Testing
The following system was used to test the cooler:
– Processor: Intel i9 9900K @ 5GHz
– Motherboard: ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X
– RAM: Ballistix Tactical Tracer 16GB DDR4 @ 2666MHz
– GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio
– SSD: Crucial MX500
– HDD: WD 1 TB Blue
– PSU: Seasonic Snow Silent 750W Platinum
– Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe White
– Thermal compound: Noctua NT-H2
Software used for testing the cooler:
– AIDA64 Extreme Version: 6.32.5600
– Intel Burn Test v2.54
– Prime95 29.1
The cooler was tested with the CPU at the default turbo frequency of 4.9 GHz and overclocked to 5 GHz with a core voltage of 1.261 V.
Also, the included fans have been used at their maximum speed.
The room temperature was approximately 26°C (78°F), with 2°C margin of error.
The idle test consists of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 30 minutes, the temperature was measured at the end of the test.
The settings of the software used are the following:
Intel Burn Test v2.54 – Stress level: Maximum
Prime95 29.1- small FFT
AIDA64 Extreme Version – FPU Benchmark & Temperature monitoring.
Each test was conducted for 40 minutes.
Idle
Full Load – IntelBurnTestV2
Full Load – AIDA64 CPU, FPU & Cache
The noise level was measured at three different distances from the fans (10cm, 20cm, 30cm.) the noise was measured with a margin of error of ± 2 db.
Final thoughts
The be quiet! Pure Loop 240 is a great AIO CPU Cooler, not only it has a good cooling performance but it also has the quietest pump on the market. The build quality is very good and the same can be said about the mounting system which is a joy to use.
The overall cooling performance is very good, the Pure Loop 240 being at the top of the temperature charts alongside high end CPU coolers such as the Noctua NH-D15, Fractal Design Celsius+ S24 Prisma, or the SilverStone Permafrost PF240W-ARGB to name a few. However, the main advantage of the be quiet! Pure Loop 240 is that it manages to deliver this cooling performance while having a silent pump.
Another feature offered by the Pure Loop 240 is the fill and air bleeding port present on the radiator. This can be used to either fill the cooler with liquid or bleed the trapped air in the system, two things which are hard if not impossible on regular AIO type coolers. In addition, be quiet! has included a 100ml bottle of coolant with the cooler.
The build quality of the Pure Loop 240 is very good, the radiator and the tubes are well made, and the same can be said about the CPU block. One thing to note here is that unfortunately, the CPU block has its body made out of plastic, which is unfortunate.
The installation process is simple, thanks to a redesigned mounting system which shares many of its components with the one used on the Dark Rock Pro series of air CPU coolers. Apart from the spacers, there are no plastic components used within this mounting system, thus, it offers a solid mount for the cooler.
The Pure Loop 240 is available for around 95 USD or EUR at the moment of writing this review. A price which places this CPU cooler below the prices of an average AIO 240mm CPU Cooler, and well below the high-end models from other manufactures.
In conclusion, the be quiet! Pure Loop 240 is a great AIO CPU cooler that offers a good cooling performance and a pump that makes absolutely no noise even at maximum speed. The mounting system is easy to use and offers a solid mount on the CPU. The included fans are silent at regular speeds but they will make some noise at maximum RPM.
The only inconvenient is the body of the CPU block which is made out of plastic, while it does not affect the performance of the cooler, it does affect the design and build quality.
