Both coolers at the same heat load: what each dissipates, the coolant temperature over fan speed, and the fan speed and noise each needs for the same temperature. Calculated from radiator size, core thickness and the stock fans' datasheets, not measured.
| NZXT Kraken Elite 360 | NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB | |
|---|---|---|
| Radiator | 360 mm | 360 mm |
| Core thickness | 27 mm | 27 mm |
| Stock fans | 3 × F120P Static Pressure Fan | 1 × F360 RGB Core Fan |
| Fan rpm, datasheet | 500 – 2000 | 500 – 2400 |
| Pump | 3100 rpm max | 2800 rpm max |
| Tubing | 420 mm | 420 mm |
| Dissipation at max rpm | 28.1 W/K | 28.4 W/K |
| Coolant, 250 W, 30 °C intake | 38.9 °C | 38.8 °C |
| Noise at max rpm, all fans | 34.8 dB(A) | 31.9 dB(A) |
| K above intake | Kraken Elite 360 rpm | dB(A) | Kraken Elite 360 RGB rpm | dB(A) | Quieter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.0 | 1645 | 30.6 | 1935 | 27.3 | Kraken Elite 360 RGB by 3.3 dB |
| 12.5 | 1134 | 22.7 | 1334 | 19.4 | Kraken Elite 360 RGB by 3.4 dB |
| 15.0 | 837 | 17.0 | 984 | <15 | Kraken Elite 360 RGB by 3.6 dB |
| 17.5 | 647 | <15 | 761 | <15 | both inaudible |
| 20.0 | 518 | <15 | 610 | <15 | both inaudible |
| 25.0 | 500 min | <15 | 500 min | <15 | both inaudible |
The Kraken Elite 360 RGB dissipates 28.4 W/K against 28.1 W/K at max fan rpm. Across the range both can hold, the Kraken Elite 360 RGB is quieter by about 3.4 dB at the same coolant temperature. That is outside the ±3 dB cross-brand uncertainty and should be audible. A cooler pinned at its fan's minimum rpm runs colder than the row asks; the comparison is then not at equal temperature.
A radiator moves heat in proportion to the difference between coolant and incoming air: Q = q · (Tcoolant − Tair).
q depends on the air actually passing through the core. Airflow per fan is CFMmax · derate · rpm/rpmmax
with the radiator derate (0.62, or 0.72 for pressure-optimized blades) times the core-thickness factor. Per 120 mm segment at 27 mm:
q = 8.5 W/K · (airflow / 45 CFM)0.6; heat transfer over fins scales with roughly the 0.6 power of velocity.
| Core | Airflow factor | Fin area factor |
|---|---|---|
| 27 mm | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| 30 mm | 0.97 | 1.09 |
| 38 mm | 0.90 | 1.15 |
| 45 mm | 0.84 | 1.22 |
Thick cores gain fin area but lose airflow; at low rpm the net is close to zero. With fans off, natural convection is taken as 1 W/K per segment.
The band is ±15 % on q: fin density, coolant flow and preheated case air. Pump speed matters little above roughly 1 l/min.
Noise is the stock fan's curve plus 10 · log₁₀(fan count).
Air entering the radiator is case air, usually 5 to 10 K above room. Die temperatures sit above the coolant by the block and TIM delta, typically 25 to 45 K under load. Nothing here is measured; the same model runs in RadiatorTemp.