Cooling i need a new pump

im building a new system and i need a good pump. i was thinking about the swiftech mcp650 or maybe the new hydor l35?
any recommendations?

 

Got any more details about the rest of the loop?

Are you going for a really powerful pump, a quiet one or a mix of the two?

 

The new swiftech (dangerden lookalike) ones are nice. 12v = Very quiet = Flow rate seems good although I haven't measured it. Pricey though. C-systems has a *tiny* (2" cube) 12v pump which seems to perform surprisingly well.

 

i have an aqua via one. just started the watercooling loop 2 days ago and im going to run a test to see how this cheap little pump can do. FYI its been running straight since it was turned on. Its pumping water like crazy.

 

the loop will be a new polarflo tt cpu block, and a vga block from dangerden probably. the tubing will be 1/2" ID and a dual heatercore from dangerden. there will be a resevoir but i havent found one i like yet. i have all swiftech gear in my other rig.

 

Well I would stay away from Hydor pumps. They're cheap for a reason imo.

Go for something like the swiftech, or the c-systems one. I've heard the dd one is very loud.

 

I of course am new to the WC scene, am I overlooking something obvious?

Is there a maximum flow rate we should not exceed or is it dependant on how well put together one's system is...connections and block integrity etc...?

I am cutting a block and debating on what pump to go with...of course a reputable company is advisable, but looking at flow rate and head pressure...it seems people are buying expensive pumps with relatively low flow? Trying to put 3/4" to 1" barbs on the water block.

I am looking at:

Rio 2100, 692 gph (huge), max head 8 ft (low?) $35 (relatively cheap)

Catalina Aquarium 2200, Pumps 800 GPH (outrageous), 0 feet, $35

MY computer will be less than a foot from the pump so almost zero head pressure....I guess...

Anybody know the right answers out there, I understand there are many different opinions.

 

Max flow rate is the flow rate with no resistance - e.g. not your watercooling loop. Head gives you a measure of how well the pump fairs against resistance which is what you're after.

 

Max head is more important than flow rate. You need a large max head to push the water through the restrictions in the loop.

Max head is not how high the water will be pumped. It is how much higher it will pump than the highest point in the loop. Better explained here

 

My choices would be
1. danger den pump
2. swiftech pump
3. eheim

 

So all that being said (max head over GPM),
I agree. It seems max head pressure is just the pumps ability to overcome the resistance in the WC loop, which is measued in vertical feet.
Thanks for the link Darv.

Are the pumps I have chosen adequate (seem better) or should I go with the 'recommended' pump? $$ is an issue....



Eheim 1048 - 158 GPH and 4'11" head preassure, seems it wouldn't be able to "push" much....$58
Eheim 1050 - 317 GPM and 6' 7" head pressure, Better...$73 (ouch)
Rio 2100, 692 gph (huge), max head 8'.... $35

 

I'm sing the AP1500 DC pump which is actually by OASE and is designed to run off 12-24VDC. The specs claim a 3m head which I can't verify, but it seems a vast improvement over my old L20.

http://www.xice.de/eng/pcp25_e.htm for info.

 

i think im gonna go with the dangerden pump. isnt the swifty one the same exact pump?

 

They physically look identical, the danger den pump is made by laing, not sure about the swiftech one. Im sure its just a matter of swiftech rebadging it as there own.

 

$$ is an issue for me too. I have a L20 that I ruined. I didnt think you should have to, but apparently JR heatercores from DTEK must be flushed before using them. I didnt and filings have scratched up the motor's magnet and shaft. Before I laid the blame on the rad, I contacted Hydor and they sent out a new one. They had said that a return tag would be included for the bad one, but none came so I have 2 now (really 1.5). My new dual heatercore (from ebay for 49 shipped) is brand new as I expected a watercooling heatercore to be, but I am too scared to hook up the new pump (also because the rad wont fit in my cheapie case - new one should be done soon).

Anyways, I have thought about getting the aqua 1300, but aside from its rattling problem am unsure if it would be quieter that the L20 (would pump more though). The C-Systems seems awesome, but I have to wonder how much the 120gpm rate and 3/8 input/outputs affect actual performance. If only they made a 1/2" version... For me I will only be cooling the CPU and VGA chips so I dont need an eheim 1250/1260 or similar (in reality, no one really needs them but the have to have the best ).

I recommend:
-Never spend more than $50 on each component (exception: CPU)
-Dont go overkill on the pump (more gph = more heat in water; high gph = pay through the nose)
-Stay away from Clearflex 60 tubing (way too thick; Tygon too expensive; I use 1/2id 5/8od vinyl tubing from Home Depot = $5/10ft)

Of course, this is coming from a budget watercooler. I just cant see how people shell out $100 just for a rad when I almost have a complete system for that much.

As far as the res goes - I use a T line in mine (or did) and it works fine once the air is out. Cap it off with a marker cap, and prop it up. IMO - a res adds to the cost, but it can help lower water temps (although it would work best after the rad and before the CPU in terms of heat disipation, but not cooling effect).

Edit: Tygon tubing is 1/2id and 6/8od. The vinyl tubing at Home Depot that I got is 1/2id and 5/8od - thinner than Tygon! Me likey a lot

 

i agree with user. except on one thing. my aqua via pump is masked by my 2 120mm fans on the radiator at 7volts . I did mount it on antivibration washers tho. It makes nose fo about 20 seconds when you turn it on and then is silent. Its pushing alot of water in the cycle too. I would recomend this pump to anyone with a tight budget. Going to test it to see how much gph i get this week end.

 

i'm running a hydor l35 and its great for the budget.

 

Thanks for the mini review. Its nice to see that at least someone prefers to spend their $ on things besides a $100 rad or such . I always thought that it was $20 for a reason. And I had heard and seen a mod for when it starts rattling (have to glue the impeller). The L35 seems a bit too steep for me at $54 or so before shipping (my L20 cost $40 shipped). Whats up with their specs too? As far as I can tell, the L25=L20;L35=L30 based on their flow rates. Contradicts the product lineup on my L20 box. If the L35 really puts out 450gph, that seems a bit much although its only at 19W. I may give the aqua 1300 a try or similar (there are even more via pumps on ebay now for super cheap).

BTW: does anyone know the difference between the mark ii CSP pump and the first one (i assume the difference is more than color). 1/2 in/outputs?

I just talked to my dad and he specifically said that max head = maximum height the pump will pump vertically in an open system. The first time I read that I thought, "Thats not right" as I have seen pump tests where a guy tacked up a tube from his deck to get max head readings. In a closed loop, obviously the more head there is, the quicker water will flow through the most restrictive areas. Basically, from what I understand, max head is only a comparison unit - dont think that because your case is 3ft tall then you will get X gph. Am I right here?

 

Well unless you are willing to do a lot of complicated maths, you will never work out how fast the water is flowing in a system.

gph is worked out without any restrictions. All aspects of a watercooling loop will add a restriction so the pump will no longer be pumping at that speed.

Max head is more about the power of the pump to push the water. The higher the max head is the more powerful it will be able to pump the water, past all the restrictions.

 

Well you could measure the flow.....

And to clarify, the flow rate (gph) will always be constant through restrivtive and non-restrictive parts of a serial loop (think about it ).