[bankbot]

Hey all, I just got a core 2 duo macbook 1.83 Ghz and I love it. The only complaint that I have with it so far is the fan noise. It is loud a lot even when I'm not doing super intense program stuff. I know that macbooks get really hot but I am trying to find a way to quiet the fan down somehow, since I'm going to be be using the macbook almost solely for music. Conversely, the software that I'm going to use will be pretty taxing on the macbook and so it will want the fan on a lot so that it doesnt catch on fire or something.

Should I even try to quiet the fan? Its just that it is super annoying, especially for a music person like me.

[acoustix]

I have recorded using a large Korg 16 track DAW and was worried about the cooling fan sound showing up on the tracks. It was not a problem. One thing I did do was make sound-deadening baffles by gluing cardboard egg cartons to both sides of thin sheets of upright plywood. You could fabricate one of these mini baffles to place between your mics and your computer if you find it is a problem.

[bankbot]

I actually record mostly straight into line inputs. My main concern with the whole noise thing is just that it is kind of annoying.

[muaddib420]

really, you shouldn't be hearing the fan at all if you're just surfing around at non-flash-intensive websites. the only time my fan becomes audible is when i'm ripping a CD or watching a flash video online. for some reason, Mac OSX hates flash video, go figure.

anyway, the first thing i would do is download and install coreduo temp or some alternative processor temperature sensing program. core duo temp also gives you CPU usage, so you can see if there are any programs hogging your resources (such as a faulty widget). my fan becomes audibly loud only when coreduo temp reaches 70+ degC.

second, i would make sure you've got proper ventilation around around your macbook. you can purchase a laptop stand at any office supply store. i have this:

Targus Podium CoolPad�

third, if you've got multiple programs open at the same time, make sure you've maximized your RAM to at least 1 and preferably 2 GB.

the fan really shouldn't be running loudly all the time unless you're doing processor intensive stuff.

good luck!

Originally Posted by bankbot 

Hey all, I just got a core 2 duo macbook 1.83 Ghz and I love it. The only complaint that I have with it so far is the fan noise. It is loud a lot even when I'm not doing super intense program stuff. I know that macbooks get really hot but I am trying to find a way to quiet the fan down somehow, since I'm going to be be using the macbook almost solely for music. Conversely, the software that I'm going to use will be pretty taxing on the macbook and so it will want the fan on a lot so that it doesnt catch on fire or something.

Should I even try to quiet the fan? Its just that it is super annoying, especially for a music person like me.

[GDB]

A more extreme remedy to this might be a dedicated laptop cooler, like this Zalman unit:
::: Zalman :::

In the PC world, Zalmans are known to be making cool yet quiet stuff.

It is however not a convenient solution if you're always on the go.