Noise Testing and Fitment

Before getting rolling we do have to get the Pure Loop installed on the test bench. This includes using the included screws to mount the fans to the radiator. They also include shorter screws for installed the radiator into your case. As for mounting the water block, it is a lot more similar to an air cooler installation than what everyone else has been doing with AIOs. This is a good thing though because the standard mounting can sometimes suck. So for AM4 which is what I am testing on you use the stock backplate but you install new brackets that replace the plastic AMD hold-downs. For this, you have to use the plastic standoffs to hold the brackets up and then run the black screws down to tighten things up. The installed brackets point towards the CPU and line up with the two screws on the water block.

Here is a look at the block (I almost called it the pump) installed and with the white lighting installed.

Just to keep track of fitment across all of the heatsinks and AIOs installed I have the dimensions listed as well as keeping track of how they fit with tall memory. That of course isn’t an issue with any of the AIO coolers. You can however see how the Pure Loop compares with the Castle and the H100i when it comes to the water block (I’ve listed it as the pump just so people can compare them). It is a touch taller than the H100i which is interesting given the H100i has a pump inside of it. But it is a lot shorter than the Gamer Storm Castle.

To get my testing started, I did noise testing. This started with testing the decibel levels at 50% and 100% fan and pump speeds. The Pure Loop did better than both of the other AIOs on the list when at 100% fan speed, by a surprisingly big margin even which isn’t a huge surprise given who made it. Then for under load testing, I ran the AIDA64 CPU stress test with the stock fan profile for a half hour and then tested the noise levels It cam in a little lower than the 50% result at 35.9 decibels which the larger 280mm Castle was quieter here but is 7 decibels below the H100i.