[jmault]

I think this is the right place to post this, but I know someone will inform me if otherwise. I don't know why but the fan on my Powerbook G4 is always running now. Please give me any ideas as to why this might be. I just got an iPod Nano and I have it plugged in a lot; Could that be it? Could it have anything to do with my HD space being lower? IM PARANIOD ABOUT MY MAC PLEASE HELP!

[mania]

open the activity monitor in the utils and see what is using lots of CPU etc.

[jmault]

It says that iTunes is using 6%, Safari 6%, and the actual activity monitor was 11% while I it open. Are these number unusual? Does it matter that I have it plugged in, printer connected, iPod charging, and sometimes an external HD?
Thanks
jmault

[jmault]

One more thing. In the lower left corner of the activity monitor there are four colors with correlating percentages; Green(user), Red(system), Blue(nice), Black(idle). What do they mean? And my "idle" is at 86-92% when I am looking at my activity monitor, what does that mean?
Thanks
jmault

[Anand]

What type of machine is it. I have a 1Ghz G4 Tibook and the fans run all the time. And they are loud.

[jmault]

Mine is not loud but I do notice it. I use to hear nothing at all though, but now there is a small small pur when I use my machine. It is a 1.33 GHz Powerbook G4

[jmault]

Mine is not loud but I do notice it. I use to hear nothing at all though, but now there is a small small pur when I use my machine. It is a 1.33 GHz Powerbook G4

[dndog]

You might have a cd in the drive - sometimes the superdrive spins the cd even if you are not using it, creating a loud noise that resembles a fan.

[Randman]

Eject any discs. Check your Energy Saver settings and make sure you have enough ram. Also, make sure there is air circulating around your 'book. An iCurve or XT STand work well.

[jmault]

I do not have a CD in the drive but there may not be air circulating around my computer. There is always a lot of dust build up around my desk but I always key my computer and electric devices clean. It is also really warm in my appartment; somewhere around 75. Do my percentages seem normal, though.

It says that iTunes is using 6%, Safari 6%, and the actual activity monitor was 11% while I it open. Are these number unusual? Does it matter that I have it plugged in, printer connected, iPod charging, and sometimes an external HD? The activity monitor also says that "idle" is between 87-92% when I am checking my activities. Does anyone know what that indicates? And what do you mean when you say, "An iCurve or XT STand work well.?"
Thanks for the help





Thanks

[Dr.Michael]

When you say you have a 1.33 GHz machine you mean its a 12 inch powerbook? These machines get warm very quickly, especially with an extenal Monitor connected.

If I should make a guess, I would say charging your iPod creates a lot of heat (charging current flows) and the room temperature is also high. An external disk might also create heat if it is bus powered.

Another great source of heat is the gpu. If you have a lot of action going on the screen, your gpu will heat up tremendously and can get much warmer than the cpu (check that with temperature monitor). A good example are the visual effects in iTunes. Are they running? This does not use a lot of cpu but gpu power. The same happens if you simply scroll like hell through your documents.

Dust can be a problem. If there is a lot of dust around your machine, it WILL be sucked in by the fan. This might have blocked the path for the airflow. Try to use a torch and have a look into the visible slits (especially where the fan is located). And keep your room clean. Thats not only better for your powerbook but also for you!

So I recommend to unplug everything and do some typing with low cpu usage (11% IS low). This should not start the fan.

[jmault]

Thanks for all the advice and help. I have a couple more questions. What is and how do I check my gpu usage? Also my roommate said that he thought it was my HD. Does the HD make sounds when it is "thinking?" Also what is a torch? The only things I have plugged in are my iPod, speakers, powerplug, and printer. And yes it is the 12 inch powerbook.
Thanks
jmault

[Dr.Michael]

Originally Posted by jmault

Thanks for all the advice and help. I have a couple more questions. What is and how do I check my gpu usage? Also my roommate said that he thought it was my HD. Does the HD make sounds when it is "thinking?" Also what is a torch? The only things I have plugged in are my iPod, speakers, powerplug, and printer. And yes it is the 12 inch powerbook.
Thanks
jmault

Hi again,

you cannot measure your gpu usage (as far as I know there are no tools). What you can check is the temperature of the gpu with an app called temperature monitor (free). It will tell you that the temperature of the gpu is going up very quickly as soon as you start moving something around on the screen. And it will also tell you that the gpu temp is generally even higher than the cpu temperature.

A torch . I found out that americans say flashlight. I mean something like a small maglite.

The hd does not think at all. It reads and writes data. If its idle, you should hear a gentle hum (put your ear on the left side of the trackpad). If its reding/writing you also hear a gentle and very fast clicking (or rattling) sound.

[jmault]

Ok thanks. What would be the best way to clean out the area in the back of my compter, like where the fan is? And what if the temperature is going up very fast, what does this indicate? I think I will download the temperature monitor and see what it says.
Thanks
jmault

[hickey]

try getting a can of compressed air and blowing that thru the slits on the sides, perhaps that will clear out some of the dust. You might want to also blow some air under the keyboard to clean all that crap out as well.