Do you need to clean CPU watercooler NZXT Kraken X62

[1984]

I read that you need to clean some watercooling setups every 6 months from algae and dirty water.

Is this the case with this one too?

[r.linder]

That's not true with CLCs, only open/custom loops if you have no biological inhibitors when using distilled water.
CLCs use inhibitors.

[_I_]

open loops, yes
closed loops, no

[C2Dan88]

You do not need a special PC to case to use this cooler as long as the case has either two (or more) 140mm fan mounts at the front or top of the case.

Yes you can use fans to cool the rest of your PC.

[_I_]

you will need to clean dust from the rad, but the fluid has antimicrobial additives in it already

[Bad 💀 Motha]

If it's a pre-sealed all in one, then no. No cleaning required. They are made to be thrown away every 3-5 years, which is why their warranty is what it is.

[tacoshy]

Algae builds up with IR light. Since AiO have an IR blocking concealment there can't be a build up by algae.

[SeriousCCIE]

blow dust out of the rad, and clean off the fans. Some of those AIO have different lengths of warranty on the parts, and besides, they cannot predict how much dust is in your home.

I have had a few AIOs that have lasted beyond the warranty, but it would not be a wise choice to leave a PC on 24x7 most of the time with an AIO as its method of cooling. Eventually, there will be profound disappointment and it may come much sooner than the waranty period, due to their warranty lasting 5 years, but not 5 years of continuous use.

[tacoshy]

Originally posted by SeriousCCIE:

blow dust out of the rad, and clean off the fans. Some of those AIO have different lengths of warranty on the parts, and besides, they cannot predict how much dust is in your home.

I have had a few AIOs that have lasted beyond the warranty, but it would not be a wise choice to leave a PC on 24x7 most of the time with an AIO as its method of cooling. Eventually, there will be profound disappointment and it may come much sooner than the waranty period, due to their warranty lasting 5 years, but not 5 years of continuous use.

uhm what - where do you get that idea from? warranty is always from the point of buying. never time it ran. With exeptions of SSD's but the TBW and worktime limits are isanely high anyways...

I run all my stuff continously 24/7 - its not an issue.

[SeriousCCIE]

ok so are you serious?

looking at the box of one I bought from newegg not long ago

Masterliquid lite 240 model mlw-d24m-a20pw-r1.
fan MTTF 160,000 hours. that's 18.2 years and I've never seen a desktop fan last that long continuously.

Pump MTTF 70,000 hours which is 7.9 years

The rated warranty? 2 years. if it fails I probably would just be angry and throw it away and buy something else rather than actually try to get warrantable service. cheap is as cheap does.

I wouldn't want to put myself through the constant swapping of stuff out like that for 2 years, and I also don't leave anything on all the time unless it's a server or something.

For servers, I avoid using after market water cooling. One reaches a point of just how much inconvenience one wishes to put up with as things start to fail--air coolers for something hidden away that can be as loud as it wants is often good enough.


the warranty card states that from the first day of the issued invoice. One need not ever turn it on before the warranty expires--it could be a spare that is no longer fresh despite not ever having been used before the warranty is up.

Some products include enabling them upon activation, some upon physical receipt of the goods, etc. Individual parts are sometimes warranted based on calculated up-time based on wear or use of the parts. Cheap stuff like this doesn't even have to be in your possession prior to the warranty clock ticking, and can sit and bake in a UPS truck for a week before you get it, which may not be when you install it.

On the card (I opened it up and looked more) it has this:

air cooler of retail: 2 years for electric parts--blades radiator etc not covered
liquid cooler: 2 years for electric parts. hoses/leaks not included but a workmanship warranty clame for faulty goods may be covered if you pay for shipping and they look at it.

They, coolermaster, recommend buying a new one if the warranty of 2 years is up, despite the stated lifespan of the moving parts--fan at 160,000, pump at 70,000 hours. That tells me they dont trust it either.

[tacoshy]

An AIO will nto break after the 2 year warranty.... you enevr know when it fails but you get multiple warnign early enough.
Believing that it will un-educated guess as emperic evidence clearly prooves otherwise.

corsair warranty does not mention anything about pump or fan operation time and they are clearly in the elad with their non asetek pumps and ML-Series fans.

[SeriousCCIE]

oh corsair isn't so bad

but the inexpensive ones like what I mentioned... I wouldn't trust it for long! especially when inside the box it says to just buy a new one if their product fails within *their* warrantable period. Not even an option to take them up on a new fan; it couldn't cost them much.

(To be honest, I didn't use their fans... I have a few noctuas on one side and two slim 120s on the other due to case clearance issues.)

Maybe your experience has been that with mostly name brand parts that are not inferior in make and quality. But ultimately, we get what we pay for, but it helps to understand what we're paying for.

[tacoshy]

No my experience is because I pretty mcuh run a PC store - well I do all the Gamign PC's while my boss is doing all the office PC's and handle customers like local Porsche.

And my store was a long time Cooler Master Distributer that we dropped to distribute with the release of the Master Case Pro 6 as they started to stay behind other companies and their cases started to become terrible for their price.
Also their PSU just couldnt keep up or the only good ones are not affordable when they ask twice the price for something Like EVGA SuperNova G3 or SeaSonic Focus Plus Gold.

I also take side brands and prefer the looks of the NZXT Kraken more. But I still have to admitt that Corsair takes the lead since they started to go away from Asetek that still every other rband uses. Also their fans are undoubtfull betetr then what you get. Industrial Noctua's a re great even though insanely expensive but they perform betetr at higher RPM while Corsair performs equally well at low RPM. Also Magnetic Levetation is definetly superior to Ball Bearing.

[SeriousCCIE]

I have industrial noctua's that have lasted ten years. I have "5 in a box" Arctic packs that lasted a few years before they got choked with dust or otherwise wore out. The noctuas survive between PCs; the AIO pumps don't always do so.

The noctuas can draw in a lot of dust; I have to clean the filters once a week (I have a mesh filter, like those decimex I think they are called--on my primary systems, and floss/fiber ones on the other ones--that I have to change out and throw away every season or two).

Having filters greatly cuts down on the case dust, but at the same time, the fans have to work harder if the airflow is too constricted... this is mostly for other readership, not yours tacoshy. I knew you had said you were a builder/reseller, so that's why some of my response was the way it was.

This all relates to the OP's question -- yes it has to be cleaned, but an AIO just needs dust cleaning. Get a filter for it like a mesh, screen, or fiber/floss filter (even cut fiber/floss into a square and tape to the outside of the filter if you are cheap--I am, because I can't put the good stuff on all my computers!)

I also bought a 'data vac' that actually blows air. It is like a reverse vacuum. I open the windows twice a year and blast the PCs radiators and fans (while the pc is turned off!). If I am truly forward thinking, I'll have a box fan in the window to blow the dust out, or a hand held vacuum nearby to suck dust out of the air that I just blew out of the PC.

It can make a significant difference in the temps and long-term life of cheaper fans--after all, I can't afford noctuas on everything, and those 5-packs of 120mm fans for ten bucks need all the help they can get to extend their lifespans.