A fun reprieve...Blizzard's Hearthstone BETA

Well, I got my BETA invite today for Blizzard's newest game "Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft."  Since I have played some Ascension on the iPhone and iPad, this game already had some limited appeal.

It is fun!

Building decks is much more fun than I thought it would be...and the practice play is a fun way to kill hours and hours.  Since I am staying with some family this weekend and I didn't want to be slaved to a mouse and keyboard (WoW), this game naturally caught my attention.

It is very well done, and the unpacking new packs feature is really a blast...you never know what cool new cards you can get.  Once you unlock or unpack cards, you can build a deck with them and try them out.

I began with a hunter deck based on beast minions...I have had solid luck with that.  I also got a silver Edwin VanCleef from a pack I got!

So, if the internet isn't very good over in the deployed location, this is another option that will not require much bandwidth at all.  Perfect timing Blizzard, for once.

A quick update on the new system burn-in.

Idle temps (my office stays about 78 F)

I'm using WoW to burn in the CPU and GPU, and so far I am very pleased with what I've seen.  The GPU temps seem to steady out around 63C, while the motherboard and CPU temps stay in the mid- to upper-40s.  Given how much stuff is crammed in that case, I am not disappointed with these temps.  I may try to increase the top fan speed, seeing as it currently stays at 1900rpm.  The "CPU fan" is actually the watercooling pump, which I set to receive full voltage.

WoW performs well and the system is running even better than before.  I used Arctic Silver 5 for the CPU, and that seems to be worth the small investment.  Also, for inquiring minds, I used the line method as recommended by Arctic.

Line method for thermal paste

The ultimate victory for this system was that I turned on the computer and booted straight to windows.  I installed new motherboard drivers and was running full speed without having to reinstall windows at all.

Now, for WoW-related updates:
I began exploring dailies, as well as the Pandaren questline, in an effort to raise my item level beyond 463.  I am happy to report that I had success.  I got revered with Klaxxi and Tillers, which allowed me to get a decent neck using valor.  I ran a handful of 5-man random heroics, and got my average item level to about 455.  A guildie, out of the goodness of his own heart, crafted me two ilvl 483 cloth pieces, which I am particularly grateful for.  The Pandaren questline that begins at the top of Mogu Palace yielded a decent epic pair of shoes.  I bought a decent epic offhand from the AH for 1000 gold, which is relatively cheap.  And all that allowed me to queue for raids.  I now have a composite item level of 472, which qualifies me for the 460 and 470 LFR instances.

I successfully completed my first LFR yesterday.  I don't even know which one it was...there was a mantid that had a challenging tornado alley dynamic.  I got 2 sets of boots and a new helm!  I also got my first ingot, so I am on my way to completing the legendary quest that gives me a legendary gem.

I got exalted with Tillers, and now I am taking jobs to raise rep with others.  Hopefully this is worth the time.  The most time-consuming thing I'm doing on my priest right now is Sunreaver dailies on the Isle of Thunder.  These take a while, although the gear rewards are pretty good.

I think the big ticket is going to be LFR, "looking for raid," since the gear in those instances is almost 500 item level.  I still need to research the items that allow me to roll for extra gear on bosses.  I like the instant queue quality of a healer, but I am not thrilled with the inadequate grinding power of a shadow priest during dailies.

A powerful Mini ITX build for my deployment

Great success!  After a lot of research, form reading, and a little budgeting...I purchased all the needed components for the smallest computer I have ever built.
I chose the Sugo SG08 because it fits inside my Zuca bag, which will be my method of transporting the computer with me when I deploy.  Why was this important?  Because the Zuca bag comes with a steel frame that will protect the actual computer from getting crushed.  If you ever see the military palletize bags, you will understand why I was concerned about it.  I had a rolling gorilla chest last time for my electronic stuff, but it was unwieldy and awful to drag around, which we end up doing a lot.

Now, the parts I had to order for the new build:
Case: Silverstone Sugo SG08 with the provided 600W PSU
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-I mini ITX
CPU cooling: Corsair H60 watercooling unit
Optical drive: Toshiba (TSST) slimline DVD writer SN-208

New Toys!

The stuff I brought from my existing full ATX tower:
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K (LGA1155)
RAM: G.Skill 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 2133
Graphics card: EVGA GeForce GTX560 titanium
Drives: Corsair Force GT 120GB SSD and a WD 2TB green

The total package...more than a few minutes later

I will continue this thread with a picture by picture explanation of the build...but so far I want to report that I have had great success.  I didn't have to reinstall windows, only drivers for the new mobo.  CPU temps seem idle at 36C!  The only noise is coming from the Corsair fan at the top.  I am quite pleased.

Computer in a Bag...My Newest Project for my Deployment

I have embarked on a new project.

To build a mini ITX computer that will literally fit inside my Zuca bag, so that I can tote it along with me to my next deployment.

Components are purchased...stand by for updates!

Also, still have to figure out what to do about getting a monitor over there.  Pelican case?