Liquid Flow Restriction

I use a Swiftech MCP50X pump with a FrozenQ 400mL cylindrical reservoir. The pump is powered by a direct SATA connection to an EVGA 1300G2 PSU and controlled by an Aquacomputer Aquaero 6 XT. There is a previously calibrated in-line flow meter and Dwyer 490 Series 1 wet-wet manometer to measure the pressure drop of the component being tested—in this case that of each radiator. Every component is connected to the manometer by the way of 1/2" x 3/4" tubing, compression fittings, and two T-fittings.


I do not have a lot of thin radiators in this test database currently, and most of the radiators I have tested on Thermal Bench are 480 and 560 mm. Extrapolating results based on everything tested so far, the Bitspower Leviathan SF 360 ends up being the most restrictive of the current lot. Based on our discussions on the previous page, this is no surprise, with the Black Ice Nemesis GTS being the closest in comparison, which is the second-highest in the chart to date. The fewer coolant tubes here mean the coolant is split 12-ways instead of 14-ways, which is the reason for the higher pressure drop with the Leviathan SF 360. The general increase is a result of the single-row core coupled with the comparatively thinner tubes in the core design. A 1 PSI drop at 1 GPM (US) is not that far off from an average CPU or GPU water block, so keep that in mind if you plan to have more than one of these in a single-pump loop.