As some of you may recall, I recently built a new computer (see blog below). As was also mentioned previously, that computer wasn't so great at keeping itself cold. After doing some research, I determined that a quad core shouldn't go over 65-71 degrees C on any given core. After running the processor up to 94C hosting an AoE3 multiplayer game (2 humans + managing 2 AI), I figured I ought to work a bit on the cooling system. One of the issues turned out to be with way I had positioned the two fans (1 front exhaust and 1 rear). As it turns out, the opposing exhaust pulls cancel each other out in the case and create a dead zone or hot spot. I was able to drop several degrees by simply switching the front fan to an intake, allowing air to flow again. Also, I decided to buy some more fans to help it out. I ended up grabbing a big 120mm fan that can push 110cfm (the average 120mm pushes 50-70). Surprisingly quiet too, I can't hear the fan itself, only the rush of wind that it creates. [:D] I also decided to upgrade the heatsink on my CPU from the stock Intel one. The new one had a blue LED fan too, so my case glows even more! I was actually very surprised at how much it improved the CPU temps. In combination with the new fan, my CPU now runs from the upper 40s C (idle/low load) to the low 60s C (heavy load), so it's now completely in the green zone. Case temps dropped from a steady 50-58 C to a steady 28-38 C. All these temps are when the ambient temperature is between 80-95, so this winter I'll probably be trying to figure out how to keep it warm. XD On that note, when I was at the store searching for heatsinks, I found a very interesting one that cost about $150. The thing looks like a radiator and can apparently create frost on older CPU. You actually need a hot processor to keep from generating ice on it. XD Obviously a Quad/Dual Core will be fine, but no dinky P3's for this thing.

In terms of game development… The Insurgent is looking very beautiful. I've been tweaking the lighting engine a bit to provide some more enhancement (surfaces are a very nice thing). Now the lights increase in intensity/glow more the closer the camera gets to them to simulate actual glare. You know how a light looks brighter when you're looking straight at it rather than to the side a bit? That's how this looks. Perhaps I'll get a screenshot up soon.

I've also been doodling with methods for creating those pretty time-space distortions from explosions that are becoming popular these days. Here's the look of the current engine:

This shot has an external bulge distortion. The explosion itself is actually just a single burst, but it has been distorted so strongly that it creates a second ring around it. Looks pretty cool when you see it in action.

Here's another one doing an inverse distortion instead:

Identical particle system to the explosion above. This blast also creates two outward distortion ripples, one of which has just started in this shot (hence the sharp distinction between the ring and the main). Here's this explosion at the very end of the blast:

The ring has now gone out so far that it distorts the screen.

Any thoughts?