Viomi M1 vs Waterdrop G3P600: One Mineralizing Unit or a Two-Part Mineral Setup

A mineralizing setup built on the Waterdrop G3P600 comes in two parts: the base purifier and a separate cartridge, either the MNR35 remineralization filter or the ALK35 alkaline filter, sold with it as a bundle. With remineralization built into its PCB cartridge, the Viomi M1 makes mineral water straight from the purifier simpler to get, with fewer parts under the sink to track and no separate mineral cartridge in the setup.

A household that wants added minerals or a higher pH from a G3P600 would order it as a bundle. Waterdrop's tankless base purifier, the WD-G3P600, uses three cartridges, and each bundle adds one more: the remineralization bundle (WD-G3P600-W-MZ) and the alkaline bundle (WD-G3P600-W-ALK-N). The Viomi M1 keeps its two cartridges in a single tankless unit, with the mineral stage inside one of them.

How Each Configuration Gets Its Minerals

Inside the Viomi M1, minerals are part of the M1-PCB composite cartridge. Ahead of the membrane, that cartridge removes sediment, chlorine and organic matter and protects the RO stage. After purification, it reintroduces six selected, naturally sourced minerals, calcium, magnesium and potassium among them. The water reaching the faucet is low alkaline, and because minerals have been added back on purpose, its TDS reading sits higher than that of standard RO water. The household never handles the mineral stage as a separate part; it arrives and leaves with the M1-PCB. The cartridge that carries it reports its remaining life as the PCB reading on the faucet, the main unit and the Viomi app, so the mineral stage is covered by the same reminders as the rest of the system.

The G3P600 base system purifies through a front compound CF cartridge, an RO cartridge and a rear carbon rod CB cartridge, and Waterdrop's own comparison chart lists alkaline mineralization as outside the base model. Added minerals or a higher pH come from the bundle cartridge. The MNR35 in the G3P600 Remineralization Filter Bundle restores calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, and Waterdrop describes it as an independent filter made for 1/4-inch quick-connect tubing. The ALK35 in the alkaline bundle aims at pH instead, raising it to 7.5 to 9.5. A G3P600 buyer therefore picks the type of finishing cartridge, mineral or alkaline, as part of choosing the bundle.

Compared with the Viomi M1, either bundle adds a part to the cabinet and a replacement schedule to follow. Our overview of RO remineralization filter brands shows how other brands approach the same step.

Under the Sink: Connections and Footprint

Both setups start from the same kitchen basics: each draws feed water from the standard cold-water supply under the sink and runs a drain line to the sink drain. On the G3P600 side, Waterdrop supplies an adjustable drain saddle, its feed-water adapter fits 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch supply valves, and an existing soap-dispenser opening can serve as the faucet hole.

Where they part is in what sits in the cabinet. The Viomi M1 keeps everything in one unit, 17.1 inches deep, 6.4 inches wide and 15.9 inches high. A G3P600 bundle places two bodies under the sink: the main unit, at about 18.1 by 5.7 by 17.7 inches with roughly an inch of space asked for around it, and the mineral or alkaline cartridge joined to the system's tubing. For the Viomi M1, installation parts ship in the box, including the faucet and fittings, and a step-by-step installation video covers each connection in order.

Adding a mineral cartridge to an RO system a household already owns involves matching tubing size, fittings and cabinet space, which our guide to remineralization add-on compatibility walks through.

Cartridge Timeline Through Month 48

The timeline counts from installation day and uses each cartridge's published month rating.

Counted this way, at the rated month intervals, the Viomi M1 reaches its first change at month 24 and its second at month 48, when both of its cartridges are renewed together. On the same month count, every G3P600 configuration has a change every six months, because the CF cartridge sets that pace, and the bundle cartridge joins either the yearly changes (MNR35) or every one of them (ALK35).

The G3P600 cartridges and the MNR35 carry both a month rating and a gallon rating, and the change falls due at whichever comes first, so a household drawing a lot of water through a G3P600 may reach the gallon figures before the months. Replacing a Viomi M1 cartridge needs no tools: each one twists out by hand and the new one twists in, after which a filter-life reset brings the readout back to 100% on the faucet and in the Viomi app. For ratings across other filter types, see our comparison of long-lasting water filter brands.

Output Ratings and Monitoring

The Viomi M1's membrane is rated at 1000 GPD. Waterdrop rates the G3P600 at 600 GPD and gives the test conditions for that figure in its manual. Both numbers describe daily production capacity, so neither one is a faucet flow speed. On drain water, the Viomi M1 is rated at a 3:1 pure-to-drain ratio, three parts purified water for each part sent to the drain, and the G3P600 at 2:1. The Viomi M1 uses 9 filtration stages and the G3P600 uses 8.

Both faucets have a screen for TDS and filter life. On the Viomi M1, the touchscreen faucet carries a purified-water TDS reading and a tap-water TDS reading, along with the life of the PCB and RO cartridges, and the Viomi app adds water usage, inlet water temperature and replacement reminders. When a cartridge is due, the app sends a notification and the main unit's RO lamp glows orange. The G3P600's smart faucet shows TDS and filter life too, and its main unit has a front-panel display that shows the TDS reading.

Households Better Served by a G3P600 Setup

A G3P600 bundle suits a household that wants to choose its finishing cartridge. The MNR35 and ALK35 lead to different results, a mineral profile or a pH of 7.5 to 9.5, and each is replaced apart from the main unit. Waterdrop also sells a G3P600 with a UV bundle for households that want a UV step added.

Waterdrop notes that the G3P600 can work with a third-party RO faucet that has a 1/4-inch quick connect, with the original faucet's filter-life indicator no longer in effect when another faucet is used. For a household that already has a faucet it likes, that option may matter. The front-panel TDS display adds a second place to see the water reading, beside the faucet screen.

Households That Gain From the Viomi M1

Mineral water as the purifier's normal output, with no finishing cartridge to choose, place or replace on a separate schedule, is the Viomi M1's main draw. Its two cartridges are rated for up to two and four years, so changes come around only occasionally. Because the mineral stage sits in the PCB cartridge, pre-filtration and minerals are renewed together on one rhythm, and the RO cartridge joins every second PCB change, so the household follows a single schedule instead of separate ones for the purifier and a mineral add-on.

Information sits close at hand as well: tap and purified TDS at the faucet, and usage, inlet temperature and reminders in the app. On rated capacity, its 1000 GPD membrane rating is the higher of the two.

FAQ

Can minerals be added to a base G3P600 later?

Waterdrop sells the MNR35 as a standalone product and describes it as an independent filter made for 1/4-inch quick-connect tubing, and it lists the ALK35 as suitable for its G3 RO systems. With the G3P600, both are offered as bundles: the Remineralization Filter Bundle (WD-G3P600-W-MZ) and the Alkaline Filter Bundle (WD-G3P600-W-ALK-N).

Is cartridge life counted in months or gallons on each system?

Each Viomi M1 cartridge has a time-based rating, up to 24 months for the M1-PCB and up to 48 months for the M1-RO1000, and its faucet, main unit and app track the remaining life of each. On the G3P600, each cartridge carries both a month and a gallon rating, as does the MNR35, so a change is due at whichever limit arrives first; for the ALK35, the rating is in months only, up to 6.

Where does each setup show that a cartridge is due?

On the Viomi M1, the remaining life of both cartridges appears on the faucet, on the main unit and in the Viomi app, and when one reaches its rated end the app sends a notification while the main unit's RO lamp glows orange. On the G3P600, the smart faucet displays filter life and alerts the household when a replacement is due, and a bundle's add-on cartridge follows its own rating, 12 months or 1,100 gallons for the MNR35 and up to 6 months for the ALK35.

How many change days does each setup have in four years?

At the published month ratings, the Viomi M1 has two change days, at months 24 and 48, using three cartridges in total. Every G3P600 configuration has eight change days, one every six months. The base system uses 14 cartridges across those days, the remineralization bundle 18 and the alkaline bundle 22.

Working Through the Choice at Home

1. Decide what the water should gain after RO: minerals added back, from the Viomi M1's own cartridge or an MNR35 in a G3P600 bundle, or the higher pH range of an ALK35.
2. Measure the space beside the sink's pipes and compare it with the main units, 17.1 by 6.4 by 15.9 inches for the Viomi M1 and about 18.1 by 5.7 by 17.7 inches for the G3P600, leaving room for a bundle cartridge on the Waterdrop side.
3. Watch the Viomi M1's step-by-step installation video ahead of time to see each connection, from the cold-water supply to the drain.
4. A household that wants to keep a third-party RO faucet with a 1/4-inch quick connect can pair one with the G3P600.