Thermaltake Massive23 LX Notebook Cooler Review

I’ve had issues with my laptop overheating during gaming sessions.  It just had insufficient cooling for the processor and hard drive.  So I started looking for a simple solution.  The best and easiest is a cooling lap pad for the laptop to sit on.  After shopping around I settled on the Thermaltake Massive23 LX.  This is my review of it.

The Thermaltake Massive23 LX lives up to it’s name with a substantial feel.  The aluminum and plastic body has great build quality with no rough or sharp edges.  The black anodized finish of the aluminum looks great and should hold up to a lot of abuse.  It has cool looking blue LED lighting, but that seems unnecessary.  Thankfully Thermaltake is nice enough to include a separate on/off button for it, so you can turn the light off without turning off the fan.

Even though the Massive23 uses light-weight aluminum and plastic, it is still a fairly heavy pad.  That can make it a little uncomfortable to use over a long period of time, but for normal use, an hour or so at a time, it’s not a problem.  It has no sharp edges on it, the Massive23 won’t dig into you, unlike some other – cheaper – cooling pads do.  Both lap contacting areas are large, have rounded edges, and are plastic, so it sits fairly comfortably on your lap.

The Massive23 includes two USB ports, one is used to connect the pad to the laptop, the other is used as a pass-through so you don’t actually lose access to a port when using the pad.  I wish it included more USB ports, making it a USB hub in addition to a cooling pad.  I can never have enough USB ports.  It’s also a “plug and play” solution, there are no drivers to install or software to setup.

There’s a few minor things I don’t like.  The non-slip pads are a bit on the small side and don’t match up well with my laptop.  If they were larger and square I think they would work much better, my laptop doesn’t move around much but larger pads would keep it locked in place.  The vent holes on the bottom side are bigger than they probably need to be and it’s easy to stick your fingers through them into the fan.  I have large, sausage like fingers and I can easily poke them through.  This shouldn’t be much of a problem because the handles on the sides give you no reason to reach under and grab, but it could come up.  The included USB cable is too long for my tastes.  I understand why it has to be long, Thermaltake has to cover all kinds of situations with all kinds of laptop layouts, but I’ll be replacing the cable with a shorter one as soon as I can find one.

The Massive23 uses a humongous 230mm fan to keep the fresh air moving.  The fan runs at a fairly low RPM, making it pretty quiet,  it’s inaudible over the sound of my laptop’s own CPU fan and hard drive.  It makes up for the low speed by having a ton of large blades, so the fan still manages to move a lot of air.  The air flow really helps to keep things cool.

Cooling Performance – Normal Use

To get the cooling performance of this cooler I started with the laptop sitting directly on my lap while doing some browsing, emailing, tweeting, Excelling, and other basic productivity tasks, the laptop wasn’t working very hard.  I kept tabs on the temperature using an infrared thermometer in two areas, one near the CPU vents and another where the hard drive is located.  Once they reached a point where the high temps leveled off (117.1° for CPU and 117.6° for HD, all temps in Fahrenheit), I put the cooler under the laptop and turned on the fan.  I then took temp readings every two minutes and thirty seconds for thirty minutes.

Temperature drop over 30 minutes.

Over the last ten minutes my CPU had an average temperature of 92.7° and the hard drive had an average temp of 99.4°.  The low temps were 90.3° and 98.6°.  These are pretty significant drops, about -24° for the CPU and -18° for the HD, over just 30 minutes.  It shows that the Massive23 does move a ton of air and that really helps keep things cool.

Cooling Performance – Full Load

I started up SiSoftware’s Sandra Lite benchmark utility and ran a processor and hard drive burn-in test twice for 45 minutes each time.  The first time with the laptop sitting directly on my lap, the second time with the Massive23 under it and the fan running.  I let it run for 15 minutes to get the temps up.  After the initial warm up I then checked temps every five minutes.  At the end of each test I graphed and also averaged the temps.

Separate temp tests under full load using burn-in test of SiSoftware Sandra Lite.

Under full load for 45 minutes, without the Massive23 my laptop’s CPU temperature peaked at 130.2° and averaged 125° across the seven temperature samples I took.  The hard drive peaked at 123.9° and averaged 119.4° over the samples.  With the Massive23 under my laptop, those numbers dropped considerably with the CPU peaking at 106.4° and averaging 100.5° while the HDD peaked at 106.7° and averaged 100.7°.  So a 20° difference of the averages between with and without the cooler is pretty impressive to me.

Final Thoughts

The Massive23 LX is a perfect fit for 15″ laptops, a bit on the small side for 17″, and too big for 13″, it’ll still work for those sizes though.  It’s a comfortable and quiet cooler that does an excellent job.  I used to have problems with my laptop overheating and shutting down during long gaming sessions, those issues have now disappeared.  I like the Thermaltake Massive23 LX and would recommend it to anybody that asks.

Recommended

02/07/2012

My Favorite Restaurants in Pueblo – #3 – Gray’s Coors Tavern

The very definition of “bar food.”

Fans of the Food Network show Food Wars may already be familiar with this Pueblo landmark.  Gray’s Coors Tavern went head-to-head against another longtime Pueblo restaurant, The Sunset Inn.  While Sunset walked away with the win, Coors Tavern will always be my favorite.

The only reason to go to Gray’s Coors Tavern is for the Slopper.  They (probably[1]) invented the thing and their version will always be the best.  For those that don’t know, a Slopper is simply a  hamburger or cheeseburger, with no condiments or other add-ons, smothered with your choice of red or Pueblo green chile, though no true Slopper lover or Puebloan would ever get theirs with red, Pueblo green all the way.  The Coors Tavern way is to serve a single, double or triple burger, open-faced.  Add-ons are kept simple, offering only shredded cheddar cheese, onions, and oyster crackers as options.  One thing to be aware of is that Coors Tavern’s ideas of single, double, and triple clash with the traditional meanings.  A single Slopper actually has two hamburger patties, one on each bun.  A double includes four patties, and a triple, as you may guess, has a whopping six patties.  If you only want one patty, a true single, you need to be ordering the half Slopper.

The Slopper is ubiquitous in Pueblo.  Even our local A&W franchise location serves a Slopper (more on our A&W in a later article, it’s unique in the entire nation).  I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a locally owned restaurant in Pueblo that DOESN’T serve their own version of the Slopper.  So why do I prefer Coors’ over all the others?  The flavor of the burger.  I don’t know what they put in it, but it’s flavor is far beyond what anybody else does.  This isn’t just a bland, plain ol’, charred burger covered with green chile.  It’s a masterful blend of seasonings that complement the competently made green chile.  Add some raw diced onion to the mix and your tastebuds will explode.

My only complaint about Gray’s Coors Tavern is that they are stingy with the green chile on the Slopper.  They need to be delivering a lot more per bowl.

Being downtown and rather small, Coors Tavern is usually packed during lunch and is a popular after work dinner and beer place.  Your best bet for avoiding a crowd is to go during the mid-afternoon.

Gray’s Coors Tavern is located at 515 West 4th Street, at the intersection of 4th and Greenwood.  It’s a couple blocks north of the Pueblo Riverwalk.  You can dine in or call and carry out.  If you’re looking for just a meal, no alcohol, you’ll probably spend about $20 – $25 for a couple after adding pops and fries or onion rings.

I’ll update this post with hours and menu information when I get around to getting it.

[1] The Slopper entry on Wikipedia points to an unavailable article in the Colorado Springs Gazette that apparently suggests both Coors Tavern and another Pueblo bar/restaurant known as Star Bar as possible inventors of the slopper.

02/07/2012

IG Wrap stretching system tips…

I learned about the IG Wrap system about a year ago and have since used it to stretch dozens of canvas prints.  I’ve learned a couple of things about the system that you should probably know too, if you’re just starting out with it.

The IG Wrap system is billed as a tool-less system that can be used to stretch canvas photo prints and traditional art in just a few minutes. The system consists of pre-sized and cut stretcher bars with adhesive applied, a set of clamps, a few pins to hold it together, and tension braces to keep the stretched canvas taut. It is a simple and straight-forward system, and if you follow the instructions, you should have a very nice way to display your artwork. It’s available from multiple retailers in the US under many names, but they are all the same IG Wrap system[1]. It should be noted that this is not an archival quality stretching system. Once the artwork is on the frame, it’s there permanently, you will not be able to remove it. But the adhesives are all pH neutral and everything is acid free, so you won’t have to worry about discoloration of your prints.

I have used the IG Wrap system to stretch canvas prints of my photos in sizes ranging from 10″ x 10″ up to 32″ x 16″.  The pre-cut mix and match bar lengths make it very easy to create a frame to match your print size.  The canvases that I use are Legion Paper’s Moab Anasazi Canvas run through my Canon Pixma Pro9500 using 19″ x 13″ sheets and Canon’s Graphic Canvas through my Canon IPF6350 using 24″ rolls.  After a print is made I set it aside and let the ink dry for anywhere from 24 to 96 hours before varnishing the canvas with Breathing Color’s Timeless matte varnish.  The varnish is then allowed to dry for another 24 hours before stretching.  For the large format prints coming off the IPF6350 I choose to use the 1 3/4″ deep “Pro” bars, for the small prints from the Pixma Pro I use the 1 1/4″ deep “Standard” bars.  Using this system I have stretched dozens of canvas prints with only a few minor issues.

On rare occasions the adhesive strips don’t fully tack on to the canvas in some spots.  When that happens the canvas can pull up and become loose, making the print sag and ruining your presentation.  The instructions for the bars suggest you trim any overhanging canvas for a nice, clean back edge.  After having a few prints lift from their frame I have decided to keep at least 1/4″ of canvas (but the more you have, the better off you’ll be), which I then wrap over the back edge after stretching and staple into the frame using stainless steel staples.  Since using the staples I have not had one print come loose.  This could lead to other issues though if you aren’t careful with your aim.  I have ruined a few wraps by shooting the staple too close to the outer edge, causing a “pimple” in the canvas.

Another issue I have run into using the Pro bars is with the tension system. Using the Pro bars, tension is applied by hammering corner braces into cut grooves on the bars.  If you apply too much tension you will tweak the frame, causing it to sit against the wall in a crooked way.  Loosening the tension by pulling out the braces could lead to folds showing in the corners of your canvas when it relaxes.

Both of these problems can be overcome simply by experience.  Knowing where to shoot the staples and knowing how far to insert the corner braces are just a matter of practice.  You may ruin a few wraps along the way, but the results are worth the effort.

[1] Hahnemuhle sells complete kits (bars, jig, glue, pins and a sheet of canvas) and two bar packs under the Gallerie Wrap name.  Breathing Color sells bulk packs of bars as EasyWrappe.  Armadillo Photo Supply sell them as DIY Gallerie Wrap Bars.  And there are plenty of others.

The canvas lifted from the frame on this one, it lost some of it's stretch and now about 1/16
The canvas lifted from the frame on this one, it lost some of it's stretch and now about 1/16" of the wood frame is showing.
I prefer to fold over and staple a little bit of the canvas. The pre-applied adhesive on the bar just isn't reliable enough.
I prefer to fold over and staple a little bit of the canvas. The pre-applied adhesive on the bar just isn't reliable enough.
If you don't aim your staples properly, you might shoot through the side of the frame.
If you don't aim your staples properly, you might shoot through the side of the frame.
These frame braces are used to set tension on your canvas when using the
These frame braces are used to set tension on your canvas when using the "Pro" bars. Set it too tight and you'll tweak the frame.
If you stretch too tight and then attempt to loosen the brace, you'll probably see a fold like this in the corner of your canvas.
If you stretch too tight and then attempt to loosen the brace, you'll probably see a fold like this in the corner of your canvas.
02/07/2012

I had a dream about a bear, now I’m afraid of dying alone

In the dream I was a man, but the man wasn’t me.  He/I was walking through an alleyway in an unknown town.  Like most alleys in America it was a dark, dirty place, crawling with vermin and littered with refuse.  But I wasn’t put off by it.  Everything seemed to be normal, well, as normal as being somebody else walking down a gloomy alleyway can be.

I came alongside an alcove that had a large conex box parked in it.  But other than noticing it’s door was open, I paid no attention to the container.  Until I started hearing a low shuffling sound coming from within.  Then I heard deep, heavy breathing, the kind of breathing only a massive monster would do.  The sounds became louder as they drew nearer the open door.  I caught the first glimpse of the monster as it stuck it’s head out of the door to see what fool had invaded it’s territory.  It’s head was easily bigger than my entire upper body.  It spotted me and slowly crept out of it’s make-shift den.  The rest of it’s body matched it’s head in proportion.  I finally realized what it was.  A bear.  A bear bigger than all of the cars and trucks on the adjacent street.  This bear easily outweighed me by several hundred, if not thousands, of pounds.  It was black, blacker than the night sky, not just dark brown like most bears.  It’s eyes seemed to glow in the dark of the alley, catching the faint light of our surroundings and magnifying it beyond what seemed physically possible.  When it walked, it’s sharp claws clicked menacingly on the pavement.

But I wasn’t afraid of this beast.  It was large and intimidating, but I was armed.  I pulled a very large knife from it’s sheath hanging on my side.  The bear bared his great, white teeth and snarled a dreadful snarl.

The bear slowly approached me, it’s massive head slung low, it’s piercing eyes burning a hole into my soul, it’s brilliant, saw-like teeth gleaming in what little light there was.  I stood my ground, knowing that if I ran, it would chase and easily catch me.  If I cowered it would play with me like a cat plays with a mouse, until it decided I was no longer a toy, but a delicious meal.  So I stood my ground and waited, with my knife.

The bear took it’s first strike at me.  It’s giant paw, with it’s equally giant claws, whipped past my face as I darted out of the way.  I reacted quickly and jabbed my knife deep into the bear’s neck.  It didn’t even flinch.  The bear drew it’s other paw high into the air and slashed downward at me with great force.  Again I dodged out of the way and shoved my knife into the bear’s thick neck.  The bear felt it that time.  It backed off slowly, it’s gaze never turning away from me.

The bear was reevaluating, it thought I would be an easy dinner, but it hadn’t counted on me being a deadly opponent.  It paced back and forth, trying to decide if I was worth the pain it has endured.  After what seemed like an eternity, the bear made it’s decision.

It charged, the full force of it’s massive body bearing down on me.  It heaved it’s upper body into the air, pulled it’s paws back, and threw them down in a ferocious attempt to overwhelm me.  But I was not going to die and become a meal in a dark alley this night.  I thrust my knife up into the throat of the bear and quickly slipped out from beneath it, before it could crush me.  The bear came crashing down to the ground, it lay there stunned for a few seconds.  Blood was pouring from it’s neck and mouth.  It tried to get up but stumbled and fell back down.  It tried again, and struggled to it’s feet.  It began walking away with it’s head hanging, knowing it had been defeated.  It’s back was to me as it crept back to it’s home.  But then it stopped and looked back at me.  It looked sad.  The bear knew it was going to die.

He turned around, and slowly, dejectedly, approached me.  He walked around me and came up to my side, and lay down there next to me.  His weight pushing against me.  He wanted to be comforted, he wanted companionship, he didn’t want to die alone.  So I sat next to him, and stroked his rough fur, patted his giant head, and stayed with him until he slipped away.

…

…

I awoke this morning, greatly disturbed by the dream I just had.  After wrapping my brain around everything that happened in it, I realized that the man wasn’t me.  The bear was me.  Always putting on a snarling face, hating people and the world they create for themselves.  Trying to push people away, to live a life of solitude.  But now, after being the bear, I’m afraid of the inevitable conclusion of my life.  Dying alone.

11/14/2011

My Favorite Restaurants in Pueblo – #2 – Pass Key

Pass Key is two things: Italian and simple.  Their menu consists of everything you’d expect to find at any low end Italian restaurant anywhere in the US.  Spaghetti and meatballs, hot sandwiches, burgers, etc.  But their signature, a “Pueblo Tradition,” is the Pass Key Special.  It’s simply an Italian sausage sandwich on greased Italian bread, a couple slices of cheese, some yellow mustard, and a little lettuce for color.  Also, some pickled cherry or banana peppers are tossed on the plate as well.

The Special will never be perfectly cooked, it may be crispy, it may be rare, the cheese may drip off the patty onto the griddle and be burned, it’ll never win any food awards, but it’ll always be delicious.  You really only have one choice to make when ordering a Special.  What cheese do you want on it?  American, Swiss, Provolone, or maybe all three combined.  I always opt for the last, referred to as the “Super Special.”  I’m not too concerned about my cholesterol levels, I like to live dangerously.

An oft overlooked aspect of any good meal is the side.  In the case of the Super Special, the side is Pass Key’s fresh French Fries.  I’m putting my cards on the table here:  Pass Key has the best fries in town.

A somewhat new addition to the Pass Key Special option list is Pass Key’s house green chile to smother the sandwich, essentially creating a Special Slopper.  I have yet to try this combo, but a friend says it’s excellent.

I mentioned the Pass Key Special being a Pueblo Tradition, it’s earned that distinction because Pass Key has continually operated and expanded in this town for 60-some years.  There’s now four locations around Pueblo and Pueblo West, plus a concession trailer that shows up at some of the larger events around town.  The Abriendo location is the most throw-back, the Highway 50 spot has the most modern feel.  A pair of people should expect to pay between $15 and $20 for a meal.

I’ll update this post with hours and menu information when I get around to getting it.

02/01/2011