NZXT has announced the expansion of its Kraken all-in-one liquid CPU cooler family with the addition of the X72 and M22 AIOs. The X72 is a 360mm AIO – a first of its size for NZXT, which should offer users better cooling than its smaller 240/280mm X Series brothers. Meanwhile the M Series AIOs are new to the Kraken line and are designed to be more affordable, but still offer many of the features in the X Series such as RGB LEDs and the infinite-mirror effects but at that lower price point. 

Before the X72, NZXT’s largest AIO was the Kraken X62 sporting a 280mm radiator. NZXT has now gone a step farther to build a more powerful AIO that's able to cool the higher TDP processors that are out. To that end, the X72 boasts a 360mm radiator, a 50% increase in surface area over the 240mm model, able to better manage the thermals. The X72 also redesigned the pump, saying it is both quieter and offers a greater volumetric flow rate than previous generations (the X42/52/62 used the Asetek Gen 5 pump w/modifications – perhaps it is Gen 6?). Connecting the pump to the radiator is nylon-braided sleeved rubber tubing 400mm(~15.75-inches) long. The X72 does keep the cool looking RGB lighting and infinite-mirror effects on the pump.

As for the M22 AIO, NZXT notes that “One of the biggest requests from our community has been to deliver that same signature look at a lower price point." The M22 is built using the same materials found in the X Series and features the same advanced RGB lighting modes with customizable lighting and cooling control through NZXT’s CAM software – it will also sync with other NZXT Hue accessories. The price point is lower by dropping some of the extra features the X lineup has such as built-in fan control and liquid temperature monitoring. Users are able to utilize the PWM fan headers on the motherboard, NZXT fan controllers such as the Grid+ V3, or the Smart Device included in the H700i, H400i, or H200i cases. The CAM software will provide CPU temperature and pump speed information as well as other system-level data.

 

The both the X72 and M22 will use Aer P 120 radiator fans with a chamfered intake and fluid dynamic bearings said to deliver silent operation, durability, and cooling performance. NZXT says the fans are optimized for radiators and have high static pressure to push air through the fins. These fans can also be customized using removable color trims (not included). As far as compatibility goes, there is a long list from Intel and AMD fitting sockets 115x, 2011, 2011-3, and 2066, while AMD support ranges from FM1/2/2+, AM2/2+/3/3+/4 as well as TR4 (Threadripper) sockets.

Both the X72 and M22 AIOs will be available mid-March. The Kraken X72 will be priced at $199.99 while the M22’s MSRP is $99.99 ($30 cheaper than the X42). The X72 sports a very long 6-year warranty while the M22 has a 3-year warranty. 

NZXT X72 and M22 AIO CPU Coolers
  X72 M22
CPU Socket Compatibility Intel -  LGA 2066/ 2011-3 / 2011 / 1151 / 1150 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366
AMD - FM1 / FM2 / FM2+ / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / AM3+ / AM4 (TR4 = X72 only)
Radiator Material Aluminum
Dimensions 394 x 120 x 27mm (L x W x H) 152 x 120 x 32mm (L x W x H)
Fan Dimensions 120 x 120 x 26mm
Speed 500-2000 RPM +/- 300RPM (PWM)
Air Flow 18.28 - 73.11 CFM
Air Pressure 0.18 - 2.93 mmAq (Max)
MTTF 60000 Hours / 6 Years
Noise Level 21 - 36 db(A)
Connector 4-Pin (PWM)
Pump Dimensions 80 x 80 x 52.9mm (L x W x H) 65 x 64 x 48mm (L x W x H)
Materials Copper, Plastic
Noise Level N/A
Motor Speed 1600 - 2800 RPM +/- 300 RPM 3000 RPM +/- 300 RPM
Price $199.99 $99.99
Warranty 6 Years 3 Years

Related Reading:

Source: NZXT

Comments Locked

8 Comments

View All Comments

  • megadirk - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link

    What? No RGB on the fans? How?
  • GreenMeters - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link

    "The M22 ... features the same advanced RGB lighting modes with customizable lighting ... it will also sync with other NZXT Hue accessories. The price point is lower by dropping some of the extra features the X lineup has such as built-in fan control and liquid temperature monitoring."

    Drop useful features, keep gaudy crap. Thanks, NZXT.
  • 3DoubleD - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link

    Forgive my naivete, I've never used an AIO cooler, but wouldn't the fans be controlled off the CPU header anyway? It seems like if they can reduce costs and (hopefully) pass those savings on to the customer, then it was a good choice to remove those unnecessary parts.
  • nevcairiel - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link

    No, the CPU header rarely controls the AIO in my experience.

    Thats mostly because liquid cooling has quite different properties then air cooling. It takes for longer for the water to heat up, and as a consequence also to cool down. So usually you want the pump and the fans working based on the water temp, since really thats whats ultimately being cooled, not the CPU temp.
  • demol3 - Sunday, March 11, 2018 - link

    Do you think the delay between when CPU heat up and that block of hot water flow to radiator is significant? I think in an AIO as small as m22 it wouldn't matter. It will be harder to detect if the cold plate does not have proper contact with the cpu though.
  • DanNeely - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link

    at 432 vs 392 square cm a 360 radiator is only ~10% larger than a 280; making the two more or less equivalent. There's little to recommend one over the other if both will fit in your case. I'd lean slightly toward the 280 just because bigger fans can move more air at lower noise levels.
  • Lord of the Bored - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link

    Cubic centimeters would make more sense. Remember, volume goes up faster than area, and the construction of a radiator means that the cooling surface is more practically measured in terms of volume.
  • CheapSushi - Friday, March 9, 2018 - link

    Curious, what's the square plating in the middle of the rad for? Don't think the article mentioned it. Never seen that before. I know the fan hub area tends to be a dead zone. So is that square plate doing something?

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now