Component Testing
Nautilus500 Pump
I measured the maximum discharge pressure (also referred to as shut-off head or deadhead) of the DDC pump with a calibrated digital pressure gauge (accuracy ± 0.04 PSI). At 5.3 PSI, it was slightly below the manufacturer’s nominal specification of 5.7 PSI (at 12 VDC) but well above most other pumps commonly used in PC water-cooling systems.
Another valuable piece of information regarding a pump’s performance is the relationship between backpressure and flow rate. The only time a pump will deliver its maximum rated flow is when there is zero backpressure or resistance to flow. Each component in a water-cooling system (waterblock, radiator, tubing, fittings, etc.) creates a certain amount of resistance to flow. This resistance results in a backpressure, which can be measured at every point in the system. During operation, the pump must overcome the total backpressure in the system to create flow.
The following P-Q curve was generated by measuring and plotting various pressure and flow rates for the Corsair DDC pump.
(click to enlarge)
As you can see the pump generates excellent head pressure even at moderate flow rates. This is particularly well suited to a 3/8′ system like the one used in the Nautilus500.
Nautilus500 Waterblock
Prior to installing the waterblock I measured the thermal resistance and pressure drop using a thermal die simulator (80 watts input) and my waterblock test stand.
The following graph shows the relationship between thermal resistance (C/W) and pressure drop (differential pressure) for various flow rates.
(click to enlarge)
The Corsair Nautilus500 waterblock is made out of copper and uses a micro-channel design similar to the original Delphi HydroCool 200 waterblock. As you can see in the previous graph, the waterblock is relatively restrictive, especially at higher flow rates.
