[dumb_ricer]

Everyone has seen similar setups that one makes way more power than the other one. You can't chalk that up as one thing (intercooler). Usually, one guy builds on a budget, has a similar setup, with slightly less money into each part, and ends up make 30-40whp less.

A lot of communities also get extremely opinionated/biased about certain products when in fact there might be a better option out there. Wiseco pistons come to mind. Wiseco is a fantastic piston manufacturer, and makes a lot of other companies piston blanks, but there might be a better similar priced option out there.

As far as intercooler core's go, there could very well be little difference between a spearco core and a lets say XSPower core of the same size, if any difference at all. I personally believe there is probably a 3 to 5whp gain on a 400whp car going to the extremely more expensive core. I have seen spearco cores perform well, and I have definitely seen "ebay" intercoolers make the same amount of power as expensive intercoolers.

I have heard enough heresay on people saying that it is well worth it to buy the more expensive product. It is not always true, and until I see otherwise, there is no reason to believe there is a lot of power to be made by going to a "better" intercooler.