The new Swiftech MCW55™ VGA Water-blocks

B

Bio-Hazard

2[H]4U
Joined
Jun 8, 2004
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Swiftech has released their new GPU block today, externally it looks pretty much the same as the old block, but internally is lots different........ :D

http://www.swiftnets.com/products/mcw55.asp

http://www.swiftnets.com/products/mcw55.asp#fittings

MCW55.gif


MCW55-0500BARB.gif


AUSUS-SLI.gif


The MCW55 waterblock inherits some characteristics from its predecessor the MCW50, such as the use of built-in quick-connect fittings and the same outer dimensions, but it also features several major enhancements:

Performance is significantly improved thanks to a complete redesign of the internal hydraulics which result in lower processor temperatures (and better overclocks) than the MCW50.
The housing is now made out of Delrin as opposed to Aluminum for prolonged durability.
The seal between housing and copper base plate is an O-ring for superior reliability.
Improved and more reliable mounting system for nVidia based platforms.
In its black and chrome trim, the MCW55 VGA cooler is a perfect match to complement either the MCW6000 or STORM CPU water-blocks.


Major features summary:
Extreme performance:

Optimized hydraulics improve GPU heat dissipation with minor impact on system flow rate in liquid cooling systems powered by high-head capability pumps such as the MCP350 and MCP655 pumps.
1/2" quick-connect fittings provide optimal flow rate in 3/8" systems, and perform on par with traditional 1/2" barb fittings with the optional tube-to-barb adapters
Diamond-Pin Matrix© copper base plate for optimal heat transfer, and turbulent flow
 
Doh!....you beat me to it....I was gonna post this as I was just at their site.

Glad these are finally out.
 
Awesome. Give it hell and let us know how it does. Looks like they might fit on a ut sli-dr too.
 
Thats fine with me. I havent used ANY pci slots in over 3 yrs. I might eventually get an Audigy 2, but that would be the only pci slot used in this rig.
 
Same here, the only card of any type I have in any of my systems is a graphics card....... :cool: Although I may be getting one of those new Sunbeam fan controller cards soon.
 
Very nice. I really do wish that other manufacturers would provide performance information about their products in the same thorough manner that swiftech does, of course then you have to worry about the tests being done properly and not fudged since it isn't a third party test.

As for the PCI slots...I never used to use PCI slots. I will soon if Newegg ever gets off their butts and ship me my Theater 550 Pro that I ordered on Thursday. *sigh* I ordered the card Thursday morning and paid the 2.99 for rush processing. It is now Saturday and they have not shipped the product, nor have they refunded my rush processing :mad: I have bought over 1000$ of computer stuff from them for my new computer, I am afraid this may be my last purchase, their shipping has gotten outright horrible. </rant>
 
Looks to me the only things they changed was the top and the fastening plate. The base of the block hasn't changed one bit. I guess the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" applies here. The new top should provide better numbers simply by aiming the water down at the pins instead of at the back wall of the top and letting the coolant flood down into the pins. They even added a separator so that coolant can't simply bypass the pins altogether as was the case with the old top. I will be interesting to see what 3rd-party testing will provide as far as actual numbers. If I didn't already have an acetal-topped Maze4GPU from DangerDen, I might be tempted in trying one of these new blocks out. Kinda stange however that they didn't opt for threaded barbs in the new design so that there isn't added bulk and aggrevation for us 1/2" tubing users. They could have made the switch to that quite easily. Perhaps there was a problem with tapping the delrin in these blocks?

Funny in the picture of the SLi implementation that they used the Asus board instead of a DFI or other SLi reference board. Those blocks wouldn't fit those application at all!
 
I actually believe that the Swiftech tests are very accurate. Call me too trusting, but the way that BillA tests the stuff for Swiftech is second to none in its thoroughness and scientific merit. That being said, you are correct in always being suspicious as there is (as BillA has admitted) a conflict in interest.
 
It amazingly looks very much like the core construction of a Koolance CPU cooler. :p
 
Top Nurse said:
It amazingly looks very much like the core construction of a Koolance CPU cooler. :p
Click to expand...

Its probubly just the angle of the picture. The Koolance blocks use tiny rounded off pyramids while the MCW50 and MCW55 use diamond shaped pins that stick up straight from the base surface. Man, I was kinda hoping that perhaps the new GPU block from Swiftech was gonna be based off of Cathar's Hydra design. Basicly they are just doing what DangerDen did with the Maze4GPU. Make the coolant flow more smoothly into the chamber.
 
At fisrt it looked much like the mcw-5000 base.
Upon some comparing between the two block bases, the mcw-55, seems in fact to me to be a simple derivative from the MCW-5000 block design, just the angles of the pins changed a little.
 
From what I see, the base hasn't change all that much over the years, but as someone already said, why change a good thing. Swiftech GPU blocks have bee amung the top performers from the begining and I think they will remain so. Swiftech has a top R&D staff and their quality control is second to none. Over the years I have yet to come across a Swiftech product that has not performed as advertised.................. :D

On another note, if people have any questions about how the block looks inside or out in the relationship to other blocks, need to read the makers web sites and look at the pictures. Seems that some people need to get some glasses.................... :eek:
 
Bio-Hazard said:
From what I see, the base hasn't change all that much over the years, but as someone already said, why change a good thing. Swiftech GPU blocks have bee amung the top performers from the begining and I think they will remain so. Swiftech has a top R&D staff and their quality control is second to none. Over the years I have yet to come across a Swiftech product that has not performed as advertised.................. :D

On another note, if people have any questions about how the block looks inside or out in the relationship to other blocks, need to read the makers web sites and look at the pictures. Seems that some people need to get some glasses.................... :eek:
Click to expand...


Bio,

Seems to me you're falling in the same category as as some AC fanactics, and expressing the same "sensitivity" towards inputs given.
No one in this thread has dissed the Swiftech block, and most of all, no one questioned this block performance, (or any other for that matter), so it's strange to feel from your words a certain animosity.
Some time ago the impression was this forum was a AC stronghold, now is it becoming the opposite?
 
I'm just a little tired of the AC fanactics (some) pushing the AC products as "the best" out there with zero data to back it up. While AC makes good components, no one is saying they don't, they just are not the best God gave the earth, they have there place in the near silent "pretty boy class", but they are not the top performers. Swiftech along with Danger Den and others such as PolarFlo beat them hands down in terms of performance, fact of life. I myself don't have any one name brand that I like more than another, I just go with what's the top performer in the market at the time and Swiftech and Danger Den have been long standing leaders here in the US retail market and Swiftech right now seems to be at the top of the list here lately. It may change in the future and more than likely will as things are always changing.
 
Jag said:
Bio,

Seems to me you're falling in the same category as as some AC fanactics, and expressing the same "sensitivity" towards inputs given.
No one in this thread has dissed the Swiftech block, and most of all, no one questioned this block performance, (or any other for that matter), so it's strange to feel from your words a certain animosity.
Some time ago the impression was this forum was a AC stronghold, now is it becoming the opposite?
Click to expand...

wait.....what?!

So your saying by him pointing out that some people are poorly comparing one swiftech blocks design to another swiftech blocks design that he is being "sensitive" to inputs given?!?

/me confused, how did he show animosity again?
 
Damn, I just bought MCW50s on thursday... crummy luck lol.
 
Bio-Hazard said:
I'm just a little tired of the AC fanactics (some) pushing the AC products as "the best" out there with zero data to back it up. While AC makes good components, no one is saying they don't, they just are not the best God gave the earth, they have there place in the near silent "pretty boy class", but they are not the top performers. Swiftech along with Danger Den and others such as PolarFlo beat them hands down in terms of performance, fact of life. I myself don't have any one name brand that I like more than another, I just go with what's the top performer in the market at the time and Swiftech and Danger Den have been long standing leaders here in the US retail market and Swiftech right now seems to be at the top of the list here lately. It may change in the future and more than likely will as things are always changing.
Click to expand...

Yes, lack of standards made the numbers issue become a marketing weapon, sort of "i have, you don't, so your block probably is worse than mine".
It should be mandatory every manufacturer to publicly present their technical aspects of their products along with "numbers" to their (potential) buyers.
Sadly it seems that the general consumers don't want them, or disregard their use, so who's to blame?
Then again, Swiftech has them, but DD and AC don't, so why ranking these last two in terms of performance?

Erasmus,

There ins't any poor comparison, maybe a poor assessment from your part.
I visualized the mcw-50/mcw5000/mcw-55 pictures side by side.In my view, the latter block shows more resemblances to the mcw-5000 design, than to the mcw-50.
 
Jag said:
Yes, lack of standards made the numbers issue become a marketing weapon, sort of "i have, you don't, so your block probably is worse than mine".
It should be mandatory every manufacturer to publicly present their technical aspects of their products along with "numbers" to their (potential) buyers.
Sadly it seems that the general consumers don't want them, or disregard their use, so who's to blame?
Then again, Swiftech has them, but DD and AC don't, so why ranking these last two in terms of performance?

Erasmus,

There ins't any poor comparison, maybe a poor assessment from your part.
I visualized the mcw-50/mcw5000/mcw-55 pictures side by side.In my view, the latter block shows more resemblances to the mcw-5000 design, than to the mcw-50.
Click to expand...

ffs, where did I ever say that anybody compared anything poorly? Your reading skills need some brushing up....


as to the numbers debate, DD and swiftech have performance numbers taken by the single best third party review site....ProCooling. Unfortunately for all of us ProCooling hasn't really tested anything recently. I am sure EVERYONE here would love to see ProCooling do comprehensive reviews of all the waterblocks on the market.
 
autobot said:
Kinda stange however that they didn't opt for threaded barbs in the new design so that there isn't added bulk and aggrevation for us 1/2" tubing users. They could have made the switch to that quite easily. Perhaps there was a problem with tapping the delrin in these blocks?
Click to expand...

They do offer an optional barb fitting that goes into the quick connects. Bio has a picture of it (2nd pic) and you'll see the red clips prevent the barbs from being pulled out. Not the best solution, but it's there for $4.

autobot said:
Funny in the picture of the SLi implementation that they used the Asus board instead of a DFI or other SLi reference board. Those blocks wouldn't fit those application at all!
Click to expand...

It's only 1.22" tall (31mm), which is the same or a tiny bit less than an acetal maze4, and if you look at the pic of it installed on the asus board, you can see that it clears the 2nd pci slot under it, so it'll fit on the dfi boards :cool: Granted, it's not a huge gap, but its there.
 
Erasmus354 said:
ffs, where did I ever say that anybody compared anything poorly? Your reading skills need some brushing up.....
Click to expand...

Unfortunately Erasmus354, you did "say" that.
You din't quote Bio's post - "poorly compared" is/was your own choice of words (BioHazard didn't used them), so they in fact testify that not only did used them in that meaning, and that they represent your view on the subject.

Erasmus354 said:
as to the numbers debate, DD and swiftech have performance numbers taken by the single best third party review site....ProCooling. Unfortunately for all of us ProCooling hasn't really tested anything recently. I am sure EVERYONE here would love to see ProCooling do comprehensive reviews of all the waterblocks on the market.
Click to expand...

The issue here is not about "numbers" provided by Procooling, but from the manufacturer himself, as you so wisely pointed out earlier here:

Erasmus354 said:
I actually believe that the Swiftech tests are very accurate. Call me too trusting, but the way that BillA tests the stuff for Swiftech is second to none in its thoroughness and scientific merit.
Click to expand...
 
the new block is kind of a let down to be honest. I figured swiftech would be comign out withsome insane to go with their insane new CPU block
 
Well it doesn't look like much but it supposedly gets about 2C better temps, which is a pretty sizable increase. I am licking my lips to see what Cathar has up his sleeve with his "Hydra" GPU waterblock. You know the first GPU waterblock from Cathar is gonna be a beast... :)
 
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