be quiet! Silent Loop 280mm AIO CPU Cooler Review

A Closer Look

First impressions of the 280mm AIO from be quiet! are overwhelmingly positive, the build quality and design look and feel fantastic. The radiator is a slim type, but still has a good thickness and weight to it, with very nicely finished edges.

The very flexible and thick tubing has a good length to it and comes with a glossy exterior as well as a free-moving metal spring-like coil to give it added protection, while the 3-pin pump header has a black braiding over it.

The radiator comes with mounts on both sides for up to four 140mm fans (2 per side).

What I do love is that the cooler uses large high-quality screw fittings, the kind you would normally see on custom-loop radiator, giving it a premium quality look. Actually, to say it only looks high-quality is selling it short, as it certainly feels it too.

The radiator has a nicely packed fin array, giving it plenty of surface area to shift lots of heat from the unit, while also having decent spacing to allow for lots of air flow.

The pump has a nice low profile design that uses top mounted pipe fittings, which will help avoid compatibility issues with surrounding motherboard components. The top panel has a brushed aluminum finished with a raised be quiet! logo on the top that’s both understated and stylish at the same time.

Again, we see two more high-quality screw fittings, and finally, those cut-away corners to give it a slightly sleeker appearance.

There’s a huge contact plate on the base of the cooler, which will provide ample coverage even on the larger CPU socket types.

What’s always nice to see is that the plate has a very nice polished finish to it, ensuring you get a nice clean contact between the CPU and the pump.