Swiftech MCR320-XP 360mm Radiator Review

Welcome to another Extreme Rigs 360mm radiator review. Last week we published our review of Swiftech’s MCR320-QPK, today it’s the MCR320-XP’s turn. The XP (eXtreme Performance) is the medium to high fan speed, 360mm variant of Swiftechs’ ever popular slim radiators. At first glance the QPK and XP look identical, however the MCR320-XP does have a slightly higher fin count which should make for better performance with higher fan speeds.

In this MCR320-XP review we’ll make numerous comparisons to the QPK and hopefully provide enough information so that you can identify which is the best option for you. We’ll take a close look at it’s construction, analyze the performance data and compare it’s results against the other slim 360mm radiators we have tested.

Firstly a big thanks to Performance PCs for providing the review sample of the MCR320-XP. The support offered by PPCs is greatly appreciated by Extreme Rigs and ultimately means you the reader can make more informed purchase decisions.

PPCs

 

 

 

What’s in the Box?

The MCR320-XP sample arrived in full retail packaging which is about as simple as it gets. A plain white box and a part number sticker.


Opening the box we see the radiator is enclosed in a protective bag which is made of a thin felt (like) material

A “Radiator Installation Precaution” sheet is provided and while the sheet appears to be from the QP series it makes no difference as the QP and XP series are identical in size.

Make sure the screws you are using do not hit the water channels!

Depending on your configuration you might want to use your own screws either to attach the fan to the radiator, radiator to the chassis, or using a Radbox.  You can use either 6-32 US thread or M3.5 metric thread. But always double-check the screw length before installation or you might poke a hole in the radiator water channels!
Swiftech Screw Warning

 

The following picture shows how the screws were “packaged” with our MCR320-XP sample. This is pretty much the worst placement of included screws we can think of and it was only luck which kept the screws from damaging the core during transport. There are far better ways than this!

 

Extent of delivery as listed by Swiftech:

  • M3,5 x 6mm screws (4 each per 120mm fan) – Alternatively you may use 6-32 x 1/4″ (not included)
  • M3,5 x 30mm screws (4 each per 120mm fan) – Alternatively you may use 6-32 x 1 1/8″ (not included)
  • Installation Warning pamphlet
  • No fittings

12 screws of each length are provided, so there are enough to install the radiator with either Push OR Pull fans mounted to a case panel, BUT NOT Push/Pull.

Both sets of screws are listed as having M3.5 threads which we do not recall seeing from any other manufacturer. Swiftech advise that a 6/32 thread could also be used and we did in fact use UNC 6/32 screws without any issue when mounting the MCR320-QPK into the thermal test rig.

The thread length of the longer set is ~30mm and the shorter screws measure in at 6mm.

 

Onwards to technical specifications!