This is a crazy little idea that I had to attempt to bring us all together more as a community to better understand our philosophical positions when it comes to our water-cooling loop setups. There seems to have been too much time spent nit-picking on high-flow/low-flow, and this and that, when it's my personal perception that sometimes we're really splitting hairs.
So I thought that this little questionnaire might be a way to assist people to understand what philosophical category that their water-cooling loop sits in purely in terms of the components that directly affect flow rate. There are some inaccuracies and necessary generalisations to keep the ranking system simple, but I think overall it does a pretty decent job of ranking one's system.
It's a short 6 question test, and you add up the points from your answer from each of the 6 questions. Find your total and look at the poll options and that will be the philosophical flow-rate category that the components that make up your water-cooling system falls into.
Point-based Questionnaire
Important: If you are using multiple cooling loops, then just answer for the cooling loop that your CPU is cooled with.
Question 1 - What is your pump's rated peak flow rate?
N.B. If you are using multiple pumps in series, then use the rating of the pump with the highest flow rate. If you are using multiple pumps in parallel, then add all the pump flow ratings together.
Choose a single most applicable answer.
[+30 points] - Less than or equal to 1LPM or 60LPH or 0.26GPM or 16GPH
[+20 points] - Less than or equal to 2LPM or 120LPH or 0.53GPM or 32GPH
[+13 points] - Less than or equal to 3LPM or 180LPH or 0.80GPM or 48GPH
[+9 points] - Less than or equal to 4LPM or 240LPH or 1.06GPM or 64GPH
[+6 points] - Less than or equal to 5LPM or 300LPH or 1.32GPM or 79GPH
[+4 points] - Less than or equal to 6LPM or 360LPH or 1.60GPM or 95GPH
[+3 points] - Less than or equal to 9LPM or 540LPH or 2.34GPM or 143GPH
[+2 points] - Less than or equal to 14LPM or 840LPH or 3.70GPM or 222GPH
[+1 points] - Less than or equal to 20LPM or 1200LPH or 5.3GPM or 317GPH
[+0 points] - Greater than 20LPM or 1200LPH or 5.3GPM or 317GPH
Question 2 - What is your pump's rated peak pressure head?
N.B. If you are using multiple pumps in series, then add all the pump pressure ratings together. If you are using multiple pumps in parallel, use the rating of the pump with the highest pressure rating.
Choose a single most applicable answer.
[+8 points] - Less than or equal to 0.6m or 2'
[+6 points] - Less than or equal to 1.0m or 3.3'
[+5 points] - Less than or equal to 1.4m or 4.6'
[+4 points] - Less than or equal to 1.8m or 6'
[+3 points] - Less than or equal to 2.4m or 8'
[+2 points] - Less than or equal to 4.0m or 13'
[+1 points] - Less than or equal to 6.0m or 20'
[+0 points] - Greater than 6.0m or 20'
Question 3 - What is the tubing inner diameter (ID) size used in your setup?
N.B. If you are using multiple tubing types, use the smallest tubing ID size in your answer.
Choose a single most applicable answer.
[+20 points] - Smaller than 4mm or 5/32"
[+10 points] - 4mm or 5/32"
[+8 points] - 5mm or 3/16"
[+6 points] - 6mm or 1/4"
[+5 points] - 7mm
[+4 points] - 8mm or 5/16"
[+2 points] - 9mm or 10mm or 3/8"
[+1 points] - 11mm or 12mm or 7/16"
[+0 points] - 12.7mm or 1/2" or larger
Question 4 - How many waterblocks are in your loop?
Choose a single most applicable answer.
[+8 points] - 6+ blocks
[+7 points] - 5 blocks
[+6 points] - 4 blocks
[+4 points] - 3 blocks
[+2 points] - 2 blocks
[+0 points] - 1 block
Question 5 - What are your fitting types?
Choose a single most applicable answer.
[+4 points] - Quick Disconnect (ones that don't leak water when disconnected)
[+1 points] - Barbed or Compression
[+0 points] - Push-fit
Question 6 - What is your radiator type?
If you are using multiple radiators, choose the answer that gives the highest point value.
[+3 points] - Continuous looping-tube style radiator
[+0 points] - Heater-core style radiator (multiple parallel flat tubes)
End Of Questionnaire
Add up the point totals from each of your 6 answers and refer to the poll options to find your flow philosophy category.
So I thought that this little questionnaire might be a way to assist people to understand what philosophical category that their water-cooling loop sits in purely in terms of the components that directly affect flow rate. There are some inaccuracies and necessary generalisations to keep the ranking system simple, but I think overall it does a pretty decent job of ranking one's system.
It's a short 6 question test, and you add up the points from your answer from each of the 6 questions. Find your total and look at the poll options and that will be the philosophical flow-rate category that the components that make up your water-cooling system falls into.
Point-based Questionnaire
Important: If you are using multiple cooling loops, then just answer for the cooling loop that your CPU is cooled with.
Question 1 - What is your pump's rated peak flow rate?
N.B. If you are using multiple pumps in series, then use the rating of the pump with the highest flow rate. If you are using multiple pumps in parallel, then add all the pump flow ratings together.
Choose a single most applicable answer.
[+30 points] - Less than or equal to 1LPM or 60LPH or 0.26GPM or 16GPH
[+20 points] - Less than or equal to 2LPM or 120LPH or 0.53GPM or 32GPH
[+13 points] - Less than or equal to 3LPM or 180LPH or 0.80GPM or 48GPH
[+9 points] - Less than or equal to 4LPM or 240LPH or 1.06GPM or 64GPH
[+6 points] - Less than or equal to 5LPM or 300LPH or 1.32GPM or 79GPH
[+4 points] - Less than or equal to 6LPM or 360LPH or 1.60GPM or 95GPH
[+3 points] - Less than or equal to 9LPM or 540LPH or 2.34GPM or 143GPH
[+2 points] - Less than or equal to 14LPM or 840LPH or 3.70GPM or 222GPH
[+1 points] - Less than or equal to 20LPM or 1200LPH or 5.3GPM or 317GPH
[+0 points] - Greater than 20LPM or 1200LPH or 5.3GPM or 317GPH
Question 2 - What is your pump's rated peak pressure head?
N.B. If you are using multiple pumps in series, then add all the pump pressure ratings together. If you are using multiple pumps in parallel, use the rating of the pump with the highest pressure rating.
Choose a single most applicable answer.
[+8 points] - Less than or equal to 0.6m or 2'
[+6 points] - Less than or equal to 1.0m or 3.3'
[+5 points] - Less than or equal to 1.4m or 4.6'
[+4 points] - Less than or equal to 1.8m or 6'
[+3 points] - Less than or equal to 2.4m or 8'
[+2 points] - Less than or equal to 4.0m or 13'
[+1 points] - Less than or equal to 6.0m or 20'
[+0 points] - Greater than 6.0m or 20'
Question 3 - What is the tubing inner diameter (ID) size used in your setup?
N.B. If you are using multiple tubing types, use the smallest tubing ID size in your answer.
Choose a single most applicable answer.
[+20 points] - Smaller than 4mm or 5/32"
[+10 points] - 4mm or 5/32"
[+8 points] - 5mm or 3/16"
[+6 points] - 6mm or 1/4"
[+5 points] - 7mm
[+4 points] - 8mm or 5/16"
[+2 points] - 9mm or 10mm or 3/8"
[+1 points] - 11mm or 12mm or 7/16"
[+0 points] - 12.7mm or 1/2" or larger
Question 4 - How many waterblocks are in your loop?
Choose a single most applicable answer.
[+8 points] - 6+ blocks
[+7 points] - 5 blocks
[+6 points] - 4 blocks
[+4 points] - 3 blocks
[+2 points] - 2 blocks
[+0 points] - 1 block
Question 5 - What are your fitting types?
Choose a single most applicable answer.
[+4 points] - Quick Disconnect (ones that don't leak water when disconnected)
[+1 points] - Barbed or Compression
[+0 points] - Push-fit
Question 6 - What is your radiator type?
If you are using multiple radiators, choose the answer that gives the highest point value.
[+3 points] - Continuous looping-tube style radiator
[+0 points] - Heater-core style radiator (multiple parallel flat tubes)
End Of Questionnaire
Add up the point totals from each of your 6 answers and refer to the poll options to find your flow philosophy category.