More Radiator-Sandwich testing

[WaterFlex]

Incredible work!

[Taylor01]

Well the tests arent entirely conclusive until you get a full test with bigger/thicker fans with higher CFM....I'm curious to see how it scales with some thicker/faster fans.

Thicker fans? doesn't that defeat the purpose As stackable being for those limited on space? "Now available in 2x120 and 3x120mm versions, with the single 120mm coming soon, these radiators can be stacked with each other or with our existing MCR-QP series, to provide a space saving, extreme performance upgrade at low cost" That's direct from swiftechs web site.

"to provide a space saving" false if you 38mm!
"extreme performance upgrade at low cost" false $78+$50=$128!

[Zehnsucht]

Thicker fans? doesn't that defeat the purpose As stackable being for those limited on space? "Now available in 2x120 and 3x120mm versions, with the single 120mm coming soon, these radiators can be stacked with each other or with our existing MCR-QP series, to provide a space saving, extreme performance upgrade at low cost" That's direct from swiftechs web site.

"to provide a space saving" false if you 38mm!
"extreme performance upgrade at low cost" false $78+$50=$128!

Relax man, more testing results are coming in. I don't have much faith in the fans used in this test. As seen from Vapors excellent fan testing it does make a big difference what fans are used. I'll do some very unscientifically testing with my my stack as soon as I get it with Petras YL Low/Medium and Ultra Kazes.

[Taylor01]

Relax man, more testing results are coming in. I don't have much faith in the fans used in this test. As seen from Vapors excellent fan testing it does make a big difference what fans are used. I'll do some very unscientifically testing with my my stack as soon as I get it with Petras YL Low/Medium and Ultra Kazes.

Yeah that sounds good I only use YL mediums. So if they can't perform with them then stacked is not for me.

[IanY]

Taylor01

You cannot use closed corner Yate Loons with a MCR Stack anyway, so its academic. You cannot use MCR Stacks regardless of how they perform.

[Zehnsucht]

Taylor01

You cannot use closed corner Yate Loons with a MCR Stack anyway, so its academic. You cannot use MCR Stacks regardless of how they perform.

[Taylor01]

Taylor01

You cannot use closed corner Yate Loons with a MCR Stack anyway, so its academic. You cannot use MCR Stacks regardless of how they perform.

Sure you can. Come on this EXERTEME SYSTEMS right! Anything is possible! LOL! Industrial Double sided Tape.

[Freaky Freezer]

Excellent data HES. I appreciate the work you did that will help me and many others. I've been delaying personal upgrades to my watercooling builds, waiting for the continuation of your first testing and it was worth the wait. I'm personally not surprised by the results though. I had a feeling that stacking was just way too good to be true and that if it was significantly productive or even equivalent in performance to a non-sandwiched radiator without the sacrafice of comfortable noise levels, that manufacturers would have came up with their own design schemes much earlier. But the confirmation from this testing was needed.

I also would be eager to see results with higher performance fans, although I would not be interested at that point being that silence is as important to me as performance. Now if a sandwiched 120 rad with SLIGHTLY louder fans was SIGNIFICANTLY better performing than a 220 radiator with more queit fans than the sandwich would be very helpful to those who perfer smaller cases such as myself. But if the sandwiched 120 is louder and only 2 degrees better than the 220, then I'll find a way to make that 220 fit If I feel I truly need the extra radiator to begin with.

It's unfortunate that the lack of innovation in the CPU fan industry so greatly, directly effects advancement in the watercooling industry. Maybe if we all boycott the fan companies until they come up with something new, maybe then they'll laugh hysterically and tell us all to go #$%^ ourselves?? lol

[gillbot]

Taylor01

You cannot use closed corner Yate Loons with a MCR Stack anyway, so its academic. You cannot use MCR Stacks regardless of how they perform.

We covered this already,

[Bond Number]

I don’t know if anyone has tried this configuration, but it should work better with lower speed fans. It would require a little more work and slightly greater volume, but should fit into 5 ¼ inch bay. The center baffle could be beveled to direct flow out towards the sides or the ends of the radiators. One could also add small fans (25mm to 40mm) along the edges of the center baffle to lower the pressure between the radiators.

[NaeKuh]

Taylor01

You cannot use closed corner Yate Loons with a MCR Stack anyway, so its academic. You cannot use MCR Stacks regardless of how they perform.

zalmans perform better if not as good as yates.

And they come in open corners. :P

[Froggy]

Thicker fans? doesn't that defeat the purpose As stackable being for those limited on space? "Now available in 2x120 and 3x120mm versions, with the single 120mm coming soon, these radiators can be stacked with each other or with our existing MCR-QP series, to provide a space saving, extreme performance upgrade at low cost" That's direct from swiftechs web site.

"to provide a space saving" false if you 38mm!
"extreme performance upgrade at low cost" false $78+$50=$128!

My interpretation of the space savings was when you have a case that say only fits a 3x120 rad vertically or horizontally, but has enough depth for this config.

[alexjpn]

nice review

[Waterlogged]

I think ppl need to look at this test a little more closely to see that stacking isn't exactly the failure it appears to be. The fans used are of the poorest quality and are the largest part of the miserable performance. Have a look for yourself.

Nanoxia FX-1250

[nikhsub1]

I think ppl need to look at this test a little more closely to see that stacking isn't exactly the failure it appears to be. The fans used are of the poorest quality and are the largest part of the miserable performance. Have a look for yourself.

Nanoxia FX-1250

Perhaps but the fact is, 2 sandwiched rads will never perform as good as the same 2 rads separated... this is where i altogether lose interest in the idea.

[Waterlogged]

Perhaps but the fact is, 2 sandwiched rads will never perform as good as the same 2 rads separated... this is where i altogether lose interest in the idea.

I'll agree with you that 2 separate rads will work better nik but this "test" is making stacking look far worse than what it should.

I just don't see stacking as one of the cardinal sins every self proclaimed "pro" says it is (I'm not refer to you here). Is it the perfect setup?...no, far from it, but it is an option for some ppl with limited space.

[Serpentarius]

have it tested with a delta fan yet?

or other high pressure fans? MCR series is tight finned

[Waterlogged]

have it tested with a delta fan yet?

or other high pressure fans? MCR series is tight finned

I'd really like to know where that myth started. The MCR series is a medium fin density at worst with 14-15 FPI. It occupies the same FPI range as the BIP and BIX rads. Compared to the BI GTX (20FPI) and BI GTS (30FPI), it's pretty free flowing.

[Serpentarius]

well it's tigher than TC i had
but i still cant believe it scored badly here

i tried stacking with TC 120.3 and MCR320 and the temps are quite good .. around ~4c lower ... i even used my cheapo logistics UV fan and a FN121 (it's ghetto mix)
therefore i'm quite convienced it's workable

[nikhsub1]

Is it the perfect setup?...no, far from it, but it is an option for some ppl with limited space.

I agree.

[HESmelaugh]

Waterlogged, you did read my conclusion, yes?

I explicitly stated that the results depend on airflow and the fan's pressure. In fact, demonstrating this was the whole point of the second half of the test.

The fans are not "of the poorest quality", they are simply very good silent fans (and silent doesn't mean quiet, it means silent). Such silent fans are used by many people in Liquid cooling setups since for many, the main benefit of liquid cooling is reduced noise.

[Taylor01]

the main benefit of liquid cooling is reduced noise.

Yes! Exactlly my point who cares if you can run them with 200cfm delta's. I don't want a 747 in my living room!

[Waterlogged]

Waterlogged, you did read my conclusion, yes?

I explicitly stated that the results depend on airflow and the fan's pressure. In fact, demonstrating this was the whole point of the second half of the test.

The fans are not "of the poorest quality", they are simply very good silent fans (and silent doesn't mean quiet, it means silent). Such silent fans are used by many people in Liquid cooling setups since for many, the main benefit of liquid cooling is reduced noise.

Actually, yes I did read your conclusion, but it seems most ppl aren't, or at least they aren't comprehending it.
When compared to ZM-F3's or S-Flex E, F or G, yeah, those are very poor quality fans. If I had to guess, I'd put them somewhere around the Noctua in this test as far as rad usage. Those numbers look about as made up as SilenX's. You can still have reasonable dB's and cooling power with any of the fans I mentioned.

[HESmelaugh]

Unfortunately, I have not yet compared nanoxias to S-FLEXs on a radiator, but on a TRUE, the nanoxias perform slightly better at equal rpms.
Can't be all bad.

[HESmelaugh]

*** Update ***

AndreaBZ pointed out an inconsistancy in my data from this test to previous tests (Thanks!). I found the problem: I had calculated the values for the solo TC and solo Magicool from the data from two thermal probes in the water and all the other values from all four probes in the water. This was purely an error in calculating.

I corrected the values and uploaded new graphs. There aren't any dramatic changes. The greatest change is that now, at 1200rpm, the Rad-Rad-Fan option is slightly better than the solo Magicool (as opposed to slightly worse).

New diagram:




About KaptChrunch's suggestion (triangular setup instead of stacking): That would certainly have the advantage that the rads wouldn't heat each other up. Or at least, not as much as in a stacked setup. I imagine that it would be problematic for the airflow though, since the fins on the radiators would no longer be aligned with the direction the fans are blowing in. Don't know how much of an issue that would be though.