Final Thoughts
Often when reviewing a product I find myself wondering is this product built well enough that I would want it in my personal rig? In the case of the Kraken X41 there are a lot of things that make me say yes. For cooling performance it fits easily into the lower top level. It’s not a replacement for a custom loop, but it certainly does a good job at a fraction of the cost. Compared with other AIO’s, while the dual a triple radiator units are cooler, the X41 is much simpler and more compact. I found the unit to be well built with great finishes, and with a six year warranty it gives me confidence that NZXT backs their product. The CAM software is really neat and I like how easily I can adjust settings from within.
On the other hand I find the cost of $109.99 at my favorite online retailer to be just a little too high. Yes it is right at the same level with other top level single radiator AIO’s but when you look at the cost difference between them and dual radiator units it’s just too much in my opinion. Additionally the lackluster manual is disappointing and the cables while functional take a bit to make look nice.
Overall ThinkComputers.org would like to award the NZXT Kraken X41 with a 10 out of 10 score!
Pros:
– Performance
– Fit and Finish
– Easy Install
– CAM Software
Cons:
– Cost
– Paper Manual is Lacking
Yeah it is a bit expensive, I”ve been waiting for a good sale since april.
Wow, nothing more than a rebranded Zalman CNPS20LQ with LED lighting on the pump.
The ambient temperature during the second test was 5 degrees cooler so the only real difference was under load which was 5 degrees cooler. Other than the the temps were the same…
You can’t have ambient temperature 5 degrees colder and say, wow this cooler ran it 5 degrees cooler! That would be the ambient temperature that made the most difference not the water cooler.
And honestly I have the x41 and it’s really not that good at all.
Oliver, thanks for your reply.
What you are comparing is the Fahrenheit ambient temperature with the Celsius results. Double check your math and you’ll find that it does indeed perform much better than our baseline rig (which considering the cooler in that it’s pretty darn good). Thanks for fact checking and trying to keep us honest, we appreciate your interest!
Great review! I’m really stuck between this and the Nepton 240M in my H440 case. Any thoughts on that? Thanks.
Thanks for the compliment John I’m glad you enjoyed my review. While I have not had the chance to review the Nepton 240M, I did review the Nepton 280L and it was quite the performer. Unfortunately for CM the Kraken X41 pulls slightly ahead when under load.
IF you had the Nepton 280L I wouldn’t say the difference is worth the cost. However since the 280L actually has ~1/3 more surface area than the 240M I’m going to venture to say that upgrading to the X41 might actually be worth while. Not only should you see better cooling results, but the Kraken has that slick CAM software to play with. Seriously it’s good stuff. Either way keep checking out TC for reviews on the latest coolers, and let me know if you have any further questions!
So..¿would you recommend this to get 5ghz on an fx 8320e with good temps or should i get the x61? also nice review.
While I have no experience with that particular chip, poking around a little I would not suggest this cooler if you are attempting 5ghz. The x61 would be a better choice if you are wanting use an NZXT AiO cooler.
Ok then i will aim for the x61 so i can get this fx his top performance plus that double rad looks pretty awesome thanks for the replay Derrick and greetings from Mexico hot lands.