Page 2 - Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
We have seen other be quiet! AIO coolers in the past, but both the Pure Loop and Pure Loop 2 FX heralded from a different family from our unit today. This Light Loop 360mm does have some similar aspects. For one, we have an all-black finish on the radiator and tubing. This also includes a braided sleeve over the tubes for a cleaner finish. Furthermore, branding is limited to just the logo on the water block. However, there are two notable differences with the Light Loop 360mm. First, the top of the water block is a dark gray and translucent top with a unique design. The diagonally running plastic fins here remind me of micro fins inside a cold plate, except on a larger scale. The translucent finish will tell you there are lights underneath, with a total of sixteen lights on the block. Several cables lead out to control the lighting and the pump. The second difference is the length of the radiator, as this is the 360mm version. Other variants include a black 240mm and two white versions of these two sizes.
The radiator has measurements of 397mm in length, 120mm in width, and 27mm in thickness. These are typical numbers for a 360mm all-in-one liquid cooler. The size of a radiator plays a crucial role in cooling, as larger surface areas result in better heat dissipation. It is made out of aluminum, which performs satisfactorily in terms of heat transfer. However, the main advantage of this material is its lower mass, which should reduce the strain placed on the case. As you saw from the contents of the box, we do have extra coolant included, which means there is an easily accessible fill port located on the edge of the radiator. I am quite happy they have included this, as it can potentially extend the life of the cooler. Overall, the build quality of the be quiet! Light Loop 360mm is good with no bends or defects to be concerned about. I would still want to see some protection under each mounting hole to ensure screws do not contact the fins underneath. Of course, if you use the included screws, this will not be an issue, as they do not go far enough to cause problems.
Taking a closer look at the radiator, we have a standard fin layout on the be quiet! Light Loop 360mm. The fins are placed in this manner, so they contact the liquid running through the top and bottom. The result is a wavy set of fins, which are consistent in pattern and without any defects. Heat from the liquid runs through the radiator and transfers to the fins through the contact points. Fans are attached to the radiator to dissipate the heat. The liquid is transported around the loop via tubing. The tubing is made from rubber and sleeved for a nicer finish. This measures 400mm in length, and should fit in most standard mid-tower cases on the market. I personally found this just long enough to mount my radiator on the side, but it was a bit of a stretch. I would have appreciated a bit more length to reduce the strain on the tubes. Obviously, it depends on where you place the radiator in relation to the processor on the motherboard. The tubes are strong and flexible and should not form any kinks, even in more extreme bends. They pivot on the water block for easier maneuverability.
Going down the tubing, on the other end is the contact plate, pump, and water block of the be quiet! Light Loop 360mm. This unit measures 75mm in height, 94mm in width, and 82mm in depth. As this includes the pump inside, as well as a patterned top, it is no surprise it is slightly taller. Even so, this should not be an issue in most computer cases. The base contacting the processor is copper with nickel plating to increase its durability and resistance to corrosion. The base is flat with a slight circular finish that shows polishing marks. However, I also noticed two lines of stains that I could not remove, which is a bit unfortunate. Two holes with captive screws can be found on opposite edges for mounting purposes. A plastic label is placed on this area out of the box, so it is important you remove the label before installing it. Inside, we have a pump operating at an adjustable range of 1500 to 2900 RPM. It is powered and controlled through a 4-pin PWM header.
The three fans included with the be quiet! Light Loop 360mm are the Light Wings LX 120mm PWM high-speed. Compared to the original Light Wings fans, these have translucent blades with sixteen ARGB LEDs inside the impeller to shine out of the middle. Internally, we still have rifle bearings with a lifespan of 60,000 hours. The rated noise level is a maximum 30.9dbA, but we will see what this means when we evaluate noise levels. In terms of other numbers, each fan produces a maximum air pressure of 2.51mm H2O with an airflow rating of 61.8CFM. Rubber dampeners can be found on each corner to reduce vibration. Finally, these are controlled with a 4-pin PWM header and a 3-pin ARGB header. With all the fans included, be quiet! provides a combined PWM and ARGB controller out of the box. Unlike the retail versions of these fans, these do not have daisy-chaining ARGB headers, but the included controller fulfills a similar purpose.
Installation of the be quiet! Light Loop 360mm is a familiar and straightforward process. The first step is to get and install the correct backplate for your system. A single backplate is provided for consumer Intel mounts. Users building on an AMD platform can use the backplate included with their motherboard. With my Z690 Intel motherboard, I used the backplate with the mounting bolts placed in the LGA1700 position. These bolts are held in place with rubber rings. This is the same backplate as the one included with the company's other coolers. While I complained about this mechanism in the past, I did not find this to be annoying this time around. Afterwards, I screwed in a set of thumbscrews; one for each protruding bolt. I installed two mounting arms on top of the thumbscrews and applied some of their included thermal paste.
With the arms in place, I mounted the radiator inside my case. You could technically mount the radiator after you place the CPU block, but I found it easier to secure the heavier part of the AIO loop first. Next, I mounted the CPU block on top. I would recommend applying the paste right before mounting the CPU block, as I had to clean up some excess thermal paste that flowed down. As the screws are integrated into the head, the whole unit was easy to secure down without needing an extra set of hands. Finally, I connected all the headers to the included combination controller and plugged everything into the motherboard. Overall, this installation process was straightforward and pain-free.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
