bb2k - eye opening; not anything I didn't expect however! I was wondering if the 1.2% was across the range or the reading itself, but I wasn't sure. Thanks for clarifying that - after using the meter yesterday, I realise its not what I was after - it didnt even 'feel right' when I viewing it in the shop. Of course, I'm talking about using it for relative measurements here, but I guess any range of factors could effect that kind of couple; with a 7 deg deviance id imagine it would be very hard to call it a 'constant'; not something that I would want to put any hope in.
pHaestus -
http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/633/index.html with DOW sensors? I'll have a test bed, plus two spare boxes, so computers shouldnt be an issue at all. I dont mind sinking some money into something like that - if and when I stop testing, theres still a good use for it
I can see this becoming an addiction very quickly.
As for a second PC, im going to be building a testbed rig, from 1700+, an Asus A7N8X-X (decent mounting holes + diode reading is always good; i think you were going to get one of these at some stage from reading old threads?) - and I'll have to look at getting a better PSU than the one I have now, as I dont trust it in the slightest.
I just sold a KT333 based gigabyte motherboard, and a family member has generously donated a 1700+ (I'm building him a block- how could he refuse
)
So thats well on the way. However, to my dismay, after heading out to my car yesterday, I found the windsheild nicely cracked; I think some water must have gotten under the seal and frozen, so that may put this endevour on hold.
WRT the duron test bed; I really dont want to use that, as the raised lettering worries me - makes it pretty difficult to put on thermal paste properly (for this, I was going to use AS alumina (ceramique) - any thoughts? I think it settles faster than AS3 or 5) and since this cascade is borrowed, theres no way I'd put it on the duron - its surprising how much those raised letters ruin a base!
So, the next step will be to get the ASUS board, as the 1700+ should arrive today.
The person I borrowed the cascade off seems in no great hurry, so hopefully I will be able to keep it a bit longer. I may have to resort to diode temperature readings at this rate - not something that I want to do.
Thanks for reading my novel, and thank you for the input - a huge help, as always