...
The Official response i received from Koolance Tech on the ERM-2K3UCU:
"The performance will not be very different between an ERM-2K3U original vs. Rev1.1 unless you have heavy flow restriction. The pump usually doesn't contribute much to temperature compared to heat exchanger size and airflow. There will also not be much difference between the aluminum and copper rad versions of Rev1.1. We offer the copper version for customers that need to avoid aluminum.
The wattage ratings are intended to reflect the absolute maximum capability of the system. For computer use, you would not want to run at that level continuously because the heat sources will run high. It was designed to provide some point of reference for what you "could" do with fans and pump at maximum levels. We describe our rating in some more detail here (
http://www.koolance.com/technical/howtobuild/index_01.html#choosingsystem). As you can see, we recommend a cooling system rated for at least 700W with a higher-end CPU and single video card, even though the actual heat output of those two components is much lower. This takes into some account that most computer users wouldn't want to use a 700W rated cooling system with an estimated TDP higher than 330~380W, for example.
When we started using a wattage rating, to my knowledge, no one else was offering a way to quickly compare PC cooling systems by the same manufacturer. It is not an ideal or precise method because of the number of factors involved, more so now when so many loops are mixed brands and we are all cooling much hotter components across a wider variety of hardware. We have also not been consistent with wattage ratings over the course of 10 years, with some engineers supporting 25-35°C deltas (which are acceptable for many of our industrial customers), and others favoring 10-20°C deltas (better suited to PC cooling). As our company progresses toward more modularized and customizable solutions, and the cooling market better understands which radiators and pumps are needed for particular jobs, I think the wattage rating is outmoded. There are plans to abandon it.
With the production of any new system, there is some internal discussion on the intended customer. Starting with the ERM-3K4U5, the ERM series was intended for industrial and server customers. The price was not feasible for most computer enthusiasts. When the ERM-2K3U came about, the lower price point meant it might appeal to more computer users, but the design focus was still on other areas ("special thermal applications"). In my opinion, it ended up trying to do too many things with regard to performance/fan noise/aesthetics/profile/cost. This is likely how the system resulted in having the equivalent of three 3x120mm fan heat exchangers, but with lower performance than three dedicated 3x120mm rads. If you were to remove the existing fans and place six high speed 120mm fans directly against the rad, it would probably cruise."
...
