NZXT Kraken LCD Customization FAQ

Automatic: open the NZXT CAM deep link and allow your browser to launch NZXT CAM, which loads NZXT-ESC as a Web Integration automatically. Manual: open NZXT CAM, go to Lighting, select your Kraken LCD, choose Web Integration, select Custom Web Integration, and paste the NZXT-ESC URL.

1. Open NZXT CAM.
2. Lighting → Kraken LCD.
3. Web Integration.
4. Custom Web Integration.
5. Paste the URL below.

Open in NZXT CAM

NZXT-ESC is a visual customization editor for supported NZXT Kraken LCD coolers that runs through NZXT CAM Web Integration.

It lets you create custom Kraken LCD layouts with freely positioned and customizable system stats, images, GIFs, videos, clocks, dates, graphics, Now Playing information, Audio Visualizers, and other screen elements.

The main NZXT-ESC screen editor does not require a separate installation. It runs through NZXT CAM Web Integration, so you can open the editor and customize your Kraken LCD using the NZXT-ESC web application.

The optional Windows companion app is only required for features such as Now Playing information and advanced Audio Visualizers.

There is no download for the editor itself, only the optional companion app is a download. To open NZXT-ESC, set this address as the Custom Web Integration in NZXT CAM:

Use the following URL as the Custom Web Integration address in NZXT CAM:

In NZXT CAM, select your Kraken LCD, open Web Integration → Custom Web Integration, paste the NZXT-ESC URL, and apply it to the display.

You can open NZXT-ESC in any normal web browser as a demo preview and try the editor, but nothing reaches your Kraken LCD from there. For the screen to change, NZXT-ESC must be added as a Web Integration in the NZXT CAM app.

• Browser: open nzxt-esc.com to explore the editor and preview your design. It is a demo and does not control the LCD.
• NZXT CAM: add NZXT-ESC as a Custom Web Integration so the Kraken LCD shows your design.
• Separate storage: a browser and NZXT CAM keep their own saved presets and settings, so edit your design inside NZXT CAM for the screen to follow it. Enter a Supporter Verify Code there too.

For the full steps, see How do I setup NZXT-ESC to NZXT CAM Web Integration?.

NZXT-ESC address:

Use NZXT-ESC through NZXT CAM Web Integration to create a fully customized Kraken LCD screen without coding. NZXT-ESC provides a visual drag-and-drop editor for system temperatures, images, GIFs, videos, text, clocks, graphics, music information, and other screen elements.

Each element can be moved, resized, rotated, layered and styled on its own, so the screen looks exactly the way you want.

You can change your CPU cooler screen background using the NZXT-ESC Web Integration. In the Background tab, choose a solid color or gradient, upload local JPG/PNG/GIF/WebP/AVIF/MP4 files, paste a media URL, or search GIPHY. You can also resize, reposition, and rotate the background media directly in the editor.

Yes. NZXT-ESC is a browser-based NZXT Kraken LCD screen editor designed for NZXT CAM Web Integration.

It lets you create custom Kraken screens visually instead of building a Web Integration manually with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The core editor does not require a separate installation or account.

Use NZXT-ESC as your NZXT CAM Web Integration. It provides a visual editor that lets you build and preview a custom Kraken LCD screen without writing HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.

Open NZXT-ESC through Web Integration in NZXT CAM, then add and customize the content you want to display on the Kraken screen.

Yes. NZXT-ESC lets you build your own Kraken LCD layout from scratch. Place your temperatures, text, graphs, pictures, clocks and music information wherever you want on the screen, in any size and style, so the layout fits your build.

Start from an empty screen or from a community design in Explore, then change every element until the layout is yours.

Yes. NZXT-ESC lets you place CPU temperature, GPU temperature, RAM usage, liquid temperature, and other supported system information anywhere on the Kraken LCD.

Each value can be moved, resized, rotated, layered with other content, and styled independently.

Yes. NZXT-ESC lets you change the font, size, color and position of every temperature on your Kraken LCD. Make the numbers bigger, pick a style that matches your build and place each value exactly where you want it on the screen.

You can change supported font styles, text size, colors, formatting, position, rotation, and other visual settings for individual screen elements.

For tips on numbers you can read from a distance, see What font and colors make Kraken LCD temperatures easy to read?

Open NZXT-ESC through NZXT CAM Web Integration, go to the Background tab and choose a color, a gradient or a picture. For a photo, pick Local Media, URL or GIFs and apply it. This works on every Kraken Elite, Kraken Plus and Kraken Z model that supports Web Integration.

1. Open NZXT-ESC in NZXT CAM Web Integration.
2. Go to the Background tab.
3. Choose Color, Local Media, URL, GIFs or Explore.
4. Select your photo, GIF or MP4 video and apply it.
5. Make it bigger, move it or turn it in the preview until it fits the round screen.

Then add temperatures, a clock or text on top of your new background in the Overlay tab.

You can put almost anything on a Kraken LCD with NZXT-ESC: live CPU and GPU stats, your own photos, GIFs and MP4 videos, clocks, dates, graphs, album art and Audio Visualizers. Browse Explore for ready-made community designs, add one to your Library and change it until it fits your setup.

• System monitor: large CPU and GPU temperatures with load, clock speeds, power and RAM usage.
• Clock face: an analog or digital clock with the date, over a color, gradient or picture.
• Animated background: a GIF or MP4 video with a small clock or temperature on top.
• Music screen: album art, the song title and an Audio Visualizer.
• Minimal logo: a single image or a short text centered on a dark background.
• Game or build theme: your favorite artwork with fonts and colors that match your PC.

Start from a design in Explore if you want ideas, or begin with an empty screen in the editor. Every element can be moved, resized and rotated, so you can change any idea until it fits.

Yes. NZXT-ESC lets you build your own Kraken Elite infographic and change every detail of it. Add the values you want, choose their font, size and color, and place them anywhere on the screen, so the layout looks the way you like.

• Choose the values: CPU and GPU temperature and load, liquid temperature, fan speed, power and RAM usage.
• Pick the look: font, size, color, border and shadow for each value, plus graphs such as arcs and bars.
• Place everything freely: move, resize and rotate each value.
• Add more: your own background, a clock, the date or an Audio Visualizer.

For a quick start, pick a stats design in Explore and change it until it fits your build.

On the Kraken LCD you can change the background color or gradient in the NZXT-ESC Background tab, and the color of text, numbers and graphs in each element's settings. The ring and logo lighting is separate: it is controlled on the Lighting page of NZXT CAM, not in NZXT-ESC.

• Background color: open the Background tab, choose Color and pick a solid color or build a gradient.
• Text and numbers: select an element in the Overlay tab and change its font, size and color, plus border and shadow.
• Graphs and icons: arcs, bars and icons have their own colors in their element settings.
• Ring and logo lighting: open Lighting in NZXT CAM and choose the effect and color there. Kraken X coolers have this lighting but no LCD.

To keep one color theme across the whole screen, use the same accent color for the background gradient, the text and the graphs.

Yes. The Kraken LCD itself has a fixed size, but NZXT-ESC lets you make everything on it bigger. Stretch your picture, GIF or video to fill the whole round screen, and make your temperatures, clock and text as large as you like, so the screen looks full and is easy to read.

• Fill the screen: make your background picture, GIF or video larger until it covers the whole circle.
• Bigger numbers: select a temperature or text and increase its size.
• Fewer, larger elements: two or three big values look cleaner than many small ones.

For more ideas, see How do I show big CPU and GPU temperatures on my NZXT Kraken LCD?

Add NZXT-ESC to NZXT CAM as a Custom Web Integration and you can design the whole Kraken LCD display yourself, with your own pictures, GIFs, videos, temperatures, clocks and text placed wherever you like. You can switch back to another NZXT CAM display mode at any time.

• NZXT-ESC: in NZXT CAM go to Lighting → Kraken LCD → Web Integration → Custom Web Integration and enter the NZXT-ESC address, then design the screen in the editor.
• Ready-made designs: open Explore in NZXT-ESC and pick a community design to start from.
• Switching back: choose another display mode in NZXT CAM at any time. Your NZXT-ESC designs stay saved in your Library.

To add NZXT-ESC, set this address as the Custom Web Integration in NZXT CAM:

You edit the Kraken LCD screen in the NZXT-ESC editor, which runs inside NZXT CAM Web Integration. Change the background in the Background tab, add or edit text, stats, clocks and graphics in the Overlay tab, and watch the live preview. Your design is stored in your browser and shown on the Kraken LCD.

• Background: choose a color, gradient, image, GIF or MP4 video, then resize and move it.
• Elements: select any element in the preview to change its text, font, size, color and position.
• Add and remove: use + in the Overlay tab to add elements and delete the ones you no longer want.
• Variations: save versions of your design in your Library and switch between them.

Want a head start? Pick a design in Explore, add it to your Library and change every detail until it is yours.

Open NZXT-ESC through NZXT CAM Web Integration, go to the Background tab, choose Local Media and select your picture. Make it bigger and move it until it fills the round screen, then add temperatures, a clock or text on top in the Overlay tab. A picture that is online works too: choose URL instead.

1. Open NZXT-ESC in NZXT CAM Web Integration.
2. Go to the Background tab and choose Local Media, or URL for a picture that is online.
3. Select a PNG, JPG, WebP or AVIF picture and apply it.
4. Make it bigger and move it until the part you want fills the round screen.
5. Open the Overlay tab if you want temperatures, a clock or text on top of the picture.
6. Want the picture in front of a GIF or video instead? Add it as an Image (Not Background) element in the Overlay tab.

Square pictures look best on the round screen. With a wide photo, move it so the part you like most stays visible.

Yes. In the Overlay tab click + and choose Image (Not Background), then select a PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP or AVIF file from your PC. The picture sits in front of the background, so it can stay on top of a GIF, a video or a color. Then make it bigger or smaller, move it and turn it until it sits where you want.

• Where: Overlay tab, +, Image (Not Background). The Background tab is for the full-screen picture behind everything.
• Transparency: a PNG or WebP with a transparent background keeps it, so a cut-out picture sits cleanly on the background.
• Size: make the picture bigger or smaller and it keeps its shape.
• Position and angle: move it anywhere and turn it to any angle.
• Replace: choose Change Image to swap the file without losing the size and position.

An image overlay can share the screen with text, temperatures and clocks, and you can move it toward the front or back of the other elements.

Yes. Every Image (Not Background) element is its own layer, so you can add many pictures to one screen. Add each picture with + in the Overlay tab, or use Duplicate element to copy one, then place, size and rotate each picture separately.

• Add: click + in the Overlay tab and choose Image (Not Background) again for every new picture.
• Copy: use Duplicate element to make another copy of a picture, then choose Change Image to give it a different file.
• Layers: use Move toward front and Move toward back to decide which picture is on top.
• Mix: pictures, stickers, GIFs, text, clocks and stats can share the same screen.

Only one background can be set at a time, so extra pictures belong in the Overlay tab. Large animated images can slow the LCD, so keep the number of heavy animations low.

Save your logo as a PNG with a transparent background, then add it in NZXT-ESC through the Overlay tab: click +, choose Image (Not Background) and select the file. Make it the size you want and move it into place, for example in the center above a CPU temperature.

• File: a PNG or WebP with a transparent background works best, while a JPG logo keeps its square background.
• Quality: a sharp, square logo file looks best on the round screen.
• Placement: the screen is round, so keep the logo away from the corners.
• Background: put a color, gradient, picture or GIF in the Background tab and the logo on top of it.

Because the logo is an overlay, you can show it only while music plays or only while it does not, using the visibility button of the element.

Yes, you can design the Kraken LCD to match a white case. The background color or gradient, text, graphs and icons are all editable, and the presets with the Light tag in Explore suit white cases well. The ring and fan LEDs are set in NZXT CAM Lighting, not in NZXT-ESC.

• Light presets: open Explore, filter by the Light style and choose a design you like.
• Background: in the Background tab choose Color and pick white, a soft gray or a pale gradient.
• Text and graphs: in the Overlay tab, give elements enough contrast, for example dark gray with one accent color.
• Lighting: set the ring and fan RGB in NZXT CAM Lighting, using white or the same accent color as the screen.

Use the same accent color for the background, text and graphs so the screen and the case look like one build.

NZXT-ESC lets you make every number and text on your NZXT Kraken LCD as big as you want. Choose which values to show, make each one larger and place it anywhere on the screen, so your temperatures, clock and labels stay easy to read even from a distance.

• Bigger numbers: select a temperature or any other value and increase its size.
• Fewer, larger values: two or three big values are easier to read than many small ones.
• Bolder text: a thicker font and an outline make large text even clearer.

To get started, add this address as a Custom Web Integration in NZXT CAM:

Big, bold numbers with strong contrast are the easiest to read on a Kraken LCD. NZXT-ESC lets you choose the font, size, thickness and color of every temperature, so you can use light numbers on a dark background, or the other way round, and add an outline when the background is a photo or GIF.

• Fonts: digital clock style fonts give a classic display look, clean fonts like Roboto and Inter stay sharp, and sci-fi fonts like Orbitron suit gaming builds.
• Contrast: white or a bright accent color on a dark background is easy to read from a distance.
• Outline: a dark outline around light numbers keeps them readable over busy pictures and videos.

Open Explore in NZXT-ESC to browse ready-made Kraken LCD designs, and use the Minimal tag to find clean faces with large temperatures. Every design is fully editable, so after adding one you can make the numbers even bigger, change the font or swap the background.

• More styles: the Neon and Sci-Fi tags in Explore have bold, high contrast numbers too.
• Web gallery: browse the infographic designs to preview stat-focused layouts before opening the editor.
• Your own face: start from any design and make its values bigger, or build your own from scratch.

With NZXT-ESC you can build your own Kraken LCD infographic and choose the font, size and thickness of every value. Show your CPU, GPU and liquid temperatures as large as you like, place them anywhere on the screen and give each one its own color.

• Fonts: choose from digital, clean and sci-fi fonts.
• Size: make each temperature, label or clock as big or as small as you want.
• Layout: arrange the values side by side, stacked or around a gauge.

To get started, see How do I setup NZXT-ESC to NZXT CAM Web Integration?

Open NZXT-ESC, go to the Background tab and choose your MP4 video, from your PC or from a link. The video plays as the background of your Kraken LCD, and you can make it bigger and move it until it fills the round screen.

The video can also be combined with CPU/GPU temperatures, clocks, text, graphics, and other screen information.

Custom backgrounds can be resized, repositioned, and rotated freely to fit your NZXT Kraken LCD layout. NZXT-ESC supports JPG/JPEG, PNG, APNG, GIF, WebP, AVIF, and MP4 background media, with independent controls for size, position, and rotation.

NZXT-ESC supports PNG, APNG, JPEG/JPG, JFIF, GIF, WebP, and AVIF images.

MP4 video can be used as background media. NZXT-ESC also supports direct image and video URLs, YouTube videos, Pinterest Pin URLs, and GIFs selected through GIPHY.

AVIF compatibility can depend on the Chromium version used by NZXT CAM on the device.

Yes. NZXT-ESC supports WebP, APNG, and AVIF in addition to common formats such as PNG, JPG, and GIF.

That means most pictures and animations you find online can go on your Kraken LCD as they are, as a background or on top of it.

NZXT-ESC can use a YouTube video as background media through NZXT CAM Web Integration while displaying system information on top.

For example, you can play an animated YouTube background and place CPU temperature, GPU temperature, liquid temperature, a clock, or other information over the video.

NZXT-ESC includes a built-in GIF search, allowing you to find animated content and add it directly to your Kraken LCD design. GIFs can be used as backgrounds or combined with system stats, text, clocks, and other custom elements.

Add the GIF as a background in NZXT-ESC, then make it bigger and move it in the preview until it covers the whole round screen. The preview shows exactly what your Kraken LCD will display, and square GIFs fit best.

1. Open the Background tab and choose GIFs to search GIPHY, or Local Media or URL for your own GIF.
2. Apply the GIF.
3. Make the GIF bigger until it covers the whole preview circle.
4. Move it to choose which part of the GIF stays visible.
5. Press Reset to return to the starting size and position.

A wide GIF loses its left and right sides on a round screen, so a square GIF, or a GIF cropped to a square, keeps the whole picture visible. Anything you add in the Overlay tab, such as temperatures or a clock, stays on top of the GIF.

With NZXT-ESC you can use pictures and GIFs of almost any size on your NZXT Kraken LCD. Resize, move and rotate any image in the editor until it fills the round screen the way you want, and NZXT-ESC fits the result to your Kraken Elite, Plus or Z by itself.

• Any size: big or small, make the picture bigger or smaller until it looks right.
• Any shape: square pictures fit the round screen best, and wide or tall ones can be moved so your favorite part stays visible.
• Formats: PNG, JPG/JPEG, GIF, WebP, APNG, AVIF and MP4.
• Every model: NZXT-ESC adjusts your design to each Kraken LCD, so one picture works on every model.

Just open the Background tab, pick your picture, then resize, move or rotate it until it fits.

Yes. In NZXT-ESC the background and the overlay are separate layers. Set a GIF, image or MP4 video in the Background tab, then open the Overlay tab, click + and add text, temperatures, a clock, a date or other elements on top. The overlay stays above the moving background.

• Text: any words, with your choice of font, size, color, border and shadow.
• Sensors: CPU and GPU temperature and load, liquid temperature, RAM usage, fan speed and power.
• Clock and date: digital or analog.
• Music: Now Playing text, album art and Audio Visualizers.
• Images, icons, shapes and graphs.

Each element can be moved, resized and rotated on its own, so the video stays visible where you want it.

Good Kraken LCD GIFs are square, loop smoothly and stay calm enough to read stats on top. In NZXT-ESC open the Background tab, choose GIFs and search GIPHY for terms such as abstract loop, space, fire, rain, neon, pixel art or your favorite game. Add temperatures or a clock on top afterwards.

• Abstract and neon loops: smooth motion that does not distract from CPU and GPU numbers.
• Space, galaxy and nebula: dark backgrounds that keep light text easy to read.
• Fire, water and rain: elemental loops that suit a hot or cool theme.
• Pixel art and retro games: small, crisp animations that look good on a round screen.
• Your own favorites: anime, movie or game scenes, or a GIF you made, added through Local Media.

Pick square GIFs or crop them to a square, avoid strobing flashes, and make the GIF bigger in the Background tab if it does not fill the round screen.

GIFs and other media you add in NZXT-ESC are stored on your own PC, in browser storage (IndexedDB, inside NZXT CAM when you use Web Integration), not on an NZXT-ESC server. A GIF picked from GIPHY is downloaded once and saved there, so it keeps working offline afterwards.

• Local files: images, GIFs and MP4 videos you upload stay in browser storage on your device.
• GIPHY GIFs: downloaded once when you pick them, usually saved as a looping MP4, then used from local storage.
• Media URLs: a link you enter stays a link and is loaded from that address, so it needs an internet connection and the file must stay online.
• Exports: exporting a preset embeds its local media in the file, so it can be imported on another device.

Clearing the site data for nzxt-esc.com removes the stored media, so export the presets you want to keep first.

Yes, and NZXT-ESC takes GIFs much further. It runs inside NZXT CAM and lets you search GIPHY, use your own GIFs or MP4 videos, make them fill the round screen and put CPU and GPU temperatures, a clock or text on top of the animation.

• GIPHY search: find a GIF inside NZXT-ESC and apply it in one click.
• Your own animations: GIF, APNG, WebP and MP4 files from your PC or from a link.
• Stats on top: temperatures, clocks and text stay above the moving background.

Both work on Kraken Elite, Kraken Plus and Kraken Z models that have an LCD. See Getting Started to add NZXT-ESC to NZXT CAM.

The built-in GIF search in NZXT-ESC uses GIPHY, and earlier versions used Klipy. You can still use a GIF from Klipy or any other site: save the GIF to your PC and add it with Local Media, or enter a direct link to the GIF file in the URL tab. The same search ideas also work in the GIFs tab.

• GIFs tab: search GIPHY directly inside NZXT-ESC and apply a result with one click.
• Local Media: upload a GIF, APNG, WebP or MP4 that you saved from Klipy or any other site.
• URL tab: enter a direct link that ends in .gif, .webp or .mp4, not a web page that only shows the GIF.

A GIF picked from GIPHY is downloaded once and stored on your PC, so it keeps working offline.

Open the Overlay tab, click + and choose Sticker. Search for a sticker or browse the trending ones, pick one and it appears on the Kraken LCD preview. Stickers come from GIPHY and are animated with a transparent background, so they sit on top of any background. Then make the sticker bigger or smaller and drag it to its place.

• Search: type a word in the sticker search, or browse the trending stickers.
• Place: drag the sticker to its place in the preview.
• Resize: make it bigger or smaller and it keeps its shape.
• Replace: choose Change Sticker to pick another one.

A sticker is downloaded once and kept on your PC like your own files, so it keeps working offline. Several animated items at once can slow the LCD, so use only a few.

Yes. Add the GIF as an Image (Not Background) element in the Overlay tab and it plays in front of your background picture, video or color. Animated GIF and APNG files keep playing on top. For a GIPHY animation with a transparent background, use the Sticker element instead.

• Your own GIF: Overlay tab, +, Image (Not Background), then select the GIF or APNG file.
• GIPHY: the GIFs option in the Background tab sets a GIF as the background, while the Sticker element places a GIPHY sticker on top.
• Size and position: make it bigger or smaller and move it where you want.
• Performance: a large animated image can slow the LCD animation, so choose a small, short GIF.

To put the GIF behind everything instead, set it in the Background tab.

Yes. NZXT-ESC can use a GIF, an animated WebP or APNG, or an MP4 video as a moving background on a Kraken LCD. Open the Background tab and choose Local Media, URL or GIFs, then resize and move the animation to fit the round screen and add your stats or a clock on top.

• GIFs: search GIPHY and apply a looping animation in one click.
• Local Media: upload a GIF, APNG, animated WebP or MP4 from your PC.
• URL: use a direct link to a GIF, WebP or MP4, a Pinterest Pin link or a YouTube link.
• MP4 video: often smaller and smoother than a large GIF.
• Explore: many community presets already include an animated background that you can add to your Library and change.

A YouTube link streams over the internet and may show ads, so a saved MP4 or GIF is more reliable.

You can use your own photos, community designs from Explore, GIFs from GIPHY or pictures from the web. In NZXT-ESC, Local Media uploads a file from your PC, URL accepts a direct image link or a Pinterest Pin link, and GIFs searches GIPHY. Explore offers ready-made community designs with their pictures and animations included.

• Your own photos: games, pets, your build or artwork, uploaded with Local Media.
• Explore: browse community presets, add one to your Library and change it.
• GIPHY: search animated GIFs in the GIFs option of the Background tab, and animated stickers with the Sticker element.
• Pinterest: enter a Pin link in the URL tab, press Resolve and apply it.
• Direct links: a link to a JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP or MP4 file works in the URL tab.

Square pictures look best on the round screen, and use only pictures you are allowed to use.

Yes, with one limit. One MP4 video can play as the background, and on top of it you can add as many moving items as you like: animated GIF, APNG or WebP images with Image (Not Background), and animated Stickers. A second MP4 cannot play at the same time, because only the background accepts MP4.

• Background: set an MP4 (or a GIF) in the Background tab. Only one background is active at a time.
• Animated layers on top: add GIF, APNG or animated WebP files with Image (Not Background).
• Stickers: add animated GIPHY stickers with the Sticker element.
• Second video: an MP4 cannot be an overlay, and YouTube and Pinterest links also work only as the background. Turn the second clip into a short GIF or animated WebP to use it on top.

Several large animations at once can slow the LCD, so keep the files small.

Yes, you can build a video player look. A YouTube video or playlist plays as the background, an Icon element adds play, pause or YouTube icons on top, and Now Playing Text shows the position and duration of what is playing on your PC. The LCD is not touch sensitive, so the icons are decoration and do not control playback.

• Playlist: paste a YouTube playlist link as the background URL and it plays on a loop. If a link contains both a video and a playlist, NZXT-ESC asks which one to use.
• Icons: in the Overlay tab, add an Icon element and pick a play, pause or YouTube icon, then set its size, color and position.
• Times: the Now Playing Text element can show title, artist, position, duration or progress for media playing on your PC. It needs the optional NowPlaying.WebSocket Windows client and does not read the background video itself.
• Playback: the YouTube background starts by itself, is muted and loops. To stop it, change the background or switch to another preset.

To change the video, open the Background tab, choose URL and paste a new YouTube link.

CPU and GPU load can be added to a custom Kraken LCD layout and positioned independently alongside other system information. With NZXT-ESC Web Integration, you can combine load percentages with temperatures, clock speeds, fan speeds, power, RAM usage, liquid temperature, and other supported monitoring data on the same screen.

Yes. NZXT-ESC lets you show many system stats at once on your Kraken LCD: CPU and GPU temperature, load, clock speed, power, fan speed, RAM usage and liquid temperature, each placed and sized wherever you want.

Mix the stats with graphs, a clock or a background picture, and keep the most important values big so they stay easy to read.

NZXT-ESC can display supported CPU power and GPU power readings from NZXT CAM monitoring data.

You can show CPU power, GPU power, or combined CPU and GPU power alongside temperatures, load, frequency, fan speed, and other available system information.

NZXT-ESC can use supported NZXT CAM monitoring data including CPU temperature, CPU load, CPU frequency, CPU power, CPU fan speed, GPU temperature, GPU load, GPU frequency, GPU power, GPU fan speed, RAM usage, and liquid temperature.

The values can be displayed as text or used in compatible visual graphs and graphics.

Yes. NZXT-ESC includes customizable sensor graphs and visualizations for supported monitoring data.

You can create live sensor charts as well as radial, linear, circular, and other graphical displays for CPU, GPU, RAM, temperature, load, and other supported values.

CPU and GPU clock speeds can be displayed anywhere in a custom Kraken LCD layout. NZXT-ESC Web Integration also lets you combine clock speeds with CPU/GPU temperatures, load, power, fan speeds, RAM usage, liquid temperature, graphics, and other screen content.

RAM usage and liquid temperature can be displayed as part of a custom Kraken LCD screen together with CPU and GPU information. Their position, size, style, and surrounding screen content can be customized independently in NZXT-ESC.

Yes. Besides CPU and GPU temperature, NZXT-ESC can show CPU and GPU load, clock speed, power and fan speed, RAM usage and liquid temperature on your Kraken Elite, plus a clock, the date, Now Playing information, album art, graphs and Audio Visualizers, all on one screen.

• System values: CPU and GPU temperature, load, frequency, power and fan speed, RAM usage and liquid temperature.
• Time: a digital or analog clock and the date, in any format you choose.
• Music: song title, artist, album name and album art, using the optional Windows companion app.
• Visuals: sensor graphs, arcs and bars, icons, images, GIFs, MP4 video and Audio Visualizers.
• Layout: place, size and rotate each item freely.

Open the Overlay tab and click + to add any of them, then move and resize each one in the live preview.

With NZXT-ESC you can show your CPU and GPU temperatures as large, easy to read numbers on your NZXT Kraken Elite, Plus or Z LCD. Make both temperatures as big as you like and place them anywhere on the round screen, so you can check them at a glance through the glass side panel.

• Add both temperatures: open the Overlay tab in the NZXT-ESC editor and add your CPU and GPU temperature.
• Make them big: select a temperature and increase its size until it is easy to read from your desk.
• Place them: put one on the left and one on the right, or one above the other.
• Keep it clean: two big numbers with small CPU and GPU labels read better than a screen full of small values.

Want a single number that fills the screen? See Can I show one big temperature that fills the whole Kraken LCD screen?

Yes. NZXT-ESC can show a single temperature, such as your CPU or liquid temperature, as one big number in the middle of your Kraken LCD. It gives you a clean, minimal look that you can read from across the room, with any background, color or font you like.

• Pick one temperature: CPU, GPU or liquid temperature, whichever you watch most.
• Make it big: increase its size until the number fills the middle of the round screen.
• Keep the background simple: a dark or plain background makes one big number stand out.

For a ready-made start, open Explore in NZXT-ESC and look at the designs with the Minimal tag.

Yes. NZXT-ESC lets you show a temperature as 50° or just 50 instead of 50.0°C. A shorter number takes less space, so it can be shown even bigger on your Kraken LCD. You can also choose Celsius or Fahrenheit for each temperature.

• Shorter number: select the temperature and pick a format without the decimal or without the unit.
• Clear labels: if you hide °C, add a small CPU or GPU label next to the number so it still reads clearly.

Currently playing media can be shown on the Kraken LCD using NZXT-ESC Web Integration and the optional NowPlaying.WebSocket Windows client. It reads supported Windows media sessions, allowing song title, artist, album information, and album artwork from compatible apps and browsers to be displayed on your custom Kraken screen.

NZXT-ESC Web Integration includes multiple customizable Audio Visualizer designs, including bar, waveform, stereo, spectrum, circular, radial, waterfall, dot, mesh, and other visual styles. Each visualizer also provides style-specific customization options such as colors and visual behavior.

Audio Visualizers can be freely positioned and customized as part of an NZXT-ESC Kraken LCD layout. You can change their size, position, rotation, style, and other available settings instead of being limited to a fixed full-screen visualizer layout.

An Audio Visualizer can share the same custom Kraken LCD screen with system information such as CPU and GPU temperatures, load, clock speeds, power, fan speeds, RAM usage, and liquid temperature.

NZXT-ESC Web Integration treats the visualizer and system information as separate screen elements, so each can be positioned and customized independently.

Audio Visualizers can be placed over custom background media in NZXT-ESC, including images, GIF animations, and MP4 video backgrounds.

The background and Audio Visualizer remain independently configurable, so the visualizer does not need to replace the rest of your Kraken LCD design.

Multiple Audio Visualizers can be added to the same NZXT-ESC Kraken LCD layout. Each visualizer can use its own style, size, position, and configuration, allowing different bar, wave, or circular visualizations to appear together on the same screen.

Individual parts of a custom Kraken LCD layout can appear or disappear automatically depending on whether media is playing.

For example, an Audio Visualizer and album artwork can appear while music is playing, while system stats, a clock, image, or another layout can be shown when playback stops.

Not in a general way yet. NZXT-ESC can show or hide each element depending on whether music is playing, but it does not switch screens by temperature, a running game or the time of day. You can still keep several designs in your Library and switch between them yourself.

• Available: set an element to Always Show, Always Hide, Show with Music or Show without Music.
• Typical use: an Audio Visualizer and album art while music plays, and a clock or system stats when it stops.
• Not available: switching by temperature, a game, an app or the time of day.

If you need another trigger, send the idea through the chat button in the bottom-left corner of NZXT-ESC, because user ideas shape what comes next.

Not at the moment. NZXT-ESC can show the song title, artist, album name and album art of what is playing, plus Audio Visualizers, but it does not show lyrics. Now Playing needs the optional NowPlaying.WebSocket companion app for Windows, which reads players that report to Windows media controls, such as Spotify.

• Available: song title, artist, album name and album art, each as its own element you can place anywhere.
• Available: Audio Visualizers that react to the music, in several styles.
• Not available: synchronized or scrolling lyrics.

If lyrics matter to you, send the idea through the chat button in the bottom-left corner of NZXT-ESC, because user ideas shape what comes next.

NZXT-ESC lets you design your own clock face for the NZXT Kraken LCD. Pick an analog or digital clock, choose its colors, hands and numbers, and place it anywhere on the screen, on its own or over a picture, GIF or video.

Choose from several analog clock styles and change the size, colors, ticks and labels until the clock matches the rest of your Kraken LCD design.

Yes. With NZXT-ESC you can make the analog clock bigger or smaller, move it anywhere on your Kraken LCD and turn it to any angle. Just select the clock in the preview and place it where it looks best.

The clock becomes part of your own screen design, so it can sit next to your temperatures, over a GIF or video, or fill the whole round screen.

A customizable digital clock can be added anywhere on the Kraken LCD with NZXT-ESC Web Integration. You can use 12-hour or 24-hour time and customize how the hours, minutes, and seconds are displayed.

Yes. NZXT-ESC lets you show a clock and the date together with your CPU and GPU temperatures, load, clock speeds, power, fan speeds, RAM usage and liquid temperature, all on the same Kraken LCD screen.

Each item can be placed and styled on its own, so you decide where the time sits and which stats surround it.

A digital or analog clock can be placed over a custom image, GIF, or MP4 video background in NZXT-ESC.

The clock and background remain independent, allowing you to resize and position the clock without changing the background media.

Seconds can be included in a custom digital clock alongside hours and minutes. NZXT-ESC lets you choose how the time is displayed and customize the clock's font, size, color, and position on the Kraken LCD.

The digital clock can also be resized, repositioned, styled, and combined with other screen content.

The Kraken LCD can display a full date, only the day of the week, only the month, or another custom date arrangement with NZXT-ESC.

Date text can be resized, positioned, styled, and combined with a digital or analog clock, system stats, images, GIFs, videos, and other screen content.

NZXT-ESC supports both common date formats and custom date strings for the Kraken LCD. You can create formats such as DD/MM/YYYY, show only the weekday with dddd, display the month, or build your own combination of date values.

Day and month names follow the selected NZXT-ESC language, so localized date text can be displayed directly on the Kraken LCD.

Open NZXT-ESC through NZXT CAM Web Integration, go to the Overlay tab, click + and add a clock: Add Clock Overlay for a digital clock or the analog clock for a classic clock face. Then choose 12-hour or 24-hour time, and move and resize the clock in the preview until it sits where you want.

1. Open NZXT-ESC in NZXT CAM Web Integration.
2. Go to the Overlay tab and click +.
3. Choose Add Clock Overlay for a digital clock, or the analog clock for a clock face.
4. For a digital clock, pick 12-hour or 24-hour time and decide whether to show seconds.
5. Drag the clock to its place and make it bigger or smaller in the preview.
6. Optional: add a date with Add Date Overlay and set a background in the Background tab.

The clock can share the screen with a date, system stats and a GIF or MP4 background.

NZXT-ESC supports compatible current and previous-generation Kraken Elite LCD models that provide NZXT CAM Web Integration, including supported 240, 280, 360, and 420 variants.

Use NZXT-ESC through the Web Integration display mode to create a custom Kraken Elite LCD screen with videos, system stats, graphics, clocks, music information, and other content.

Yes. Supported NZXT Kraken Plus models provide NZXT CAM Web Integration and can use NZXT-ESC as a custom LCD screen editor.

With NZXT-ESC your Kraken Plus can show your own pictures, GIFs and MP4 videos, big temperatures, clocks and graphs, all arranged in your own layout.

Yes. Supported 2023 Kraken Elite and Kraken LCD models with NZXT CAM Web Integration can use NZXT-ESC.

This includes supported 240, 280, and 360 variants listed in the NZXT-ESC compatibility information.

Yes. Supported NZXT Kraken Z-series LCD coolers with NZXT CAM Web Integration can use NZXT-ESC for custom screen layouts.

This includes supported Kraken Z53, Z63, and Z73 models and their compatible variants.

The Kraken Z53, Z63 and Z73 are often grouped as the Kraken Z3 series. The same steps apply to all of them, including GIF and MP4 backgrounds, system stats, clocks and Audio Visualizers.

NZXT-ESC is designed as a browser-based Web Integration, so the main editor does not require a separate application installation. Custom presets are stored in browser LocalStorage, while local images and videos are stored in IndexedDB on your device.

NZXT CAM sensor readings and user-created presets are not sent to analytics, and NZXT-ESC does not intentionally collect personally identifiable information. The project source is also publicly available on GitHub for review.

NZXT-ESC is an independent community project and is not an official NZXT application. It is not developed, maintained, sponsored, or funded by NZXT.

NZXT does, however, list NZXT-ESC in the official NZXTCorp Web Integrations Examples repository as a community Web Integration. NZXT's repository also makes clear that community integrations are not maintained or affiliated with NZXT.

NZXT CAM Web Integration is a Kraken LCD display mode that loads a web application directly onto a supported Kraken screen. It can also provide the web application with NZXT CAM monitoring data such as hardware and device information.

NZXT-ESC uses Web Integration to turn that capability into a visual Kraken LCD editor, so custom layouts, media, system stats, clocks, graphics, music information, and other screen content can be configured without creating a Web Integration from scratch.

NZXT-ESC is a visual editor for your NZXT Kraken LCD screen. It runs inside NZXT CAM as a Custom Web Integration, so you can design your own screen with pictures, GIFs, videos, temperatures and clocks and see the result on your Kraken right away.

NZXT-ESC adds a visual editor for custom images, animated backgrounds, MP4 video, system monitoring, clocks, graphics, Now Playing, Audio Visualizers, and independently positioned screen elements.

This works with Kraken Elite, Kraken Plus, Kraken 2023 and Kraken Z coolers that have an LCD screen. NZXT CAM is all you need to run NZXT-ESC, and only Now Playing and advanced Audio Visualizers use the optional Windows companion app. Kraken X coolers have no LCD screen.

You can personalize an NZXT Kraken LCD with your own images, GIFs, videos, colors, fonts, clocks, dates, icons, system information, sensor graphics, music information, and Audio Visualizers using NZXT-ESC Web Integration.

Screen elements can be positioned, resized, rotated, layered, and styled independently, allowing the Kraken LCD design to match your PC setup and personal style.

Open NZXT-ESC, go to the Background tab and pick your own picture, GIF or video. Make it bigger, move it and turn it until it fits the round Kraken LCD, then add temperatures, a clock or text on top of it.

NZXT-ESC works with the common picture formats, GIFs and MP4 videos, so almost any image you like can become your Kraken screen.

Community-made custom Kraken LCD presets can be found in the Explore section of NZXT-ESC. A preset can be added to your Library, applied to your Kraken LCD, and then customized to match your own screen layout.

NZXT-ESC stores your custom preset configuration locally in the browser. Local image and video media are stored separately in browser storage rather than being uploaded as part of your preset configuration.

This allows your Kraken LCD layouts and local media to remain available on the same browser profile while keeping the editable preset data local.

NZXT-ESC gives you a fully custom Kraken LCD screen and works together with NZXT CAM instead of replacing it. NZXT CAM keeps running your pump, fans and lighting, while NZXT-ESC runs inside it and lets you design everything the screen shows.

• NZXT CAM: pump and fan control, lighting and monitoring.
• NZXT-ESC: your own layouts with pictures, GIFs and MP4 videos, temperatures, clocks, dates, graphs, Now Playing and Audio Visualizers, all placed wherever you like.

You need both: NZXT CAM provides the Web Integration mode, and NZXT-ESC provides the design that fills it.

NZXT CAM can load a Web Integration from a link that starts with nzxt-cam://action/load-web-integration?url= followed by the address of the page. Open the link in your browser and allow it to launch NZXT CAM, and CAM loads that address on your Kraken LCD. For NZXT-ESC, use the link below.

NZXT-ESC link:

Link format:

Replace YOUR_WEB_INTEGRATION_URL with the address of the page you want to load. You only need the format for a Web Integration you add yourself, because the NZXT-ESC link already contains the NZXT-ESC address.

Most playback problems come from the file or the link. Use a supported format (GIF, WebP, APNG, AVIF, PNG, JPG or MP4), make sure a URL points straight to the file, and check that NZXT CAM uses Web Integration with the NZXT-ESC address. Then apply Web Integration in NZXT CAM again.

• Format: only MP4 works as a video. Convert MOV, MKV, AVI or WebM files to MP4 first.
• Link: use a direct link to the file itself, such as one ending in .gif, .webp or .mp4. A web page that only shows the file does not work. Pinterest Pin links and YouTube links are the exceptions.
• AVIF: support depends on the Chromium version inside NZXT CAM, so try PNG or WebP if an AVIF image stays blank.
• YouTube: the video streams over the internet and may show ads or pause when your connection drops. A direct MP4 is more reliable.
• Large files: very large GIFs or videos load slowly and can stutter. Try a shorter or smaller file.

If it still does not play, set the address again in NZXT CAM: Lighting → Kraken LCD → Web Integration → Custom Web Integration, and paste this address:

NZXT-ESC address:

No. The Kraken X53, X63 and X73 have no LCD, only RGB lighting on the pump cap, so NZXT-ESC cannot change anything on them. NZXT-ESC is made for Kraken coolers with an LCD screen, such as Kraken Elite, Kraken Plus, Kraken 2023 and Kraken Z53, Z63 and Z73.

• Kraken X (X53, X63, X73 and older X models): logo and ring lighting only, controlled on the Lighting page of NZXT CAM.
• Kraken Z, Kraken 2023, Kraken Elite and Kraken Plus: LCD screens that can show images, GIFs, system stats and NZXT-ESC layouts.
• Not sure which one you have? Look at the pump cap. If it has a screen, it is an LCD model.

If you have an LCD model, follow the setup steps under Getting Started.

An image overlay accepts PNG, APNG, JPG, GIF, WebP and AVIF files up to 10 MB, or up to 25 MB for GIF and APNG, and the picture can be at most 1024 by 1024 pixels. Other formats such as HEIC, BMP or SVG are not accepted, so convert them to PNG or JPG first. If you meant a full-screen background, use the Background tab.

• Format: use PNG, APNG, JPG/JPEG/JFIF, GIF, WebP or AVIF. Convert anything else to PNG or JPG first.
• File size: 10 MB for images and 25 MB for GIF and APNG.
• Dimensions: an Image (Not Background) element accepts up to 1024 by 1024 pixels, and 640 by 640 is recommended.
• Background instead: for a full-screen picture or an MP4 video, use the Background tab, not the Overlay tab.
• Storage: if saving fails, your browser storage may be full. Remove media you no longer use, and export the presets you want to keep first.

Large animated images (GIF or APNG) can slow the LCD animation, and pictures larger than 640 by 640 pixels may perform worse, so smaller files are better.

Yes, NZXT-ESC is free to use, and there is no download for the editor. After about 15 hours of LCD use it asks you to support the project. Supporting is optional, but it is what turns off the reminders and keeps Explore presets, preset file import and your own presets fully available.

• Free: the editor and all its elements, GIFs, videos, clocks and system stats.
• Reminder: after about 15 hours of LCD use, a support reminder appears. You can postpone it with Continue Using NZXT-ESC.
• Limits if you only postpone: adding presets from Explore and importing a preset file are closed, and after several postponements only the default preset can be used.
• Support: a Supporter Verify Code, sent by email after you support the project, removes the reminder and all of these limits for good.

For the full steps, see Why does a support message appear on my Kraken screen, and how do I remove it?.

Open Usage & Support in NZXT-ESC and choose Support NZXT-ESC to buy a coffee on Buy Me a Coffee. A Supporter Verify Code is emailed to you, and entering it ends the support reminder and unlocks the supporter features for good.

• Support: Support NZXT-ESC in Usage & Support opens Buy Me a Coffee. NZXT does not sponsor or fund NZXT-ESC, so it runs on this support.
• You get: no more reminders on the Kraken LCD or in the editor, adding presets from Explore, importing preset files, and using all your presets with rename, duplicate and export.
• Other ways: feedback, bug reports, shared designs and helping other users also count, and contributors can receive a code as a gift. Use the chat button in the bottom-left corner to get in touch.
• Code: the Supporter Verify Code is emailed after your payment and works on one installation at a time.

To enter the code, see How do I enter my Supporter Verify Code in NZXT-ESC?.

Open NZXT-ESC inside NZXT CAM, open Usage & Support, type your Supporter Verify Code into the Supporter Verify Code field and confirm. Once it is accepted, the support reminder disappears for good and the supporter features unlock. The code looks like NZXT-XXXX-XXXX and arrives by email after you support the project.

• Where: open NZXT-ESC through NZXT CAM Web Integration, then open Usage & Support.
• Enter: paste the code with its NZXT- start and dashes into the Supporter Verify Code field.
• Inside NZXT CAM: enter it in NZXT-ESC inside NZXT CAM, because that is what the Kraken LCD uses. A code entered in a normal browser only verifies that browser.
• After: the reminder and the limits on Explore, preset import and presets end at once, with nothing else to do.

No code yet? See I supported NZXT-ESC but did not get my Supporter Verify Code. What now?.

Check your spam folder first, and look in the inbox of the email address you used on Buy Me a Coffee. The code is emailed in English after the payment. If it is still missing, use the chat button in the bottom-left corner of NZXT-ESC and give that email address, and the code can be sent again.

• Spam: look in the spam, junk and promotions folders for an English email about your Supporter Verify Code.
• Right address: the code goes to the email address on your Buy Me a Coffee payment.
• Chat: use the chat button in the bottom-left corner and include the email address you used. The code can be resent.
• Supported before: if you supported earlier, the same code is sent again, because there is one code per supporter.

Once you have the code, see How do I enter my Supporter Verify Code in NZXT-ESC?.

Yes, but a code verifies one installation at a time. Enter the same code in NZXT-ESC on the other computer and, after you confirm, the verification moves there. You do not need a new code, and the previous installation loses its verified status.

• Move: open Usage & Support on the new computer, enter the same code and confirm the move.
• One at a time: only one installation of a supporter is verified at once.
• Limit: moves are limited to a few per 24 hours, so wait a while if a move is refused.
• Browsers: each browser and each NZXT CAM is its own installation, so verify the one that runs inside NZXT CAM for the Kraken LCD.

Lost your code? See I supported NZXT-ESC but did not get my Supporter Verify Code. What now?.

NZXT-ESC limits some features on installations that are not verified. Importing a preset file is closed, adding presets from Explore closes once you postpone the support reminder, and after several postponements only the default preset can be used. Entering a Supporter Verify Code lifts all of it at once.

• Message: a lock with the label Supporter Feature appears when you try one of these actions.
• Default preset only: after several postponements you cannot switch to other presets, create new ones, rename, duplicate or export.
• Still available: delete, favorite, share and refresh the thumbnail, plus editing the active preset.
• Fix: enter your Supporter Verify Code in Usage & Support and the limits end at once.

To lift the limits, see How do I enter my Supporter Verify Code in NZXT-ESC?.

NZXT-ESC shows a support reminder on the Kraken LCD and in the editor after about 15 hours of LCD use on an installation that is not verified. It goes away for good once you enter a Supporter Verify Code in Usage & Support. You receive the code by email after supporting NZXT-ESC.

• Support: open Usage & Support in NZXT-ESC and choose Support NZXT-ESC to buy a coffee. A Supporter Verify Code is then sent to your email.
• Verify: enter the code, which looks like NZXT-XXXX-XXXX, in the Supporter Verify Code field inside NZXT-ESC in NZXT CAM. The reminder disappears from the screen.
• Not ready yet: Continue Using NZXT-ESC postpones the reminder so you can keep using the editor.
• Contributors: feedback, bug reports, shared designs and helping other users also count, and contributors can receive a code as a gift. Use the chat button in the bottom-left corner to get in touch.

Supported but no code yet? Check your spam folder first, then use the chat button. To verify another computer, enter the same code in NZXT-ESC there; your verification moves with it.

Yes! The “Buy Me a Coffee” pop-up can be permanently disabled by supporting the NZXT-ESC project through Buy Me a Coffee. Once you've made a contribution, you'll receive a verification code via email. Simply enter that code in NZXT-ESC, and the support pop-ups will no longer appear.

For the full explanation, including when the reminder appears and how to postpone it, see Why does a support message appear on my Kraken screen, and how do I remove it?.