The be quiet! Light Loop IO LCD 360mm is the latest entry from the German-based PC company. Featuring a 2.1 ISP display, customizable RGB lighting, Light Wings LX PWM fans and an IO controller to manage it all, the Light Loop IO LCD AIO is an impressive piece of hardware that offers top-notch cooling, whisper-quiet performance and slick customization at a premium price point.
An evolution of the excellent Light Loop 360mm, the new Light Loop IO LCD carries over many of the design features that made its predecessor a solid AIO. The new IO LCD has the same base dimensions, with the radiator (including fans) measuring 397 x 120 x 52 mm. It fits exceptionally well inside my Light Base 500 LX case, something I’ve struggled with when installing a few other 360mm AIOs.
The new cooling block in the Light Loop IO LCD is more compact than previous models, measuring 63.8 x 61.6 x 54 mm. The notable visual difference is the inclusion of a vibrant 2.1 ISP display that allows for an array of customizable effects and visuals. Encompassing the display is a translucent casing that allows for RGB lighting effects to be displayed. It’s a nice look for the Light Loop series AIO.
The radiator houses three 120mm Light Wings LX PWM high-speed fans, the same as those present on the Light Loop 360mm. As with its predecessor, the fans in the IO LCD iteration house customizable RGB lighting, providing users the freedom to dial in the exact look they want from the AIO.
Installing the new Light Loop IO LCD is fairly straightforward, with one notable update over its predecessor. This latest iteration implements a new IO Controller that both streamlines and simplifies installation and provides much more control over the IO LCD through be quiet!’s IO Center software.
Cable management is exceptionally clean, with all three fans being connected and daisy-chained together off the radiator, meaning no additional cables need to be fed through the backplane. A single braided USB-C cable feeds up from the block and over the backplane and plugs into the IO Controller directly, providing both power and communication to the whole AIO.
Powering and providing communication for the IO Controller is a single SATA, PWM and USB cable that plugs into the PSU and motherboard. It’s a simple setup that allows for additional daisy-chaining of other fans thanks to an included connector that extends the radiator’s daisy-chain capabilities. It’s a smart design that reminds me of the Fractal Radius 360 RGB AIO.
The be quiet! Light Loop IO LCD 360mm AIO Cooler’s design is clean, sleek and impressively simple to set up and use. Cable lengths for both the aforementioned USB-C and IO Controller cables are plenty long, allowing for easy cable runs along existing wire channels in the case. The RGB and ISP display, likewise, feel well constructed and look incredible when powered on.
The Light Loop IO LCD 360mm AIO is one of the quietest and most impressive I’ve tested. While the fans on both versions of the Light Loop are the same, the new cooling block in the IO LCD is not only quieter but performs even better than its predecessor. The new fin-stacked design cold plate delivers exceptional performance, keeping the CPU impressively cool.
“The be quiet! Light Loop IO LCD 360mm AIO Cooler’s design is clean, sleek and impressively simple to set up and use.”
Measuring temperatures during multiple extreme stress tests with HeavyLoad over the course of an hour, the IO LCD was able to maintain an average of 68℃. While there were a few spikes to 80℃ during that time, it was never for more than a second. I performed all tests while running the AIO at balanced settings so as to maintain the quiet audio profile I like when working and gaming.
This is incredibly impressive considering how quiet the whole experience was during testing. As for real-world testing, I’ve been gaming over the past few days, running it through a series of AAA and indie titles such as DOOM: The Dark Ages and No Rest for the Wicked and have been impressed with how steady and cool the Light Loop IO LCD 360mm keeps the CPU. Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with the results.
As for IO Center, if I had written this review yesterday, I would have said it was a delight to work with. The UI and settings are easy to find and manage, making customizing the Light Loop IO LCD a straightforward affair. However, an update to the firmware on the Light Loop has caused an odd visual issue with the ISP background setting; it refuses to display the background when the software is running. Ironically, if I close the software, the saved-to-device background loads without issue. It’s a bug I hope to see resolved soon.
Despite this small critique, the be quiet! Light Loop IO LCD 360mm AIO is an excellent CPU cooler. Its performance, visual customization and whisper-quiet operation make it a standout AIO in the vast ocean of AIO’s on the market. While its $249 price point firmly places it in the premium AIO market, be quiet!’s Light Loop IO LCD 360mm AIO has earned its place among their ranks.
