GMC Sierra 1500 6.2L V8 Supercharger Buyer's Guide: Magnuson vs ProCharger vs Whipple

A supercharger kit is the biggest single purchase on this site for the Sierra 1500's 6.2L V8. RideBuildList earns commissions from some retailer links. Three brands sell a 6.2L-specific kit right now: Magnuson, ProCharger, and Whipple, split across the two chassis generations this engine has run in -- K2XX (2014-2018) and T1XX (2019-2026). None of the six kits below crosses that generation line, so figure out which truck you have before you start comparing them.

Every number in this guide is a CLAIMED figure -- published by the brand itself, not an independent dyno test. None of these six kits has a TESTED figure on file. Treat the horsepower and torque numbers as the manufacturer's own engineering claims, not something a magazine verified on a dyno.

What you're starting with

Stock output on the 6.2L L86/L87 is 420 hp and 460 lb-ft, per the figures cited on the Magnuson and ProCharger listings themselves. That number holds across both generations covered here.

2014-2018 (K2XX)

Three kits, three different approaches to the same 6.2L L86.

Magnuson TVS2650 Magnum, L86

Magnuson's own page claims 640 hp and 579 lb-ft at the crank, a stated 45% jump over the 420 hp stock rating. This is GM's own supercharger supplier building to the L86-specific spec, and it's the highest claimed number of the three K2XX kits. It ships with Magnuson's own PCM calibration built in.

ProCharger High Output Intercooled, P-1SC-1

ProCharger doesn't publish a flywheel total for this one, just a 45%+ gain at 8 psi on pump gas per the Phastek Performance listing -- a percentage claim rather than a hard number. What sets this kit apart: it's CARB legal under EO# D-365-10 per ProCharger's own listing, the only kit in this K2XX group with a stated CARB number. Centrifugal head unit, a different design philosophy than the Magnuson and Whipple positive-displacement kits.

Whipple Gen 5 3.0L, Full Kit

Here's the honest gap: Whipple's own listing for this kit doesn't publish a specific hp or tq number at all, just language about it beating "any other positive displacement supercharger system on the market" at 7-8 psi. No figure means no figure -- this site isn't going to estimate one for you. What the listing is very clear on is fitment: it states outright that it fits 2014-2018 trucks and does not fit 2019-2023 trucks. That's a hard chassis cutoff, not a soft recommendation.

2019-2026 (T1XX)

Three kits here too, and one of them is the only supercharger on this list that also covers the 5.3L.

Magnuson TVS2650 Magnum, L87

The T1XX successor to the K2XX kit above. Magnuson claims 602 hp at the crank, a stated 43% increase over the 420 hp stock rating -- no torque figure published on this one. Same story as the K2XX Magnuson kit: PCM calibration included, GM's own supercharger supplier.

ProCharger Stage II Intercooled Complete

The one kit in this guide that isn't 6.2L-only. TREperformance's listing gives engine-specific numbers for the same SKU: 230+ hp gain on the 6.2L and 210+ hp gain on the 5.3L, both at 8 psi on factory injectors -- a genuinely shared part with real per-engine figures, not one number ported across two engines. One thing to verify before ordering: the listing notes compatibility varies by Global A vs Global B chassis architecture, so confirm your VIN generation with the seller first.

Whipple Gen 6 3.0L Kit

The highest claimed number in the T1XX group: up to 685 hp and 655 lb-ft at 7 psi on 93 octane, per Whipple's own product page. Also the only kit in this guide with a full CARB EO number, D-231-143.

Install and what's included

All six kits carry the same install-difficulty rating on this site: 5 out of 5, with an estimated 12 to 20 hours of shop time. Every listing recommends a professional install rather than a driveway job. This is pulling the intake manifold and throttle body, mounting a blower on top of the engine, running new belts, and loading a tune -- not a bolt-on in the cat-back or intake sense.

Tune inclusion varies. Both Magnuson kits and the T1XX Whipple kit state a PCM calibration or tune is built into the purchase. The K2XX Whipple kit and both ProCharger kits don't spell out tune inclusion as clearly on the pages checked -- confirm with the seller before assuming one is bundled.

Every flag on this page also notes the same thing: a supercharger is a major forced-induction change, and it comes with a supporting-mods conversation (fuel system, spark plugs, cooling) and a real question mark over powertrain warranty. Nothing on this page is legal or warranty advice -- if warranty coverage matters to you, that's a conversation with GM or a dealer, not a catalog listing.

FAQ

Which kit makes the most power?

By the manufacturers' own claimed numbers: the Whipple T1XX kit claims the highest total of the six, at up to 685 hp / 655 lb-ft. In the K2XX group, Magnuson's 640 hp / 579 lb-ft is the highest published figure -- the K2XX Whipple kit publishes no number at all, so it can't be compared on paper. Remember every figure here is a manufacturer claim, not an independent test.

I have a 5.3L Sierra 1500. What are my options?

One kit, and it's T1XX-only: the ProCharger Stage II Intercooled Complete, which claims a 210+ hp gain on the 5.3L specifically. No K2XX (2014-2018) 5.3L supercharger kit and no Magnuson or Whipple 5.3L kit is active on this site right now.

Are any of these CARB legal?

Two of the six state a CARB EO number on their own listing: the K2XX ProCharger kit (D-365-10) and the T1XX Whipple kit (D-231-143). The other four don't state a CARB status on the pages checked. Don't assume legality either way in an emissions state -- confirm directly with the brand or your dealer before buying. This isn't legal advice.

Why doesn't the Whipple K2XX kit list a horsepower number?

Because Whipple's own product page doesn't publish one for this specific kit. That's a real gap in what the manufacturer discloses, not a data error on this site's end -- the honest answer is "the catalog doesn't have that figure," and that's what gets shown.