Is there a current consensus about NZXT’s AIO water coolers? And CAM?
My contribution is that I am unimpressed. (Grumble Grumble)
I put together a Windows machine in a Fractal Design Meshify C (Not So) Mini. It has a 1080 TI and an i7-8086k (because Amazon didn’t have 8700k’s in stock and I’m impatient).
On top, in exhaust mode, is a Kraken X52 240mm AIO w/ Fractal Design fans (more on the fans below). The video card is too long to put an AIO in front.
NZXT’s documentation seems sparse, but I figured out that the X52 ignores motherboard pump/fan settings and relies on CAM. And I also figured out, eventually, that CAM needs to be running to control the thing.
At idle, the CPU’s temps are fine: 33-35C in a room with a high ambient. I’m not impressed with the X52’s decibel level. There’s a constant very apparent hiss coming from the fans and the pump when nothing is going on but Firefox. I’ve selected the “performance” setting in CAM but, subjectively, “silent” is no quieter.
Speaking of fans: I put two Noctua A12x25 fans on the X52’s radiator and they didn’t work using that unit’s fan connections. They do work just find otherwise. Scattered net detritus suggests CAM’s minimum speed is below the Noctua’s minimum speed. So, the fans do not spin up initially but should when temps go higher (I haven’t verified this).
Been down this route before and typically replace the AIO with an air cooler, even if the installation is often obnoxious.(Why are air cooler fans not preinstalled?)