Kraken Screen Not Working? How to Fix a Blank or Stuck Display

Short answer: Start with what the screen is doing. If it only shows liquid temperature, CAM isn't running or can't see the cooler. If it's blank but the Kraken shows up in CAM, turn the brightness up and test the backlight with a flashlight. Blank and missing from CAM points to a loose power or USB cable.

A Kraken screen that won't show your GIF, your temps or anything at all is almost always one of a handful of things. Find your symptom below, then jump to the step that fixes it.

What is your screen doing?

Step 1: Make sure CAM is running and sees your Kraken

The Kraken Elite, Kraken Plus and Kraken (2023) all keep cooling without CAM, but they drop into a default mode. On a Kraken Plus that means the screen shows only liquid temperature and the pump sits at a fixed speed. Your GIFs, infographics and clock faces all live in CAM, so if CAM is closed or disconnected, the screen falls back to the default.

Open CAM and check your Kraken is listed. If it is, pick a display mode and watch the screen change. If CAM won't open at all, our guide to fixing NZXT CAM when it won't open covers that. If CAM opens but the cooler isn't listed, work through NZXT CAM not detecting your device first.

Display modes need CAM running in the background, so make sure CAM starts with Windows too. Otherwise the screen goes back to default after every restart.

Step 2: Turn the brightness up, then test the backlight

A screen set to low brightness can look dead, especially on a dark image. In CAM's Lighting tab, turn your Kraken's brightness slider all the way up. Turn up the master brightness slider at the top of the tab too, then check again.

Still dark? Try the flashlight test. With the PC running, shine a bright flashlight at the screen at an angle. If you can make out a faint image of what should be there, like a temperature reading, the screen is working but its backlight isn't getting power. Check the connections in Step 3. If those are all good, the backlight itself has failed.

Step 3: Check the power and USB connections

Besides its pump and fan cables, a screen-equipped Kraken takes SATA power from your power supply and an internal USB 2.0 connection to your motherboard. If the SATA power comes loose, the screen goes dark and the pump stops too. If the USB connection comes loose, CAM loses track of the cooler.

1. Shut down and switch off the power supply at the back of the PC.
2. Follow the SATA power cable from the cooler back to the power supply and push both ends in firmly.
3. Reseat the internal USB 2.0 plug on the motherboard header. On boards with bare pins, make sure it isn't one pin out of line.
4. If your Kraken's cable unplugs at the pump, check it's fully inserted and the right way round.
5. Switch the power supply back on and start the PC.

Using a USB splitter or hub? Plug the cooler straight into the motherboard while you troubleshoot. Our CAM detection guide walks through the USB side in more detail, including how to check the cooler shows up in Windows.

Step 4: Fix a tilted or upside-down screen

Depending on how your pump is mounted, the screen can sit at an angle. You fix that in CAM, not by remounting the cooler.

1. Open your Kraken in CAM and go to the Lighting tab.
2. Click the LCD Display panel to expand it.
3. Click Rotate Display, choose the angle you want and click Save.

Circular screens on the Kraken Elite rotate in 30 degree steps. Square screens on the Kraken Plus and Kraken (2023) rotate in 90 degree steps.

Step 5: Rule out a software conflict

CAM needs the cooler to itself. If another RGB app or a monitoring tool grabs the Kraken, CAM loses its connection and the screen can freeze on one image or ignore the mode you pick. A "Communication to the device has failed" message is the usual giveaway.

Close or uninstall other RGB and hardware monitoring software, then restart CAM. If the screen comes back to life, one of those programs was the cause. To pin down exactly which one, use Microsoft's free Process Explorer as described in Step 6 of our CAM detection guide.

Outdated chipset drivers and BIOS cause dropouts too. Get the latest chipset driver from your motherboard maker, AMD or Intel. Our guide to updating your motherboard BIOS covers the rest.

Frequently asked questions

Will my Kraken keep cooling if the screen is blank?

If only the backlight has failed, yes. But if the screen went dark because the cooler lost SATA power, the pump has stopped too, since the same cable powers it. Check your pump speed in CAM or BIOS before you game. Our guide to telling if your AIO cooler is failing shows what a healthy reading looks like.

Why can't I find Audio Visualizer or Triple Infographic?

Not every Kraken has every mode. Audio Visualizer is only on the Kraken Elite. The Kraken Plus and Kraken (2023) show one or two infographics at a time, not three. RGB Ring Sync is only on the Kraken Elite (2024), the one with the ring. If a guide mentions a mode you can't see, it's probably written for a different model.

Why does my Kraken Plus crop my GIF?

The Kraken Plus has a 1.54" square screen, smaller than the circular screen on the Kraken Elite. Images get cropped to fit, so pick or edit a GIF with the important part in the middle. Our guide to putting a GIF on your AIO screen has the full setup.

The RGB ring on my Kraken looks washed out. Is it failing?

Set it to pure white (#FFFFFF) in CAM and look at the color. Each LED mixes red, green and blue, so a tint tells you which one is fading:

Pure red, green and blue test colors (#FF0000, #00FF00 and #0000FF) will look dim on the failing channel. If your cooler is under warranty, contact support with your proof of purchase.

My Kraken has no screen settings in CAM. Why?

Check which Kraken you have. Only the Kraken Elite, Kraken Plus, Kraken (2023) and Kraken Z have screens. Older Krakens like the X3 series show up in CAM without screen settings. The Kraken Core and Kraken 120 aren't CAM-powered at all. Their pump and fans run from your motherboard's headers and you set them up in BIOS.

Is a dead Kraken screen covered by warranty?

If the screen stays dark after the brightness, backlight and connection checks above, it's a hardware fault. That's what warranty is for. Every Kraken with a screen (Kraken Elite, Kraken Plus, Kraken (2023) and Kraken Z) carries a 6-year warranty. Contact NZXT Support with your proof of purchase.

Still not working?

If you've been through every step and the screen is still blank or frozen, contact NZXT Support with your proof of purchase and the cooler's serial number. Tell them what the flashlight test showed. It saves a round of questions.