottom line: The latest Asetek pump matched with a new LCD display and big 360mm radiator make this one of the best AIO coolers around.

Pros

• Fantabulous cooling performance
• Intel and AMD support
• OLED display
• Quiet Asetek pump
• Large 360mm radiator

Cons

• Pricey
• CAM existence CAM

NZXT Kraken Z63 and Z73 tech specs

At that place's very lilliputian to differentiate the Z63 and Z73 aside from the radiator size and corporeality of fans included. The rest of the specifications are identical.

Category	NZXT Kraken Z63	NZXT Kraken Z73
Radiator	280mm Aluminum	360mm Aluminum
Fans	2x Aer P140	3x Aer P120
Pump Block	Asetek pump Copper, plastic	Asetek pump Copper, plastic
Intel Sockets	LGA 1151 LGA 1150 LGA 1155 LGA 1156 LGA 1366 LGA 2022 LGA 2022-three LGA 2066	LGA 1151 LGA 1150 LGA 1155 LGA 1156 LGA 1366 LGA 2022 LGA 2022-3 LGA 2066
AMD Sockets	AM4 TR4	AM4 TR4
Software	NZXT CAM	NZXT CAM
Warranty	6 years	6 years

You lot'll appreciate the new pump and LCD display

NZXT is embracing the RGB craze in system building with the release of the new Z series all-in-one (AIO) CPU coolers. The Z73 is the larger version of the Z63, sporting a 360mm long radiator (compared to 280mm) with three NZXT 120mm static pressure fans instead of simply two 140mm blades.

The Kraken Z73 is perfect for exquisite PC builds with powerful CPUs.

This extended surface area allows for more heat to be transferred from the radiator to the airflow inside the PC case, and the actress fan adds to the volume of gas that tin can be pushed through. While the Z63 may be more than than enough for fifty-fifty more enervating processors, the Kraken Z73 is for entering enthusiast territory.

The Kraken Z serial, nigh notably the Z73, is designed for those who are looking to cool anything up to a Threadripper processor, which can throw out plenty of heat when put under stress. Compared to the Kraken X series, NZXT has swapped out the RGB lights on the CPU block for an LCD brandish. There'south besides the new seventh-gen Asetek pump unit of measurement.

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

Not only do you at present accept one of the improve-looking AIO coolers on the market — and in that location are plenty of AIO coolers available on the market correct now — simply with the addition of an addressable LCD display for a unique touch to the overall PC aesthetics. Information technology's possible to display the temperature of the liquid, other stats, or fifty-fifty an image.

In club to go the almost out of the Kraken Z63 and Z73, you demand to have NZXT's CAM software installed. This slice of kit has been lambasted in the past from the community for shipping to NZXT PC statistics and other data, being sluggish to utilize and downright unreliable.

The most recent version has improved dramatically, though we weren't able to get CAM to play brawl with either of our Kraken review samples. (The joys of using pre-release builds.) Still, with the software and AIO installed, you can control fan speeds, as well as what's displayed the LCD display. Still, even though I wasn't able to Rick Roll the AIO, performance could still exist measured.

Excellent cooling performance

Actual functioning varies with AIO coolers since these products permit for about anyone to get into water-cooling, merely they omit one vital component of whatever custom loop — the reservoir. One manner to battle this, especially with smaller 120mm radiator units, is to bump the pump and fan speeds, which can accept a negative effect on noise generation.

With the rather large 280mm and 360mm radiator setup for the Z63 nd Z73, NZXT has been able to largely altitude itself from such problems. Our testing setup included the following hardware:

• CPU: Overclocked AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
• Motherboard: ASUS X470 Strix Pro Gaming
• RAM: 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 3,200MHz
• GPU: ZOTAC GTX 1070 AMP! Farthermost
• PSU: Corsair VS550

The AMD Ryzen nine 3900X is a powerful 12-cadre CPU with plenty of performance available, Running a stress exam with this capable processor installed is quite the challenge for even the largest air cooler to keep inside optimal operating temperature ranges. The GTX 1070 is an older card, but the ZOTAC AMP! Extreme is essentially silent at idle, likewise with the Cosair VS550 PSU.

Fan speeds were locked at 50% throughout the tests. With the Z73, the Ryzen nine 3900X runs at a mere 26C (79F) at idle, which is pretty adept considering the ambient temperature was recorded at 22C (72F). This reading was measured both prior and after the stress test, allowing the system to run for approximately 30 minutes. Firing upward a stress exam for the 12-cadre CPU to chew through saw temperatures hit 50C (122F).

There's plenty of water-cooling with very footling racket from the three fans.

What was more interesting was the lack of dissonance emanating from the pump and block philharmonic unit and the three fans attached to the 360mm radiator. I had to double-check that the fans were indeed spinning, as was reported past software readings. Playing Stellaris (tardily game where it really tasks your processor) saw temperatures hover between 42C (108F) and 46C (115F) when stable.

The Z63 is a similar story. Idle with the Ryzen nine 3900X was reported at 27C (81F), which largely falls into the margin of error and, as such, can exist considered equal to the Z73. The same tests performed showed the AO with a smaller radiator and less airflow struggle a little to keep 12-core CPU in line with its larger sibling. Temperatures hit 58C (136F), which however isn't high by any ways.

Category	NZXT Kraken Z73	NZXT Kraken Z63
Idle	26C 79F	27C 88F
Stress test	50C 122F	58C 136F
Gaming	44C 111F	49C 120F

Firing up Stellaris and running the game for the same duration, temperatures hovered at around 49C (120F). For an AIO, these are promising readings, especially given the sound output and how slow the three fans were able to run for prolonged periods of heavy use — Stellaris ran for approximately 90 minutes while the stress exam was run in two bursts of 20 minutes.

What you lot might dislike virtually the NZXT Kraken Z63 and Z73

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

Some don't enjoy using CAM and other software from manufacturers, especially when mixing dissimilar product lines, resulting in more than i software booting up and running in the groundwork. While I wasn't able to fully examination the absurd furnishings y'all can create with CAM on the AIO, the performance aspect is more of import, and it easily nailed it.

While you could run the Z63 and Z73 without CAM, y'all shouldn't. You're not but paying a premium for the operation, design, and warranty, only also that sweet new LCD display, which requires the software to configure. CAM is besides however Windows-only.

Should you buy the NZXT Kraken Z63 or Z73?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

The NZXT Kraken Z73 is an ideal purchase for those with Intel Core i5 and AMD Ryzen 7 processors or in a higher place. Should y'all have plans to kit out your PC with processors that stone ten or more cores, you'll want to take the 360mm radiator at mitt for adequate rut dissipation. What's more, is this AIO isn't simply neat at keeping the CPU cool, information technology also looks proficient.

The Z63 is a not bad choice for a similar processor range, though if you partner it upwardly with power-hungry CPUs, exist prepared to see a slight increase in temperature and noise from fan curves. NZXT nailed the design of the Kraken coolers, and this latest family of Z AIOs do nothing but improve the aesthetics of whatever PC build, thanks to the LCD display. Forget RGB lighting. Addressable displays are where it'due south at in 2022.

The Z73 is overkill for lower-powered processors, but really if yous're all about depression racket, a clean install, and reliable software support, this is a worthy upgrade to your crumbling air cooler. There's very petty to dislike, aside from the price, and CAM can nonetheless exist a slight pain to utilise. Overall, the Kraken Z73 is amid the best AIO coolers y'all can buy. The same goes for the Z63.

The Beast

NZXT Kraken Z73

Pricey just well worth it

The NZXT Kraken Z73 is an expensive libation. There are no two means virtually that. But should y'all desire a smart-looking AIO that can handle even overclocked 12-core processors, this is it.

Smaller Monster

NZXT Kraken Z63

Slightly more than affordable

The NZXT Kraken Z63 has everything the larger Z73 sibling has, but comes with a slightly smaller radiator and one less fan, only does slash the price considerably.

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UH OH

An internet connectedness will soon be required when setting up Windows eleven Pro

Microsoft has announced that later on this twelvemonth, users will exist required to connect to the cyberspace and sign-in with a Microsoft Account during the out of box setup experience on Windows 11 Pro. Microsoft has already been enforcing this requirement on Windows 11 Home since launch last October, and Windows eleven Pro is at present expected to follow suit soon.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/nzxt-kraken-z63-z73-review

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