NZXT today announced a handful of new and upgraded all-in-one liquid cooling solutions, including the all-new Kraken X52 and upgraded Kraken X42 and X62. All three use a new pump design that's been engineered to run quieter and displace more liquid than previous generation Kraken coolers.
"The enhanced design achieves superior cooling with efficiency while keeping acoustics to a minimum," NZXT says.
They also feature new "Aer P" series radiator fans built with chamfered intakes, fluid bearings for near silent operation, and winglet-designed blades that are intended to improve drag efficiency. NZXT sells these same fans as standalone products starting at $16 a pop.
NZXT reinforced the rubber tubing with fine nylon sleeves to protect them from damage during handling and extended them in length. Depending on your setup, the latter is reason enough to consider one of these coolers over the previous generation. I have a Kraken X61 cooler keeping a Devil's Canyon system chilly at home in a Thermaltake Core P5 case—my only real gripe is that the tubing is stretched about as far as it will go to reach the CPU.
The new Kraken X52 brings a 240mm radiator to the cooler party, whereas previously you had to choose between a 140mm radiator or 280mm radiator. Those two options are still available in the Kraken X42 (140mm) and X62 (280mm), just now there's a third size to choose from.
"The launch of the Kraken X52 allows us to provide optimal cooling performance to builders in a 240mm form factor," says Johnny Hou, NZXT’s founder and CEO. "With the all-new Kraken series, we’ve improved upon the previous generation in many ways. Incorporating HUE+ lighting and NZXT’s new digital control interface allows unprecedented customization to be delivered. The pump has been redesigned to bring quieter operations with improved performance."
All three models are to pre-order now in the U.S. with pricing set at $130 for the Kraken X42, $150 for the Kraken X52, and $160 for the Kraken X62. They'll ship in early November. Availability sometime in November is also expected in Europe and the rest of the world, though NZXT is only providing U.S. pricing at this time. NZXT backs these coolers with a 6-year warranty.
