Let's take a closer look at these results and determine why they are what they are.

The Swiftech MCP-600 serves as our baseline for this review. It is a solid performer, but from an “older generation” of pumps. It just about keeps up with the PolarFLO TT in all areas falling well within any margin of error for the testing. The biggest difference between the two pumps is the overall flow rate, as noted by observing the water in the reservoir, size, and noise level. In the categories of flow and noise, the TT, which is based upon the Laing D4 pump, comes out ahead. When it comes to size, it is a trade off. The MCP-600 is a more uniform size while the TT has a smaller motor, but it has a larger pump housing. So it really comes down to what you want and where you are going to put the pump.

The Swiftech MCP-350 looks like the loser in this roundup until you consider the fact that it is a 3/8ID pump working in a 1/2ID world. The conversion of sizes causes a considerable loss in pressure and flow rate which is noticeable when observing the water in the reservoir. However, this pump is by far the smallest and quietest of the three. When mated with a 3/8ID system it should perform on par with the MCP-600 and TT do on this 1/2ID system. Sometimes size does matter, and when you want small and powerful, this is your best choice.

The PolarFLO TT pump performs the best, but then you would expect that from the specs of the pump and the fact that it is mated with a full 1/2ID system. While flow rate was not measured, it was observed by watching the water in the reservoir. You can tell how strong the flow is by the amount of agitation in the water, and the PolarFLO TT pump created what I would call a “considerable amount” more agitation than either of the other two pumps, which is indicative of the very strong flow rate.

What does this tell us about these pumps? It tells us that all three are good 12v pumps with all the features PC enthusiasts have come to expect from their 120v cousins, just in a smaller, convenient package. All three have their place in the water cooling world depending upon your application. You can use this handy little guide to help you determine which pump to use:

So there you have it, different pumps for different strokes. GruntvillE would like to thank Swiftech for providing the MCP-350 and PolarFLO for the blocks and TT Pump. Your continued support of GruntvillE and the modding and enthusiast community at large is much appreciated by all.