be quiet! Pure Loop 3 LX 360
Introduction
be quiet! has always been a name that stands out for silent yet powerful performance. At Computex 2025, the company pulled the wraps off its latest cooling duo: the Pure Loop 3 and the Pure Loop 3 LX, both aimed at gamers, creators, and PC enthusiasts who want cooling that doesn’t just perform but also looks the part. The brand thus renews its entry-level series, while offering an interesting twist with the LX series. The latter benefits from small masks to be inserted under the surface of the pump cover. The aim is to personalize your AIO! A further advantage of the fan/s is that it can be connected in series via its dual male/female connector, which drastically reduces the number of cables in your PC, which is always welcome. Today we're reviewing the be quiet! Pure Loop 3 LX 360mm.
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With this series, the brand offers a number of kits, five in all. Two of them belong to the LX series, while the other three are part of the “regular” range. But what’s the difference between the two series? Firstly, the LX models benefit from aRGB fans. Secondly, they come with small masks that can be mounted on the pump’s cover to personalize its design. Otherwise, the kits come in classic dimensions: 360/280/240 mm for the basic models. LX versions come in 240 and 360 mm only. Ventilation is provided by two or three 120 or 140 mm fans, depending on size. Specifications are as follows:
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Packaging & Contents
As far as packaging is concerned, it is the usual design at be quiet! since we find the traditional black box. In the middle is a look at the product with the head unit illuminated, but the fans are still for added branding. Meanwhile, the top and bottom are the same with be quiet! listing the product name and radiator size on both.
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The backside of the main packing box has some key features highlighted. We will cover them later in this article. We can see a serial number sticker as well as a part number label. My only real gripe is the fact that despite having a lot of space to use (it’s a big box), the writing and images are fairly small. It’s not bad, just not the best implementation of space.
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One of the sides that offers entry inside also starts with a bit of the backstory on be quiet. There is a table showing the specifications of be quiet! Pure Loop 3 LX 360 cooler. The contents of the box are also printed at the bottom. This cooler is designed in Germany. There is a QR code on the other sidethat takes you to the product page. Second, the text below the code states that the code is for the product information, and lastly, this time in gray, we see the be quiet name at the bottom.
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There is an egg carton inside the main packing box. The components of the cooler are safe and nicely placed in this carton. This helps to safeguard the contents during shipping and prevents damage. We need to slide this carton out of the main packing box. There is a brown color accessory box. It has all the mounting hardware inside. 360 is printed on a label indicating the mounting hardware for the 360mm cooler.
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Let’s take a look at what accessories are provided.They have provided a user guide with instructions on how to install this cooler on the supported sockets.
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be quiet! has emphasized servicing this cooler. It comes with Three Light Wings LX 120mm PWM high-speed fans, a syringe of thermal paste, Intel and AMD mounting kits (LGA 1851/1700 and AM5/AM4 included), 10 customizable films for the ARGB pump block, Hardware and multilingual documentation.
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A Closer Look
The Pure Loop 3 LX rad comes with a sleek semi-matte black finish, but introduces a more playful dimension with its customizable ARGB block.
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be quiet's Pure Loop 3 LX 360, like many other liquid coolers before it, uses an aluminium radiator. The Silent Loop 2 360 is equipped with a model whose dimensions are 397 mm long, 120 mm wide and 52 mm thick, fans included.
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As per usual with all be quiet! AIO coolers, there’s a refillable port. However, unlike the previous generation, refillable coolant is no longer included, so users must organize it themselves. Pump and radiator are connected via two textile-covered hoses. The tubes are 400 mm long and covered with a nylon mesh that adds mechanical protection and improves the overall finish. These tubes are quite flexible, made from synthetic polyamide, making them easy to manage and long enough for all types of mounting, in any position of the case we've chosen for our PC.
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A striking visual feature is the milky white pump cover, illuminated by A-RGB LEDs underneath.
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This model stands out with its interchangeable films: around ten plastic sheets to be inserted manually into the pump unit cover to obtain a static pattern. These films are placed on the white surface and secured with the included cover. Most designs incorporate the be quiet! logo. The Space Invaders design is one of two films that do not feature a manufacturer's logo.
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The pump unit combines a copper base with a pump now set between 3,000 and 5,500 rpm . Its 6-pole motor reduces vibration and noise. Power is supplied via a 4-pin PWM connector, allowing dynamic speed adjustment.
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The be quiet! Light Wings LX , included in the LX version, are the aesthetic proposition without sacrificing performance. Each fan includes 16 ARGB LEDs integrated into the frame and is designed to deliver outstanding performance under load.
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The blades are optimized to reduce turbulence and generate more pressure and benefit from a light-diffusing acrylic material to significantly improve illumination compared to the previous generation, which only affected the fan frame.
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The frame has been revised to function as a funnel and facilitate air intake . Despite its visual focus, there is no sacrifice in terms of airflow or static pressure compared to unlit fans. These fans have a wide PWM range, from 650 RPM to 2100 RPM, allowing for a very low noise profile at idle and excellent responsiveness when the system demands it. Perfect for mid- and high-range processors, with excellent results with processors with turbo modes up to 250-270 W.
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Connectivity is PWM, and in this generation, be quiet! has put more care into the organization of the kit, with shorter cables that can be connected to each other, but where all the wiring for lighting and power is unified. We've already seen this system in another of its recent kits, the be quiet! Silent Loop 3. This connector ends in an extension cable that divides between ARGB connectivity, with a "Y" input and output, and a unified PWM connector for all three fans. This makes cable management much easier, as everything stays neatly organized.
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Installation Process
It's time to proceed with all the installation to be quiet! Pure Loop 3 LX 360. The installation kit is composed of a backplate in aluminum. It must be prepared in advance with screws and O-rings. Its consolidation to the motherboard is done with four spacers on the "socket" side. Next, two mounting bars are installed on each side of the socket.
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At this point, you can apply some thermal compound in preparation for mounting the pump. Remove the protective sticker from the base of the CPU block, lower down the CPU block aligned with the mounting screw holes and tighten the screws to fix the CPU block in place. be sure to tighten the screws evenly and progressively for optimal CPU block to CPU contact.
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The next step is mounting the radiator in the case. This is actually quite quick, as we'll be mounting it at the top of the case using eight screws. it’s the design touches that steal the show. A new snap-on foil cover system lets you swap out pump faceplates between ten different alternatives, putting visual personalisation front and centre. I’m hoping for more in the future, possibly with 3D printing support. Combined with subtle RGB highlights and broad compatibility across both Intel and AMD sockets, it’s a cooler that not only performs, but one that wants to be shown off.
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Testing & Methology
For today's testing, we'll be using a new test setup, so we've also tested a few other coolers as part of it for direct comparison. We have equipped our lineup with a Ryzen 9 5950X processor, which is significantly more demanding. Perhaps the most important thing is that we are testing in a classic case, a large and very well ventilated Fractal Design Meshify 2 XL. In addition, it also allows the installation of a 480 mm heat exchanger on the ceiling. We always install the tested AiO coolers with an exchanger on the ceiling, while there are high-quality fans on the front wall of the cabinet for good air access to the cabinet. Very quiet graphics are also installed so that it does not disturb the results.
Testing coolers in practice
What else do you need to know about our testing? We test all coolers without manual adjustment and regulation. We leave everything to automatic regulation, that is exactly how the vast majority of users will use them. Of course, all coolers (and their fans) usually have the possibility of manual regulation, which affects performance and noise. The cabinet used definitely also plays a big role, and above all the temperature in the room. In our case, the temperature during testing is always around 20, maximum 21°C.
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AMD Ryzen 9 5950X processor cooling.
As for the Ryzen 9 5950X processor, it also plays a big role when comparing coolers. The maximum safe operating temperature of this model is up to 95°C according to AMD. It is only at this point that the processor starts to limit clocks and therefore performance. The processor is actually made up of three separate chips under the heatspreader, so it is not a monolith (one chip). There are two 7nm 8-core/16-thread ZEN 3 and one low-end 12nm I/O pieces of silicon. The two small 7nm chips generate the most heat. In general, a larger chip area is more advantageous for cooling, as heat is dissipated more easily across the surface. However, with the current AMD ZEN chips, which are very small (only around 80mm2), the heat is extremely concentrated (as well as the transistors in the chip themselves) on a very small area. The area through which the chip transmits heat to the heatspreader is very small, which is why there are significant temperature fluctuations. A processor such as the Ryzen 9 5950X shows significant and rapid temperature changes, depending on the load. This processor can show high temperatures, but that doesn't mean it's heating up, so to speak. It makes a big difference if you have a small 70mm2 chip with a temperature of 80°C or a 200mm2 large chip with the same temperature. The Ryzen 9 5950X is actually extremely efficient with a low base TDP of only around 105W. However, even with powerful cooling, temperature fluctuations between 65 - 85°C in various types of load and 30 - 40°C in idle states are common. In our case, we are testing a typical longer-term load in CineBench R23, and all coolers are left in their own auto-regulation mode, so the fan speed and noise are different. And so here are the main differences.
Performance
There is nothing to worry about at Stock Load test.
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[SIZE=4]The be quiet! Pure Loop 3 LX 360mm delivers decent cooling performance.These temperatures reflect almost exactly what i would expect from the be quiet! Pure Loop 3 LX 360. They are similar to competing coolers.
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Our final test is a sound check. In idle, the be quiet! Pure Loop 3 LX 360 is quiet. The pump is very quiet indeed and we detected none of the ticking noise you get with some All In Ones. Under stress, it's still nice, especially considering the good temps. Even with three fans, we found the be quiet! Pure Loop 3 LX 360 to be very agreeable in terms of acoustics.
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Final Thoughts
Before we end our Pure Loop 3 LX review, we will provide you with our conclusion of the product. The Pure Loop 3 LX, a new-generation AIO (All-in-One) cooler that brings both brains and beauty to the table. This isn’t your usual black box cooling solution, it’s got flair. The standout feature? Exchangeable foil covers for the pump block. Yep, you can swap between 10 included designs to personalize the look of your loop without touching your RGB settings. Think of it like a skin for your water block with no mods required. But it’s not just a looker. At its core is a PWM-controlled pump powered by a 6-pole motor, designed for smoother operation and longer lifespan. The result? Better flow, less vibration, and of course, less noise, something be quiet! consistently nails. Cooling performance is boosted by the inclusion of up to three Light Wings LX high-speed fans, known for pushing serious airflow while staying nearly silent. They also feature ARGB lighting, perfectly syncing with your system’s aesthetic. And thanks to a daisy-chainable design, cable clutter becomes a non-issue. It’s cleaner, faster, and more convenient, especially for tidy builds. It is clear that this is an AIO suitable for CPUs that are certainly difficult to dissipate, such as Ryzen 9000 or Intel 13th and 14th generation. The Pure Loop 3 LX comes in 240mm and 360mm radiator sizes, making it a versatile fit for mid- to full-tower cases and high-performance CPUs from both Intel and AMD. Compatibility with the latest sockets including LGA 1851 and AM5 is already baked in.
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This isn’t just a refresh – it’s a rethink of what a mainstream all-in-one cooler should be, blending the brand’s signature silent performance with a striking new design, modular customisation, and full ARGB flair. It’s loud in looks but quiet where it counts. The price tag doesn’t go far, as you’ll have to pay €84.90, €99.90 and €104.90 without lighting in 240/280/360 mm respectively. The LX version will cost a little more: €99.90 for 240 mm and €119.90 for 360 mm.
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