be quiet! Pure Loop 2 360 Liquid Cooler Review

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Awais Khan

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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Be quiet! has recently launched Pure Loop 2 series of liquid coolers. This generation is taking on the first generation Pure Loop series of coolers and is different than the FX series of Pure Loop 2 series in terms of the fans. These fans provide a substantial difference. These coolers are available in sizes: 120mm, 240mm, 280mm, and 360mm.

This series of coolers comes with be quiet! new Pure Wings 3 series fans. These fans were not available when these coolers were launched. Be quiet! has recently launched these new fans as well. I am taking a look at the be quiet! Pure Loop 2 360 cooler in this article. This cooler is compatible with Intel LGA 115x, 1200, and 1700 sockets along with AMD AM4 and AM5 sockets.

Key Takeaways

• The be quiet! Pure Loop 2 360 is an excellent high-performance AIO that features the latest Pure Wings 3 series fines, ARGB mirror effect, and an overall good value for money.
• You should get the be quiet! Pure Loop 2 360 if you want a top-notch bang-for-the-buck 360mm AIO with a high-end build quality that does not compromise on performance.
• You should not get the be quiet! Pure Loop 2 360 if you have an LGA20xx socket, want RGB fans, or already have a 360mm AIO.

The above picture shows the specifications of the cooler. The cooler has a 360mm size radiator in terms of 120mm size multiples. The pump is rated for a maximum speed of 5500 RPM, and it is PWM-controlled. The radiator is made of aluminum material and the assembly is black spray painted. This cooler has 3x Pure Wings 3 120mm fans that are rated for up to 2100 RPM at 12VDC. The unit is rated for a maximum of 36.8 dB(A) sound level.

Dimension

The above is a block diagram showing the dimensions of the be quiet! cooler. The radiator of this cooler has a dimension of 397x120x27mm (LxWxH). The overall dimension is 397x120x52mm (LxWxH) after installing the fans. The block has a dimension of 94.5x83x42mm (LxWxH). The block has a relatively low-profile design because the pump is not integrated into this housing. The tube has a length of approximately 400 mm.

Packaging And Unboxing

There is a paper-board-made outer box finished in a black color. There is a cardboard-made container inside that box containing the cooler and accessories. The following are provided:

1x Cooler, 3x Fans, 1x Backplate, 1x set of Mounting Brackets for Intel Sockets, 4x Intel Spacer Nuts, 4x Mounting Brackets Fastening Screws, 4x Intel Backplate Screws, 4x O-Rings, 1x set of AMD Mounting Bracket, 4x Backplate Screws, 4x AMD Spacer Nuts, 12x Radiator Screws, 12x Fan Screws, 1x Thermal Paste Tube, 3x Zip Ties, 1x Warranty Paper, 1x User Guide, and 1x 100ml Coolant Bottle.

Design

It is time to take a look at each component of the cooler. I will start with the radiator. The salient feature highlight of this cooler is Pure Wings 3 120mm fan, which I will speak about later in this section.

Radiator

I am showing a picture of the radiator. It has a dimension of 397x120x27mm (LxWxH) without fans. The complete assembly is black spray painted and made of aluminum material. The overall height of this unit would be 397x120x53mm (LxWxH) approximately after installing the fans. This figure includes the heads of the screws. The radiator has a 20 FPI count and has 12 channels for the coolant flow. There is a gap of 105mm between any two fan mounting holes on the radiator. The overall fin stacking is satisfactory since I did not find a bend or broken fin.

There is a screw on the far block of this radiator. This screw is covering another port on this radiator. This port is called a refill port since it serves the same purpose. This unit has a refill port to service this unit for longevity. The user can refill the unit should the coolant level drop in the long run.

The above picture shows the side view of the unit. Be quiet! is using rubber tubes with nylon braided mesh sleeves covering these tubes. The pump housing is integrated into the tubes. Pure Loop 2 is written in white color on the side frame of the radiator.

There is a certain gap between the side frame and the actual fin stack. This indicates that the fin stack has less than 27mm thickness, probably around 23mm or so.

Pump

Be quiet! has integrated the pump into the tubes of this cooler. This is the same as is on the first generation of these coolers. However, this time, the pump is PWM-controlled. Although manufacturers mention this design to remove the vibrations from the CPU, in my opinion, this is one way of bypassing Asetek’s patent in North America.

The first decoupling is at the pump’s housing, and the second decoupling is at the level of the pump’s integration into the tubes. The speed of this pup is 4000 RPM to 5500 RPM. Be quiet! has mentioned that the damping on the pump housing would reduce the vibration and noise.

There is also a 4-pin PWM connector on the pump’s power cable. This is a wise move from the manufacturer.

Block

Be quiet! has retained the same design concept on the Pure Loop 2 series of liquid coolers as on the first generation of the Pure Loop series. The housing has a dimension of 94.5x83x42mm (LxWxH). This block has a low-profile design, which is due to the reason the pump is not integrated into this housing.

There is a sandblasted brushed aluminum cover on the top of the housing that has ARGB backlighting. There is a diffuser running across its borderline, which also illuminates with ARGB lighting.

The main housing is made of plastic material. There are two screws that are pre-installed in this housing for easy mounting on the CPU socket.

Looking at the backside of the housing, we can see that the tubes are installed at a 90° angle on rotary barbs. There are black color clamps hiding these connections. We can spot a flat 3-pin cable coming out from this side as well.

Be quiet! is using a standard ARGB connector that is 5V rated and has 3 pins for ARGB backlighting. The standard connector makes this cooler compatible with RGB sync technologies of motherboard manufacturers, including:

• ASUS AURA SYNC
• GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0
• MSI MYSTICSYNC APP
• ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC

This unit has a nickel-plated copper base. It has a size of 54x54mm, and it has a mirror finish. There is a protective cover on this base that needs to be peeled off during the installation.

Fans

It is time to take a look at the new Pure Wings 3 120mm High-Speed fans and talk about the new technology introduced in these fans. There are 3x non-RGB fans included in the box. Each fan has 9x black color blades with a layered design. This design helps in enhanced airflow and reduces the air turbulence. There is a ring structure surrounding the blades.

There is a sealed-off design on these fans to prevent air leakage. These fans are using 4-pole motor control and Rifle bearings. Their maximum speed is 2100 RPM at 12VDC and draws 5.4W.

There are arrow indicators on the side frame. These provide a visual aid to determine the direction of airflow through the fan and the direction in which blades spin.

Each fan is powered by a cable having a 4-pin PWM connector.

What Is Closed-Loop Motor Control?

Be quiet! is using what they have referred to as closed-loop motor control. This concept is different than the traditional fan control in the majority of the fans. When a fan is controlled using a PWM control, there is a certain variation between any two PWM ranges mentioned in percentage. This affects the fan speed during that short interval, but in the long run, it affects the fan’s performance because the affected speed would impact the airflow.

Pure Wings 3 still uses the PWM function, but the speed of fans is not set against the PWM range but using the Tachometer’s signal from the fan. This is a closed-loop design where the motor is continuously getting feedback about the speed and adjusting current and RPM to ensure the same speed. Hence, we will get the same speed and same airflow.

Installation

I have followed the following steps to install this cooler on GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite AX motherboard:

• Prepare the Intel backplate using the standoffs and locking washers.

• Place the Intel LGA1700 backplate on the backside of the motherboard.
• Secure it using 4x Intel LGA1700 Standoff Screws. 

• Install Intel mounting brackets.

• Apply the thermal paste over the CPU.
• Place the block over the CPU by aligning the tips of the screws with the holes on the mounting brackets.
• Screw the block in to secure it.
• Install fans on the radiator and set up cable connection.
• Installation is completed.

Clearance

This cooler has no clearance issue for DIMM and PCIe slots. You need to make sure that your case supports the 360mm size radiator and, in particular, the clearance for 397x120x53mm for the assembled cooler.

Digital RGB Lighting

There is no dedicated ARGB controller with this cooler. The standard connector on the ARGB cable makes it compatible with the motherboard’s ARGB lighting solution. I have tested the cooler on the GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite AX motherboard using the RGB Fusion 2.0 app. The lighting was responding well to the change in mode. Here are some pictures:

Thermal Testing

I have used the mentioned configuration to test the performance of this cooler: –

• Intel i7 13700k
• GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX
• Corsair Dominator Titanium 32GB DDR5 kit 7200MT/s CAS34
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• Teamgroup MP44 NVMe SSD [For Testing]
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC [For Display]
• be quiet! Straight Power 850W Platinum PSU
• Open-air Test Bench

Here is the settings table for testing:

The be quiet! Pure Loop 2 360 did not disappoint as it handled the 250W power load of i7 13700k conveniently. The temperature is in the 80s, and I have seen many 360mm AIOs struggling to keep this SKU cool even at fans’ full speed.

The cooler is loud, with fans at full speed. It does not make sense to run the fans at full speed, either. You can set up a custom fan curve or use Auto PWM settings, and you are golden.

Should You Buy It?

Buy It If

If you need a good liquid cooler: The be quiet! Pure Loop 2 360 is a no-frill design that offers good thermal performance. The Pure Wings 3 fans make a big difference in performance.

If you are looking for a value-oriented cooler: The Pure Loop 2 360 is a simple design, and be quiet has kept things to textbook basics. Coming in at USD 139.99, this cooler can provide a better value for your bucks.

If longevity is your need: This cooler has a refill port, and be quiet! has provided a 100mL coolant bottle as well. This will service the cooler for a longer run. The user can add more coolant if its level is depleted.

Don’t Buy It If

If already own a liquid cooler: If you already have a 360mm liquid cooler, you would probably not need this cooler.

If you are into RGB Lighting effects across the board: The Pure Wings 3 fans are non-RGB, and if this cooler does not suit your RGB requirement, you can take a look at be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360 instead.

If you are on Intel LGA20xx Socket: This cooler does not support Intel LGA20xx sockets. If you are on this platform, then this cooler is not for you.

Final Words

Pure Loop 2 is a next-generation of high-performance liquid coolers from be quiet!. These coolers differ from the Pure Loop 2 FX series of coolers in terms of fans. The rest of the hardware is the same except maybe that the FX cooler is compatible with Intel LGA20xx socket, whereas Pure Loop 2 coolers are not. This cooler is compatible with Intel LGA115x/1200/1700 sockets and AM4/AM5 sockets from AMD. Be quiet! has simplified the mounting hardware so that the same hardware can be used for all Intel sockets.

The Pure Wings 3 120mm High-Speed fans are game changers for this cooler since these fans feature a closed-loop motor design whereby the motor is sent a tach signal regularly, and the motor adjusts the current to ensure that the user’s set speed is constantly met. This will eliminate the variances that the PWM range could have. Besides, these fans are still PWM. These fans use Rifle bearings, and the maximum speed is 2100 RPM.

Be quiet! has integrated the pump into the rubber tubes, and this pump is set to operate at 5500 RPM maximum at 12VDC. This pump is PWM-controlled. The block has a brushed aluminum top cover that is ARGB backlit. There is a diffuser running on the cover’s border, and it is also ARGB backlit. Be quiet! is using a two-point mounting mechanism. This unit has a refill port and a 100ml coolant bottle to service this cooler. This cooler has a good performance, but there is only a 3-year warranty on this cooler. I would have preferred a 5-year warranty.

Awais Khan

[How-To Guides Expert]

Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

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