NZXT Kraken 280 RGB Black (RL-KR280-B1)

High-quality two-section liquid cooling system from one of the pioneers in the liquid cooling system market, NZXT. The model belongs to the middle price segment and occupies an average position in the brand hierarchy, located above single and two-section “water heaters”, but at the same time inferior in power to three-section options with an elongated 36-centimeter radiator. NZXT Kraken 280 is designed to cool hot Ryzen 7/Core i7 processors in significant manual overclocking mode.

It is also quite suitable for more powerful chips, including AMD Threadripper server processors. In general, the device comes with a set of mounts for mounting on motherboards with Intel 1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/1700 processor sockets, as well as AMD AM4/AM5/TR4/TRX4. The NZXT Kraken 280 RGB Black is a typical all-in-one cooling system that is ready to install and does not require the purchase of additional components.

It is based on a 280mm radiator made of aluminium with a copper substrate, on which two 140mm NZXT F140 fans are installed. The fan speed can be adjusted from 500 to 1500 rpm, allowing the user to find the optimal balance between cooling and noise level. The pump rotation speed is also adjustable and can vary from 800 to 2800 rpm. The radiator and pump are connected using fairly long 400 mm hoses in durable nylon braid.

The key element of this water block, which makes it different from its competitors, is the color liquid crystal display located on the water block pump. Its diagonal is 1.54 inches, resolution is 240x240 pixels, and the display itself stands out due to its increased brightness reserve. The display can show various important system status data such as processor temperature and fan speed.

It also gives the user the ability to display custom images (such as YouTube or Twitch channel branding), animations, and other custom elements, making it a very interesting option for bloggers, streamers, and casual gamers looking to give their PC a distinctive look. Unlike the regular version of the Kraken 280, in this model the fan blades are decorated with addressable backlighting with support for all popular backlight synchronization systems. The water block comes complete with proprietary NZXT CAM software for more precise adjustment of the operation of the LSS and backlight. The official warranty from the manufacturer is 6 years.