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Scotttheking · Jul 22, 2004, 11:24 PM

I just got my 1.4GHz upgrade, and all it is is a CPU card. Did someone forget to put it in the box, or are the pictures that all show the board with a HSF just designed to fool people?
It's a 7457, but I don't expect a little sawtooth heatsink to be able to handle it.

Am I supposed to get a HSF, or am I screwed?

Lateralus · 11:43 PM

I'm going to wager a guess that all of the pictures of G4 upgrades on PowerLogix's site are of upgrades based around 7455s and that PowerLogix has concluded that the stock Apple heatsink is sufficient for a 7457 and that they have opted not to include one as a cost cutting measure.

Could be wrong though.

Big Mac · Jul 23, 2004, 01:18 AM

Ahhh I see, HSF is a Heat Sink/Fan. . .

Tyler McAdams · Jul 23, 2004, 02:59 AM

The 7457's are supposed to have a lower heat output then any of the lesser G4's...

Maflynn · Jul 23, 2004, 06:22 AM

Yeah I was trying to figure out what HSF was also, I thought he was talking about the format of a hard drive

Leonard · Jul 23, 2004, 08:59 AM

I'd give Powerlogix a call and find out. All their documentation seems to say the upgrade comes with it's own heat sink and fan.

SafariX · Jul 23, 2004, 10:14 AM

Just hire a young Chilean child to blow on the processor at a consistent rate. Cheap labor...funny cooling solution. I bet you'd be the only guy on your block with an organic cooling solution!

Scotttheking · Jul 23, 2004, 11:09 AM

"We've tested it with the stock apple heatsink and it's passed all our tests"
I told him it'll be in a room that gets to 85F, and he said it'll be fine, that they now use the stock apple heatsink.
We shall see.

Scotttheking · Jul 23, 2004, 10:10 PM

One really hot heatsink.
One computer that locks partway thru booting.

YEAH RIGHT THIS HEATSINK IS ENOUGH.
Me and PL gonna have a nice talk on Monday.

Lateralus · Jul 23, 2004, 11:03 PM

Kick 'em in the nuts Scotty.

Scotttheking · Jul 24, 2004, 01:15 AM

The processor has spent 1.5 hours at full load with a box fan blowing over the heatsink, and it's doing fine.
*adds call PL to his todo list, for Monday*

Edit: As I post (and shut down the DC client) it locks.

Leonard · Jul 24, 2004, 09:51 PM

Not that I'm an expert on heat sinks and fans - I wouldn't fool around with one myself - but don't you need some special heat conductive glue/paste between the heatsink and processor? Did Powerlogix include some? Still, though, I don't think that would help enough.

cewade · Jul 24, 2004, 10:04 PM

Originally posted by Leonard:
Not that I'm an expert on heat sinks and fans - I wouldn't fool around with one myself - but don't you need some special heat conductive glue/paste between the heatsink and processor? Did Powerlogix include some? Still, though, I don't think that would help enough.

Yup, you need an extremely thin layer of thermal paste between the Heatsink and Processor. If you use either nothing or that shitty tape that comes with a lot of heatsinks, you could definitely have heat issues.

Scotttheking · Jul 24, 2004, 11:37 PM

Originally posted by Leonard:
Not that I'm an expert on heat sinks and fans - I wouldn't fool around with one myself - but don't you need some special heat conductive glue/paste between the heatsink and processor? Did Powerlogix include some? Still, though, I don't think that would help enough.

Thermal compound is implied. Applied, too.

Graymalkin · Jul 25, 2004, 02:22 AM

I think your megahurtz has been stoled Scott. I would however chew out PowerLogix as it is pretty absurd for them to sell you a processor that they know your heat sink won't cool and then lie to you about it. It's sad seeing them do this as they're one of a handful of companies one can actually buy Mac processor upgrades from. If I were thinking of buying from them soon and came across this thread I would definitely take my business to one of their competitors.

Spliffdaddy · Jul 25, 2004, 09:47 AM

run it until it dies - then return the fried processor for exchange.

keep doing this until they get the point.

Scotttheking · Jul 26, 2004, 12:14 PM

PL tech support says I'm the only person to call in a report what seems to be a heat problem. They are sending me out a HSF.

Luca Rescigno · Jul 26, 2004, 01:33 PM

Originally posted by Scotttheking:
PL tech support says I'm the only person to call in a report what seems to be a heat problem. They are sending me out a HSF.

Kind of like how if you were to bring your iBook into an Apple Store prior to the official Logic Board Repair Program, not one employee will claim to have heard of the problem anywhere.

Well, here's hoping the new HSF keeps your processor sufficiently cool.

GoGoReggieXPowars · Jul 26, 2004, 02:12 PM

Hmm, I knew the Sonnets used the machine's old heatsink/fan if applicable, but that's weird. Why not an OWC branded one? They're pretty good.

ChadC · Jul 26, 2004, 06:43 PM

Originally posted by SafariX:
Just hire a young Chilean child to blow on the processor at a consistent rate. Cheap labor...funny cooling solution. I bet you'd be the only guy on your block with an organic cooling solution!

hahahahahha good stuff!

Scott: way to let em have it and make sure you get what you paid for!

Tyler McAdams · Jul 27, 2004, 04:04 AM

My PL dual 1.33 has been ordered... I'll let you guys know how it goes... it better come with a heat sink!!!

Turnpike · Jul 27, 2004, 06:30 AM

I've heard nasty things about PL and Sonnet...

heard nothing but good about OWC and GigaDesigns, though.

hoopz · Aug 3, 2004, 05:25 PM

I just got this model of upgrade for my G4/400 and am definitely having cooling issues.

I like to keep my Mac stashed away behind my upright piano for acoustic isolation, so I suspected heat might be an issue. Sure enough, the GUI froze hard right as the Finder launched, and this remained the pattern.

So I hauled it out into the open air, and that bought me about forty-five minutes of uptime before the inevitable freeze.

Customer support (nice folks and responsive) suggested that I try varying the amount of thermal paste--apparently there's a pretty tiny sweet spot so it's tricky. I've fooled with it without success. I have two more variations to try--once with much less paste then you'd think necessary, and once with much more. After that, it's back to Customer Support--they sounded like they might be willing to retrofit me with a fan if absolutely necessary, though nothing was officially promised.

badidea · Aug 4, 2004, 06:55 AM

Originally posted by Turnpike:
I've heard nasty things about PL and Sonnet...

heard nothing but good about OWC and GigaDesigns, though.

I have a Sonnet 1.4GHz upgrade that runs 24/7 since 9 months without a problem in a QS G4 (with the old original heatsink and fan)!

hoopz · Aug 25, 2004, 12:37 AM

OK, for anyone still interested in this, here is how the resolution, such as it is, of my problems with the PowerLogix 1.4 Ghz upgrade played out.

The system remained exceedingly unstable despite numerous attempts to get the amount of thermal paste right.

Customer Support then agreed that the card should be returned, and that probably it would be retrofitted with a fan, although again no explicit promise was made.

I sent back the card and today I got it back again--no fan. I installed it anyway, and lo and behold, the system remains admirably stable (even stashed behind the piano), nice and fast.

But a chance trip to Apple Menu-->About This Mac revealed the fix: the 1.4 Ghz processor had been underclocked to 1.35 Ghz!

So I put the question to the group: is this worth making a fuss over? Realistically, 50 Hhz is a negligible difference. But I did pay for a 1.4 Ghz card. Would you ask for a partial refund? Demand a full speed replacement? I really don't feel like yanking the card out yet again . . .

Comments?

Lateralus · Aug 25, 2004, 01:22 AM

I'd demand a refund. You haven't gotten what you've paid for twice now. Take your money to another company, like GigaDesigns or OWC.

slipjack · Aug 25, 2004, 03:11 AM

I was impressed with their stuff... but that was a few years ago, when I picked up a 500 Mhz upgrade.