A Closer Look

When it comes to the radiator, be quiet! isn't rocking the boat here. It is your standard 280 mm aluminium offering that features the product name down the sides and some indents that add a more visually interesting look. The sleeved tubing measures 400 mm in length while the fins-per-inch (FPI) of the radiator sits at 20, both of which are pretty much standard for most AIO liquid coolers. Considering the pump's location on the tubing, it would have been nice to have a bit more length, but 400 mm should be enough for the majority of cases and installations.


While it isn't the first time I have seen a pump built into the tubing, It remains a unique solution all the same. This is also true of the fill port on the radiator. While not a truly new feature, it's still rare enough that I was pleasantly surprised but its inclusion. Overall maintenance should prove much easier long term due to this particular feature.


The CPU block itself is sleek and clean with an aesthetically pleasing design. While the original Pure Loop series didn't have much to tie the CPU block to the radiator or fans visually, that is not the case now. The inclusion of ARGB lighting means the fans and pump will match while still maintaining the crisp looks. Sadly rather than moving the ARGB wiring away from the tubing, be quiet! opted to place it in between the two swivel fittings. Meanwhile, the nickel-plated copper base is very well done, with only the faint machining marks being visible. I will also note here that the base is very slightly convex.


The Light Wings 140 mm ARGB fans (BQ LIW-14025-HHR-PWM) be quiet! has paired with the Pure Loop 2 FX 280 are, a newer design, and has a maximum RPM of 2200. These fans make use of nine blades, which is a hybrid between static pressure and maximum airflow. As such, I expect performance to be fairly good but likely nowhere near class beating.