Final Thoughts
With so many great products and past successes it would be easy for new products to have trouble making a even a little splash in NZXT’s lineup. When it comes to the Kraken X52 however, it does way more than make a splash. The X52 is a 300lb guy getting blobbed 100 feet in the air and emptying the pool when he comes hurtling back to earth. The X52 really brings a lot to the table no matter what angle you take. Aesthetically this is hands down the most interesting and potentially just flat out best looking AiO you will find. I would almost go as far as to say best looking cooling product period, but there are a lot of really neat custom water-cooling items available, so I won’t go there. I would never have thought you could take something so relevant and popular as the RGB LED and breath new life into it. And if I’m not gushing about the X52 enough, it also performs quite well, and was one of the easier coolers to install that I’ve tested lately. Sure the plastic backplate feels a bit cheap but I’ve never had one fail on any of the many AiOs that use them. Even the fans that NZXT included perform quite well. They are silent when you want them to be and really not bad when run up to redline. What I would like to see is an upgraded version that comes with NZXT’s RGB fans. I feel that would be worth the premium you would pay.
There is really only one thing that is not exceptional about the Kraken X52 and that is the price. It is currently available for $149.99 from my favorite online retailer and I don’t expect the price to drop any time soon. While the price is higher than I would normally expect to see on a 240mm AiO I really can’t blame NZXT. It has an exceptional product here, they can’t be faulted for wanting a premium for all the product they are providing. And let’s be honest, the X52 really makes most other coolers seem boring by comparison.
Overall ThinkComputers would like to award the NZXT Kraken X52 with a 10 out of 10 score!
Pros:
– Exceptional aesthetic
– Ease of installation
– Performance
Cons:
– Pricier than many will be able to afford