This guide will cover what to do in the event that your CPU is overheating while using the Kraken M22 cooler. Overheating while using M22 can be caused by a few different factors, such as the CPU's heat output being too high for the Kraken or a potential hardware failure.
Is the Kraken M22's cooling enough for my CPU?
The Kraken M22 cooler, being a 120mm AIO is a great fit for smaller form factor PCs using low-to-mid range power draw CPUs such as the Intel Core i3 and i5 Series, as well as AMD Ryzen 3 and 5 Series processors. When using higher TDP processors however such as the Intel Core i9 series and AMD Ryzen 9 series, you may notice that your CPU may run hotter than expected. For these higher TDP CPUs, we highly recommend using a large cooler with greater thermal mass such as the Kraken 240, 280, or 360 models or the Elite equivalents.
Fan Failure
In some instances, a fan may prematurely fail which can severely reduce airflow and hinder the cooler's ability to dissipate heat.
Start by checking your Kraken M22's fan to confirm that it is still properly spinning. If the CPU has stopped spinning, shutdown the PC and disconnect the 4-pin PWM fan cable from the fan and check if the fan is able to spin freely. If the fan is unable to spin freely, this would indicate that the bearing has failed and the fan will need to be replaced.
If the fan can spin freely, try reconnecting the fan to another available 4-pin PWM header to see if there are any changes. If the fan still does not spin up, please reach out to our Customer Support team for further assistance. All NZXT fans are covered under a 2 year limited warranty.
Pump Failure
In some rare instances, the pump in the Kraken M22 can fail resulting in the cooler no longer being able to circulate fluid properly. When a pump failure occurs, you'll notice a major spike in CPU temperature and potentially a drop in the reported RPM from the cooler itself. As the Kraken M22 does not have detection through the NZXT CAM software as a Cooling devices, it is instead recommended to connect the 3-pin power cable to the CPU_FAN header on your motherboard to check the RPM. If the pump is connected to CPU_FAN and is working, you should see it reported as the CPU Fan in the PC Monitoring tab (shown below):
If there is an RPM value shown but the system is still overheating, there could be an issue causing the Kraken to not properly circulate fluid or an air bubble trapped in the cold plate. To resolve this, remove the entire cooler from the system and vigorously shake the unit for about 2-3 minutes to force the bubbles into the radiator.
If the above steps do not resolve the issue, please reach out to our Customer Support team for further assistance and to confirm your Kraken's warranty.
Do you have any questions not covered by this guide or need further assistance? Please feel free to reach out to our Customer Support team and one of our friendly support agents will be there to assist you.
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