Best CPU Coolers for Ryzen 7 5800x

Noctua NH-L9a-AM4

If Noctua isn’t on a list of competing fans or coolers, the list isn’t complete. Noctua is known as one of the best companies that makes coolers and fans.

The performance and quality of their coolers and fans can always be counted on. Noctua is the first choice of customers when it comes to PC cooling solutions. Any product from Noctua gets our approval to be on a competitive list, and the same goes for the Noctua NH-L9a-AM4.

The Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 is a version of the popular NH-L9i chromax. Black that has been asked for a lot. Noctua made this cooler especially for AMD users. It fits AMD Ryzen series CPUs with an AM4 socket right out of the box, so you don’t need to buy a separate bracket to put it on your CPU.

With a height of only 37mm, the Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 is a low-profile CPU cooler that can fit in any case, even the smallest mini-ITX PC build. It is also 100% compatible with RAM and PCIe due to its small size.

Noctua made it easy to install the NH-L9a-AM4 with a Secufirm 2 mounting system that was made just for the AM4 socket. Also, putting the cooler on the CPU is easy enough that even a beginner builder should be able to do it.

The NH-L9a-AM4 comes with a high-quality and premium 92mm NF-A9x14 fan from Noctua that can be controlled fully automatically by PWM. The NF-A9x14 fan can go as fast as 2500 RPM at its fastest, and at 20% PWM, it can only go as fast as RPM at its slowest.

At low speeds, the fan is very quiet and can’t be heard at all, so it won’t bother you while you’re working on your PC.

With the Low Noise Adaptor (L.N.A) that comes with the fan, you can make it even quieter at high speeds. With the L.N.A., the NF-A9x14 can reach speeds of 1800 RPM and make only 14.8 dB(A) of noise, which is pretty cool.

The Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 is pretty well put together. Copper is used for the base and heat pipes, and the heatsink doesn’t hang over the RAM slots, so you have a lot more freedom in choosing the RAM module.

Also, the cooling fins are made of aluminum and have nickel plating and joints that are soldered together. The NH-L9a-AM4 can be used with any fan that measures 92x92x25 mm, but it’s safe to say that you won’t find anything better on the market than the stock fan that Noctua includes with this cooler.

The NH-L9a-AM4 has a TDP of 95W, which is pretty good for a cooler this size. With Noctua’s premium and high-quality NT-H1 thermal compound, this beast can cool your Ryzen 7 5800X.

One of the Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 7 5800x is the Noctua NH-L9a-AM4, especially for a small form factor build. Even though the NH-L9a has the best performance in its class, you shouldn’t buy it if you want to overclock your CPU.

It doesn’t have enough power to cool down an overclocked CPU, and Noctua says you shouldn’t use it with an overclocked CPU.

beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 4

The be quiet! Dark Rock series is the top of the line when it comes to air cooling. The Dark Rocks are stunningly beautiful CPU coolers with a deep-black, no-nonsense look. The Dark Rock Pro 4 is the newest and most powerful member of this family.

It was made for power users and overclockers who want to get every watt of cooling power out of a performance-focused, heatpipe-based tower cooler.

The Dark Rock Pro 4 has both 135mm and 120mm fans, and it fits an extra cooling fan between its two aluminum-fin cooling towers. The 120 x 25mm SilentWings fan in the front moves air through the first tower, where it meets the 135 x 22mm SilentWings fan.

This second fan, in turn, moves the air through the second tower and out the back of the cooler.The cooling fins are open so that they don’t get in the way of airflow and allow heat to escape from all sides of the cooler. The two fans work together to push and pull air through the cooler.

Inside the very detailed retail packaging is a standard set of mounting hardware, thermal paste, brackets, and even a two-way PWM splitter. A long-necked magnetic Phillips screwdriver, which will come in handy when installing, is also a nice addition.

There are also six installation manuals in English, Spanish, Polish, French, Russian, and German. Each manual has very detailed instructions for mounting the vast majority of Intel and AMD processors. (AMD’s Threadripper is a big exception.)

Users who move their PC cases often, like when they take them to LAN or other gaming events, may find it hard to move a large air cooler. The shut up! Dark Rock Pro 4 is in this group, so you should be careful with its weight.

The Dark Rock Pro 4 has a curved, brushed aluminum top plate, and the copper heatpipes that stick out of it are covered by caps at each end.

The Dark Rock Pro 4 has seven copper heatpipes that send heat to the two cooling towers. By separating the heatpipes and spreading the heat over a larger area, the Pro 4’s two fans can work together to move air through the two fin stacks more efficiently.

That is better than having a single fan push air through a big cooling-fin tower. The heatpipes come together right below the center 135mm fan, which is topped by a polished aluminum mounting base that looks almost like a mirror.

Follow our guide to Best CPU coolers for Ryzen 5 3600

The other side of that mounting base has a raised, toothed shape that looks almost like a heat sink. It acts as a guide for a mounting crossbar that holds the Dark Rock Pro 4 in place on the mounting plates. The teeth provide a good fit and also line up with the notches in the crossbar to make it stable.

The Dark Rock Pro 4 is set up in a way that is similar to how many other heatpipe tower coolers are set up. To finish the process, you will need threaded standoffs, mounting bars, and a crossbar.

Since the fans are added after the cooler is mounted, we still need a way to get two screws through the mounting crossbar and into the two banks of cooling fins. The long, thin screwdriver that comes with the be quiet! box is the answer.

The magnetic tip helps keep the screws in place while the fasteners are being guided into place, which is a process that is very close to surgery.

ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 A-RGB

ARCTIC is a well-known company that makes thermal products for PCs. When a customer needs thermal products like coolers, fans, and thermal paste, they go to ARCTIC. Products made by ARCTIC are known for how well they work and how well they are made.

If you’re looking for the Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 7 5800x, the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 A-RGB is one of the most obvious choices, and we’ll explain why.

When you take your ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II out of the box, the first thing you will notice is how unique and futuristic the pump looks.

ARCTIC decided to make its own pump, which is different from many of its competitors who mostly buy pumps from Asetek, a major liquid cooling company. In addition to having a cool design, the pump has a built-in cooling fan that can go as fast as 3000 RPM.

Most small fans are very loud and hard to deal with, but the 40mm fan in this pump is incredibly quiet and can handle high pressures. On top of that, PWM connectors let you change the speed of the fan from a distance.

Next, the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240mm AIO works with both AMD’s AM4 socket, which is used by Ryzen 7 5800x, and AMD’s AM5 socket, which is used by next-generation chipsets. You can also use the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II if you decide to upgrade your processor in the future.

On top of that, Intel’s LGA 1700, 1200, 115X, 2011-3, 2066, and Square ILM sockets work with Liquid Freezer II. But the cooler only comes with the LGA 1700 mounting kit. You can buy the rest separately. You can also read our full review of the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 A-RGB.

ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II utilizes 2x 120mm ARCTIC P12 PWM A-RGB fans. PWM makes it easy to control the speed of these fans. From 200 RPM all the way up to 1800 RPM, these fans have a wide speed range that gives them a lot of flexibility.

The rubber bumpers and less vibration mean that these fans are also very quiet. A-RGB lighting is the cherry on top, since a liquid-cooled PC doesn’t look good without RGB lights. With the A-RGB lights in a tempered glass PC build, the whole set-up looks flashy and beautiful.

On top of that, ARCTIC made the Liquid Freezer II with built-in cable management. The A-RGB and PWM cables are hidden, so you only need to connect two plugs to the Ryzen 7 5800x motherboard.

This makes setting up the whole thing easier and cleaner. The 240mm AIO from ARCTIC also comes with a six-year warranty, so you can easily get it replaced if something goes wrong.

ARCTIC knows how to make liquid coolers that are both great and powerful. The TDP of the Liquid Freezer II is 250W, which is more than enough to keep the temperature of the Ryzen 7 5800x under control. You can also use the Liquid Freezer II to help you overclock your CPU.

With that much cooling power, the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II will be able to keep the temperatures of an overclocked Ryzen 7 5800x stable. On top of that, the radiator on the Liquid Freezer II is 38mm thick, while most radiators are much thinner.

Because the radiator is thick, the cooling surface has grown, and you can cool your processor with a lot of water.

Scythe Big Shuriken 3

The Big Shuriken 3 is a bit different from the other CPU coolers on this list. What makes it different is that it is only 69mm tall, which means it is made for small form factor PCs (Mini ITX and HTPC).

For even better cooling performance while keeping the CPU cooler slim and small, it has a newly developed Kaze Flex Slim fan that is only 15mm thick. Its size doesn’t stop it from providing top-level performance, though, because it allows for better airflow even when the computer is working hard.

Scythe has a reliable, low-cost solution for you in almost every category, whether you need a single-tower 120mm fan-cooled, a dual-tower/dual thickness 120mm fan-cooled, or something else.

But now that Scythe is moving into C-style coolers and limiting itself to the smallest Mini-ITX systems, we are excited to see if it can once again be the best in its class.

Even though we haven’t reviewed any of the cooler’s previous versions, we are familiar with C-Style coolers of all sizes and styles. In this group, you can usually find things that tower coolers can’t.

Things like a low-profile design for use in NAS or HTPC builds where a tower cooler would never fit and a stock solution may not be enough.

Go through our epic guide on How to Fix the 511 CPU Fan Not Detected?

Also, airflow is important in small spaces, both in terms of how the chassis brings in air from the outside and what parts of the system can be actively cooled. The C-Style is almost like getting three coolers in one. Many of them cover some or all of the memory.

It also has 5 sintered heat pipes and a copper base layout, which work together to move heat more efficiently. The Big Shuriken 3 is compatible with the most popular motherboards on the market because of its offset design.

Most CPU coolers are hard to install, but this one has a new H.P.M.S. 3 mounting system that makes it easy and secure. It also works with the latest platforms and sockets, which is good.

The Big Shuriken 3 took a good approach to a well-known problem, which is that RAM modules with larger passive heatsinks cause problems for CPU coolers.

But you don’t have to worry about that with this cooler. Its heat pipes have a slight backward slope, so the radiator isn’t right above the baseplate. This solves the problem.

Scythe will almost certainly come with a sizable bottle of thermal grease, however the tube will only contain sufficient paste for three or possibly even four applications.

Underneath, on the left-hand side, we can see the LGA2011/2066 standoffs, the Intel bolts for the brackets, and the four black spacers, each of which has a rubber washer attached to one side for the purpose of isolating noise.

The LGA775 preload spacer can be found to the right, and to the right of that, you’ll find the AMD screws that are used to hold the bracketry to the stock backplate.

About the shorter set of screws, we have no choice but to presume that these are fan replacement screws designed for employment with a more robust fan.

EK-AIO 360 D-RGB

EKWB (Edvard König Water Blocks) is a computer hardware company that has dominated the PC thermals industry in recent years with its range of premium water cooling gear. In their arsenal, they have CPU coolers, GPU coolers, radiators, pumps, reservoirs, and many other things.

Enthusiast PC builders love EKWB’s products because they work so well and are so reliable. This time, we’ll take a close look at the EK-AIO 360 D-RGB and explain why it’s one of the Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 7 5800x.

The EK-AIO 360 D-RGB is a closed-loop liquid cooling system for your CPU that comes with everything you need. EK-AIO comes ready to go out of the box with a pre-filled pump-res combo design and a universally compatible water block. This makes installation easy and quick.

Even though EK-AIO is too much for many CPUs, it might be just what your Ryzen 7 5800x needs. EK’s EK-AIO D-RGB series comes in 120mm, 240mm, and 360mm sizes, but for the power-hungry Ryzen 7 5800x CPU, we recommend the 360mm size.

To keep your 5800x from getting too hot, you’ll need as much cooling power as you can get. Luckily, the EK-AIO 360 is more than up to the task.

With a TDP of up to 240W, the EK-AIO can not only keep the temperatures of a stock Ryzen 7 5800x under control, but it can also be used with a Ryzen 7 5800x that has been overclocked. The EK-AIO will always have your back, no matter how much weight you put on your build.

When it comes to the EK-compatibility, AIO’s the EKWB made it so that it works with AMD’s AM4 socket and a number of Intel’s LGA sockets, such as the LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 2011, 2011-3, 2066, and 1200. But these are older sockets.

To make sure it would work in the future, it would have been nice if it was also compatible with Intel’s newer LGA 1700 socket and AMD’s upcoming AM5 socket.

The EK-AIO 360 also comes with one of the best pumps on the market. It has a black nickel housing, a copper cold plate, and steel mounts, which are all high-quality and durable materials. The fan on the pump can spin at a speed of 3300 RPM, which is very fast.

PWM makes it easy to change its speed to suit your needs. As the name suggests, EK-AIO has a 360mm radiator made of aluminum. This makes it strong and keeps the weight down. It is 27mm thick and can hold three 120mm fans.

This is a great match for the Ryzen 7 5800x because it has a big radiator and a big pump. It works very well, even when it has a lot to do. Despite its high price, we highly recommend it.

In addition to the pump and radiator, the EK-AIO 360 comes with 3x EK-Vardar S 120ER D-RGB fans. Most 360mm liquid coolers only come with 3x 120mm fans, so this makes the EK-AIO 360 the Best 360mm Liquid Cooler For Ryzen 7 5800x.

Also, these aren’t just any 120mm fans. They can go as fast as 2200 RPM, but you can slow them down to just 550 RPM. It also has fully programmable D-RGB lights that you can change to your liking and use to show off your expensive build.

Corsair H100i RGB Platinum

The majority of Corsair’s clientele are captivated by the exquisite appearance of the company’s H100i RGB Platinum CPU cooler, which features a magnificent color scheme.

Its two magnetic levitation PWM fans each measure 140 millimeters in diameter and offer a distinctive color pattern in addition to improved airflow for intensive CPU cooling performance.

It includes 16 RGB LEDs, each of which can be controlled independently to shine a spotlight on the pump head. This allows you to create beautiful lighting effects that are uniquely suited to your design.Corsair Hydro Series provides another option for achieving the greatest possible cooling performance.

At the same time, it makes each fan work at speeds ranging from 400 to 2400 revolutions per minute (RPM), providing a low-noise pump design and a thermally optimized cold plate in order to achieve high-end performance while maintaining a quiet environment.

In addition, Corsair offers a mounting bracket that can be installed quickly and without difficulty on all of the primary CPU sockets. This bracket may be mounted without the need for any tools. Moreover, it is compatible with processors produced by both Intel and AMD.

Although the CPU cooler works well with Ryzen 7 5800x, a few of purchasers were dissatisfied with the cluttered cable management. n the other hand, many individuals have voiced their dissatisfaction with the product’s excessive cost, stating that it is out of their price range.

Aside from that, Corsair is a well-known brand that promises to deliver a performance of the highest possible quality.After purchasing a product from Corsair, you will not be interested in purchasing products from any other company.

The Corsair H100i RGB Platinum is compatible with the majority of computer cases that are designed to accommodate a two-120mm radiator setup, which is standard for most 240 AIOs.

The installation of the radiator and the block was reasonably problem-free and essentially identical to any AIO we’ve ever done. Because of this, the only part of the cooler setup that required any significant effort was routing the cables for the fan, the USB connection, and the RGB lighting.

Cable management not only makes the chassis seem neater but also keeps the airflow unobstructed, which is essential for effective temperature control.

The graphical user interface that is provided by Corsair’s iCUE software makes it possible to manage all of the peripherals and components that have been detected by Corsair.

This includes the ability to customize color palettes and patterns, fan curve profiles, pump management, and even the device firmware update that gave us a bit more pump speed when it was set to the Extreme setting.

The mounting plate method for the H100i RGB Platinum is a solution that uses a snap-fit design. The pump base is secured to the mounting hardware by each pair of socket brackets, which slips around a channel groove in the block base.

To change out these bracket plates, all that needs to be done is slide the existing bracket plates apart and away from the block. After that, simply snap the chosen bracket plates back into place.

MSI MAG Core Liquid 240R V2 White

MSI is one of the biggest companies in the PC industry. It makes a wide range of high-quality products, such as laptops, graphics processing units (GPUs), motherboards, PC cases, thermal products, and a number of high-end peripherals.

They also make different software that can be used to monitor and control the performance of all kinds of hardware. MSI has also got its hands in esports and sponsors many teams with their products to compete globally.

Every PC fan knows the name MSI because it makes high-end and high-quality products. Regarding performance, MSI’s CPU coolers are second to none, and it’s now time to look at MSI’s CPU Cooler for Ryzen 7 5800x, the MAG Core Liquid 240R V2 White – AIO RGB.

First of all, the design and build quality of the MAG Core Liquid 240R V2 are top-notch. When you open the box, you’ll see a beautiful cooler inside that’s ready to be put into your awesome build.

This white beauty looks great in a minimalist all-white room, and the RGB lights that come with it make it look even better, making it the Best White CPU Cooler For Ryzen 7 5800x.

On top of that, the CPU water block of the MAG Core Liquid 240R V2 can be turned in any direction and has RGB lights that make the cool MSI dragon logo look great.

MSI gives the MAG Core Liquid 240R V2 a new look by putting the pump right into the radiator. This not only makes the pump quieter, but it also makes it last longer because it is no longer close to the heat source.

Also, the fan on the pump can spin at an amazing 4200 RPM, which is faster than most of its competitors on the market. It can do this while keeping noise levels low.

On top of that, the radiator is 120mm tall, 240mm long, and 27mm thick, which gives it a lot of cooling surface and keeps the CPU’s temperature stable.

The MAG Core Liquid 240R V2 is also compatible with a lot of things. Not only does it support our favorite Ryzen 7 5800x with the AM4 socket, but it is also compatible with AMD’s upcoming AM5 socket and the older FM2+, FM2, FM1, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, and AM2 sockets.

This makes sure that AMD’s CPUs will be able to work with it in the future. It also works with Intel’s LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 1700, 1366, 2011, 2011-3, and 2066 sockets. So you don’t have to worry much about CPU compatibility if you choose MAG Core Liquid 240R V2.

MSI also gives the MAG Core Liquid 240r V2 two 120mm A-RGB PWM fans. Depending on how hard your system is working, you can use the PWM mode to slow these fans down to as low as 500 RPM.

Even with the overclock, the MAG Core Liquid 240R V2 is more than able to cool the Ryzen 7 5800x, and it does so while making very little noise. On top of that, it’s easy to set up and doesn’t require any special skills; all you have to do is look at the instructions and you’re good to go.

Noctua NH-D15 chromax.Black

No ordinary company could afford to be on a competitive listing more than once, but Noctua is not an ordinary company.

They try to do things that most people can only dream of, and because of this, they are known as the best company that makes thermal products and have a place in the hearts of their customers. Each of their new products is even better than the ones from the last generation and has a ton of features.

The coolers from Noctua are a force to be reckoned with, and reviewers and customers choose them for this reason.

It wouldn’t be fair to leave out the Noctua NH-D15 chromax from the list of CPU Coolers for Ryzen 7 5800x. We saved Black for last because it has the best features, and you won’t be disappointed.

The chromex NH-D15. Black is an all-black version of the NH-D15 flagship CPU cooler, which has won many awards. It keeps going in the same direction as the legendary NH-D14 and keeps looking for the best performance.

NH-D15 chromax. Black is covered from head to toe in black, making it perfect for people who like black themes. It has a black heatsink, black fans with black pads to keep them from vibrating, black fan clips, and black parts for mounting.

The NH-D15 is a natural choice for an all-black build. Since black is a neutral color that goes well with everything, it is also easy to add to any color scheme. Noctua also lets you change the color of the heatsink covers, so you can change things up if you want.

The Noctua NH-D15 has two towers with six heat pipes. The dual-tower design works as well as an all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler because it has a larger surface area and can cool better. Copper is also used to make the base and heat pipes, which helps heat flow better.

Aluminum is used to make the cooling fins, which makes them lighter and more durable. Also, the cooling fins are spread out over 150mm, and the heat pipes are far apart so that heat can be spread more evenly over a bigger area.

Noctua’s design and choice of materials for the heat pipes and heatsinks of the NH-D15 make it possible for it to spread heat more evenly and work more efficiently in dual fan mode.

The NH-D15 from Noctua has two fans, and the fans that Noctua put in the NH-D15 are its best and most expensive NF-A15. The NF-A15 fans have a top speed of 1500 RPM, which is not the highest on this list, but the 140mm area gives much better airflow and lowers noise levels.

Noctua also gives you two adapters for both fans that make even less noise. With the low noise adapter, you can speed up the fans to 1200 RPM, which is good for medium workloads. On top of that, these fans work with PWM, which means you can easily change their speed to suit the situation.

The NH-D15 will never be a problem because it works with all sockets, both old and new.

Noctua’s Secufirm 2 multi-socket mounting system works with a wide range of CPUs, including Intel’s LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1151, LGA1150, LGA2066, LGA2011-0, LGA2011-3 (Square ILM), and AMD’s AM4, AM5.

The most important thing on this list is the AM4 socket, which is used by the Ryzen 7 5800x. The cooler also comes with a six-year warranty from Noctua, so you can easily replace it if something goes wrong in the future.

Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510

Thermaltake is not a new company in the PC industry. They have made a name for themselves by making a variety of high-quality products. As the name suggests, Thermaltake focuses on cooling products for PCs. This includes fans, air coolers, liquid AIO coolers, and other parts.

On top of that, they also sell PC chassis, headsets, controllers, and a wide range of other accessories. With these great products, Thermaltake meets the needs of its customers all over the world.

But we will talk about its air cooler, the Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510, and why it is one of the Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 7 5800x.

Let’s start with how TOUGHAIR 510 is made and how it looks. The matte black color of the cooler is beautiful, and it will look great with a simple all-black theme. The cooler has a simple design and was made with high-quality materials, which gives it a high-end look.

Aluminum is used to make the heatsink, which makes it lighter and more durable. The Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510 also has an asymmetric design that lets in more air, reduces air turbulence, and improves airflow.

This makes the Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510 cooler overall. Copper, which absorbs heat, is used to make the U-shaped heat pipes. These heat pipes touch the CPU and thermal paste to improve cooling.

The TOUGHAIR 510 has a design with a single tower and two fans. It can hold two 120mm fans on either side of the heatsink. This cooler comes with two of Thermaltake’s high-quality 120mm TOUGHFAN 12 fans.

With PWM connectors, these fans can go as fast as 2000 RPM and can be slowed down to as little as 500 RPM. The fans don’t have RGB lights built in, which makes them great for a minimalist design, but some people might not like that. It all depends on what you like.

The fans make a noise of 23.6 dB(A). This isn’t the quietest on this list, but it’s also not too loud to be annoying.

The Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510 is also compatible with a wide range of CPUs. It works with AMD’s AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2, and FM1 sockets and Intel’s LGA 1700, 1200, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150 socket, so users can change the processor while keeping the TOUGHAIR 510.

Even though it doesn’t work with AMD’s new AM5 socket yet, it’s likely that Thermaltake will add support for it. Also, it’s just the right size for any mid-tower or full-tower PC case, so it should fit without any problems.

It may also fit in most mini-ITX cases, but before installing the TOUGHAIR 510, make sure the CPU cooler will fit in the case.

The TDP of the Thermaltake TOUGHAIR is 180W, which is more than enough to handle the power-hungry Ryzen 7 5800x. At its default clocks, the 5800x only needs a TDP of 105W to cool it. Because the TOUGHAIR 510 has more cooling potential, it can be used to cool down an overclocked Ryzen 7 5800x.

Overall, the TOUGHAIR 510 is a great Air Cooler that does a good job of cooling and has a simple design. With its single tower and two fans, this mighty beast stands out from the crowd. It is definitely our Recommended Cooler for Ryzen 7 5800x.

NZXT Kraken Z63

NZXT has been focused on the always-profitable PC gaming market since it was founded in 2004. The company started out with just a few PC cases, but their unique looks and features were more than enough to give them a strong foothold in the advanced PC market.

After a few years, NZXT slowly started adding cooling and power products to their lineup to make it more diverse. Today, the company makes a wide range of PC cases, cooling, and power products, as well as PC peripherals and accessories.

Nearly a decade ago, NZXT got into the PC cooling market by making all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooling solutions and accessories for them, such as GPU mounting brackets. NZXT, on the other hand, never kept more than a few AIO coolers in their product line.

This is in contrast to other companies that have built large, diverse product lines. Instead of trying to beat the competition with raw performance alone, the company has focused on making a few good designs that look different from the rest.

Today, we’re going to take a look at the Kraken X-3 and Z-3 series of liquid coolers from NZXT. These are not as much of an upgrade as the X-2 series from last year, but NZXT has made some important changes. Between the two families, there are five different coolers in three sizes: 240mm, 280mm, and 360mm.

Both the X and Z series use the same cooling hardware, but NZXT has marketed the Z series as a premium option with a unique design feature. While the X series has RGB lighting on top of the pump base, the Z series has a full-fledged LCD screen on top of its base.

Before we get into our review samples, let’s figure out what NZXT’s cool names mean. The first character tells you what series it is, the second one what size it is, and the third one what version it is.

For example, the Z63 coolers are from the same series and have most of the same features, but their radiator sizes are different.

So, the Z63 that we will be reviewing today fit both of these criteria. This lets us look at the differences between the Z and X series and measure the thermal performance of both 280 mm coolers.

So what sets apart NZXT’s X and Z series coolers? In short, everything is about shows. For the Z series, NZXT put a 2.36″ LCD screen on the top of the main block assembly.

The LCD can be programmed to showcase everything from images and GIFs to real-time data. Even though it only has a 320320 px resolution, the picture is clear and bright, and the colors look great.

The only difference between the X and Z series is the display on top of the main block. The rest of the main block is the same between the two, right down to the contact plate and mini pumps.

So, NZXT’s LCD and LED work is held together by eight stainless steel screws that hold a round copper plate to the plastic body. The contact plate already has a layer of thermal paste on it. It is smooth and completely flat, but it is not polished to a mirror finish.

The contact plate isn’t big enough to cover Ryzen Threadripper processors, and even though it should work, we usually don’t recommend using coolers on Threadripper processors that weren’t made for the TR4 socket.