[nextpage title=”Summary”]
A little less than two years ago, be quiet! launched its Pure Loop all-in-one watercooling kits. At that time, the kits were quite classic, without RGB lighting or anything else. Today, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the brand is launching a new version of the series: the Pure Loop 2 FX, which this time includes rainbow lighting. We, on our side, received the Pure Loop 2 FX 360. 
Presentation:
With this new Pure Loop 2 FX series, be quiet! returns to the charge with a total of three AIO kits. The first, the smallest is a 240 mm while the largest is the 360 mm version, is the one we will be testing here. As for the intermediate model, we find a reference with two fans in 140 mm. It is indeed a 280 mm version.
The first thing we will remember about this series is that it has fans available in ” retail “. Indeed, be quiet! proposes its Light Wings PWM that we tested here. Moreover, when you say Light Wings, you also say RGB lighting. This is the main difference between the original Pure Loop series which only had white lighting on the waterblock.
Of course, the German brand mentions high cooling performance. For this, we find a cold plate in nickel-plated copper allowing the use of liquid metal in particular.
Otherwise, we can count on a special design with a pump deported in the pipes. Like the original series, the “double decoupled” pump is making a comeback. According to the company, this allows for silent operation with minimal vibration.
And finally, you can maintain your kit yourself, as there is an easily accessible filling hole on the radiator.
We finish this little presentation tour by the price part. And there, the brand reserves us a small surprise by positioning its kit at 124,90 €. In other words, it is less expensive than its first generation counterpart which costs 129,90 € on the brand’s website. [nextpage title=”The Pure Loop 2 FX 360″]
Unpacking
As far as packaging is concerned, it is the usual design at be quiet! since we find the traditional black box. Of course, an illustration of the kit is on the front with a reminder of the main features on the back. The details of the technical specifications are available on the right side of the package.
Inside, we find the classic cardboard mold protecting the various elements of the kit. Moreover, each part has its own plastic bag… Except for the radiator which is covered with a protective cardboard.
The radiator:
As with the first Pure Loop series, this new generation benefits from a very aesthetic and well finished radiator. It has a nice square shape with a nice matt black paint and a nice reminder of the series on the edge. In short, again it looks good, very good even.
With this, we can count on the presence of a filling hole located at the end of the block… Opposite the departure of the pipes. Very practical if you want to refill after a few years of service. Sometimes the liquid ends up evaporating, in part, which reduces the cooling performance.
Otherwise, the radiator remains fairly classic with its aluminum construction. The same goes for the dimensions with 397 (W) x 120 (D) x 27 (H) mm. Finally, the number of channels rises to twelve, which is what we find in most manufacturers.
However, less classic, the place of the pump which is located directly taken in the pipes. The latter benefits from a power supply via a PWM fan plug. If the brand does not specify its characteristics, we know that it will operate from 4000 RPM to 5500 RPM at full speed.
Finally, two pipes are present to connect the radiator and the CPU waterblock. These have a nice nylon sheath for a better finish. And the tubes are flexible which will facilitate the assembly in the tower!
The waterblock:
Regarding the waterblock, be quiet! uses the same design as for its first generation Pure Loop. It has a black logo engraved on a gray brushed aluminum background. Moreover, for the lighting, we can see the presence of a small border surrounding the logo. We also notice that the fixing points are integral to the block. 
Otherwise, it is below that we find the cold plate. This last one offers an excellent finish since it is in nickel-plated copper. The same goes for the construction since the traces of machining are fine and will hardly be felt under the fingers. Finally, we will remember that this copper base is aimed on the rest of the block. Indeed, eight Torx screws hold it in place. If necessary, it will be possible to unscrew it, although we do not recommend it.
The copper base is of correct size since it is 5.5 cm on a side. It will cover the entire IHS of a Ryzen processor or an Intel Core i, even at socket LGA-1700. However, for Threadripper, you should not count on it, especially since this Pure Loop 2 FX 360 is not compatible with the TR4 platform of AMD.
Finally, even if there is no pump, the waterblock still has a cable, cable used for RGB lighting. So we have a three-pin connector quite classic measuring about thirty centimeters.
Compatibility
With the Pure Loop 2 FX 360, be quiet! ensures a near-exemplary compatibility since the vast majority of recent platforms are compatible:
- Intel : LGA-1100 – LGA-1200 – LGA-1700 – LGA-2000
- AMD: AM4 – AM5
Right out of the box, the kit is therefore perfectly compatible with the LGA-1700 platform from Intel. The same goes for AMD’s AM5 . However, there is nothing about TR4 cards and derivatives.
The fans
Since we are facing a 360 mm watercooling kit, we find three fans. And on this subject, the brand offers us a reference that we know well since we had the opportunity to test it in the past. It is the Light Wings 120 with their RGB lighting in the form of a ring.
On the visual level, we find the characteristic fans of be quiet! with their grooved and rather thin blades. Moreover, because of the RGB lighting system, the blades are rather short despite a rather thin central hub. 
Unfortunately, the airflow and static pressure are not specified by the brand. We only know, for sure, the operating speed which can reach 2500 rpm. However, based on the fans already tested, we imagine that the airflow will reach 52.3 CFM and that the static pressure will rise to 2.6 mmH2O.
Finally, each fan has two connectors of about 50 cm. The first one, of PWM type, will be used for the power supply while the second one will be useful only for the lighting part.
The bundle:
As for the accessories, we find something very complete since the brand offers :
- An assembly manual
- One extra bottle of coolant
- Three nylon collars
- A syringe of thermal paste
- Screws and fittings for the pump and the fans
- A hub for the fans
- A sticky patch for the hub
- Screws… Also for the hub
As we said, the accessory part is complete and goes up to propose a hub for the fans allowing the management of the speed and lighting from the motherboard. The small bottle of liquid is also welcome since it will allow you to refill the kit without having to buy more liquid. And of course the nylon collars, always practical!
Roughly speaking:
In broad terms, be quiet! puts forward a Pure Loop 2 FX 360 convincing with a nice design and a neat radiator. As a reminder, we are at ~125 € and on more expensive kits, the radiator is far from being as pretty. Otherwise, we have the right to a complete accessory part highlighting a hub to centralize the management of the kit, which can be very practical. [nextpage title=”Installation and RGB”]
For the installation part, you’ll have to keep your AMD backplate, the manufacturer does not provide one. If you don’t have one anymore, a quick look on eBay should allow you to find one easily.
Preparation of the backplate
As with the first Pure Loop, the first step in mounting on an Intel socket is to put the backplate in place. To do this, nothing could be simpler as you just have to pass screws through and hold them in place with small rubber washers. However, be careful with their spacing, placed towards the inside, the blackplate is intended for the LGA-1200 and LGA-1100 platforms, towards the outside, the assembly is oriented towards the LGA-1700 socket.
Mounting the pump
Then, the mounting steps are easy to follow since you will have to install mounting arms on the backplate. On an AMD motherboard, you will have to remove the original ones on the motherboard before installing the new ones. By the way, to install the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 ones, don’t forget to use the plastic spacers provided in the accessory part.
Concerning the mounting on Intel platform, the principle remains the same, but this time, the spacers are to be screwed on the backplate’s screw threads. Once in place, you just have to install the mounting arms. Once again, it is important to distinguish between the arms for the LGA-1700 with one hole and those for the LGA-1200 and LGA-1100 with two holes.
Once the mechanism is ready to receive the waterblock, we put a small quantity of thermal paste on the processor and we finish the assembly by fixing it on its mechanism.
To finish, we will use the hub to centralize the management of lighting and ventilation. Be careful, however, as it will require a SATA plug to be properly powered. And it will have to be connected to the motherboard to get the different signals used to manage the speed and the lighting.
[nextpage title=”Protocol”]
Small update of our test protocol. Indeed, we changed the software we were using to stress our configuration. The same goes for the different profiles. By the way, you will see that our configuration has recently received a new power supply. It is a RM750x from Corsair. Of course, we will always focus on temperature and noise measurements.
The wiring of the fans is not supported by our rehobus, so we set the ventilation manually via the bios of our motherboard. They will operate respectively with a PWM
signal of 30%, 50% and 100%.
- H170i Elite Capellix (Corsair)
- Kraken X53 (NZXT)
- Liquid Freezer II 240 (Arctic)
- Liquid Freezer II 360 RGB (Arctic)
- LS720 (DeepCool)
- MEG CoreLiquid S360 (MSI)
- Pure Loop 240 (be quiet!)
- Pure Loop 2 FX 360 (be quiet!)
- Silent Loop 2 360 (be quiet!)
- ToughLiquid Ultra 240 (Thermaltake)
[nextpage title=”Speed and noise”]
Fan speed :
So we start our series of temperature readings. Here, we start from scratch. Let us specify the fan speeds recorded during our readings (for 12V, 8V, 5V):
The first thing we will remember about the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 fans is that they are fast, very fast even. With their 2400 rpm, they are on par with the ToughFan 12 Turbo of Thermaltake’s ToughLiquid Ultra 240.
Otherwise, the mid-range speed is about 1700 rpm and the low-range speed is about 1100 rpm. It remains to be seen what impact this will have on noise and temperature.
Noise :
Despite the very high operating speeds, the noise level remains rather low for an AIO whose three fans operate at 2400 RPM. Indeed, 44 dB is not very much. In comparison, the Kraken X53 has only two fans which are also slower, but the noise level generated is higher: 48 dB.
If we regulate the Silent Loop 2 FX 360, the noise level drops quite quickly to 37 dB at mid-range, then 30.5 dB at low speed. In absolute terms, we can say that it offers a good speed/noise ratio. It remains to be seen how it will behave thermally.
[nextpage title=”Temperatures”]
Processor at 65W
Despite a more violent 65W profile, the latter still represents the least stressful phase of this protocol. It allows to highlight the performances obtained with compact/entry-level heatsinks. These results are only indicative for the largest heatsinks (AIO, large dual tower heatsink, etc.). 
In 65W, if the temperatures at low speeds are interesting: less than 38°C, at higher speeds, it is a bit disappointing. Despite its high speed, the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 is “eaten up” by slower 240mm AIOs. We are thinking in particular of the Kraken X53 whose temperature difference is quite significant.
Processor at 95W :
Here, our CPU will run at 3.90 GHz constantly and on all its cores. We apply a VCore of 1.375V to obtain a consumption of 95W approximately. To simplify the reading of the graph, we may have rounded some values to the nearest integer. 
At 95W, the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 finds itself playing elbows with Arctic ‘s Liquid Freezer II 360 RGB and Thermaltake’s ToughLiquid Ultra 240 . In a second step, we realize that the Silent Loop 2 360 offers quite similar performance despite being from a higher range.
Processor at 125W:
Finally, we finish with our 125W profile. Here the heat release is more important, let’s see how our AIO are doing! 
Finally, on our 125W profile, we find a rather competent AIO since it cools our processor correctly on its highest fan speeds. Nevertheless, as soon as we switch the fan to low speed, the temperatures increase. Moreover, this is detrimental to the Liquid Freezer II 360 RGB, which was more comfortable at higher speeds.
Summary
Overall, we find the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 to be a very capable AIO when its fan is running at high speeds. In these conditions, it can compete with higher end or even bigger kits. However, as soon as the kit runs on its lower RPMs, it starts to suffer from the competition. In case of overclocking, you should not hesitate to push the fans a bit. [nextpage title=”The temperature/noise ratio”]
On these graphs of perf/noise ratio, we remind you that the best is to be placed as much as possible at the bottom left of the graph. For the reading, the left most point symbolizes the 12V ventilation, the one in the center the 8V ventilation and the right most point the 5V ventilation.
At 65W, we find a Pure Loop 2 FX 360 in the pack, without really distinguishing itself from its competitors on its highest speeds. On the other hand, at low speeds, it offers a very convincing temperature/noise ratio. If you have a processor with low power consumption, there’s no need to push the ventilation too much! 
At 95W, the situation changes as the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 suffers a little more from the competition, which is more at ease with this heating profile. As we can see, competitors such as the Liquid Freezer II 360 RGB stand out from our example of the day… Especially since it starts to suffer at low speed: the LS720 and MEG CoreLiquid S360 taking the ascendancy in these conditions! 
In 125W, if our kit does well at full speed (~2400 rpm), it is no longer the case as the speed of the fans decreases. We can also feel that it starts to be uncomfortable at low speed, its curve tending to lengthen significantly. On a big CPU or in case of big overclocking, you should not hesitate to push the ventilation a bit. [nextpage title=”Conclusion”]
We are now at the end of this test of the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 from be quiet! So, what is this model worth? Let’s review.
No change in design!
With this version 2 of the Pure Loop, be quiet! does not make any convincing visual change. On the form, we find the same kit with a waterblock with a brushed aluminum part and a worked radiator. Compared to the kits developed in collaboration with Asetek, this is a change and it is rather pleasant.
Finally, the only real change concerning the visual aspect is related to the presence of RGB lighting. As a reminder, with the first series, the pump was illuminated in white while the fans, Pure Wings, were devoid of LEDs.
A complete accessory part
Another positive aspect is that the be quiet! kit does not come without anything, since we can count on a complete accessory part. At this level, we are thinking mainly of the hub that will allow us to centralize the management of the speed and lighting of the various elements of the AIO. But that’s not all, as there is also a refill kit in case of a power failure. This will extend the life of the product, especially since the filling hole is easily accessible.
Finally, the assembly part does not present any particular difficulty, the steps of assembly are easily linked.
Excellent temperatures!
Now, what about the nuisances? As we have seen, the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 does quite well on small consumption. As soon as the latter increase, the kit can be damaged, especially by drastically reducing the operating speed of the fans. It is therefore necessary not to be too stingy on the RPM of the fans at the risk of seeing the temperature increase at low speed.
Otherwise, as far as noise is concerned, we are surprised to have controlled noise pollution. For fans operating at 44 dB, the noise is far from being catastrophic, we have seen worse. However, we could have gained more with slower Light Wings, but the impact on temperatures would have been even more important.
Less expensive than the first generation!
We end our conclusion by mentioning the selling price of the kit, which is officially 124.90 €. A rather soft pricing, especially in front of the first generation kits displayed at 129.90 € for recall. In any case, on this price sector, the competition will be tough, especially when we find the Liquid Freezer II 360 in front offering a better temperature / noise ratio … But a much larger size.
be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360
We like:
- The finish of the radiator, very clean!
- The filling hole offering, potentially, a longer life
- The flexible hoses, easy installation
- The complete accessory part
- The simple mounting of the waterblock
- The presence of the RGB which does not increase the bill!
- Its interesting speed/sound ratio
- The pricing softened compared to the first series
We liked less :
- The temperatures at low rpm that go up
- The competition is tough: Liquid Freezer II 360 on this price range!
In the end, we choose to award silver to the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 from be quiet! With this model, the brand signs a kit that we will be able to maintain ourselves over time thanks to its filling hole. Nevertheless, be careful with the ventilation speed on a big CPU since it starts to suffer at low speed. Similarly, at 125 €, beware of the competition, especially that imposed by Arctic which offers an excellent temperature/noise ratio! Nevertheless, the brand has the good taste not to overcharge the appearance of RGB.
A big thank you to be quiet!
