NZXT Kraken x62 vs Swiftech h240 x2

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Nick_156

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Jan 1, 2017
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I'm looking to get into water cooling and want to start out with an AIO cooler and I've heard a lot of great things about the kraken. I've also been pointed in the direction of the swiftech cooler and while I do prefer the look of the clear tubing all the reviews I've seen on amazon, newegg...have been better for the kraken. Which would I be better going with?
 
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The S24 from Fractal is also an expandable loop with the best warranty I've ever seen on that type of product (5 years, still covers original parts if you expand the loop). It also outperforms the EK kits by a sizable margin. The H240 X2 doesn't even match it with a 280mm radiator and a significantly higher price.

The S24 is a 240mm model, so it will fit in most cases. If you're okay with how it looks, the R5 is a solid choice. That said, it's been a while since I've seen a mid tower that doesn't support a 240mm radiator.
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I actually don't recommend the new Krakens from NZXT. The way the fittings stick out so far from the pump can cause RAM clearance issues (actually block an entire RAM slot) on boards where the socket is closer to the RAM slots. There is no real standard for how far the socket needs to be from the RAM slots, so unless you can find someone that's got the cooler to work on your board, I wouldn't just assume it will fit.

As for the Swiftech one, it's rather expensive.

I actually usually recommend either the Corsair Hydro series (starting at H100i) or the DeepCool Captain series (nothing smaller than 240mm).

What CPU are you trying to cool? Will you be overclocking?
 
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I will be cooling the i7 7700k cpu and will probably overclock between 300-500 MHz. I'm also going to upgrade my mobo to the auros z270. Not sure how far out the ram is on that board but im assuming it'll be farther than the ram on my current mATX board
 
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Compare my recommendations for your CPU: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/bT8Zxr,z9Z2FT,CrDzK8,nfzZxr/
 
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The main reason I was drawn towards the swiftech cooler is because it looks a custom loop and I just love the way custom loops look. Do you know of any coolers with clear tubing that perform well? Or would I be able to swap out the tubing on one of the ones you recommended? Or should I just skip AIOs all together and go straight to custom cooling since I know I'll eventually want to custom cool?
 
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Never seen an aio pump have ram clearance issues. What I have seen is the radiator/fan have motherboard /ram clearance issues, especially with the thicker rads used by the kraken or Corsair H105 vrs the thin rads used by the Corsair H100 series. This is not so much a radiator/motherboard issue as it is a case issue. The top of the motherboard not having much clearance to the case top. In cases with an offset design, it's not an issue at all other than you might have problems reaching any fan headers that are right at the top edge.
And yes, there is a standard for socket real estate and its supporting pin holes, there can be nothing inside or under the area designated by the stock cooler.
I don't recommend corsair aios for 1 reason, the useless chunks of plastic they refer to as fans. The fans on the nzxt, Fractal, Swiftec, deepcool, even arctic are far superior, especially for volume. There's exactly no reason for fans to be set at over 2400 rpm, or variable units having minimum fan speeds of over 1800 rpm. It's ridiculously loud an not necessary.
 
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Liquids evaporate over time, that's a given. Even aios suffer that as the rubber hoses are not perfectly sealed against oxygen molecules traveling through. Same reason why car tires use nitrogen, the bigger nitrogen molecules have a harder time traveling through the rubber so stay inflated longer. So maintenance is going to include periodically adding more liquid to the reservoir, how often depends on conditions of pc heat and ambient temps. With that evaporation will also come a lack of H²0 as the reduced oxygen becomes HO (hydroxide) which has a different thermal property to water. So even if the reservoir is full, the temps have still risen, meaning it's time to flush the whole system and put new liquid in. Usually not an issue as ppl tend to like to change up liquid coloring after a few months of use. Darker, lighter, transparent, red or blue etc.

Part of what makes up usage of a full custom loop is the fact that loop users want to actually tinker with a pc periodically. Get their hands in it changing things. If you just want to stick the pc under the desk and forget about it for months between cleanings, buy a brick aircooler, non window case, etc.

As for cases, basically anything that'll mount 2x 240/280 or better radiators. I've seen full custom loops in the smaller nzxt s340 elite, H440, Crystal 460, Phanteks Enthoo series, most of the Corsair full towers etc. Depends on what strikes you as tasteful, you gotta look at it.
 
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Im finding it really hard to find a case I like that's water cooling friendly. There seems to always be one or to things that ruin a case for me. Not looking to spend more than $200 on one
 
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The S24 from Fractal is also an expandable loop with the best warranty I've ever seen on that type of product (5 years, still covers original parts if you expand the loop). It also outperforms the EK kits by a sizable margin. The H240 X2 doesn't even match it with a 280mm radiator and a significantly higher price.

The S24 is a 240mm model, so it will fit in most cases. If you're okay with how it looks, the R5 is a solid choice. That said, it's been a while since I've seen a mid tower that doesn't support a 240mm radiator.
 
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I've got a kraken X61 280mm sitting comfortably on a fractal define R5 right now, has no issues other than lack of a few mm because it's a thick rad so you can't use a 25mm rear exhaust fan, which with a top mount radiator is absolutely unnecessary anyways.

Kelvin or Celsius S24? I didn't know you could get the fractal aios in the States yet, something to do with copyright infringement with the Asetek pump design was stopping imports.?
 
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I'm really, really liking the new Fractal Design Focus G and Focus G mini cases, the G fits a 280mm in front or a 240mm up top, the mATX fits a 240mm either way and for aircoolers has 165mm of clearance. Not easy to find in an mATX case. Especially at a $45 price tag. Looks good too with a edge to edge window. Can't wait to see if someone will actually custom loop inside an mATX case, usually radiator mount space is an issue.
 
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Ahh ok, after a quick Google, it's the Celsius models that are available in the US, the Kelvin is still absent. However, the fractal aios were designed with strong cooperation from AlphaCool, a leading manufacturer of custom loop parts, so it's no wonder the fractals are so good, they have a pedigree!
 
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I personally wouldn't put a full on custom loop in an S340 variant. It's pretty cramped in there already, and it's impossible to put a pump by itself in the basement without some dremel/power drill work. If you have a decent-sized GPU, good luck fitting a pump/res combo in there without either fan mounting it to the top (horizontally) or doing some weird contortionist stuff with the tubing. Also, because of the cable management bar, you're limited to 25mm thick rads unless you plan on using slim 15mm fans or removing the bar altogether. Then, you can't top mount a 120/140mm rad because it'll smack into motherboard heat sinks and ram modules almost immediately, and rear mounting a 120mm rad, well, weren't we looking for 240mm+ rads anyway?

Just putting in my 2c as an S340 owner.

Those Swiftech AIO's, IIRC, are basically custom loop parts put together, filled with liquid, and put into a box and shipped as a completed unit. EK did something similar with their Predator series AIO's (where did they go? can't find them anywhere). Their performance and price are a tier above a standard Asetek-ish AIO, but not quite full custom loop performance and price.
 
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The Predator and Swiftech CLCs actually don't perform as well as the better AIOs. The S24 and x61 both come to mind. This was one reason EKWB pulled the Predator line. It turns out that a properly engineered AIO beats a standard open loop with a similar radiator size. Honestly, that shouldn't really come as a big surprise. I don't know of anyone who pulls out Ansys when designing their open loops.

Even at higher loads, the S24 manages better thermal performance at lower noise levels than the EKWB 280 kits.
 
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I'm referring to the newer Celsius model. It was recently reviewed by TH.
https://www.amazon.com/Fractal-Design-FD-WCU-CELSIUS-S24-BK-Cooler/dp/B0719DHG5Y/
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835352029

I'm in the US, and I have no issues with getting the S24.
 
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Back before I got the x61, I wanted the S36 to go in my R5, that's when I found out that they weren't in the US for retail sales, only some reviews. Didn't know they'd come out with a second line, the Celsius which is in the US, unlike the Kelvin which are not, still.
 
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