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ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 vs be quiet! Light Loop 360: Comparison

ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 vs be quiet! Light Loop 360: the radiator size difference

Start with radiator size, because it is the widest measured gap between them: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 420 mm against be quiet! Light Loop 360 360 mm, 14% in favour of ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420. Add warranty to that, 6 years on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 versus 3 years on the be quiet! Light Loop 360, and the pattern holds. Add max speed to that, 1700 RPM on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 versus 2100 RPM on the be quiet! Light Loop 360, and the pattern holds. ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 also leads on airflow, 72.8 CFM on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 versus 61.8 CFM on the be quiet! Light Loop 360.

Which should you buy, ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 or be quiet! Light Loop 360?

Take the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 for buyers who want the largest available Liquid Freezer III radiator without paying Pro-tier ARGB pricing. It is equally the pick for extreme overclocking or high-TDP workstation builds needing roughly 320W of headroom. It is not the one for cases that can't fit a 420mm radiator, which needs a genuinely large chassis. The be quiet! Light Loop 360 suits High-TDP flagship CPUs needing 360mm cooling and RGB-themed cases with front or top radiator mounts, though it is the wrong buy for silence-first builds (see Pure Loop 2 instead) and cases limited to 240mm radiator space. The same goes for showcase builds wanting be quiet! build quality.

Frequently asked questions

Do the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 and be quiet! Light Loop 360 differ on static pressure?

Yes. Static Pressure reads 2.4 mmH2O on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 versus 2.51 mmH2O on the be quiet! Light Loop 360.

Is the Cooler Type the same on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 and be quiet! Light Loop 360?

It is. Both are listed at AIO Liquid, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.

Specs and benchmarks

  • Brand

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    ARCTIC
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    be quiet!
  • Cooler Type

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    AIO Liquid
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    AIO Liquid
  • Radiator Size

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    420 mmBest
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    360 mm-14%
  • Series

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
  • Model Number

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    ACFRE00137A
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    BW022
  • Socket Compatibility

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X
  • Tower Layout

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    Not Applicable
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    Not Applicable
  • Fan Count

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    3
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    3
  • RGB Lighting

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    No
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    Yes
  • Cooler Weight

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    2235 g
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    1480 gBest
  • Radiator Thickness

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    38 mm
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    27 mm
  • Tube Length

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    450 mm
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    400 mm
  • Pump Max Speed

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    2800 RPM
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    2900 RPMBest
  • Fan Size

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    140 mm
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    120 mm
  • Max Speed

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    1700 RPM-19%
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    2100 RPMBest
  • Airflow

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    72.8 CFMBest
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    61.8 CFM-15%
  • Static Pressure

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    2.4 mmH2O-4%
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    2.51 mmH2O
  • Bearing Type

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    Fluid Dynamic
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    Rifle
  • PWM Control

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    Yes
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    Yes
  • Lighting

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    None
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    ARGB
  • Warranty

    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420
    6 yearsBest
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    3 years-50%

    Which one should you pick?

    Choose ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 if you want the higher radiator size (420 mm vs 360 mm), the higher fan count (3 vs 3) and the higher airflow (72.8 CFM vs 61.8 CFM).

    Choose be quiet! Light Loop 360 if you want the higher max speed (2100 RPM vs 1700 RPM) and the higher static pressure (2.51 mmH2O vs 2.4 mmH2O).

    Price comparison

    RetailerARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420be quiet! Light Loop 360
    AmazonView on AmazonView on Amazon

    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 III 420

    9 / 10 Expert Rating

    One of the best value-per-degree AIOs available at any radiator size, now in its largest non-Pro form.

    be quiet! Light Loop 360

    8 / 10 Expert Rating

    be quiet!'s cooling quality with a genuine RGB showcase, a strong pick for builders who want both.

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