Swiftech MCW6000

Waterblock Test – Joe

SUMMARY: Good choice for CPU cooling with moderate-high power waterpumps.

The good guys at Swiftech were nice enough to send an MCW6000 waterblock to test.

The MCW6000 features

• 3/8” hose fittings
• Forged copper base with 281 pins
• All copper construction
• Waterblock adaptable to all current CPUs

You will notice below that the MCW6000’s pressure drop is fairly high – this is due to its interior design…

which features 281 pins; in addition, the 3/8” hose fittings take a toll on pressure drop (NOTE: There is another version of this product available – the MCW6002 – which uses ½” hose fittings.)

The base is typical Swiftech:

very well finished – performance will NOT be enhanced by hand lapping.

Mounting is by a plate (shown here for P4 mounting)

which slips over the center; different plates are available for other CPUs.

The MCW6000 was tested using the CPU Die Simulator and Waterblock Test Rig.

Test Results indicate that the MCW6000’s pressure drop (or head loss) across the waterblock is moderately high; flow resistance such as this means that MCW6000 will require a good waterpump – anything less than 300 gph might compromise results, depending upon how restrictive other components are in system.

I found that reducing flow to 0.5 gpm resulted in a performance decrease of about 0.6ºC and increasing flow to 1.5 gpm resulted in a gain of about 0.5ºC.

For a comparison of the MCW6000’s performance to other waterblocks tested to date, see Overclockers.com Waterblock Test Results.

Swiftech’s MCW6000 Waterblock is a very good choice for CPU cooling; the MCW6000 should perform well with moderate-high power waterpumps (300 gph or more), as long as other components do not unduly restrict waterflow. Purchasers might want to consider the MCW6002 as an option.

Thanks again to Swiftech for sending this our way. The MCW6000 is available from the The Heatsink Factory.

Email Joe