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ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 vs be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3: Comparison
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 vs be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3: the warranty difference
Warranty is where these two genuinely part company, ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 6 years against be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 3 years, a 50% lead for ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280. Airflow runs the same way, 72.84 CFM on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 versus 59.6 CFM on the be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3, another win for ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280. Add max speed to that, 1700 RPM on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 versus 2000 RPM on the be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3, and the pattern holds.
Which should you buy, ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 or be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3?
The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 is the one to take for value-focused 280mm-radiator builds and motherboards with modest VRM cooling, though it is the wrong buy for RGB showcase builds (see ARCTIC's ARGB variants instead) and cases needing thin (<30mm) radiators. Take the be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 for buyers who prioritize a quiet PC above squeezing out maximum thermal headroom. be quiet!'s entire brand identity and engineering focus centers on this exact priority. The same goes for anyone gaming or working without headphones where fan noise is genuinely noticeable. The measured noise advantage here is real, not just marketing. It is the wrong buy for buyers chasing the lowest possible temperatures on a demanding CPU. The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE, covered elsewhere on this site, delivers measurably cooler results at a similar price, at the cost of more noise under load.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 and be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 differ on cooler type?
Yes. Cooler Type reads AIO Liquid on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 versus Air Tower on the be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3.
Is the Fan Count the same on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 and be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3?
It is. Both are listed at 2, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- ARCTIC
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- be quiet!
Cooler Type
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- AIO Liquid
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- Air Tower
Series
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
Model Number
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- ACFRE00066B
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- BK041
Socket Compatibility
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X/2066/2011-3
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X
Tower Layout
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- Not Applicable
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- Dual-Tower
Fan Count
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 2
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- 2
RGB Lighting
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- No
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- No
Cooler Weight
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 1572 g
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- 1070 gBest
Fan Size
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 140 mm
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- 120 mm
Max Speed
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 1700 RPM-15%
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- 2000 RPMBest
Airflow
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 72.84 CFMBest
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- 59.6 CFM-18%
Bearing Type
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- Fluid Dynamic
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- Rifle
PWM Control
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- Yes
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- Yes
Lighting
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- None
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- None
Warranty
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
- 6 yearsBest
- be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3
- 3 years-50%
Which one should you pick?
Choose ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 if you want the higher fan count (2 vs 2), the higher airflow (72.84 CFM vs 59.6 CFM) and the higher warranty (6 years vs 3 years).
Choose be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 if you want the higher max speed (2000 RPM vs 1700 RPM).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 | be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | |
| Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
8.5 / 10 Expert Rating
Outstanding thermal value at 280mm, the VRM fan is a genuinely useful extra most AIOs lack.