Cooling Goodness

Recently, I have been noticing that the CPU temperature on my PC has been getting higher and higher.  According to the hardware monitoring software that came with my motherboard, ASUS Probe, the CPU temperature has consistently been 60 degrees C and above.  The threshold setting in the software is 60 degrees, so it is always alarming.  It was reaching these temperatures without really doing anything, just sitting idle.  I decided it was time for a new CPU cooler to replace the standard Intel cooler that came with my Core 2 Duo E6400.  I ended up with a Scythe Kabuto from PC Case Gear (pictured below).

The first thing I noticed about the Kabuto was the size of it.  Compared to the Intel cooler, it was huge!  However, featuring huge fins and cooper heat pipes for heat dissipation and a 120mm fan, it does a great job at keeping my CPU cool.  Tonight as I have used the computer, it has been hovering around the 30 degree mark, which is a great improvement from before.  I don't think the stock cooler was all that bad, but I believe the thermal paste/grease that is applied between the top of the CPU and the bottom of the heatsink, had probably lost its effectiveness and was one of the causes of the overheating I was experiencing.

Here are some photos that show the difference in the size of the coolers and the space taken inside the case.

Side by side

Intel cooler installed

 Kybuto Installed

The Kabuto is secured to the motherboard using the same "Push Pin" system that is used for the Intel coolers.  There is a bracket that screws to the bottom of the cooler with the push pins attached.  I really don't like using this "Push Pin" system, because it sounds like the motherboard is about to crack when you put pressure on the pins to secure them.  Due to the size of the cooler, I had to remove the power supply from the case to allow room for my hand to reach in and push the pins into place to secure the cooler.  Once secured, I then looked at the gap between the top of the case and the cooler where the PSU had to fit to go back into the case.  There wasn't much room there!  It was a tight squeeze, but I just managed to get the PSU back into the case.

Once fired up, the fan on the cooler is quiet, probably more so than the stock Intel cooler.  It has been spinning at around 675 RPM for most of the time.

I'm impressed with the Scythe Kabuto CPU Cooler.  I don't overclock my PC, so I don't require huge cooling, but this is sure doing a great job so far.

Here is an artsy shot, just to show off the heat pipe design :-)

The Saga is Finally Over

Since I haven't been blogging for a while, I missed out on updating you on my V8 Race saga that you may recall from previous posts (here and here). Well, I finally went racing :-) and it was fantastic! I had a ball. I went on the morning of 30th September last year (2009 - yeah, I know it has been a while - over 3 months!) and this time it wasn't raining.

I arrived at Eastern Creek Raceway early on the Wednesday morning, signed in, went through the drivers briefing again, and then got suited up, including a helmet, ready to race.  You get the choice to drive either Ford or Holden.  Of course I drove the Ford :-)

When it is your turn to drive, they strap you into the race seat with a proper racing harness nice and tight.  The helmets have an intercom system that is connected in the car so you can talk to the driving instructor.  We had a bit of a chat, fired up the car, and once pit lane was clear, we were off.

The cars are amazing.  They sound loud and fantastic, like a V8 should. They handle very well for a big, heavy car (slick tyres and suspension mods help with that) and the braking capabilities are phenomenal.  The front brakes have huge rotors and dual calipers.

I found it hard at first to really push hard, but once I got a couple of laps under my belt, it was getting easier to go fast.  It is difficult to get out of the mindset of driving on the road, where I leave plenty of braking distance so I'm not braking ultra hard to pull up in time for the stopped traffic/corner/roundabout/pedestrian crossing/whatever.  Braking hard, and trying to co-ordinate down shifts with a gearbox that I wasn't used to made it even harder.

The experience had given me a new sense of respect for the V8 Supercar drivers (and drivers in other categories too).  It was hard and hot work steering one of those cars around 5 or 6 laps of Eastern Creek, and it required a huge amount of concentration.  I can only imagine how intense it would be to do that for hours while battling for track position with 30 odd other cars.... then think about doing around Mt Panorama for a full day!!

I had a great day, and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in having a go at motor sport.  I also purchased a DVD of in car footage of my drive, which is good to look back at and relive the experience.

After my drive, I managed to snap a quick pick of the car I drive with my iPhone.  Here is is:

My New Photo Blog

I've decided to start a new blog to share some of my photos, both old and new.  Don't worry, this blog will still operate (hopefully I'll post more than what I have in the past few months).  You'll find it at: http://ecstaticfanatic.wordpress.com/

Blast from the past

I saw this video on a blog that I read today.  It bought back some memories of the early 90's.



And for all those youngsters that may be reading.... that is Miley Cyrus' dad.

Normal programming will resume shortly

It has been a while since my last post, but I have a few things to write about, so I'm going to try and post more often now.