INTRODUCTION

   Unlike many years ago AIO (all-in-one) liquid CPU coolers may not have much headroom left for improvement (at least not until something new gets researched and developed) but thanks to their impressive cooling efficiency, zero interference with motherboard components and RAM, no strain on the motherboard (limited pump/plate weight) and looks they are still the number one choice for gamers, enthusiasts and even professionals. Since we live in the era of RGB illumination however many manufacturers tend to focus quite a bit on looks lately rather than low noise levels and even cooling efficiency. As always be quiet! is not one of them and since last month they officially released their latest line of AIO liquid CPU coolers called the Pure Loop today I’ll be testing the top of the line 360mm model.

   be quiet! is a premium brand of power supplies, PC cases and cooling solutions for desktop PCs. The products of be quiet! offer legendary quiet operation and first-class performance thanks the passion for quality and precision. Attention to detail is the key to perfection. Which is why our very own experts lead product conception, design and quality control from our headquarters in Germany. be quiet! sticks to its name: More than 15 years’ experience in the field of noise reduction and silence make be quiet! products probably the most silent ones on the market.

   The Pure Loop line of AIO liquid CPU coolers by be quiet! includes 4 variants based on 120/240/280/360mm long aluminum radiators (copper and once again in my hands i have the tri-fan model that measures no less than 397mm in length, 120mm in width and 27mm in thickness. Now although the Pure Loop is somewhat similar to the Silent Loop model i reviewed back in 2018 (review here) they have quite a few noticeable differences such as the faster standalone pump (5500RPM/2200RPM - here the pump sits between the radiator and the waterblock), thinner (27mm/30mm) higher FPI count (19/16) radiator, position of the fill/drain port (radiator/pump), longer (400mm/390mm) rotatable sleeved tubes (for the Silent Loop be quiet! had used fixed tubes with anti-kink coils), illuminated waterblock (white LEDs) and a slightly larger CNC machined cold plate. I was expecting be quiet! to use a new fan model for the Pure Loop line but it seems that both models actually use the same Pure Wings 2 120mm PWM rifle-bearing fans (2000RPM/65.51CFM/2.23mmH2O/36.9dBA) so right from the get go i know more or less what to expect in terms of noise levels (unless the pump is considerably louder than the one used with the Silent Loop line). So, let's see what be quiet! has been up to with their latest Pure Loop 360mm model.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

As with previous models a large product picture is located at the front of the box right next to the company name and above the model name and size.

The specifications table is located on the right side of the box while on the left side we see a 2D barcode which probably points to the product webpage.

4 pictures located at the rear of the box are used to showcase the main features of the Pure Loop 360.

Once again, the entire bundle is placed inside a formed piece of cardboard.

Along with the main unit of the Pure Loop 360 contained inside the box are also the three Pure Wings 2 120mm fans, bottle of coolant, single to tri-fan cable, SATA power adapter (for the pump and the LED light), thermal paste tube, 3 cable ties, user manual and all the necessary mounting hardware for Intel LGA1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM3/AM3+/AM4/TR4 (optional kit) compatible motherboards.

THE PURE LOOP 360

The overall looks of the Pure loop 360 may not be different compared to other AIO models but the standalone pump does stand out.

Radiator thickness is roughly 27mm exactly as stated in the specifications table.

With an FPI (fins per inch) count of 19 the radiator used with the Pure Loop 360 seems to be a higher performance model compared to that used in the Silent Loop 360.

A fill/drain port is conveniently located at the top end of the radiator.

The radiator doesn't have protective plates over its fins (shouldn't be a problem however since the bundled screws can't go all the way in).

As mentioned earlier the pump in this model is standalone and sits right between the radiator and the waterblock.

With a length of 400mm the sleeved tubes should be long enough even for most full towers.

The new waterblock is not only thiner compared to most others in the market but it also features white LEDs at the top.

Unlike the Silent Loop series, the Pure Loop series features rotatable tubes for easier installation.

The CNC machined cold plate is also slightly larger compared to that used in the Silent Loop series (doesn't feature a mirror like finish however).

Be quiet! has once again used three of their Pure Wings 2 120mm PWM fans (2000RPM/65.51CFM/2.23mmH2O/36.9dBA).

With the fans mounted the Pure Loop 360 AIO now measures roughly 52mm in thickness.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Testing complete water cooling kits or individual radiators is no different than testing CPU Coolers and since we want all of you to be able to compare similar products, we created new and separate charts (you can still cross-compare results however since we are using the same test rig). So once again single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests complete water cooling kits or radiators with bundled fans are measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. Finally, much like when testing CPU Coolers it's very important to point out that just because a water cooling kit outperforms another when tested with our test rig (when we test complete water cooling kits) that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

     To successfully record the load temperatures, we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded, we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests (when fans exist in the bundle) are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the radiator. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here, we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   Two things we can all take from today’s review, first that the Pure Loop 360 outperforms its predecessor the Silent Loop 360 (alas not by much) and that it does so without higher noise output (the pump is pretty much inaudible). What I can’t really comment on is durability but using a standalone pump instead of either having it on the waterblock or the radiator should be a good thing. Using 400mm long rotatable sleeved tubes was also the right call, yes, a leak may be more possible (compared to the fixed ones of the Silent Loop) if someone was to damage them during installation (happens) but that does help simplify installation. The lack of RGB illumination is probably the one thing that will disappoint some of the younger target group and yes, the white LED on the base looks nice but still nowhere near to what RGB would. Yes, be quiet! like Noctua doesn’t want to focus on that but a simple compromise could be possible (for example instead of the white LEDs they could had used RGB ones).

   The Pure Loop line of AIO liquid CPU coolers by be quiet! was officially launched today and so the 360mm variant can be found for just USD119.90 inside the USA (Newegg.com) and for 126.05Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). This is of course a very competitive price tag for a tri-fan 360mm model especially if we take into account cooling efficiency, build quality and noise levels. Yes, the Pure Loop 360 may not be the jack of all trades (does lack RGB illumination for example and that's clearly important to some people) but it delivers on its primary selling points which is why it deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Near Excellent Cooling Efficiency
- Thin Waterblock with White Illumination (Easier To Mount)
- Up To Six 120mm Fans In Push & Pull
- 400mm Long Sleeved Rotatable Tubes
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Long Radiator
- Noise Levels
- Lacks RGB Illumination (For Some)