At first, we would like to thank be quiet! for sending us a sample of their Pure Loop 2 FX 360mm AIO for testing and reviewing.

 

 

 

About be quiet!:

“be quiet! is a premium brand of power supplies, PC cases, water and air cooling and fans for desktop PCs. The products of be quiet! offer legendary quiet operation and first-class performance thanks to our passion for quality and precision. A special focus is on product quality and details. Which is why our very own experts lead product conception, design and quality control from our headquarters in Germany.

Exceptionally quiet operation

be quiet! lives up to its name: 20 years of experience in product development make be quiet! products amongst the most silent ones on the market.

Undoubtedly the fans are an integral factor in minimizing the noise levels of our products. That's why the be quiet! assortment features custom-developed fans like the Silent Wings, that are equipped with a variety of noise-reducing features such as special bearings, smooth-operation motors, optimized airflow and anti-vibration decoupling. Thanks to these fans, be quiet! products attain a perfect balance of ideal cooling performance and virtually inaudible operation.

Customers of be quiet! products are guaranteed to receive proven premium quality and the typically silent be quiet! operation.

Developed in Germany

Since its foundation in 2001, all be quiet! products are conceived and designed in Germany. The development takes place in close cooperation with our locations in Asia. The final quality control also takes place at our headquarters near Hamburg. This is how be quiet! ensures that every product meets our high standards.

This successful concept is not only regularly confirmed by awards from the European Hardware Association as well as renowned trade magazines and online portals, but also by the growing community and customers all over the world.”

 

Product Features:

 

IMPRESSIVELY HIGH COOLING PERFORMANCE - Reliable cooling power for sophisticated applications

With Pure Loop 2 FX 360mm even the most demanding applications can be used reliably. An immense cooling power provides low temperatures even during periods of peak CPU performance. Pure Loop 2 FX 360mm is the water cooling solution of choice for all consumer CPUs.

FANS DEVELOPED FOR RADIATORS - Fan blades optimized for high pressure

With a remarkably high air pressure of up to 2.6mm /H2O, Light Wings 120mm PWM high-speed is the best choice for Pure Loop 2 FX 360mm. The 9 airflow-optimized fan blades provide enough air pressure to make this fan perfect, even in demanding configurations.

IMPRESSIVE ILLUMINATION, NEAT DESIGN - Lots of illumination possibilities

3 Light Wings PWM high-speed offer ARGB lighting at the front and rear. 18 ARGB LEDs give you many opportunities to individualize your PC build. This and the illuminated cooling block make Pure Loop 2 FX 360mm a highlight in any system.

DOUBLY DECOUPLED PWM-PUMP - Adjustable and silent operation

The doubly decoupled PWM-pump runs smoothly and silent. Due to the PWM control the pump speed can be adjusted for silent as well as powerful operations. Thanks to the effective damping the pump causes even less noise and minimal vibration. This is the key to provide the well-known silent be quiet! operation.

ONE HUB, MANY POSSIBILITIES - Synchronization of up to 6 ARGB-components

The ARGB-PWM-Hub enables synchronization of up to 6 PWM fans and 6 ARGB components. This allows the user to run all your cooling and lighting gear with just one PWM and one ARGB header on your motherboard. It can be positioned everywhere inside the case and by that supports a neat interior and cable management.

EASY TO REFILL - For a long lifespan

The refill port is easy to access which makes refilling safe and comfortable. The coolant bottle included in scope of delivery makes it easy to achieve a long lifespan.

 

Product Specifications:

 

General data

Model: Pure Loop 2 FX 360mm

Dimensions radiator, incl. fan (H x W x D), (mm) : 397 x 120 x 52

Dimensions Cooling block (H x W x D), (mm): 94.5 x 83 x 42

Total weight (kg): 1.54

Socket compatibility Intel: 1700 / 1200 / 2066 / 1150 / 1151 / 1155 / 2011(-3) Square ILM

Socket compatibility AMD: AM5 / AM4

Noise level (dB(A)) @ 50% / 75% /100% rpm: 20.1 / 28.3 / 34

Number of fans: 3

Lighting Connector: 3 Pin 5V Addressable

Tube length (mm): 400

Refill port: Yes

 

Pump specifications

Pump speed (rpm): 5500

Pump adjustable: 4000 - 5500 rpm

Pump connector: 4-pin PWM

 

Radiator specifications

Dimensions (H x W x D), (mm): 397 x 120 x 27

Radiator material / finish: aluminum / black spray painted

Base material / finish: copper / nickel plated

 

Fan specifications

Fan model: 3x Light Wings 120mm PWM high-speed

Fan dimensions (mm): 120 x 120 x 25

Speed @ 100% PWM (rpm): 2500

Bearing technology: Rifle

Motor technology: 4-pole fan motor

Rated Voltage (V): 12

Input current (A): 0.45

Input power (W): 5.4

Connector: 4-pin PWM

Cable length (mm): 500

Lifespan (h / 25°C): 60,000

 

Accessories

Thermal grease (Type): Included

Mounting set: Intel, AMD

Bottle of coolant (ml): 100ml

ARGB-PWM-Hub: Yes

 

The latest 360mm AIO series from be quiet! comes packed in a large cardboard enclosure, in order to be able to include the necessary protection inside, but also the hardware bundle. On the top area of the packaging, we will note a photo of the product in operation:

 

 

 

If we switch the box on the side, we will discover the full list of technical specifications:

 

 

 

More information can be checked out by scanning the QR code on the opposite side:

 

 

 

In-depth information on the Pure Loop 2 FX is available in the back:

 

 

 

After removing the top packaging layer, we will discover that the inside content sits secure thanks to a custom cardboard mold:

 

 

 

Starting with the supplied hardware bundle, we do have 3 Light Wings 120mm fans, a hub, a coolant refill bottle but also mounting mechanisms for different sockets in a separate cardboard box:

 

 

 

The supplied Light Wings 120mm PWM fans are optimized for high pressure (2.6mm / H2O), ideal for radiators. The 9 fan blades do have a custom shape with a wave pattern, the middle area includes a manufacturer logo, while on the outer zone we do have the ARGB ring. Silicone pads are present in each corner for vibration dampening purposes:

 

 

 

The fan motor does come with a power rating of 12V at 0.45A and the maximum rotation speed is 2500:

 

 

 

The cables of the fans are flat and ribbon styled in order to help with management; the LED cable is accompanied by the PWM one:

 

 

 

The ARGB connector will be installed right to the supplied hub:

 

 

 

Same goes for the PWM one:

 

 

 

On the frame for each fan, we will note markings for the rotation direction of the blades, but also for the airflow direction:

 

 

 

The supplied hub is black as well and comes with mounting screws but also with a 3M double-sided tape:

 

 

 

The hub will receive power via external source, ARGB effects will be controlled directly by the motherboard, while the PWM fans will be regulated thanks to one of the dedicated motherboard headers:

 

 

 

On each side of the hub, we will note three ARGB headers and two PWM headers:

 

 

 

The rest of two (for a total of six) PWM headers are placed on the side; if you do not connect any fan to the header marked PWM, you won’t be able to monitor the current fan speed from the motherboard, but you will still be able to control the fan speeds!

 

 

 

On the back side of the hub, we do have the mounting area for the 3m tape, but also the holes for the screws:

 

 

 

Here are the connectors which connect to external hardware:

 

 

 

First, we have the ARGB connector, which will go to a 5V ARGB header on the motherboard:

 

 

 

The PWM connector does only have 3 contacts out of 4 in use and helps with fan monitoring/control:

 

 

 

Power will be supplied to the hub thanks via the SATA connector:

 

 

 

We will also receive some documentation:

 

 

 

The manual explains the installation method per each socket:

 

 

 

The mounting hardware is packed in individual bags, for easy identification:

 

 

 

We will receive a universal backplate, while the brackets are separate, for each socket:

 

 

 

 

Our attention will go to the LGA1700 socket accessories:

 

 

 

 

We will first prepare the backplate by using the custom screws and we have secured them by using the dedicated rubber washers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The two accessories we won’t use during install are the supplied thermal compound and the black cable ties:

 

 

 

The Pure Loop 2 FX 360 is composed from a large 277 x 120 x 27 mm (HxWxD) radiator, a 94.5 x 83 x 42 mm (HxWxD) cooling block, while the pump is built into the unit tubing:

 

 

 

The cooling block is quite identical to the one we have seen along with the Pure Loop 240mm AIO which we have reviewed back in 2022, with a sleek look (machined aluminum top cover surrounded by ARGB lighting):

 

 

 

On the top and bottom area, we will note the fixing screws:

 

 

 

Between the tubing, be quiet! has placed the ARGB cabling, which ends with a familiar connector:

 

 

 

On the bottom area of the nickel-plated copper plate, we will note a warning sticker:

 

 

 

The tubing is sleeved for additional durability:

 

 

 

As mentioned before, the pump assembly is placed directly on the tubing, named doubly decoupled PWM-pump. This type of mechanism allows for minimal vibration inside the case, but also a silent operation is assured:

 

 

 

The pump will be powered from a single PWM 4-pin connector:

 

 

 

Here are some close views at the radiator, which is covered with a matte black spray paint; the mounting holes for the fans can be easily spotted here:

 

 

 

 

An even closer inspection will reveal the radiator refill port:

 

 

 

On the frame of the radiator, be quiet has placed the product logo:

 

 

 

For fixing the fans onto the radiator, we will use the provided long screws:

 

 

 

The installation can be done quite easily; make sure that you place the cabling so it will face the back side of the motherboard when the radiator is mounted inside the case:

 

 

 

The nickel-plated copper plate has a cool mirror-finish. For testing purposes, we will use our own Noctua NH-1 paste, so it will match the one used with other coolers we have previously tested:

 

 

 

After mounting the backplate on the back side of the motherboard, using the spacers on the frontal area, mounting the brackets and securing it with four screws, we could easily install the plate onto the 13700K CPU:

 

 

 

The radiator/fan assembly was then mounted securely on the top area of the ATCS 840 case from Cooler Master:

 

 

 

Here are some photos of the RGB-enabled elements:

 

 

 

 

Test Setup:

 

CPU: Intel i7-13700K @ Stock

CPU Cooler: Currently tested AIO

Motherboard: EVGA Z690 CLASSIFIED LGA1700

RAM: Sabrent Rocket 2x16GB DDR5 4800

Video: XFX Radeon RX 5700XT Ultra THICC III

Power Supply: Corsair RM850

SSD: Silicon Power US70 1TB PCIe 4.0

Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840

 

We have performed the IDLE-Full Load temperature test with the help of the AIDA64 Stress Test module, while recording the temperatures in detail via HWINFO64 utility. The ambient temperature during testing was kept at a steady 25.3 degrees Celsius and the performance profile in our Windows 11 Pro 22H2 installation was set at default (Balanced).

The second part of the test included the HWBOT X265 4K Encoding workload, which is more stressful via AIDA64 one, which we did run two times and recorded the maximum temperature.

 

 

Here are the detailed Noise / Fan RPM results of the whole assembly; our fan header from the EVGA Z690 CLASSIFIED was set with the SMART profile, due to no dedicated controller for the fans as in CORSAIR AIO tests. The test results will vary depending on the fan curve set on a specific motherboard. During the tests, the ambient noise was 30.4 dBA, while the sound meter was placed one meter away from the test system; the side panel was removed in this test stage.

 

 

The Pure Loop 2 FX 360 from be quiet is an improvement in terms of performance versus the Silent Loop 2 360mm we have tested a while ago, mainly due to the increased performance of the included fans, the Light Wings 120mm which now have a maximum rotational speed of 2500RPM instead of 2100. Even if the pump does have a high RPM, it remains very silent during operation thanks to the double decoupled design, while the ARGB effect complexity is managed by the system motherboard.

 

The manufacturer kept it very simple in terms of fan control and ARGB lighting, offering a hub instead of a controller, so your motherboard will handle this task completely; make sure that you have a +5V ARGB header included so you’ll be able to enjoy the lighting effects goodness; there is a small drawback of the hub though: sequential effects are not possible between the connected elements.

 

The installation procedure of the Pure Loop 2 FX is quite straight-forward and the included bundle allows compatibility with a large range of sockets. Something which not a lot of manufacturers come with is the refill port and the coolant bottle, which are useful when you decide that the cooling performance has dropped.

 

The Pure Look 2 FX 360mm cooler can be found online for about 139 Euros, and is backed up by a 3-year warranty.

be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360mm AIO is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to be quiet! for making this review possible!