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be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Noctua NH-D12L: Comparison
be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Noctua NH-D12L fan count compared
On fan count the spread is 67%, be quiet! Light Loop 360 3 against Noctua NH-D12L 1, so be quiet! Light Loop 360 takes it. Add warranty to that, 3 years on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 6 years on the Noctua NH-D12L, and the pattern holds. Socket compatibility is not the same on both, AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1954/1851/1700/1200/115X on the Noctua NH-D12L. There is a split on tower layout as well, Not Applicable on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus Dual-Tower on the Noctua NH-D12L.
be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Noctua NH-D12L: which one fits your build
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. It also earns its place with showcase builds wanting be quiet! build quality. Buy the Noctua NH-D12L for builds with tall heatsink-covered RAM modules and Quiet-focused mid-range and upper-mid-range CPUs, though it is not built for extreme overclocks needing maximum dual-fan airflow and buyers wanting RGB aesthetics. Our rating of the be quiet! Light Loop 360 (8/10): be quiet!'s cooling quality with a genuine RGB showcase, a strong pick for builders who want both. Our rating of the Noctua NH-D12L (8.3/10): an excellent no-compromise pick when tall RAM rules out a standard dual-fan tower.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Light Loop 360 and Noctua NH-D12L differ on noise level?
Yes. Noise Level reads 36.8 dBA on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 22.6 dBA on the Noctua NH-D12L.
Is the Fan Size the same on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 and Noctua NH-D12L?
It is. Both are listed at 120 mm, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- be quiet!
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Noctua
Cooler Type
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- AIO Liquid
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Air Tower
Series
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Noctua NH-D12L
Model Number
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- BW022
- Noctua NH-D12L
- NH-D12L
Socket Compatibility
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X
- Noctua NH-D12L
- AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1954/1851/1700/1200/115X
Tower Layout
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Not Applicable
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Dual-Tower
Fan Count
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 3Best
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 1-67%
Noise Level
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 36.8 dBA
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 22.6 dBABest
RGB Lighting
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Yes
- Noctua NH-D12L
- No
Cooler Weight
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 1480 g
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 890 gBest
Fan Size
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 120 mm
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 120 mm
Max Speed
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 2100 RPMBest
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 2000 RPM-5%
Airflow
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 61.8 CFMBest
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 60.09 CFM-3%
Static Pressure
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 2.51 mmH2O
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 2.34 mmH2O-7%
PWM Control
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Yes
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Yes
Warranty
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 3 years-50%
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 6 yearsBest
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Light Loop 360 if you want the higher fan count (3 vs 1), the higher max speed (2100 RPM vs 2000 RPM) and the higher airflow (61.8 CFM vs 60.09 CFM).
Choose Noctua NH-D12L if you want the lower noise level (22.6 dBA vs 36.8 dBA) and the higher warranty (6 years vs 3 years).
Price comparison
| Retailer | be quiet! Light Loop 360 | Noctua NH-D12L |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View 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
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.
Noctua NH-D12L
8.3 / 10 Expert Rating
An excellent no-compromise pick when tall RAM rules out a standard dual-fan tower.