[zircopax]

I was really reluctant to post this after all the talk about the 12 Pb heat issue, but I'm trying to find some information. I've had the 17" Pb for about a week and under normal usage it's cool and quiet. However when I start into a game that is processor and video intensive the bottom back of the machine gets pretty hot-I'd say around 130-170 F. Anyway, I'd like to trust Apple engineers and believe that they have taken this kind of usage into consideration and built the machine to withstand it. However, the skeptic in me says that they never expected someone to play 3-D intensive games for extended periods and that if I keep doing this I can expect the machine to have a shorter lifespan. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Zirco

[forcelite]

I would worry about case warping from the heat before your processor or video card is affected at all. By the way the aluminuim on your case is meant to conduct the internal heat out. Think of it like a big heat sink. As long as your house or envirmoent is not hotter than the insdie of the PB (and if it was youd be in big trouble) then you are cooling the internals to a degree.

[PBG4 User]

Are you using a coolpad? That will help to remove heat from the bottom of the case (via increased airflow).

[waxcrash]

Originally posted by zircopax:
However when I start into a game that is processor and video intensive the bottom back of the machine gets pretty hot-I'd say around 130-170 F.

I believe you when you say your machine gets hot. My TiBook 800 gets really hot and the fans blow when I play Warcraft III for hours, but I question your comment about it being around 130 - 170 F. That is like second degree burns after 60 seconds hot. Have you actually measured the outside temp or are you just guessing?

[gururafiki]

Originally posted by PBG4 User:
Are you using a coolpad? That will help to remove heat from the bottom of the case (via increased airflow).

Surprisingly these things work really well.

zircopax-does the fan come on at all? If not you may have a problem...

[nobitacu]

Where can you get a coolpad from?

Ming

[zircopax]

yes, the fans do come on-they come on the very minute the MOHAA starts up. As far as the temp is concerned, no, I haven't measured it, but I work with hot kilns everyday and have a pretty good sense of temperature. It's not hot enough to cause second degree burns after contact for 60 seconds but compared to an average shower temp (winter) of 100F I would say it's a third hotter. So, maybe in the range of 130F. Tonight I'll do a makeshift measurment of it. It's definitely very surprising when you touch. I asked my wife to put her hand on it just to see if I was being paranoid and her reply was "whoa, that's hot! Is it supposed to be like that?"

[dvd]

coolpad.com or at staples.com

[zircopax]

I haven't checked the temp yet tonight but after my last post I packed up to go home and put the Powerbook in my bag without turning it off. Well, I just took it out a couple of minutes ago and it was so hot I couldn't hold it. I set it down quickly, opened the screen and let the fan cool it off. I've had my ibook for a year and a half and rarely ever turned it off. I always just threw it in my bag and never worried about it. In one and a half years I might have restarted the machine 30 times max. I doubt I'll be doing that with this machine again, though I've done it since I've had it (one week). I know what happened. I was playing a game prior to putting it in the bag and I remember thinking I shouldn't put it in the bag until the fan stops blowing. Apparently the fan stopped but there was enough heat remaining to make the machine heat up once it got into a confined space. This is definitely a scenario to avoid. No exageration here, I could hardly touch it because of the heat. If you don't shut your machine off before you put it in a bag then make sure it's cooled down after a cpu and video intensive task.