Review of the 3 best WC pumps (must see)

[enlightend]

Hi all. I decided to do this since I was sick and tired of seeing max GPH ratings that essentially tell you NOTHING about the pump's real-life flow. I really wanted to find out for myself how these 3 pumps (Iwaki MD-15RLT, Danner Mag 3, and Eheim 1250) compare side-by-side, performance wise.

So I went crazy and did some insane googling on the web to find all the flow curve data I could. And now that I know, I would like to share my findings with you all:

For the graph I made above, I got the data from HERE. The data is supposed to be fairly accurate, as they claim it is taken from the manufacturer.

I imagine a typical high-end WC setup has at least 4+ ft. of head.

At a flow resistance of 3 ft., the iwaki already begins to exceed the eheim in GPH. Realistically, the eheim doesn't achieve much of what it's rated at, as evidenced by this review.

So the real performance race is between the iwaki and the danner. Take a look at the crosspoint between these monsters -- after around 5.5 ft the iwaki starts to take the lead and the danner feels the stress. These two seem about equally capable to me.

 

[enlightend]

Now for a little info on these pumps, which are mostly used for aquariums but in our case watercooling a hot cpu . As you can see, individual graphs are harder to compare.


Iwaki MD-15RLT

GPH @ 0 Ft / m Head: 300 GPH
Max Head: 11 ft
Power Consumption: 31 W
Intake Diameter: 1/2" MNPT
Discharge Diameter: 1/2" MNPT
Dimensions (L x W x H): 8.0 x 3.5 x 4.5 inches
Price range: $125-135

Pros:
- Reliability second to none (will never leak)
- Outstanding lifetime
- Highest head rating of the three

Cons:
- Most expensive
- External housing gets very hot to the touch


Eheim 1250

GPH @ 0 Ft / m Head: 317 GPH
Max Head: 6.6 ft
Power Consumption: 28 W
Intake Diameter: 3/4" Hose Barb
Discharge Diameter: 1/2" Hose Barb
Dimensions (L x W x H): 7.1 x 3.8 x 4.7 inches
Price range: $60-70

Pros:
- Very reliable pump
- Decent GPH output at small head
- Quiet

Cons:
- Pump will suffer from high resistance setups
- Buzzing noise made if base is not sound-dampened


Danner Mag 3

GPH @ 0 Ft / m Head: 375 GPH
Max Head: 10.5 ft
Power Consumption: 35 W
Intake Diameter: 1/2" FNPT
Discharge Diameter: 1/2" MNPT
Dimensions (L x W x H): 5.0 x 3.8 x 4.2 inches
Price range: $40-50

Pros:
- Highest GPH/head combination under moderate resistance (I call it a pump w'hore )
- Very compact size
- Least expensive

Cons:
- Some models (usually older ones) leak from O-ring and must be sealed
- Can be a little on the noisy side (compared to the other 2 pumps)


Any of these three pumps will serve you well, but it really depends on your needs in making a wise choice.

For one thing, they all won't put a lot of heat into your water (below 35 W), or run your electric bill off the roof. Personally, I think (and as Cathar said) that the Iwaki is the perfect balance between GPH and flow resistance.

I hope you found this review helpful as I did writing it, and I hope this makes your pump decision-making a little easier (or harder, however you look at it ).

Thanks to everyone in overclockers forums, from who I collected useful info I put for the pros/cons.

Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[MoFoQ]

how about sound/noise lvls?

 

[enlightend]

how about sound/noise lvls?

I couldn't find any numbers on sound levels, however I do know that the Iwaki and Eheim are both very silent pumps. The danner is louder, but still it's a pretty quiet pump.

Does anyone know if the MD-15RLT is louder/quieter than the Eheim 1250?

And can anyone please explain to me why in this article (Pump-Off) , the eheim only puts out about 50 gph at moderate resistance? Huh , that means that his "moderate" resistance must have been over 6 ft. head !

 

[wannaoc]

Nice job, I love the danner I use and I'm glad to see it is a capable pump.

 

[JFettig]

very nice! you should almost submit this to a site to post.

from my experience, I cannot hear my danner over my 88cfm 40dba fan.

but I agree, it does make a little more noise than other pumps.

Jon

 

[moz_21]

Where we buy these suckers? Mostly the Iwaki?

 

[found404]

like me you've gone looking for the iwaki but just a warning when you find it you won't like its price tag those things are expensive, i guess thats why danners are more popular.

later

 

[nikhsub1]

Very good info here for people to see... a couple of minor corrections though. The Iwaki MD-15R consumes 31W, not 33W and the max head of the Mag 3 is about 10 feet, not 11. Not a huge difference but thought I would point it out. I have used the 1250 and currently use the MD-15R. I have used Danners in 'other' applications but not for computer use. I will say this, the Iwaki's mean business, they are heavy and have a stoutness to them that I have not seen in other pumps. The Mag 3 has excellent performance and an unbelievable price. The only thing that shy's me away from it is it's potential to leak. The Iwaki housing gets VERY hot - it is metal not plastic like the other 2 here. It gets so hot, you can not hold your hand on it for more than a few seconds. I would stongly recommend good airflow on the pump for this reason. Iwaki states that the housing heating up like this is NORMAL and this does not transfer much heat to the water at all.

 

[UberBlue]

An Iwaki Pump will likely out live us all. "Son, this is great grandpa's antique watercooled computer he built way back in the 21st centry. Nothing works but the pump."

 

[enlightend]

very nice! you should almost submit this to a site to post.

Thx, I think I might. But remember this is a compilation from various sources (including these forums). I put all the bits and pieces together into one thread so you can have everything in front of you.

nikhsub1, corrections made, thanks for the input

LOL UberBlue

 

[Cytomax]

THANKS ALOT man ive been busting my head trying to figure which one to get i guess only 3 questions remain for me...
1) Is there a site that gives out the newer Danner Mag 3 so it doesnt leak
2) How loud is the danner mag 3
3) Where is the cheapest place to get the danner mag 3
man u just cant beat the danner mag for the price as long as it doesnt leak is there a way to prevent this or something?
Eddie
BTW THANKS AGAIN! great review

 

[moz_21]

THANKS ALOT man ive been busting my head trying to figure which one to get i guess only 3 questions remain for me...
1) Is there a site that gives out the newer Danner Mag 3 so it doesnt leak
2) How loud is the danner mag 3
3) Where is the cheapest place to get the danner mag 3
man u just cant beat the danner mag for the price as long as it doesnt leak is there a way to prevent this or something?
Eddie
BTW THANKS AGAIN! great review

Do the newer Mag3's leak? Or has that been fixed? The Iwaki would be a great long term pump but i'm just trying to get a cheap, safe start. Emphasis on safe.

 

[Illah]

Sealing my Mag3 took like ten minutes - just get some silicon from home depot and carefully slap some on. Let it dry overnight, and no problems.

--Illah

 

[unreal]

when i get mine ill go for the danner, seems great for price.. thx for the info

 

[moz_21]

Sealing my Mag3 took like ten minutes - just get some silicon from home depot and carefully slap some on. Let it dry overnight, and no problems.

--Illah

Did you leave that O-ring in there?

 

[Mustanley]

I've been running the Mag 3 for a couple of months now externally and there are no leaks. I ordered it from Petsmart.
And with a small neoprene pad underneath, I cannot hear it above my 7 volted 120mm fans.
It also runs very cool, barely warm to the touch.

 

[cypher_138]

This needs to be stickied. Great job Enlightened. It's helped me make up my mind on a pump.

 

[Paxmax]

Hrmpf! "Enlightend", you didn't even mention the Hydor L30.

Cheaper than- and tops(or equals) the Eheim 1250's performance.
Only CON would be a little less reliabile than Eheim (due to history), I would put them almost on par in that respect.

 

[enlightend]

Hrmpf! "Enlightend", you didn't even mention the Hydor L30.

Cheaper than- and tops(or equals) the Eheim 1250's performance.
Only CON would be a little less reliabile than Eheim (due to history), I would put them almost on par in that respect.

Reread the title of this thread (hint: the key word starts with a "B")