Question The pump LCD turns off, pump fans stop spinning, and NZXT CAM no longer recognizes the pump - an issue on the brand new NZXT Kraken Elite 360 ?

[nielotnakawka95]

Hey everyone, I recently built a fresh PC, and I ran into a serious issue with my AIO - NZXT Kraken 360 Elite. I already spent a couple of days trying to troubleshoot it by myself. I'm running out of ideas about what's wrong, and I need your help.

Problem:
Upon PC startup, the NZXT logo appears on the pump's LCD, followed by a default display showing the liquid's temperature. The pump's fans spin, RGB lights up, and I log into Windows. The NZXT CAM software launches, restoring my cooling/lighting configuration.

During gameplay, the pump's LCD goes blank after a variable period, ranging from a few minutes to a few hours. Subsequently, the pump fans stop working, and NZXT CAM fails to recognize the pump. At the same time, fans' RGB is working and recognized in CAM soft. When I restart the PC I see the "CPU fan error, please check" error message.

This makes the PC unusable since non-spinning fans make the radiator insanely hot. The only thing to do is to power-cycle the PC to make AIO start working again.

Specs:

• MOBO: MSI MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR5
• PSU: CORSAIR RM850X SHIFT 850W
• RAM: KINGSTON FURY RENEGADE DDR5 32GB (2X16) CL32 6400MHz (running on 6400MHz, XMP enabled)
• CPU: i7-14700KF
• NZXT Fan HUB controller for RGB

I already tried:

1. Removing NZXT Kraken drivers from the device manager, cleaning the Windows registry from the NZXT software, and reinstalling NZXT CAM software (temporarily resolves the issue but doesn't prevent recurrence).
2. Flashing BIOS with the latest firmware.
3. Correcting Kraken's pin connection to CPU_FUN from AIO_PUMP

I'm close to returning it to the retailer as a faulty product since I'm running out of ideas. It's so weird, the AIO works initially, and then randomly stops. Could you help me investigate this issue?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

During gameplay, the pump's LCD goes blank after a variable period, ranging from a few minutes to a few hours. Subsequently, the pump fans stop working, and NZXT CAM fails to recognize the pump.

sounds like an issue with power / the connection providing the power.

i would probably just return this thing
if purchased recently probably easier to return it to the retailer purchased from rather than RMA through NZXT.

 

[Paperdoc]

Three things to check because a bad connection can cause this.
1. The 3-pin "fan connector" on the breakout cable from the PUMP unit to the mobo CPU_FAN header.
2. The cable from that breakout to a mobo USB2 header.
3. The main power supply connection for a PSU SATA power output to the breakout cable.

 

[nielotnakawka95]

Three things to check because a bad connection can cause this.
1. The 3-pin "fan connector" on the breakout cable from the PUMP unit to the mobo CPU_FAN header.
2. The cable from that breakout to a mobo USB2 header.
3. The main power supply connection for a PSU SATA power output to the breakout cable.

Hi, thank you for the suggestions!

1. I double-checked the 3-pin "fan connector" installed on the CPU_FAN header, I remounted it to the header, it sits tight, and well-fitted
2. I tried switching the USB-2.0 header connection for the AIO (My MOBO provides 2x USB-2.0 headers) while making sure it's properly mounted
3. I tried switching to a different PSU SATA socket and replaced the SATA cable

Sadly, the issue persists.

Something weird I noticed a few hours ago is that when the AIO goes completely blank (leaving only RGB working), it's preceded by the sound of disconnecting a USB. Hence, I disabled the USB Selective Suspend Settings in the Windows power plan as I thought it might be some Windows optimization that disconnects the USB-2.0 header. Started a gaming session and couldn't reproduce the "dead AIO" issue for a long period.

I thought it fixed the problem but sadly it didn't. A few minutes ago the AIO went black again, and fans stopped spinning (while gaming).

Do you have any ideas about what could go wrong here? I'm also thinking about some BIOS settings that disconnect the USB 2.0. I'm not sure what could that be though (I use MSI MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK if that helps).

Once again, thanks for your input

 

[Paperdoc]

Well, my best suggestions that HOPED for a simple cause were wrong. I'd say your best bet is the post from JohnBonhamsGhost above: conclude that the unit is faulty and return it for replacement.

 

[nielotnakawka95]

Well, my best suggestions that HOPED for a simple cause were wrong. I'd say your best bet is the post from JohnBonhamsGhost above: conclude that the unit is faulty and return it for replacement.

You both might be right. I just finally received a reply from NZXT's technical support, so ultimately I'll try to debug it with them before returning it.

 

[doomguyyy]

You both might be right. I just finally received a reply from NZXT's technical support, so ultimately I'll try to debug it with them before returning it.

hey man!

i have the EXACT same issue and it's driving me nuts. honestly i think it's just a faulty piece of hardware and they all seem to go this way! did you fix yours or replace it in the end?

doom

 

[nielotnakawka95]

hey man!

i have the EXACT same issue and it's driving me nuts. honestly i think it's just a faulty piece of hardware and they all seem to go this way! did you fix yours or replace it in the end?

doom

I replaced it. A faulty unit.

 

[doomguyyy]

I replaced it. A faulty unit.

i actually found a fix!

you have to turn your PC upside down and power it on as there’s an air bubble that’s causing the issue and by doing so it allows it to escape and then it will work properly again

worked for me anyways