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be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black: Comparison
be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black: the noise level difference
Expect a near tie. The closest thing to a difference is noise level, be quiet! Light Loop 360 36.8 dBA against Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black 22.6 dBA. Add warranty to that, 3 years on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 6 years on the Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black, and the pattern holds. be quiet! Light Loop 360 also leads on fan count, 3 on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 2 on the Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black.
Who each one is for
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 not the pick 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. Take the Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black for buyers who want near-flagship cooling in a case too tight for a full dual-tower cooler. It is equally the pick for builders who want tall RAM clearance without giving up much thermal capacity. It is not the one for the heaviest overclocking, where the larger Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black, covered elsewhere on this site, has more headroom. 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-U12A chromax.black (8.8/10): Noctua's compact flagship proves a well-engineered single-tower can rival dual-tower coolers, at a real premium.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Light Loop 360 and Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black differ on static pressure?
Yes. Static Pressure reads 2.51 mmH2O on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 2.34 mmH2O on the Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black.
Is the Fan Size the same on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 and Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black?
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-U12A chromax.black
- Noctua
Cooler Type
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- AIO Liquid
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- Air Tower
Series
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
Model Number
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- BW022
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- NH-U12A chromax.black
Socket Compatibility
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1954/1851/1700/1200/115X
Tower Layout
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Not Applicable
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- Single-Tower
Fan Count
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 3Best
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 2-33%
Noise Level
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 36.8 dBA
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 22.6 dBABest
RGB Lighting
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Yes
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- No
Cooler Weight
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 1480 g
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 1220 gBest
Fan Size
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 120 mm
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 120 mm
Max Speed
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 2100 RPMBest
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 2000 RPM-5%
Airflow
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 61.8 CFMBest
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 60.09 CFM-3%
Static Pressure
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 2.51 mmH2O
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 2.34 mmH2O-7%
PWM Control
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Yes
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- Yes
Lighting
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- ARGB
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- None
Warranty
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 3 years-50%
- Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
- 6 yearsBest
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Light Loop 360 if you want the higher fan count (3 vs 2), the higher max speed (2100 RPM vs 2000 RPM) and the higher airflow (61.8 CFM vs 60.09 CFM).
Choose Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black 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-U12A chromax.black |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on 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
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-U12A chromax.black
8.8 / 10 Expert Rating
Noctua's compact flagship proves a well-engineered single-tower can rival dual-tower coolers, at a real premium.