The Xylem D5 has gone by many names; D5, Laing D5, Lowara D5, MCP655, VPP655, and so on. But one constant among all of them has been the guarantee of a high performance, low-noise operation for a PC DIY watercooling pump. Xylem has provided the pump motor to their customers, including Bitspower, who then add touches in the form of aftermarket tops that look better, replace the fixed barbs with threaded G1/4" ports, and often better performance.

As with any other D5, the P-Q curve is fantastic, and it does the job well with most loops. The coolant actively cools the pump, thus keeping it from overheating, as with the Xylem DDC, which contributes to longevity and reliability as well. The pump is also among the quieter ones out there, although there are now more and more competitors wanting to claim the performance/noise crown. Time will tell if any manage to do so, although the Alphacool VPP755 in its latest version is showing to be a contender.

That said, given the pump is a common factor to many companies, Bitspower needed to do more to ensure people go with their option over others. Alphacool offers theirs at a lower price. Swiftech offers a custom PWM motor they worked on together with Xylem, and EK and Aquacomputer have a new motor as well, with the latter even integrating flow sensors and displays; and all three have improved compatibility with PWM controllers for their D5 PWM pumps. Alphacool, XSPC, Monsoon, and Watercool have also worked on providing multiple reservoir-integrated tops to choose from. However, Bitspower has gone with custom mod and top kits from the beginning, and while others have quickly caught up, Bitspower continues to offer the most options of colors and finishes even to this day. Bitspower also has several reservoir-integrated pumps, so there is actually little distinguishing the various brands these days on that front. This particular version, a standalone pump, tries to sell itself on pure build quality, but does lack the relative performance to justify its price point. Maybe the newer D5 offerings from Bitspower will do better, but for now, you can find better options for less elsewhere.