NZXT Expands Kraken AIO Lineup: Their First 360mm AIO, New Kraken M Series
by Joe Shields on March 9, 2018 12:00 PM ESTNZXT has announced the expansion of its Kraken all-in-one liquid CPU cooler family with the addition of the X72 and M22 AIOs. The X72 is a 360mm AIO – a first of its size for NZXT, which should offer users better cooling than its smaller 240/280mm X Series brothers. Meanwhile the M Series AIOs are new to the Kraken line and are designed to be more affordable, but still offer many of the features in the X Series such as RGB LEDs and the infinite-mirror effects but at that lower price point.
Before the X72, NZXT’s largest AIO was the Kraken X62 sporting a 280mm radiator. NZXT has now gone a step farther to build a more powerful AIO that's able to cool the higher TDP processors that are out. To that end, the X72 boasts a 360mm radiator, a 50% increase in surface area over the 240mm model, able to better manage the thermals. The X72 also redesigned the pump, saying it is both quieter and offers a greater volumetric flow rate than previous generations (the X42/52/62 used the Asetek Gen 5 pump w/modifications – perhaps it is Gen 6?). Connecting the pump to the radiator is nylon-braided sleeved rubber tubing 400mm(~15.75-inches) long. The X72 does keep the cool looking RGB lighting and infinite-mirror effects on the pump.
As for the M22 AIO, NZXT notes that “One of the biggest requests from our community has been to deliver that same signature look at a lower price point." The M22 is built using the same materials found in the X Series and features the same advanced RGB lighting modes with customizable lighting and cooling control through NZXT’s CAM software – it will also sync with other NZXT Hue accessories. The price point is lower by dropping some of the extra features the X lineup has such as built-in fan control and liquid temperature monitoring. Users are able to utilize the PWM fan headers on the motherboard, NZXT fan controllers such as the Grid+ V3, or the Smart Device included in the H700i, H400i, or H200i cases. The CAM software will provide CPU temperature and pump speed information as well as other system-level data.
The both the X72 and M22 will use Aer P 120 radiator fans with a chamfered intake and fluid dynamic bearings said to deliver silent operation, durability, and cooling performance. NZXT says the fans are optimized for radiators and have high static pressure to push air through the fins. These fans can also be customized using removable color trims (not included). As far as compatibility goes, there is a long list from Intel and AMD fitting sockets 115x, 2011, 2011-3, and 2066, while AMD support ranges from FM1/2/2+, AM2/2+/3/3+/4 as well as TR4 (Threadripper) sockets.
Both the X72 and M22 AIOs will be available mid-March. The Kraken X72 will be priced at $199.99 while the M22’s MSRP is $99.99 ($30 cheaper than the X42). The X72 sports a very long 6-year warranty while the M22 has a 3-year warranty.
NZXT X72 and M22 AIO CPU Coolers | |||
X72 | M22 | ||
CPU Socket Compatibility | Intel - LGA 2066/ 2011-3 / 2011 / 1151 / 1150 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 AMD - FM1 / FM2 / FM2+ / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / AM3+ / AM4 (TR4 = X72 only) |
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Radiator | Material | Aluminum | |
Dimensions | 394 x 120 x 27mm (L x W x H) | 152 x 120 x 32mm (L x W x H) | |
Fan | Dimensions | 120 x 120 x 26mm | |
Speed | 500-2000 RPM +/- 300RPM (PWM) | ||
Air Flow | 18.28 - 73.11 CFM | ||
Air Pressure | 0.18 - 2.93 mmAq (Max) | ||
MTTF | 60000 Hours / 6 Years | ||
Noise Level | 21 - 36 db(A) | ||
Connector | 4-Pin (PWM) | ||
Pump | Dimensions | 80 x 80 x 52.9mm (L x W x H) | 65 x 64 x 48mm (L x W x H) |
Materials | Copper, Plastic | ||
Noise Level | N/A | ||
Motor Speed | 1600 - 2800 RPM +/- 300 RPM | 3000 RPM +/- 300 RPM | |
Price | $199.99 | $99.99 | |
Warranty | 6 Years | 3 Years |
Related Reading:
- EVGA Releases CLC120 CL11 AIO CPU Cooler: Simple and Affordable
- Cooler Master Announces MasterLiquid ML120L RGB and ML240L RGB CLC: Lighting Up The Night
- The DeepCool Captain 240 EX RGB AIO Cooler Review: Pump it Up, Without the Noise
- EKWB Announces EK-MLC Phoenix AIO: Modular and Expanable Liquid Cooling Family
- Enermax Launches LiqTech TR4 AIO LC for AMD's Threadripper: 100% IHS Coverage, 500W TDP
Source: NZXT
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megadirk - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link
What? No RGB on the fans? How?GreenMeters - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link
"The M22 ... features the same advanced RGB lighting modes with customizable lighting ... it will also sync with other NZXT Hue accessories. The price point is lower by dropping some of the extra features the X lineup has such as built-in fan control and liquid temperature monitoring."Drop useful features, keep gaudy crap. Thanks, NZXT.
3DoubleD - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link
Forgive my naivete, I've never used an AIO cooler, but wouldn't the fans be controlled off the CPU header anyway? It seems like if they can reduce costs and (hopefully) pass those savings on to the customer, then it was a good choice to remove those unnecessary parts.nevcairiel - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link
No, the CPU header rarely controls the AIO in my experience.Thats mostly because liquid cooling has quite different properties then air cooling. It takes for longer for the water to heat up, and as a consequence also to cool down. So usually you want the pump and the fans working based on the water temp, since really thats whats ultimately being cooled, not the CPU temp.
demol3 - Sunday, March 11, 2018 - link
Do you think the delay between when CPU heat up and that block of hot water flow to radiator is significant? I think in an AIO as small as m22 it wouldn't matter. It will be harder to detect if the cold plate does not have proper contact with the cpu though.DanNeely - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link
at 432 vs 392 square cm a 360 radiator is only ~10% larger than a 280; making the two more or less equivalent. There's little to recommend one over the other if both will fit in your case. I'd lean slightly toward the 280 just because bigger fans can move more air at lower noise levels.Lord of the Bored - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link
Cubic centimeters would make more sense. Remember, volume goes up faster than area, and the construction of a radiator means that the cooling surface is more practically measured in terms of volume.CheapSushi - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link
Curious, what's the square plating in the middle of the rad for? Don't think the article mentioned it. Never seen that before. I know the fan hub area tends to be a dead zone. So is that square plate doing something?