To Kraken or Not To Kraken?

[JBX]

So my new build is using the stock intel cooler (i7 10700) for now. I could not decide which cooler to buy when I ordered everything... I do like the look of the NZXT Kraken line. But my price point would be on their lower end. Maybe the X53 ($130).

Dose it do a good job or is my money better spent elsewhere? (air or liquid)

Other coolers I am considering from $40 to $80:
1. Noctua NH-U12S chromax Black, 120mm Single-Tower CPU Cooler
2. Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition CPU Air Cooler w/ Silencio FP120 120mm Fan, 4 Continuous Direct Contact 2.0 Heatpipes
3. Reeven Hans 120mm Air CPU Cooler

I am not much on multicolor LED, but would consider something like the Kraken aesthetically speaking, if anyone has a recommendation.

 

[louiefriesen]

So my new build is using the stock intel cooler (i7 10700) for now. I could not decide which cooler to buy when I ordered everything... I do like the look of the NZXT Kraken line. But my price point would be on their lower end. Maybe the X53 ($130).

Dose it do a good job or is my money better spent elsewhere? (air or liquid)

Other coolers I am considering from $40 to $80:
1. Noctua NH-U12S chromax Black, 120mm Single-Tower CPU Cooler
2. Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition CPU Air Cooler w/ Silencio FP120 120mm Fan, 4 Continuous Direct Contact 2.0 Heatpipes
3. Reeven Hans 120mm Air CPU Cooler

I am not much on multicolor LED, but would consider something like the Kraken aesthetically speaking, if anyone has a recommendation.

First of all, I wouldn't recommend going with a random brand, like Reeven.

The Hyper 212 is a pretty good budget cooler, but it's not uncommon to get bleeding cuts from it.

The Noctua NH-U12s I would say would be the best air cooler by far (in this list). It is very quiet, and has great performance. If you want, later you can strap another Noctua fan on the back for better performance. (BTW, no one has ever cut themselves on a Noctua cooler).

The Kraken X53 is also a pretty good cooler. I have never used a NZXT AIO, but I've heard that they are good. Just keep in mind that the Noctua would be quieter (NZXT fans aren't the quietest).


Basically, I would say choose between the Kraken or the Noctua. Whichever suits your needs better. If you are going to be doing long workloads (like rendering a video), then air cooling is better. If you are going to be doing short bursts (like rendering a photo), then liquid cooling is better. I'll link a LTT video below about air vs liquid cooling.


In this video, they compare 92mm, 120mm and 140mm Noctua tower coolers, and 120mm, 240mm and 280mm Corsair AIOs.