Swiftech MCW20-R Chipset Waterblock

Chipset Waterblock Test – Joe

SUMMARY: Good choice for chipset cooling.

The good guys at Swiftech were nice enough to send an MCW20-R Chipset Waterblock to test.

Swiftech MCW20-R features

• Push fittings for 1/2″ OD tubing
• Mounting hardware

The interior is devoid of pin fins, swirls, gates or channels – this is a very basic design optimized for low pressure drop – a critical factor when waterblocks are daisy-chained.

The base is typical Swiftech:

Very flat – do not try lapping this as you will only make it worse.

Overall, very good build quality.

The Swiftech MCW20-R was tested using the CPU Die Simulator and Waterblock Test Rig.

Test Results indicate that the Swiftech MCW20-R’s pressure drop (or head loss) across the waterblock is very low; resistance such as this means that Swiftech MCW20-R will perform nicely with moderate power waterpumps, especially if other components in the system are not overly restrictive.

I found that performance degraded by about 2.4ºC at a flow rate of 0.5 gpm and improved by about 4.1ºC at 1.5 gpm – the widest results of any waterblocks tested to date.

For a comparison of the Swiftech MCW20-R’s performance to other waterblocks tested to date, see Overclockers.com Waterblock Test Results.

Swiftech’s MCW20-R Waterblock is a good choice for chipset cooling, particularly for its low pressure drop. As chipset waterblocks are usually fitted in series with a CPU waterblock, low flow resistance is particularly important for a chipset waterblock. Note that this waterblock is 1.5″ high, so plan accordingly.

Thanks again to Swiftech for sending this our way. The MCW20-R is available from the Heatsink Factory.

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