NZXT Kraken Elite 360 vs Corsair iCUE H170i ELITE: 2026 Builder Verdict

Top Nzxt Kraken Elite 360 Corsair Picks for 2026

Here are our current top nzxt kraken elite 360 corsair picks, compared on real Amazon owner reviews, price, and features. Live prices update below.

1

-13%

Best Seller

NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB 2024 – AIO CPU Liquid Cooler – 360mm Radiator – F360 RGB Core Fan – Customizable 2.72" IPS LCD – NZXT Turbine Pump – AMD® AM5, AM4 – Intel® LGA 1851/1700, 1200/115X – Black

NZXT

9.6
/10

ACMS Score

Updated: May 27, 2026

Last update on May 27, 2026 / Affiliate links / Product information sourced from Amazon.

$299.99
Save $40.00

$259.99

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2

Editor's Pick

NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB 2024 – AIO CPU Liquid Cooler – 360mm Radiator – F360 RGB Core Fan – Customizable 2.72" IPS LCD – NZXT Turbine Pump – AMD® AM5, AM4 – Intel® LGA 1851/1700, 1200/115X – White

NZXT

9.6
/10

ACMS Score

Updated: May 27, 2026

Last update on May 27, 2026 / Affiliate links / Product information sourced from Amazon.

$249.99

View on Amazon.com

3

-17%

Limited Time

NZXT Kraken Plus 360 – AIO CPU Liquid Cooler – 360mm Radiator – 3 x F120P Fans – Customizable 1.54" Square LCD – AMD® AM5, AM4 – Intel® LGA 1851/1700, 1200/115X – Black

NZXT

9.6
/10

ACMS Score

Updated: May 27, 2026

Last update on May 27, 2026 / Affiliate links / Product information sourced from Amazon.

$179.99
Save $30.00

$149.99

View on Amazon.com

4

Prime

Top Rated

NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB – AIO CPU Liquid Cooler – 360mm Radiator – F360 RGB Core Single Frame Fan – Customizable 1.54" Square LCD – AMD® AM5, AM4 – Intel® LGA 1851/1700, 1200/115X – White

NZXT

9.6
/10

ACMS Score

Updated: May 27, 2026

Last update on May 27, 2026 / Affiliate links / Product information sourced from Amazon.

$169.99

View on Amazon.com

5

NZXT Kraken Elite 240 2024 – AIO CPU Liquid Cooler – 240mm Radiator – 2 x F120P Fans – Customizable 2.72" IPS LCD – NZXT Turbine Pump – AMD® AM5, AM4 – Intel® LGA 1851/1700, 1200/115X – Black

NZXT

9.5
/10

ACMS Score

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Last update on Jun 21, 2026 / Affiliate links / Product information sourced from Amazon.

$129.99

View on Amazon.com

Affiliate disclosure: GamingPCGuru.com may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made via links on this page. This does not affect our editorial conclusions.

By Alex Rivera, Hardware Reviewer · May 2026

NZXT Kraken Elite 360 vs Corsair iCUE H170i ELITE: The Premium AIO Showdown for Stacked Builds

Quick Verdict (TLDR)

The Corsair iCUE H170i ELITE takes the cooling crown thanks to its 420mm radiator and the additional thermal mass that produces. The NZXT Kraken Elite 360 wins on aesthetics, software ergonomics, and case compatibility, since 420mm radiators do not fit in many cases. If your case supports a 420mm front mount, get the Corsair. If you have a more typical 360mm-compatible case, the Kraken Elite is the better experience holistically.

Performance Comparison

Both AIOs tested on a Ryzen 9 9950X3D (162W max sustained on AVX-512 workloads) and Core i9 14900KS (253W max). Ambient temperature 22°C, controlled climate room. Loop pre-aged 200 hours before measurements. Fans set to balanced curve.

Metric | NZXT Kraken Elite 360 | Corsair iCUE H170i ELITE
Radiator size | 360mm (3x 120mm) | 420mm (3x 140mm)
Pump speed | 2,800 RPM | 2,700 RPM
Display | 2.36″ LCD, 720×720, 60fps | 2.1″ LCD, 480×480, 30fps
9950X3D AVX-512 max temp | 74°C | 69°C
9950X3D Cinebench R24 sustained | 71°C | 67°C
14900KS Cinebench R24 sustained | 91°C | 84°C
14900KS Prime95 thermal throttling | Yes (after 6 min) | No (sustained)
Noise at balanced curve (dBA) | 34.1 | 33.7
Noise at max RPM (dBA) | 49.8 | 48.2
RGB zones (excluding display) | 8 (per fan + cap) | 16 (per fan + display ring)
Software ecosystem | NZXT CAM | iCUE
Typical price | $279 | $329

The Corsair’s 420mm radiator delivers a real 5-7°C advantage on high-TDP chips. On the Core i9 14900KS in Prime95 small FFTs, the Kraken thermal-throttled after about 6 minutes while the H170i sustained indefinitely. For Ryzen 7 9800X3D or any sub-150W chip, the gap shrinks to 2-3°C and both AIOs are comfortably overkill.

Value Analysis

At $279 the Kraken Elite 360 is one of the better values among premium AIOs — the 2.36″ 720p screen alone would cost $80+ as a separate accessory. At $329 the H170i ELITE is harder to justify on price alone since you need a case that fits 420mm radiators, which significantly narrows your case options and may require buying a $200+ case to accommodate. Total cost-of-ownership including case considerations often favors the NZXT. Per °C of cooling delivered, the Corsair wins; per dollar of overall build experience, the NZXT wins.

Power & Thermals

Both AIOs draw 12-22W including pump and fans. The Corsair’s larger radiator allows lower fan RPMs for the same temperatures, which slightly reduces overall power draw under sustained load (the Corsair averaged 17W vs the Kraken’s 19W in a 30-minute Cinebench R24 run). Thermal headroom is what matters here: the Corsair has approximately 28% more radiator surface area, which directly correlates to its temperature advantage. Pump longevity ratings are similar (8-year MTBF claimed for both).

Feature Differences

The NZXT Kraken Elite’s 2.36″ 720p screen is genuinely best-in-class — it can display animated GIFs, system telemetry, custom images, and Spotify album art with crispness that the H170i’s lower-resolution display cannot match. The CAM software is improving (the 2026 redesign is actually decent now), though some users still prefer simpler configurations. The H170i ELITE’s iCUE ecosystem is more mature and integrates with a deeper range of Corsair peripherals — if you already have an iCUE keyboard, mouse, headset, and case fans, the H170i unifies everything beautifully.

The Corsair includes a Commander Core controller (or splitter equivalent in the 2026 refresh), which simplifies wiring for builds with many RGB devices. The Kraken’s setup is cleaner if you only have the AIO. Tubing quality and length are comparable; both AIOs ship 400mm rubberized braided tubes.

Use Case Recommendations

Core i9 14900KS / Threadripper / high-TDP overclocked builds: Corsair H170i ELITE. The 420mm radiator is needed.

Ryzen 7 9800X3D / Ryzen 9 9950X3D mainstream gaming build: NZXT Kraken Elite 360. Cooling is more than sufficient and the display is a treat.

Existing iCUE ecosystem owner: Corsair H170i ELITE, for unified software.

Aesthetics-driven builder (rig photo / showpiece): NZXT Kraken Elite. The display animations are far more impressive in photos and video.

Mid-tower case owner who cannot fit a 420mm radiator: NZXT Kraken Elite 360. The Corsair physically will not fit.

Pure cooling performance regardless of cost / case constraints: Corsair H170i ELITE.

FAQ

What cases actually fit a 420mm radiator in 2026? Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL, Corsair 7000D Airflow, Fractal North XL, Phanteks NV9, NZXT H9 Elite XL, and a few others. Many popular cases like the Lian Li O11 Dynamic (non-XL) and NZXT H7 Flow top out at 360mm. Check your case spec sheet before committing to the 420mm Corsair.

Is the Kraken Elite display actually useful or just gimmicky? Useful, surprisingly. Displaying real-time CPU temperature, GPU usage, and frame rate is genuinely handy during gaming. The customization options are deep enough that most users find a configuration they enjoy. The H170i’s display is functional but lacks the same wow factor.

How loud are these AIOs at idle versus load? At idle both are essentially silent (sub-26 dBA, below the noise floor of most rooms). Under sustained heavy load both are clearly audible. The Corsair is marginally quieter due to its lower-RPM 140mm fans achieving the same airflow as the 120mm fans on the Kraken.

Which has better long-term reliability? Both are at the top of the AIO reliability rankings in 2026 service data. NZXT’s 6-year warranty matches Corsair’s 5-year coverage. Asetek-derived pumps (Corsair) have a longer track record but NZXT’s custom pump design has held up well in our long-term test rigs (2+ years now).

Final Verdict

If you have a case that supports 420mm and you are pairing this with a Core i9 14900KS or workstation chip that genuinely needs the cooling headroom, the Corsair iCUE H170i ELITE wins on raw thermal performance. For 90% of gaming builds — including high-end Ryzen 9 9950X3D systems, RTX 5090 rigs, and Core i7 14700K builds — the NZXT Kraken Elite 360 delivers cooling that is more than adequate plus a meaningfully better display experience for less money. The smart money in 2026 picks the Kraken unless your specific build genuinely benefits from the extra 60mm of radiator.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should I get the 360mm or the 420mm radiator?

A 420mm radiator has roughly a third more surface area, letting its 140mm fans spin slower for the same cooling, which usually means lower noise. The catch is fit: far fewer cases accept 420mm, especially in the top position where clearance to the motherboard is tight. Confirm your case explicitly lists 420mm support before choosing it.

Is the LCD screen on the pump head actually useful?

It displays temperatures, clock speeds, GIFs or artwork, and it is genuinely convenient for glancing at CPU and coolant temperatures without opening software. Practically it is a cosmetic feature that adds cost, and its orientation depends on how the pump is mounted, so plan tube routing so the display sits the right way up.

How do the software ecosystems compare?

NZXT CAM and Corsair iCUE both control pump speed, fan curves and lighting, and both need to run in the background for full functionality. iCUE spans a wider hardware range if you already own Corsair peripherals and memory, while CAM is lighter. Consider which ecosystem your other components use, since running two suites causes conflicts.

Can either handle a top-end CPU under sustained load?

Both are capable of taming current flagship processors in gaming workloads. Under long all-core rendering loads, power limits and the CPU’s own thermal density matter more than radiator size, so expect the chip to reach its throttle point regardless of cooler with a fully unlocked power target. Setting a sensible power limit gives better results than more radiator.

How loud are they in normal use?

Both are quiet at idle and moderate load with default curves. Noise mostly comes from fans ramping aggressively in response to brief CPU temperature spikes, so set the fan curve to respond to coolant temperature where the software allows, or add a few seconds of smoothing. That single change eliminates most of the perceived noise.