Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Cool it Hotshot

So lately, I've been in this DIY [do it yourself] mood where I figure I will just delve right in and fix whatever I deem necessary to fix.  As of yet, I have drilled holes into pixel (my computer) to create exhaust vents so that my power supply can get the proper ventilation it needs.  Out of poor design, the power supply fan is on the top instead of on the back, which means that it's taking in air from ...the case.  Which sucks. so I drilled in holes on the top, and while I was at it, on the side for my graphics card so that the computer as a whole would have more consistent air flow.  Needless to say a few days after I had done my amateur handywork, my computer again decided to give me the blue screen of doom.  So again I popped off pixel's case to expose it's nakedness and am very tempted to get the H50 cooling system by Corsair.



< Here it is












Out of my spontaneity, I purchased it.  I figured with it's five star rating, it'll cool my computer down in no time.  Indeed, when it came in through the mail I was excited! I tore off the package aligned all the pieces nice so I wouldn't lose them and watched the instructional video intently.  Easy enough I figured.  Little did I know, the first step was the most annoying part.








They have this super complicated case called the "Obsidian" which has a backplate accessibility slot that allows you to remove the backplate for the heat sink.  The first step was to access that and remove the one already there.  For those of you who have seen pixel, it's not really that sophisticated ( it's just...cute ) and so the first step for me was to ....dismantle my computer. yes I basically took everything out, removed the backplate and screwed in the lock hold for the actual heat sink.  By the end of it all,  I mount the fan and then the radiator.  Yes, the radiator is the big fat black thing connected to the cone.  And it is far too big for my system.  I nearly cried after all that work, just to realize that the bloody radiator is too big.  It won't even let me screw in my power supply.  So in utter defiance, I placed my power supply on top.  Making pixel ugly and fat.

Ahh...the moment of truth.

>>turn on computer
>>no hard drive detected

"snap, gotta put power in the hard drives.....where is it....ah here it is.  Plug*

EUREKA!  It's! alive! but now my computer is super slow.  Good grief I forgot to remove the old thermal paste.  I need rubbing alcohol.

Got some, now it should work, but it looks like i may need more thermal paste....

Ah, now I have thermal paste, now it will work.

computer does not start.

Doh....my CPU isn't all the way in.....



Now my computer works.....well....   You can see how much work I had to do....just to install a new cooling system that is prided to be easy to install.  and yes...pixel is still without a case.

Curse you DYI mode, but I will have my sweet revenge.