View Full Version : Powerbook Fan
Today, I got a Griffin iCurve and an Apple wireless keyboard, but I'm seeing some side-effects. Just since I put the G4 Powerbook on the iCurve I have been noticing alot of fan activity from the powerbook that I have never noticed before. Is this normal? Maybe I just haven't noticed it before? Are there any diagnostics I should run?
windowsblowsass
2004-06-11, 16:44
Today, I got a Griffin iCurve and an Apple wireless keyboard, but I'm seeing some side-effects. Just since I put the G4 Powerbook on the iCurve I have been noticing alot of fan activity from the powerbook that I have never noticed before. Is this normal? Maybe I just haven't noticed it before? Are there any diagnostics I should run?
you need to get a p-p-p-powerbook (www.p-p-p-powerbook.com)
you need to get a p-p-p-powerbook (www.p-p-p-powerbook.com)
try not to make jokes in the GB unless you are actually going to help the person... :rolleyes:
Mr. Wax...
the first think you should do is get menu meters (www.ragingmenace.com/software/menumeters/) and install the CPU monitor (I use the graph). Then when you notice unusual fan activity the CPU should be "stuck". When this happens click on the menu and select "Open Activity Monitor"
You should see all running processes and how much cpu % they take up... take note of the hog and either kill it from there (the stop button) or right click on the processes' dock icon (if it has one) and quit it from there...
you could also do this from the terminal, but activity monitor is easier for the GUI user. The command in terminal that you want to use is top that will give you a list like activity monitor. Take note of the PID and then "kill" it by running sudo kill #### (or whatever the PID happens to be... ) then enter your password and press return. That should kill the "hung" process
hth...
Have you recently upgraded your OS? I noticed that when I went form 10.3.1 to .2 my fan stays on almost constantly whereas before it rarely was noticeable.
Other than that, has your HDD recently become more full? Started running more intensive programs? Started using USB or FW powered peripherals?
All of these can contribute to added heat within the PowerBook and the fans coming on more frequently.
could it be you hear it just because it's positioned differently? i mean that's the obvious answer because of the iCurve now being used.
i mean you're hearing it from a different angle, place it back to how you used to position it and see if it sounds the way it did before.
or maybe in the new position the heat isn't being as dispersed as quickly making it run hotter.
could it be you hear it just because it's positioned differently? i mean that's the obvious answer because of the iCurve now being used.
i mean you're hearing it from a different angle, place it back to how you used to position it and see if it sounds the way it did before.
or maybe in the new position the heat isn't being as dispersed as quickly making it run hotter.
This seems very plausible to me right now, but I will investigate the usage more thuroughly. I actually have had Menu Meters installed because I was helping Steve with his HDD problem, but now I see they will become useful. I'll post here with updates soon, but I am graduating tomorrow so time to do this will be sparse for the next 2 days. Thanks for your help guys!
Paul - thanks for MenuMeters ... it's great! :)
Well I am looking at the Activity Monitor riht now, and the CPU is being constanly used at 100%. I opened up the monitor, and iChat as well as Safari are using up the majority of the cpu. Is this unusual?
UPDATE: I killed iChat, then started it back up and was hovering around 16% usage, when I opened Safari to make this post, I jumped to the low 90's again. I'm just curious if anyone else finds this similar. Moslty I am shocked because the first time I heard my fan was about 4 days ago when I was encoding a iMovie film into iDVD, so... all comments about your usage are welcome. Please.
Thanks for all the help so far guys!
windowsblowsass
2004-06-12, 00:26
Well I am looking at the Activity Monitor riht now, and the CPU is being constanly used at 100%. I opened up the monitor, and iChat as well as Safari are using up the majority of the cpu. Is this unusual?
UPDATE: I killed iChat, then started it back up and was hovering around 16% usage, when I opened Safari to make this post, I jumped to the low 90's again. I'm just curious if anyone else finds this similar. Moslty I am shocked because the first time I heard my fan was about 4 days ago when I was encoding a iMovie film into iDVD, so... all comments about your usage are welcome. Please.
Thanks for all the help so far guys!
what are your pbs specs
Wax, it would help if you post your system specs - Ti or AL, G4 speed, RAM, and OS version. Other than that, you've described your problem quite well.
Hmm, maybe there should be a sticky advising this. It's good information to start with for any troubleshooting session, and I'm pretty sure that's where they start at the actual Genius Bar....
Sorry, its just such an obvious thing for me, I tend to neglect it, LoL. Whenever Steve helps me with such problems he knows my specs so I'm use to that. Anyway, I see how it is difficult for you guys on the other hand, here they are:
Al PB G4 1.25 GHZ 15"
512 MB ram.
The Superdrive model (meaning I have no upgraded anything on it)
and its running OS X 10.3.4 (7H63).
Sorry again!
Well for starters, it could be that the fan is just louder on the iCurve than it was when the PB was on a solid flat surface and there was no noise coming from the bottom.
I'd probably start with repairing permissions. An open firmware reset and/or PRAM reset might help. If Safari and iChat seem to continue to hog CPU, try trashing their prefs. Lastly, downloading the COMBO 10.3.4 Updater and installing it, sometimes solves fan and pwr. mgmt issues.
One last spec question - how much free hard drive space?
windowsblowsass
2004-06-12, 01:07
Sorry, its just such an obvious thing for me, I tend to neglect it, LoL. Whenever Steve helps me with such problems he knows my specs so I'm use to that. Anyway, I see how it is difficult for you guys on the other hand, here they are:
Al PB G4 1.25 GHZ 15"
512 MB ram.
The Superdrive model (meaning I have no upgraded anything on it)
and its running OS X 10.3.4 (7H63).
Sorry again!
wow that seems really high proccessor usage my 1ghz emac only uses about 15% with safari and i chat running
it is the smilies...
when you are posting you have all these smilies to your right that animate... taking up a bunch of CPU in safari... either turn off animated gifs by installing pith helmet (http://culater.net/software/PithHelmet/PithHelmet.php) (also useful for blocking ads)
in safari preferences after installing there should be an option to "Play Animated GIFs <Always/Once/Never>" take it off always and switch it to either once or never and the CPU use should go down...
hth
-Paul
Paul - thanks for MenuMeters ... it's great! :)
you are welcome
you also might want to take a look at SideTrack (http://www.ragingmenace.com/software/sidetrack/index.html) (STILL IN BETA) and uControl (http://www.gnufoo.org/ucontrol/ucontrol.html). Both work pretty well for me especially using the enter key as a second function key and using the bottom right trackpad corner as a right click option...
haven't had any problems... (not to be a feedback whore but... why not :devil: ;) that is if the tips are helpful :p )
Quagmire
2004-06-12, 08:57
Well I am looking at the Activity Monitor riht now, and the CPU is being constanly used at 100%. I opened up the monitor, and iChat as well as Safari are using up the majority of the cpu. Is this unusual?
UPDATE: I killed iChat, then started it back up and was hovering around 16% usage, when I opened Safari to make this post, I jumped to the low 90's again. I'm just curious if anyone else finds this similar. Moslty I am shocked because the first time I heard my fan was about 4 days ago when I was encoding a iMovie film into iDVD, so... all comments about your usage are welcome. Please.
Thanks for all the help so far guys!
Well, on my 12" rev b powerbook G4 the it jumps to the upper 60's and in the 70's. So for what your cpu speed that could be normal.
windowsblowsass
2004-06-12, 09:07
while posting or loading a page usage tends to jump quite a bit but just sitting there(not loading anything)it usually hovers at pretty low usage
Well I repaired premissions and reset the rams (PRAM and NVRAM). The book is still behaving in a similar way, I'm really starting to think that its just the positioning, I can hear the fan more. I've always noticed a bit of sluggishness when I am typing a post, it doesnt seem any different right now. Out of the 80gigs, 51.27 GB are available.
I'd be inclined to agree with FFL - perhaps it is just the repositioning of the computer that accentuates the noise for you now.
Additionally, and this may sound simple, have you changed rooms, or are you now in a room with heating or something? The atmosphere of your room will obviously impact the degree to which your machine is able to maintain its temperature. I know that the fan on this puppy (TiPB550) kicks in pronto when I'm working in a confined space and the heater is on. (it's now starting to feel more like a real Winter in Melbourne).
Well the only thing that has changed it positioning, I'm in the exact same room and everything, just half foot off of the desk. So it must be positioning.
that doesn't make any sense tho because the iCurve is supposed to IMPROVE airflow, thereby reducing the frequency of the fan coming on...
you aren't leaving it in a case or something are you?
menu meters has the cpu temp (IIRC, my model doesn't support it, but the new powerbooks should) in the cpu use menu and you should be able to gauge it from there...
every once in a while check the temp when the fan is off... get an average and see if you can make any conclusions...
that doesn't make any sense tho because the iCurve is supposed to IMPROVE airflow, thereby reducing the frequency of the fan coming on...
That was my initialy line of thinking as well, seeing as the laptop is off of the desk and I've got air ciruculating around it....
you aren't leaving it in a case or something are you?
No case...
menu meters has the cpu temp (IIRC, my model doesn't support it, but the new powerbooks should) in the cpu use menu and you should be able to gauge it from there...
every once in a while check the temp when the fan is off... get an average and see if you can make any conclusions...Will do from no on. Thanks for the advice.
Well the only thing that has changed it positioning, I'm in the exact same room and everything, just half foot off of the desk. So it must be positioning.
You should remove that one variable from your equation then, and go back to the same setup without the iCurve for a few days and see what effect that has on the fan noise that you hear.
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