PC Components

NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB review – chic look, high price

NZXT is an American manufacturer of computer components and supplier of complete systems. The company was founded in Los Angeles in 2004. The portfolio, which initially only included computer cases, now also includes cooling components, monitors and PC and streaming accessories. In 2017, a service for building complete systems was added under the name BLD. Today, in this review, we take a closer look at the new NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB, which was launched in May 2025.

NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB review: Technical details

General specifications
Dimensions (with fan, L x W x H) 401 x 120 x 52 mm
Weight (with fan) approx. 1.5 g
Compatibility AMD TR4 / TRX4 / AM5 / AM4 / AM2 / FM2 / FM1 / AM3+ / AM2+ / AM2
Intel compatibility LGA 115X / 1366 / 1200 / 1700 / 2011 / 2011-3 / 2066
Cooling capacity
N/A
price
€ 234.22 *
Warranty 6 years
Radiator specifications
Radiator type Soldered radiator
Dimensions (L x W x H) 401 x 120 x 27 mm
Radiator material Aluminum
Fan specifications
Number of fans 3 fans in one element
Fan designation F360 RGB Core (EV) Fan
Bearing type hydrodynamic sleeve bearing (FDB)
Dimensions (L x W x H) 360 x 120 x 26 mm
Fan speed 500 ~ 2400 rpm ± 250 rpm
Max. Noise level 31.9 db(A)
Max. Volume flow 127.51 m³/h
Max. Air pressure 3.07 mm H²O
Illumination 8x addressable RGB LED (per fan)
Rated voltage (fan) 12 V
Rated voltage (LED) 5 V
Rated current (fan) N/A
Rated current (LED) N/A
Rated power (fan) N/A
Rated power (LED) N/A
Connection (fan/LED) Proprietary connection
Cable length (fan/LED) approx. 600 mm
Pump specifications
Pump dimensions Ø 74.7 mm x 55.97 mm (H)
Cooling plate material copper
Speed (pump) 1200 ~ 2800 rpm ± 300RPM
Rated voltage (pump) 12 V
Rated voltage (LED) N/A
Rated current (pump) 0,3 A
Rated current (LED) N/A
Nominal power (pump) 3,6 W
Nominal power (LED) N/A
Connection (pump/display) proprietary connection to 3-pin 12V, internal USB 2.0, SATA power, proprietary socket for connecting the fans
Hose length
420 mm
Display Transmissive TFT, 262K color, 1.54″ display, 240 x 240 px, 30 Hz, 300 cd/m², 18-bit colors, controllable via NZXT CAM software

Packaging & scope of delivery

NZXT packs the Kraken Plus 360 RGB in strikingly designed and colorfully printed packaging. On the front, the manufacturer has placed a photo of the compact water cooling system and on the back you can see the product in its installed state as well as a list of important features. NZXT colors the sides of the box purple and prints a table with the technical data and technical drawings in white letters.

To protect the components in the box, the manufacturer uses a mold made from recycled cardboard. In addition, the elements of the compact water cooling system and all accessories are wrapped in plastic. The scope of delivery includes the radiator/pump combination, the fan frame with three 120 mm ARGB fans, a black connection cable and the mounting accessories in the form of screws, mounting bolts, knurled screws and a backplate. Finally, NZXT also includes printed assembly instructions with the Kraken Plus 360 RGB.

Design & workmanship

The radiator of our test specimen is painted completely white. This applies to the aluminum fins as well as the surrounding frame and the radiator end pieces. Only the manufacturer’s logo on the side makes the radiator stand out visually. Overall, the heat exchanger measures 401 x 120 x 27 mm (L x W x H) and is therefore neither particularly compact nor larger than average.

The 420 millimeter long hoses were pressed into metal sleeves on both the radiator and the pump. Unfortunately, this means that the compact water cooling system cannot be serviced or refilled. Instead, NZXT installs two swivel hose joints on the pump block and encases the hoses in a white nylon sleeve. This improves the kink protection and, of course, the appearance.

The pump block of the NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB hardly differs visually from those of the previous Kraken models. NZXT has designed the block, which is made of aluminum and plastic, to be round and also painted white. The manufacturer has installed a 1.54″ display underneath the reflective lid and a copper base plate with pre-applied thermal paste at the bottom ensures proper absorption of the CPU waste heat. NZXT specifies a speed range of 1200 to 2800 rpm for the pump.

For the first time since the product was launched around a year ago, NZXT is using the F360 RGB Core single-frame fan unit in an AiO water cooling system. Behind this is a fan frame with three integrated 120 mm fans, which are connected directly to the pump via a single proprietary 6-pin cable or via the supplied splitter cable and can rotate at speeds between 500 and 2400 rpm. Both the frame and the fan blades are completely white and eight ARGB LEDs have been placed in the fan hub. Finally, of course, the obligatory rubber decouplers at the corners should not be missing.

NZXT uses a proprietary connection cable for the Kraken Plus 360 RGB. One end plugs directly into the pump and then splits into a SATA power connector, a 3-pin 12V connector, a USB 2.0 connector and a socket for connecting the proprietary fan cable. Unfortunately, even the white version comes with a black cable. For use in an “all-white” system, this could be a deal-breaker.

Fully assembled, the NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB weighs around 1.5 kilograms, which is average for compact water cooling systems with a 360 mm radiator. The workmanship of all components is excellent and the compact water cooling system makes a very chic visual impression. Even without an activated display or the ARGB lighting, the Kraken Plus 360 RGB is already visually impressive.

NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB review: Assembly

For the performance test, a test system is used which is mounted on a benchtable. This allows us to rule out factors such as heat build-up in the case. The test system consists of the following components.

The installation on our AMD test system was completed quickly, as only a few steps are required to install the NZXT Kraken Plus 360. First, the factory-fitted Intel brackets had to be removed from the CPU block and replaced with the AMD brackets. This process doesn’t require any tools, just a little force in the thumbs.

We then had to remove the front plastic bracket of the AMD retention module and replace it with four mounting bolts. Now the pump block was placed on the socket and screwed in place with four knurled screws. That was all. Intel is mounted in the same way, except that the plastic backplate supplied is used here. The final step is to install the radiator and fan in the housing.

Regardless of the platform, installation is very straightforward and can be completed quickly thanks to the few steps involved. The pre-applied heat-conducting paste also played a large part in this, which also saved time. If anything is unclear, a look at the enclosed manual should help.

Cooling capacity and volume

As already shown in the previous chapter, we use an AM4 system based on the Ryzen 5 1400 and the ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-Plus as test hardware. The Ryzen runs overclocked with 3.8 GHz at 1.175 V CPU voltage. To heat up the processor, we fully loaded it with Prime95 (Small FFTs) for 30 minutes in each scenario. We then read out the temperature of the CPU with the CPUID hardware monitor and the room temperature was always around 20 °C during the measurements.

wdt_ID CPU-Kühler Temperatur Minimaldrehzahl (in °C) Temperatur 50% PWM (in °C) Temperatur 100% PWM (in °C) Minimale Lüftergeschwindigkeit (in U/min) Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) Minimale Pumpengeschwindigkeit (in U/min) Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min)
123 Thermaltake TH280 V2 ARGB 0,00 46,60 45,90 550 1.200 1.800 680 2.100 3.200
124 Cooler Master MasterLiquid 240 Atmos ARGB 0,00 50,40 46,50 560 1.340 2.270 1.965 6.620 10.230
125 be quiet! Pure Loop 2 240mm 0,00 50,70 46,70 800 1.070 2.080 4.150 4.700 5.530
126 Alpenföhn Panorama 2 0,00 76,00 66,80 450 1.450 2.720
127 Alpenföhn Brocken 4 0,00 53,60 49,60 410 870 1.610
128 AMD Wraith Stealth 95,00 95,00 76,00 800 1.430 2.630
129 Corsair A115 0,00 49,40 46,90 190 920 1.560
130 Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 0,00 49,50 47,50 350 1.050 1.680
131 Thermalright Assassin X 120 SE 0,00 53,60 50,60 340 1.070 1.690
132 DeepCool Assassin IV (Silent) 0,00 51,40 48,70 500 860 1.330
CPU-Kühler Temperatur Minimaldrehzahl (in °C) Temperatur 50% PWM (in °C) Temperatur 100% PWM (in °C) Minimale Lüftergeschwindigkeit (in U/min) Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) Lüftergeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min) Minimale Pumpengeschwindigkeit (in U/min) Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 50% PWM (in U/min) Pumpengeschwindigkeit bei 100% PWM (in U/min)

As can be seen in the table and diagram, the CPU of our test system reaches a maximum of 53.90 °C (minimum speed), 47.40 °C (at 50% PWM fan and pump speed) and 44.90 °C (at 100% PWM fan and pump speed) under full load. This puts the NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB at the very top of the test field and its excellent cooling performance is impressive. The values at minimum pump and fan speed in particular are excellent.

However, the volume of the NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB varies greatly. Although the fans are very quiet at 500 rpm, they unfortunately produce slight background noise. At minimum speed (1260 rpm), only a very restrained humming can be heard from the pump. From approx. 1000 rpm, the fans of the F360 RGB Core fan frame start to hum or vibrate annoyingly. At full speed, both the fans and the pump are clearly audible and can be described as annoyingly loud.

NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB review: Display and lighting options

The NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB has a 1.54″ display in the pump and integrated ARGB LEDs in the fans. Both components must be controlled via the NZXT CAM software, which receives its data from the internal USB 2.0 port. The software offers various preconfigured lighting modes and colors. If this is not enough, each of the 8 ARGB LEDs can also be controlled individually with their own profiles if required. This should leave nothing to be desired.

What applies to the fans also applies to the pump. The integrated 1.54″ display is able to show predefined elements such as the display of various temperatures, the time, the number of revolutions or the clock rates. Alternatively, you can also access a large arsenal of GIFs via NZXT CAM or import your own GIFs. The size, image quality and viewing angle stability of the display are unfortunately somewhat poor compared to other products such as the ASUS ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme.

Conclusion of the NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB review

Finally, we come to the conclusion of the NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB test. The successor to the Kraken 360 RGB can impress with its excellent cooling performance, especially at greatly reduced speeds. This positive characteristic is paired with high-quality workmanship and simple but effective installation of the compact water cooling system. The Kraken Plus is also impressive in terms of appearance, even if the fans are not illuminated. Finally, the customizable 1.54″ display in the pump cover, which can display useful system information or even GIFs, should also be mentioned.

However, this display is not particularly large, nor is it impressive in terms of general image quality or viewing angle stability. In addition, both the control of the display and the RGB lighting in the fans require the use of the NZXT CAM software. The same applies to controlling the number of revolutions. Furthermore, NZXT uses a proprietary connection cable for the connection between the pump and fan, which is not even white in the white version. Finally, it should be said that the fan and pump become annoyingly loud at higher speeds and the fans, at least in vertical mode, hum annoyingly at certain speeds.

The price of the NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB has not changed much compared to its predecessor. However, at € 234.22 *, this compact water cooling system with 360 mm radiator is definitely no longer a bargain. Alternatives, some with larger displays, are available for half (Thermalright) or two thirds (DeepCool, Thermaltake) of the price. So you have to be prepared to pay a certain premium for the NZXT brand. Overall, the NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB is not a bad product, but it also faces a lot of competition.

PRO

  • Excellent cooling performance
  • Simple but effective installation
  • Integrated, configurable display
  • Chic look
  • High-quality workmanship

CONTRA

  • Loud fan and pump at increased speed
  • Proprietary connections
  • Relatively small display
  • Control (fan/pump/RGB/display) requires mandatory software

NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB

Design
Processing
Assembly
Performance
Price-performance ratio

87/100

The NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB is a stylish and excellently manufactured compact water cooling system with outstanding cooling performance. However, the small display, the proprietary connections and the comparatively high price tarnish the good overall picture somewhat.

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