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be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE: Comparison

be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE: the noise level difference

There is no decisive spec gap here. Noise level splits them by a margin most buyers will never feel, be quiet! Light Loop 360 36.8 dBA against Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 25.6 dBA. be quiet! Light Loop 360 also leads on static pressure, 2.51 mmH2O on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 1.53 mmH2O on the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE. be quiet! Light Loop 360 also leads on fan count, 3 on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 2 on the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE. Max speed runs the same way, 2100 RPM on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 1550 RPM on the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE, another win for be quiet! Light Loop 360.

be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE: which one fits your build

The be quiet! Light Loop 360 is the one to take for 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 is equally the pick for showcase builds wanting be quiet! build quality. Take the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE for budget and mid-range builds up to about 200W sustained. Nothing else at $32 gets close. The same goes for first-time builders. The mounting hardware is genuinely simple and the bundled screwdriver reaches everything. Avoid it for mATX or SFF cases. 155mm of height rules out most of them.

Frequently asked questions

Do the be quiet! Light Loop 360 and Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE differ on airflow?

Yes. Airflow reads 61.8 CFM on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 66.17 CFM on the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE.

Is the Fan Size the same on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 and Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE?

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!
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    Thermalright
  • Cooler Type

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    AIO Liquid
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    Air Tower
  • Series

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    Peerless Assassin
  • Model Number

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    BW022
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    PA120 SE
  • Socket Compatibility

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X
  • Tower Layout

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    Not Applicable
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    Dual-Tower
  • Fan Count

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    3Best
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    2-33%
  • Noise Level

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    36.8 dBA
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    25.6 dBABest
  • Fan Size

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    120 mm
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    120 mm
  • Max Speed

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    2100 RPMBest
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    1550 RPM-26%
  • Airflow

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    61.8 CFM-7%
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    66.17 CFMBest
  • Static Pressure

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    2.51 mmH2O
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    1.53 mmH2O-39%
  • Bearing Type

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    Rifle
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    Fluid Dynamic
  • PWM Control

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    Yes
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    Yes
  • Lighting

    be quiet! Light Loop 360
    ARGB
    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    None

    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 1550 RPM) and the higher static pressure (2.51 mmH2O vs 1.53 mmH2O).

    Choose Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE if you want the lower noise level (25.6 dBA vs 36.8 dBA) and the higher airflow (66.17 CFM vs 61.8 CFM).

    Price comparison

    Retailerbe quiet! Light Loop 360Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
    AmazonView on Amazon

    $32.31

    View on Amazon
    NeweggView 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.

    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE

    9 / 10 Expert Rating

    The best cooling-per-dollar in air cooling right now.

    More comparisons in CPU Coolers