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Review: Comparison between 3/8" + 5/8" Tubing - Tygon-Masterkleer-Primochill-Koolance


bundymania

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Hey guys,

today I want to introduce you to some new variants of tubing, some of which haven't been out too long.

This roundup is mainly about the popular sizes (in europe) 13/10mm (3/8") and 16/10mm (5/8"). While you were pretty much stuck with only a few choices for these sizes in the past, there's now a range of different brands and colors available to choose from.

When choosing the size of the tubing, it's important to know which requirements the product should meet and you shouldn't just pick one that's fashionable at the time. Even though the 16/10 (5/8") tubing can outperform the 13/10mm (3/8") when it comes to the bending radius, it's not always the best choice because of its sausage-style looks. Overall, the radii of high quality 13/10mm tubing are usually more than enough for most users, anyway. 13/10 tubing by Primochill and Koolance can, for example, achieve radii a lot smaller than those of Masterkleer tubing.

When taking a look at the larger 16/10mm tubing, the difference in radii are only minor, so the more important aspects are the color and the price. A long time there was no way around Tygon tubing, because of the awesome bending radius and its clear looks, even though you paid 10€/meter for it. Luckily, there are now several other competitors available that can take on the Tygon in both these aspects.

Last but not least, there's also the 19/13mm royalty, which appears to take the same route the 16/10 took: except for a few exemptions the only differences are, once again, in the color and the price.

Also, before buying your favorite tubing, be sure to think about what case it's supposed to be used in. When, for example, using 11/8mm tubing (which offers great bending radii), it'll almost look lost in a Big Tower case, which wouldn't be the case when using 16/10mm. On the other hand, 11/8mm can be the best choice in tiny cases, like those used for HTPC´s, to avoid having to use angled fittings or anti-kink-springs.

Also, there's the choice of colors: a lof of the new tubing is UV reactive, making it easier to create some accents in a watercooling-loop in the dark when using a UV light. Of course, this isn't everybody's style and some of the UV tubing has the disadvantage of a slight blue color, that can be very visible on black, clear or white tubing. Those who don't want this effect should try to look out for tubing that's not UV reactive.

So let's get to the most important part, comparing pictures. I'll start with the 13/10mm (3/8") tubing.

The white versions of Masterkleer and Primochill tubing are first:

img_4471d3kh.jpg img_4483n0x4.jpg img_4475c493.jpg img_4772kl07v.jpg

(Please excuse the stains on some of the UV pictures, coming from some faulty 19/13mm tubing, that marked off on the rest)

Masterkleer: 3.99 Euro / per meter

Primochill: 5.99 €/m

Here's a three-way-comparison between Koolancetubing 13/10mm (uv reactive), Primochill Primoflex Pro 13/10mm and Tygon 12.7/9.5mm tubing

img_4494j2wq.jpg img_51986f0p.jpg

As you can see, the expensive Tygon scores best when it comes to transparency.

Tygon: 6.99€/m

Primochill: 5.99€/m

Koolance: 4.49€/m

Also, there's Masterkleer tubing in this size for only 2.69€/m, but it also offers very poor bending radii when compared to these three rivals.

Here's a picture comparing Primochill in 13/10mm and 16/10mm with Masterkleer in 13/10mm (3/8")

img_48739122.jpg

Still, to be frank, even the cheapest Masterkleer tubing is sufficient for most uses.

Next one is a comparison between green Masterkleer, Primochill and Koolance in 13/10mm.

img_4525r01s.jpg img_4528n4h4.jpg img_4554s4y0.jpg img_4769119e.jpg

Masterkleer: 3.99€/m

Primochill: 5.99€/m

Koolance: 4.49€/m

The Koolance and Primochill tubing are about the same when it comes to bending radius, though the one by Koolancetubing is a bit stiffer, resulting in more pressure on the waterblocks.

Let's get to the very popular color blue! Prices are the same as the other colors by those companies in this size.

img_4560rey7.jpg img_4564rfhw.jpg img_4772kf5sr.jpg

As you can see, the Primochill tubing isn't UV reactive.

Next is the black 13/10mm tubing. Once again, the variants by Koolance and Primochill aren't UV reactive, avoiding the blue sheen seen on the Masterkleer, which is a result of the UV particles.

img_45713u4k.jpg img_4573p53d.jpg

Now it's the turn of red Masterkleer, Primochill and Koolance tubing, looking like this in daylight and UV light:

img_4745kk633.jpg img_4753ou3r.jpg img_4754v6vy.jpg

So let's get to 16/10mm (5/8") tubing. As said before, there aren't any big differences concerning the radii.

I especially like the Primochill, offering very tight bending radii and very clear looks at 6.29€/m.

img_7371jy0u.jpg img_75196qxs.jpg

Comparison between Primochill 16/10mm and Clearflex 15.9/9.5mm:

img_4884psmj.jpg

Koolance also offers large tubing, but sadly only in 16/13mm variants, that kink a lot earlier than 16/10mm because of the thinner walls.

This is what Koolance offers in 16/13mm:

img_73734byy.jpg img_7398wy01.jpg img_74074xkm.jpg img_7422wxkc.jpg img_7435oz4d.jpg img_7449ujh5.jpg

img_74513v12.jpg img_7454ek3r.jpg img_74670vhx.jpg img_7491fk50.jpg img_75038wko.jpg img_751467dq.jpg

Priced at 5.99€/m, you can see a huge difference to the 16/10mm tubing in the pictures of the green variants.

Coming up is a comparison between the popular Masterkleer 16/10, an XSPC 15.9/9.5mm tubing and the almost unknown Nalgene 15.9/11.1mm.

img_7375sb7t.jpg img_7376oyni.jpg img_73809zzx.jpg img_7508bob9.jpg img_7507bqz3.jpg img_7512mp12.jpg

The Nalgene scores best when it comes to bending radius, closely followed by the Masterkleer and XSPC.

Nalgene 5.99€/m

Masterkleer 4.99€/m

XSPC 2.79€/m

One thing I didn't like about the Nalgene tubing is the continuous writing on the walls, so I'd probably choose a competitor.

Black tubing also gets more and more popular so here are the most commonly used variants in 16/10mm (5/8") :

img_73811j2a.jpg img_7382q73a.jpg img_7383vv66.jpg img_7384z8s9.jpg img_7385v7f5.jpg img_7470ap2d.jpg img_7485go62.jpg

It starts with Masterkleer 16/10mm for 4.99€/m, followed by Tygon 15.9/9.5mm for 9.99€/m and ends with Primochill 16/10mm for 6.29€/m.

Only the Masterkleer tubing in this comparison is UV reactive and the Tygon offers the best bending radius.

Next up is a larger comparison of Masterkleer and Primochill in 16/10mm (5/8") - get your own impression of the colors blue, red, green, white and silver!

img_7399u86t.jpg img_7402i7q3.jpg img_7462yvr0.jpg img_7464emd7.jpg

img_74087w4z.jpg img_7412p890.jpg img_7487yklc.jpg img_7490tkz8.jpg

img_7415lw7v.jpg img_7420ejo4.jpg img_7455488b.jpg img_7458lw3b.jpg

img_7427tveo.jpg img_7438o82c.jpg img_7495h84v.jpg img_7500qmhj.jpg

I'll close with a bending comparions of rather unknown, but very good tubing: Nalgene 19/13mm (1/2"):

img_5437koc8.jpg

I hope that my little overview could be of some help when choosing the right tubing.

This roundup will probably soon be expanded with other variants, but for now I can't see any more tubing in this amount or I'll get nightmares.

Until the next review,

the Bastelorakel.

Thanks go out to the company Aquatuning.de for providing the samples and my girlfriend for her patience until 80 meters of tubing were stored away after days of taking pictures.

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  • 5 months later...

- Update 01/24/11 -

Meanwhile, the Masterkleer tubing is available in a revised and improved version, also featuring the new colors: yellow, orange, pink and purple). I received tubing in 13/10mm and 16/10mm for these new pictures. The 13/10 also struck me as being more resistant to kinks as it was before. The colors look better, too – they look a lot like those of the Primochill tubing, while being less expensive. :bigok: The slight blue shimmer I complained about last time is gone now, too. The new versions are available in retail packages of 3.3 (at 8€ for 13/10 and 12€ for 16/10mm) or 15 meters.

Let’s see a few pictures of the new 16/10 versions in the 3.3m packages:

img_923977vj.jpg img_924107o7.jpg img_924447k0.jpg img_92470733.jpg img_924517b3.jpg img_9250t791.jpg

img_924877no.jpg img_9254v7ot.jpg img_925177hp.jpg img_9237y7fv.jpg img_9318yaue.jpg img_9320mlku.jpg

img_9321cy4c.jpg img_9322uxgt.jpg img_93259zjc.jpg img_9326kaoq.jpg img_93285yyd.jpg img_9329gaqn.jpg

img_933159no.jpg img_9334ybpu.jpg img_9348klw7.jpg img_9351fljx.jpg img_9335vz0k.jpg img_93362zz8.jpg

img_9338jyyb.jpg img_9340e96a.jpg img_93429z7v.jpg img_93442zj3.jpg img_93470xbe.jpg

Comparison in transparency and bending radius Primochill 16/10 <-> Masterkleer 16/10:

img_9200f7p5.jpg img_9197u78l.jpg

As you can see, the new MK tubing is equal to the more expansive tubing by Primochill!

Therefore I award the new Masterkleer 16/10 tubing the award for value for money!

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Link to the 16/10mm 3.3m packages:

Aquatuning"]http://www.aquatuning.de/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Masterkleer+16%2F10+3%2C3m]Aquatuning - neue Masterkleer Schläuche 16/10mm

And a few pictures of the 13/10mm Masterkleer tubing:

img_922577ut.jpg img_923007b4.jpg img_9270i78k.jpg img_9223pqd8.jpg img_9204jtvo.jpg img_9236dsu4.jpg img_9232wqh6.jpg img_9233itzi.jpg

img_9242xo3l.jpg img_9240lsit.jpg img_9271gow6.jpg img_92762okn.jpg img_9279dqn5.jpg img_9284csvg.jpg img_9287joml.jpg img_92887tpd.jpg

img_9292sp1p.jpg img_9294wsia.jpg img_92975qvn.jpg img_93003sri.jpg img_9301cqwv.jpg img_9306xtlh.jpg img_93082qtt.jpg img_9310hre2.jpg

img_9311nyu7.jpg img_93148bg6.jpg img_93154a3q.jpg img_9317qz3d.jpg

(I didn’t take pictures of 2-3 sorts as they didn’t differ from the old MK versions!)

And the link to the 3.3m 13/10mm packages:

http://www.aquatuning.de/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=masterkleer+13%2F10+3%2C3m

The new tubing is also available in the following sizes: 10/8, 11/8, 15.9/11.1, 15.9/12.7 and 19/13mm!

New Alphacool HF 13/10mm tubing:

Alphacool.de also sent me some new tubing. It’s made in the USA and also offers rich deep colors, while not being UV active and therefore you don’t see any anomalies in the color. When it comes to bending radius, it can’t quite compete with the tubing by Primochill or Koolance and is currently only available in 13/10mm at a price of 4.95€ a meter.

Here’s a link to the tubing:

Alphacool Schlauch HF 13/10

It’s currently available in the colors red, blue, orange, black, clear, white and green.

img_9211u7si.jpg img_9205j7rf.jpg img_9206k76g.jpg img_9207b79g.jpg img_920857f0.jpg img_9209r7a2.jpg img_9212v7i8.jpg img_9174m77c.jpg

Comparison Alphacool HF 13/10mm green <-> Masterkleer 13/10mm green:

img_9216l7rl.jpg <a  href=http://www.abload.de/thumb/img_9203s7wm.jpg' alt='a>'>

This is an example so you can see the differences in transparency.

Once again, thanks go out to www.aquatuning.de and www.alphacool.de for providing this tubing.

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