The testing is typically done in one of two ways:
1) With a "typical" pump and no control of flow rate
2) With a powerful pump and valves (or adjustable power on the pump) to produce graphs as a function of flow rate
The first method is really nothing more than a test of flow resistance, but it can be useful to others with the same pump, rad, tubing size, and filling method
The second method can really be useful in choosing the best block for a particular application, but not very many people can interpret the results this way. Since the flow rates are all interactive, it takes a fair amount of trial and error even with the data to get a truly optimal system.
Bottom line: You could take one of the "poorer" performing blocks and carefully optimize the overall loop and get better performance than the "best" block that is not properly matched to parts.
This begs the question of where to proceed with watercooling and testing. My thought would initially be that the wb makers should do the work of tuning the overall loop and make suggestions. In reality though this doesn't work due to the time, effort, and equipment needed. Such is life.
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