INTRODUCTION

   All-in-one liquid CPU cooling systems may have been around for roughly 8 years now but just like CPU air coolers they haven't really changed/evolved that much. Sure through the years manufacturers have used larger and higher fin density radiators, stronger and more durable pumps, more flexible tubes, improved cold plates/waterblocks, faster fans and even RGB lighting but the basic three-part configuration remains the same. Of course just like in the case of CPU air coolers these changes/improvements have effectively pushed the cooling efficiency of AIO models to a level where some of them can even compete with complete water cooling kits. The latest Silent Loop 360mm AIO Liquid CPU Cooler by our good friends over at be quiet! was released with that exact purpose in mind and today we have it on our test bench.

   be quiet! is a premium brand of power supplies, PC cases and cooling solutions for desktop PCs. Consistently the leader in the German PC power supply market since 2007*, be quiet! is one of the most successful PSU brands in Europe. This enduring success is largely thanks to the typical German passion for quality and precision. All product conception, design and quality control is performed in Germany. German expertise is evident the moment an idea is born and throughout the entire design and production process. be quiet! never releases a product until it meets the highest expectations. All materials used – from the smallest screws to the metals in the cases – are tested to rigorous standards. That is why be quiet! power supplies, PC cases, CPU coolers and case fans are among the most silent, powerful and reliable on the market. Innovative engineering concepts coupled with an uncompromising choice of premium materials and world-class manufacturing quality make be quiet! second to none when it comes to noise reduction. With over ten years of experience, be quiet! are truly the quietness experts.

    The Silent Loop 360mm is the actually the 4th AIO liquid CPU cooler to be released by be quiet! (after the 120/240/280mm models) in cooperation with Alphacool and just as its name suggests it's based on a triple-fan 360mm long copper radiator (397mm to be exact). The larger copper radiator combined with the three 120mm fans gives the Silent Loop 360mm a TDP (thermal design power) of 450W (50W more compared to the Silent Loop 280mm which we reviewed a while back). The cooler also features a high-performance (2200RPM) yet silent decoupled reverse-flow pump (same model as the one used in the Silent Loop 280mm), 390mm long flexible tubes with anti-kink coils (bend protection), CNC machined cold plate and three Pure Wings 2 120mm PWM rifle-bearing fans (2000RPM/65.51CFM/2.23mmH2O/36.9dBA). So let’s see just what you can expect from the largest family member of the Silent Loop AIO liquid CPU coolers by be quiet!