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be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Noctua NH-U12S Redux: Comparison
be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Noctua NH-U12S Redux fan count compared
Fan count is where these two genuinely part company, be quiet! Light Loop 360 3 against Noctua NH-U12S Redux 1, a 67% lead for be quiet! Light Loop 360. Noctua NH-U12S Redux also leads on warranty, 3 years on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 6 years on the Noctua NH-U12S Redux. Max speed runs the same way, 2100 RPM on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 1700 RPM on the Noctua NH-U12S Redux, another win for be quiet! Light Loop 360. Add airflow to that, 61.8 CFM on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 70.75 CFM on the Noctua NH-U12S Redux, and the pattern holds. Noctua NH-U12S Redux also leads on static pressure, 2.51 mmH2O on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 2.83 mmH2O on the Noctua NH-U12S Redux.
be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Noctua NH-U12S Redux: which one fits your build
Buy the be quiet! Light Loop 360 for 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. The Noctua NH-U12S Redux suits budget mainstream builds on AM5/LGA1700 and buyers who want Noctua reliability without flagship pricing, though it is not the pick for High-TDP overclocked flagship CPUs and RGB-themed builds. 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.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Light Loop 360 and Noctua NH-U12S Redux differ on noise level?
Yes. Noise Level reads 36.8 dBA on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 25.1 dBA on the Noctua NH-U12S Redux.
Is the Fan Size the same on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 and Noctua NH-U12S Redux?
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-U12S Redux
- Noctua
Cooler Type
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- AIO Liquid
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- Air Tower
Series
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
Model Number
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- BW022
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- NH-U12S redux
Socket Compatibility
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1954/1851/1700/1200/115X
Tower Layout
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Not Applicable
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- Single-Tower
Fan Count
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 3Best
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- 1-67%
Noise Level
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 36.8 dBA
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- 25.1 dBABest
RGB Lighting
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Yes
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- No
Cooler Weight
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 1480 g
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- 710 gBest
Fan Size
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 120 mm
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- 120 mm
Max Speed
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 2100 RPMBest
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- 1700 RPM-19%
Airflow
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 61.8 CFM-13%
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- 70.75 CFMBest
Static Pressure
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 2.51 mmH2O-11%
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- 2.83 mmH2O
PWM Control
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Yes
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- Yes
Warranty
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 3 years-50%
- Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- 6 yearsBest
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Light Loop 360 if you want the higher fan count (3 vs 1) and the higher max speed (2100 RPM vs 1700 RPM).
Choose Noctua NH-U12S Redux if you want the lower noise level (25.1 dBA vs 36.8 dBA), the higher airflow (70.75 CFM vs 61.8 CFM) and the higher static pressure (2.83 mmH2O vs 2.51 mmH2O).
Price comparison
| Retailer | be quiet! Light Loop 360 | Noctua NH-U12S Redux |
|---|---|---|
| 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-U12S Redux
7.8 / 10 Expert Rating
Noctua's mounting and acoustics at Hyper 212 money, an easy budget recommendation.