Hard facts of watercooling

$150.. Was it worth it? Yes.

The amount of cooling that I am getting now is more than double of what I was getting with air.

The computer is now silent... I do mean silent. The loudest thing you hear is the clicking of the hard drives. It was a fun experience, and I now I know how to do it. Totally worth it.

Pump DD-CPX1 12V Water Pump $45 Microcenter
Water tank MCRes-Micro Small Form Factor Hi-Flow Acrylic Reservoir $20
Fan control unit (I’ve taken it back) $20
CPU water block MCW30 Universal Chipset Water-block $26
Tubing (uv sensitive) ½ I.D. ¾ O.D. $20
GPU Water block MCW60 Extreme Duty Universal VGA Water Block $40
Radiator from Oldsmobile $50
120mm Fan $10

Total price: $231 (Because I had the heater core, one of the fans, and took the fan control unit back, my out of pocket expense was around $150)

The way I should have done it.
Cheap kit off of ebay $90
Super flex hose 10’ $20
Total $110
And If I wanted to get crazy, then put in a new radiator $40
Total $150

COOL

I bit the bullet, and built my watercooled system for my PC.

I used a heater core from my oldsmobile for the radiator.

Clean room no more!

Pressure testing the GPU waterblock

GPU installed, and ready for a trial run

Installing the water tank to purge the air from the system

Installing the CPU waterblock (look at all that wonderful thermal paste!(don't eat the paste))

Routing the tubes

Up and running

Previous to the installation, the normal temp was around 60C!

No, that's not the final resting place for the radiator, but for now it works.

More info to come.. I'm tired.

EULA

It seems that I agree to more and more without reading what I’m agreeing to.
Case in point, EULA’s (End User License Agreement)
I just updated some software, and had to agree with a EULA before the update would complete. The agreement was over 15 pages long, and I didn’t feel like reading a novel, so I just clicked “OK”.What did I agree to? I don’t really care… but should I? It’s quite interesting that you don’t have to agree to the EULA to purchase the software, but you have to agree once you try to use it. Shouldn’t you have to agree to the EULA before you purchase the software? Here’s my problem with the way it works right now. If you decide you don’t agree with the EULA, most stores won’t allow you to return opened software. I wonder if the EULA even holds water in court. Most people aren’t going to read anything they don’t have to. I usually read the agreements that I sign, but I almost never read EULA’s.. It’s just so easy to click. “Do you agree to ……bla ….bla… bla……..?” Um…. Sure? Ok. NEXT!
I found this story on the subject quite interesting. Find it here.

If you can’t get to the site, in summation, it says, READ THE EULA!

Clean Room!

After days and hours of work, I finally have a clean room.

I used Autostitch to make this picture. Find out more here.

Rant 2

Ok, is it just me, or has Microsoft just given up? I was reading one of my PC magazines, and about 8% of the magazine devoted to Macintosh and Linux. Normally PC magazine would be almost completely devoted to Windows based computers. (With the occasional Linux blurb thrown in) I was reading in the magazine, how Mac does this and Linux does that. If I wanted to find out what Mac does, I would have subscribed to Mac Magazine. Are the Windows magazines totally out of good stuff, so that there’s nothing better to put in there than “How to setup a Linux computer”?

Now, for those who don’t know, PC doesn’t mean “Politically Correct”, it means Personal Computer. Correct me if I’m wrong, but almost nothing Microsoft does is for personal use anymore. They have almost totally focused in on the business side, and forgot me, the little dude. Does Microsoft’s new operating system do so little, that an alternative is needed? I am starting to lean that way. I just wonder if people are so fed up with the giant software company that they would be willing to switch to Linux or Mac. I have been using Windows Vista for about 6 months, and I don’t like it much. It is slow, it’s no less susceptible to viruses and spyware than XP was, so here’s the question, what does Microsoft offer to me? Well, on the business side they are giving out all kinds of free software and help. For all the gamers out there, Windows is still the most popular OS (operating system) for gaming. However, for day to day use, Why Windows? I’m not sure I can answer that anymore.

Strange Song

An eerie sound came from the basement. It almost sounded like music. The sound flowed up from the basement, and the words were lost to tonal mumblings. The music was enchanting, but the voice sounded too familiar. Who could be playing? We all looked around at each other, but no one was missing. Who could it be? I grabbed the gun, as I ran down the stairs yelling like a madman. AYIEE! I shouted! As I rounded the corner, there, sitting there, in the bed was Kermit the frog!We all stood in the doorway, awe struck. Thousands of questions raced around our minds, but none could find life through our tongues. We stood there, bemused, listening to the lighthearted music flowing out of the ukulele.

WARNING!

Walmart employees looking for dangerous person on the loose wearing an unopened motorcycle helmet. Go to Beth's blog for more..

Old Lakeside Mall

It’s coming down! Funny thing, some might think that I would have taken some pictures from the inside because I worked there. Nope. Here is one of it getting smashed though.
Bye Bye Old Mall.

A bad day at the movies

Why was she there?
Why not.

How did she get in?
I think she probably got in while the security guard was taking a break.

What happened?
Some say it was the movies, some say it was the popcorn, but I say it was the lack of good content in the movie “blood grudge 2” that was previously seen.

SCHOOL WORK!

Ok, Well, the title might be a little deceptive.
My brother and I have been working on the entry of a school in wheat ridge.

Crested Butte, CO.

Welcome to Crested Butte Colorado

• Middle of nowhere
  
• Their one gas station was $3.40 per gallon for regular
  
• Nothing was open before 7am
  
• Average temperature was around ten degrees Fahrenheit
  
• Over 9 feet of snow on the sides of the roads

This is the job site.Lots of snowCAUTION Just the streets and parking lots were clear of snow.

Long icicles were falling around where we were working.
Interesting architecture

There were many of these walking around loose, the stick people without their heads attached.

The DMV (Department of Men and Vehicles)

There’s LIGHT at the end of the tunnel.
After spending almost 8 hours on the phone, at the DMV, and $80 it is looking like I’m gonna get to keep my truck! The nice clerk in Wyoming sent the records search, and the people at the DMV started believing my story. At any case I finish this expedition with a strange sensation. I think it’s summed up with this. “WHY DID I HAVE TO DO ALL THE WORK FOR THEIR MISTAKE?!” Anyway, that was fun.

Above, some guy is getting ready to jump over the counter.






As we see here, the DMV worker is working hard.

I was number 277 today. Obviously, it's too hard to see the "4" that is not lit up, so it only makes sense that a LED "4" was needed.

On a lighter note

Did anyone hear about the RTD and train wreck last year?
Here are some pictures, just in case you missed it.

















These two observers are in complete shock, upon seeing that they would be denied access to the
"cool areas"

















As you can clearly see here, this picture is obviously proof that aliens exist.

















" BILL!!! I told you not to put the quarter on the tracks"

















This is a picture of a man that just parachuted into the construction zone, avoiding the security and the caution tape.
















This picture, I think, accentuates the lovely shape of the twigs, twisting jaggedly, this way and that.