be quiet! Pure Loop 3 LX 360mm AIO Review

1. be quiet! Pure Loop 3 LX2. Intallation: AM53. Test Results4. Closing Thoughts5. View All Pages

Test System Specifications:

• CPU – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
• Motherboard – ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi
• Memory: 32GB (2 x 16GB Modules) Kingston Fury DDR5-6000
• Graphics card: MSI Radeon RX 6600 XT Gaming X
• Storage: 1TB Corsair MP600 Elite PCIe Gen4x4 NVME M.2 SSD
• Power Supply: Seasonic Prime TX-1000
• Chassis: Open Test Bench
• Thermal Compound: Arctic MX-6
• O/S: Windows 11 Version 24H2

Testing Methodology:

We are primarily focusing on the performance of each cooler at 100% fan speed and also when locked to 40dBA noise output. We will focus on cooling performance using a manual overclock with all-core frequency and VCORE locked to 5.2GHz/1.3v (AMD) and 5.5GHz/1.3v (Intel) and Precision Boost Overdrive performance.

• The test data is logged using HWINFO and the final 10 minutes of the data is calculated to find the average CPU temperature and CPU clock multiplier (AMD PBO Test) and then plotted in the charts.
• For testing, we use a 30-minute looped run of Cinebench R23 and record the steady-state CPU temperature at the end of the test. This ensures that the CPU has had ample time to warm up and reach a steady state under all of the coolers.
• The ambient is maintained at 19-21 degrees Celsius. Where there is variation beyond this temperature range, we add extra repeated tests to ensure consistency. However, this is well controlled now with A/C.
• We also test each cooler with at least two fresh installs (typically three) to mitigate the likelihood of poor mounting spoiling results.
• Ambient temperature and humidity are controlled via a mini split air conditioning system inside the test room. Ambient temperature is maintained between 19-20C, Temperature delta figures are shown in the charts (ambient temperature is deducted from the measured component temperature).

Test Results:

Acoustics

As we have come to expect with be quiet! products, a key focus is low noise and it doesn’t fail to disappoint again with the Pure Loop 3 LX, outputting a maximum noise level of 48dBA at 100% fan speed. It's not the absolute quietest cooler we have tested, but it is up there. Even with the fans running at full speed it's not annoying or too distracting.

Thermal Performance: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X

With fans at max rpm and the CPU frequency and VCORE locked, the Pure Loop 3 LX produces 58°C average CPU temperature which almost tops the chart, only beaten by the Corsair iCUE Link Titan 360 RX. This kind of performance from a 360mm AIO under £100 is very impressive, especially considering the low noise output too.

When the fan speed is reduced to hit the 40dBA noise target, performance drops off a little compared to the competition, but at 63°C average CPU temperature it's still up there, trading blows with some of the top 360mm AIOs and again, it's very solid performance from a budget cooler.

AMD PBO adjusts CPU frequency based on a target temperature threshold, so the temperature delta between coolers is close and it’s the CPU multiplier that is the important metric.

Again the be quiet! Pure Loop 3 LX shows solid performance with an average clock multiplier of 52.2x  at 64°C which is equal to some coolers equipped with larger 420mm radiators and more expensive units, while only producing 48dBA noise so overall it's excellent performance from the Pure Loop 3 LX.

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