Introduction to the Be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX
The Be Quiet! Pure Loop surprised me at the time with its unusual configuration where the delivery pump is not in the exchange block, nor in the radiator, which seems a fashionable position, but located in line with the coolant tubes. Attached to both tubes to improve stability and reduce noise and vibration. It also stood out for its service drill and its coolant bottle so that we could extend the good performance of the kit over time.
Now comes a new version, the new Pure Loop 2 FX, for the brand’s 20th anniversary, accompanied by special promotions such as the magnificent Pure Base 500 FX box. New version of which we are lucky to review the model with the largest radiator, no less than 360mm, with new Light Wings fans and a revised pump that now has a variable rotation frequency controlled by PWM. Important changes that will give us a new perspective on this range of Be Quiet! entry-level liquid cooling kits.
Technical characteristics of the Be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX
- Compatible AMD sockets: AM4 / AM3+ / AM3 / AM2+/ AM2 / FM2+ / FM2 / FM1 / AM5
- Compatible Intel sockets: LGA 2066/ 2011-v3 / 2011 / 1151 / 1150 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / 1200 / 1700
- Radiator Material: Aluminum
- Radiator Dimensions: 397 x 120 x 27mm
- Pump size: 40 x 40 x 40mm
- Pump connector: PWM.
- Pump voltage: 12v
- Fan dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25mm
- Fan speed: 650-2400rpm
- Fan Airflow: Up to 78 CFM
- Fans: 3 x Light Wings 120mm High Speed (650-2400rpm)
- Fan noise level: 9~34 dBA
- Dynamic pressure: 2.66mmH20 (at maximum frequency)
- Fan Power Connector: 4-Pin PWM
- Fan voltage: 12v
- Fan current: 0.15A
- TPD of the set: 350w
- Warranty: 3 years.
radiator and tubes
This new generation banishes the 120mm size, a fairly common trend in all manufacturers, but maintains 240, 280 and 360mm options which also had the previous range. That leaves us room for configurations of up to 3 fans as standard, 6 if we want to add more fans in a “push-pull” configuration.
Our analysis model is the one with the largest radiator, 360mm, equipped with three fans as standard, made entirely of aluminum. The structure is the same that we see in any radiator on the market, for this type of application, with flat pipes through which the refrigerant circulates and wave-shaped aluminum sheets that communicate the pipes between them. It is a design that significantly increases the exchange surface and achieves a fairly friendly structure with fans that have a high static pressure capacity, improving performance.
With the kit we will find three latest generation ARGB fans from Be Quiet!, the light wings They are their first creation with this type of lighting, maintaining the performance and noise standards that are characteristic of this brand in all its products. We can, in addition to being sold as a kit, install up to three more fans on this radiator, for a configuration of up to 6 fans. Connectivity is not built into the radiator, but Be Quiet! in this edition it includes a hub for both ARGB connectivity and PWM connectivity for up to six fans.
Be Quiet! Nor does it offer us details about the type of material from which its tubes are made, although all manufacturers usually use a reinforced synthetic polyamide tube since this type of material is completely inert and has very low permeability, which results in a longer useful life. of the tube not only in terms of mechanical resistance but also chemical resistance. In this case, the tube is additionally protected with an external nylon mesh that will prevent cuts on the main wall. and which in turn offers a more “elegant” finish.
The tubes are 400mm long, which makes them very suitable for all types of mounting, but they are somewhat less flexible than in other types of configurations and not because of the type of material but because of how Be Quiet! put the pump on line for this system.
Pump and exchanger
The pump in these kits is anything but conventional. More and more kits are looking for alternative ways to improve performance, or cut costs to be more competitive, but finding in-line pumps located on the tube is less common. Be Quiet! uses an interesting methodology with which they gain stability by reducing noise and vibrations. They place the pump around the two tubes, which makes the fixing much more solid although it also makes the tube a little more rigid in the area closest to the radiatorwhich is where the bomb is located.
Although the appearance is very similar, the truth is that the pump has an important and fundamental change. It has the same drive capacity, with a maximum speed of 5500rpm, but control and general behavior are improved by introducing a PWM control that allows us to dynamically adjust performance between 4000 and 5500rpmbefore the operation was fixed and with a three-pin molex connection.
With this placement Be Quiet! it improves the working temperature of the pump, less affected in the exchange block, and allows to generate a small coolant deposit inside the exchange block. It is an interesting configuration that has already given us good results and that in this model, with variable control, should improve especially in idle states, with less noise and less stress for the system.
The exchange block Pure Loop 2 FX it remains the same, except with the addition of ARGB lighting that the original model did not have (if it had a white LED). Inside we will only find the exchange chamber with a micro channeled plate made entirely of copper, although the contact area is aptly finished in nickel which gives it a more elaborate aesthetic, it will not rust over time, as well as being more resistant and Compatible with all types of filler compounds, even less dense ones.
The block can be used with any recent and past processors from both AMD and Intel. It is compatible with both Intel LGA1155, LGA1200, LGA2066 processors, adding LGA1700 support in this generation, and is also perfectly suited to socket AM3, AM4+ and AM5 AMD processors, however it is not compatible with AMD’s Threadripper range.
Light Wings fans
We have been lucky enough to test these fans in their box cooling version, which have a maximum frequency of 1700rpm, the fans that the kit comes equipped with are the “High Speed” versions that improve performance in this type of cooling applications. substantially since at more frequency they are able to generate much more airflow, and even more importantly, much more static pressure.
With its 120mm diameter and its four-pole motor with “rifle” type bearing, offer up to 60,000 hours of average life before failure and a very interesting performance with a maximum frequency of 2500rpm, a substantial improvement over the low speed models.
At their maximum frequency they generate up to 52CFM of airflow and up to 2.66mm-H2O static pressure, they are not the best fans of the brand, but they are very capable of giving excellent performance mounted on a water kit. They have PWM control and a minimum frequency of only 550rpm, so they can be both very powerful and very pleasant to use in idle states of the PC. Its maximum noise, at 100% use, is only 31dBA, so with three fans we have noise below the range that I call annoying, which is 38dBA.
Wiring management, both ARGB and PWM, can be done through the hub so Be quiet! It makes the task of managing the wiring quite simple since the hub will allow us to manage all the wiring in a single point.
Pure Loop 2 FX performance tests
According to Be Quiet! this system should generate a noise of a maximum of 39.5dBA with its fans at maximum frequency with a more usual noise of less than 30dBA. That’s less noise than we find in a library with everyone silent.
This edition, with its upgraded PWM controllable pump and high-quality fans, achieves a major generational upgrade and puts the essential Be Quiet! much closer to its Silent Loop range, where its premium models are located.
For the test of this cooling system we have used an AMD Ryzen 7 3800X processor with 8 cores and 16 process threads. This 105w TDP model is quite demanding and takes good advantage of the extra dissipation capabilities to maintain its turbo modes for longer.
The kit assembly includes everything you need, but less thermal paste than we’d like (a couple of applications max) with Intel Socket LGA mounting plates and adapters for the rest of the processors. It is easy to assemble, it takes just 5 minutes, but we will have to manage a good number of cables, at least six for the fans, pump and exchange block, which makes a total of 8 cables that in this case we can concentrate with the adapter included in the kit.
These results are without any type of overclocking in the processor, but maintaining all its innate capabilities to establish turbo frequencies of up to 4.5GHz.
Results
Idle Noise (dBA)
Load noise (dBA)
CPU Temp (Idle)
Idle (rpm)
Radiator Temp (Load)
CPU Temp (Load)
Load (rpm)
Analysis and conclusion
This is the cheapest range of the brand, which now receives a couple of interesting improvements. A very colorful one, which many users will appreciate, but in which I see a notable improvement in the fans used. The Pure Wings from the original version to the Light Wings High Speed In this model, the improvement is not only aesthetic but functional, and this is very noticeable during the tests, although it is also true that the size of the radiator also improves these results.
The pump also has a major upgrade, which we appreciate a lot on higher end kits, which is the variable frequency setup. Not only is it fast when it needs to be, but it’s quieter and will suffer less stress over time, improving its overall lifespan.
With all the added elements, such as its lighting hub and fans, this kit wins many points and makes this 20th anniversary edition one of the most interesting in the Be Quiet! catalogue.
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