Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

hippy · Dec 4, 2002, 03:45 PM

Originally posted by seanyepez:
I'm actually not sure. Seeing as though they're not using a new fan but a new fan controlling script or controller, I think it has something to do with firmware. However, I will ask my source tomorrow for more information as to what's changed.

If you have no dead pixels on your screen, I recommend you keep the notebook regardless of this change in fan scripting.

Remember that these fixes only prevent problems that can come up on the first-run PowerBooks; not all PowerBooks had faulty fan controllers, and not all PowerBooks had the "green line" problem with DVD movies.

sean... any news from your contact ????

hippy · Dec 4, 2002, 04:15 PM

incedentally.... what version of osx are you all running is anyone out there with 10.2.1 ??????

Tomster · Dec 4, 2002, 06:11 PM

Here's a new observation on the whole fan issue. All my experiences were with the Powerbook plugged in at full charge. I ran off of the battery today and things got a whole lot better. I still kept the cpu at full blast, but the right fan did not kick on. A new fan setting I had never experienced kicked in. The center, rear fan kicked in at low speed. Definately quiet. The right fan never came on. When plugged in, the rear fan never came on at low speed, just full blast after the right one had been on. In any case, the Powerbook is headed back to Texas.

Ready for a Stupid Fan Trick?

While plugged in last night, the right fan chugged away as usual. I opened the keyboard and touched the heatsinks. They were cool. Quite simply, I blew on the right fan area. A one second blast, like blowing out a candle. And just like that, the fan shut off. I repeated this a couple of times with the same effect. At all times, the usage was low and the computer cool. How strange is that?

DVD Plaza · Dec 4, 2002, 06:17 PM

Originally posted by paranopete:
My conclusion: There is something quite strange about the right fan and charging or just putting the AC-Connector in.

I've been doing more and more tests, and have narrowed down likewise. This brings me to two very specific problems:

1) Right side fan is much much much louder than others claim (people here and elsewhere insist their right side fan is virtually silent)

2) When using battery power the right side fan is no longer used

That said, my opinion is a bit of a different one - I'm starting to feel that the right side fan running all the time is NORMAL. That fan doesn't cool down anything, just helps to keep a bit of airflow moving to help "prevent/slow down" overall system heating. IF that fan were silent, like others are reporting, then having it run all the time would reduce the need for the other fan to kick in very often - which IS the case, the center fan hardly kicks in anywhere near as much as my 800DVI does. The battery situation also makes sense - if the right side fan is a CONVENIENCE like I am theorising (the 800DVI never had it after all), to help keep the system coolER, then when on battery however you don't need to be consuming your precious power with it.

Just my opinion, but I'm starting to feel the only problem is that some of us have a faulty right-side fan (ie is noisy and may not even be providing correct airflow, therefore causing it to stay on longer).

Originally posted by paranopete:
Tomorrow I will phone Apple Techsupport in Germany and ask them what they think about this and if they have a fix for it.

I phoned AppleCare last night, unfortunately they weren't interested - I explained to them the whole story and all my findings to date, they guy was moderately interested but just kept saying to take it to a service centre. The only advise he did offer, however, was that if I booted from a CD that would narrow down whether it was a software or hardware issue - however I've already done that, for the hardware diagnostics disc, and that caused ALL the fans to come on full-blast permanently... I'm surprised since I've already reinstalled my PowerBook three times.

I had a chat on the phone with my Apple tech/engineer dude and explained everything to date (again) and updated him on my thoughts on the situation (ie that it could simply be a noisy fan). Next week (can't get to him sooner) I'll be dropping it off to them for a day and they'll have a listen to it - if it is merely a noisy fan the bottom of the case can be removed to give access to removing the top, the top removed, the fan unbolted and unplugged, and a new one fitted... simple as that.

One other thing though - I did a full cycle of my batteries and, to my surprise, the right side fan turned off afterward. Have only powered her up to 20 minutes since then, however no fan kicked in at all during that period. NOTHING concrete yet, haven't had any opportunity to look further into it, but it looks like that MAY have recalibrated things and reduced the need for the right side fan - but even if that is the case, doesn't change the fact that the right side fan is noisy as %$*&^...

mmurray · Dec 5, 2002, 07:36 AM

With this fan issue some people have 1 gig SD, some people
just say 1 gig. I don't notice anyone saying combo drive? Is that
right ? I have a 1 gig combo and the fan comes on but nothing
like I am reading about here.

Just wondering :-)

Michael

Tomster · Dec 9, 2002, 10:18 PM

Originally posted by Tomster:
Worse case scenario right now is to get the Powerbook back in a week with a "No Problems Found" note. I will be updating everyone as events unfold.

Well, this fan issue is being done to death in this forum. I think there are three separate threads on it so I will contunied to recycle this one. As I mentioned earlier, I would be updating everyone as to the status of my problem. To recapitulate, I am one of those unfortunate souls with a loud fan that will not shut off.

After one week had passed since sending my Powerbook away, I called to ask for a status update. The comment I received was that they could not replicate the problem.

To anyone with this issue, that is the most infuriating thing to hear. On one hand, maybe my Powerbook magically repaired itself on the way to Texas. If not, to replicate this problem takes three steps.

1. Turn the machine on.
2. Run any program.
3. Wait five minutes.

This is not some weird OS 9 extension conflict that kicks in every third restart. This fan problem happens every single time. To not be able to discover this problem either means the problem has vanished, or that they are not looking very hard.

Quite simply I do not care what they have to do to fix this machine nor how long it takes. If parts are backordered, so be it. I will wait.

What I do not want is to be told there is no problem. Others on this forum report machines that can play dvd's without kicking the fan on. I want a machine that does that.

These machines are not cheap and switchers aside, we the early adopters, tend to be long time, loyal Mac supporters. (I still have my Mac Portable in the garage.) Telling us that the fan issue is not an issue is insulting because by denying the problem, they deny us recourse.

paranopete · Dec 10, 2002, 04:51 AM

To dvdplaza:

I had exactly the same experience with the german support. The guy was completely lost with my fan-question, leaving me about 90% in the waiting-line listening to classical music, and in the end I should do a hardware test and go to a Apple Reseller here. That wasn't that helpful

I also had the same effect with the recalibrating of the battery! After powering down the system to 0% battery, I think the fan doesn't come on so often

but I was not sure, till you wrote the same

About power of the right fan: you mentioned, that it "just helps to keep a bit of airflow moving to help prevent/slow down overall system heating"... I worked with Final Cut Pro the whole day, and the fan strongly blew out warm air and kept the machine in a not too hot state. I think this fan and the heatsinks manage to get a lot of heat out of the pbook, which is necessary when you do intensiv stuff like video editing!

After all, I hope to manage the problem with the fan going on so often when I don't use the power of my machine...

One day we will fix this problem and close this thread and all others forever

CyberPet · Dec 10, 2002, 08:13 AM

My fan comes on and then stays on!

First minutes, it's all quiet. No fans. Then the first fan kicks in. Not annoying at all, very quiet. But then after another few minutes the second fan kicks in and the ear drums starts vibrating.

I've now been runing only email and web browser for more than 12 hours straight. That shouldn't be too heavy for the Mac, right? No Photoshop, no DVD-movies, no CD-burning, no DVD-burning, and yet the fan runs and runs and runs as if it was 100 degrees hot in the room (which it's not, it's only 20�C).

Well, it seem to be too much for my machine to run Mail and a web browser. I've run on battery as much as I can, I have two batteries so I can switch them. But the fan keeps running at full blast.

The computer only gives me a break if I shut it off or put it to sleep.

What good use is a computer when you can't run it without risking tinitus from all the noise?

hippy · Dec 10, 2002, 11:33 AM

Petra that sounds awful..... is that the definition of the fan bug then? I guess it must be... is there anyone else out there who's fan is always on whilst only surfing and email!

Sorry about you're problem....

jjs357 · 02:16 PM

I think I have identified a factor in my annoyance with the fan(s) and fan noise on my new Ti 1Ghz/1 Gig Ram/Superdrive which I have been using since Dec. 3.

I first reported in a previous post that I thought my right fan was noisier than the the center fan. I think this impression is wrong. What is happening to me is that when my my AC adaptor is plugged in (no matter whether the battery is fully charged or not) and I either restart my computer or wake it from sleep, BOTH the center fan and the right side fan come on simultaneously. The center fan is on its low setting but its sound is louder than the right fan. I do not believe I have ever heard the right side fan on by itself!

If I unplug the adaptor, after a few minutes both fans shut down. If I start any processor intensive activity with the AC adaptor unplugged, both fans will start up again after awhile. If I am not doing much (switching between Mail and Chimera and not much else) it will take awhile for the fans to start back up. If I really crank up the CPU (import using iTunes) the center fan will kick into high whether I am on battery or plugged in.

When the fans are on I do notice that there is heat coming up through the keyboard. The air being vented by the side fan starts out being warm but after some time cools down. The fans will stay on however, even after the air being vented has become cool.

I think I could live with the side fan being on more or less constantly if it was on by itself -- I think it is reasonably quiet. But what is hard to accept is that both fans are more often on than not, and once on take a long time to turn off (hours!). This is especially so since there are some new Tibook users who have much better fan experiences.

Today I am running the computer on an office desk with the room temperature on the cool side (68F or maybe even a little less). The desk is quite cold to the touch. Yet my computer merrily is blowing air through its innards with distracting fan noise -- the air is cool coming out. If I un-plug the AC adaptor, the fans cease only to come on again with either CPU load or after plugging in again.

So perhaps part of the bad fan experience is that the side fan is never allowed to run on its own. As a result, the computer starts to get warm inside and then both fans engage. But once on, the control software does not turn the fans off after the internal temperature has gone down sufficiently. If the side fan was on by itself, the internal temperature might be low enough that the middle fan would never be turned on at all, except under high CPU load or perhaps warm operating environment.

Anyway these are my thoughts. I am trying to live with the machine for awhile to see if I need to try and set up a service trip back to Apple. I did find a local store that had a 1 Ghz Ti book on the floor and it too was running a noisy fan (or probably fans) -- noisy enough that I would see no advantage having that machine in front of me instead of my current one.

Still hoping for a definitive explanation of normal fan behavior from Apple.

Added observation: I unplugged the AC adaptor and sure enough the fans went off, I went to lunch and after coming back I went to check the forums. After just a couple of minutes of typing, the center fan came on BY ITSELF -- no side fan -- I can tell since there is no air being vented out of the side vent. It is currently running at a low setting, but still quite noticible.

Jim

hippy · Dec 10, 2002, 04:14 PM

An interesting little find....

don't know what make/manufacturer the PowerBooks fan is but how loud is your fan compaired to these ?

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/tecar.html

CyberPet · Dec 10, 2002, 04:29 PM

Originally posted by hippy:
Petra that sounds awful..... is that the definition of the fan bug then? I guess it must be... is there anyone else out there who's fan is always on whilst only surfing and email!

Sorry about you're problem....

hippy, thanks for the sympathies, it helps to know that someone cares for me.

This is the third PowerBook I've had in 4 years and they've all given me grief.

1st it was the Wallstreet that more or less burnt up, the processor were over boiling point all the time (guess if I'm sensitive to fan noise

), after 4-5 trips to the major Apple hub (in Holland) Apple called it a Lemon and gave me a replacement.

2nd was the Pismo that Apple gave me as a replacement. That little bugger had no heat problems (thank God!) but it had 8-9 minor problems that were driving me nuts. Although none of them were fixed. To list a few: hinges went south, cracks at the bottom of the screen, stuck trackpad button, CD/DVD-player making loud noise (some type of vibration against the case), the harddrive having a high pitch noise and finally the real winner, the glitch that made the computer crash as soon as you moved it a bit.

3rd this PowerBook G4 1Ghz Superdrive that has a fan that never shuts off (unless I shut the computer down or put it to sleep).

I thought when I bought this PowerBook G4 it would be "third is a charm" but I've stopped believing this now. I feel cursed!

*sighs a bit*

Anyway, Apple is going to take this one in for check-up/repair this week, so we'll see what comes out from that investigation. Keep all fingers crossed!

DVD Plaza · 05:28 AM

Woohoo - I am back from having my 1GHz SD looked at by a service centre as well as the Apple Centre I purchased her from.

The outcome? She has been deemed DOA and a new one is on order for me. Yay!

In summary my problems ultimately ended up being:

1. Right hand fan is LOUD, has a high pitched noise to it, and refuses to stop.

2. Flickering green/red line of pixels across entire screen when playing back DVDs.

3. Paint on trackpad rubbed off after only first night of use.

I get to keep my 1GHz SD whilst waiting for the replacement, but think I will stick to using my 800DVI - would rather work in peace than listen to the dustbuster all night

lokjah · Dec 11, 2002, 11:53 AM

my replacement machine has been absolutely wonderful.

ive been using it since monday afternoon and have yet to hear a fan come on.

last nite i was doing audio work in reason for an hour and a half with heavy usage. prior to that work in photoshop. also have watched dvds.

l�k

wilburguy · Dec 11, 2002, 12:06 PM

Hi,

I just counted and there are 12 of us in this forum with the right side fan problem. Apple does not read or respond to these forums. It is therefore VERY important that ALL of us complain to Apple tech support. ALL OF US!

hippy · Dec 11, 2002, 04:49 PM

Originally posted by lokjah:
my replacement machine has been absolutely wonderful.

ive been using it since monday afternoon and have yet to hear a fan come on.

last nite i was doing audio work in reason for an hour and a half with heavy usage. prior to that work in photoshop. also have watched dvds.

l�k

lokjah has your fan come on yet ? You must be the only person here so far than has not heard there fan.... I can't believe you where doing heavy photoshop work without the fan coming on.....are you sure...

Tomster · Dec 11, 2002, 06:06 PM

Chris,

Glad you had a good resolution to your problems. I hope this bodes well for the rest of us.

Tom

wilburguy · Dec 11, 2002, 06:10 PM

A final update on my 1Ghz fan noise problem. The guys at TekServe compared my side fan noise (by the power plug) with another identical machine owned by one of the techs there and HIS IS EVEN LOUDER! Poor guy.

He does not feel that my fan is defective and will be sending it back to be.

Sigh..

Anybody wanna buy a new PowerBook?

lokjah · Dec 11, 2002, 06:15 PM

most of my heavy work yesterday was with reason, doing music. i'll have the chance to do some heavy photoshop work in the next couple days. the last two days ive just done basic stuff in photoshop, ie, no hi res multilayer work.

and i did receive my unit on the 9th so maybe i got one of the updated ones out of taiwan. i'm not sure.

sean mentioned the changes in production would start the 6th.

l�k

Originally posted by hippy:

lokjah has your fan come on yet ? You must be the only person here so far than has not heard there fan.... I can't believe you where doing heavy photoshop work without the fan coming on.....are you sure...

hippy · Dec 11, 2002, 06:26 PM

so you are saying your fan has never come on?

lokjah · Dec 11, 2002, 06:57 PM

yeah havent heard it yet.

its been totally silent.

l�k

Originally posted by hippy:
so you are saying your fan has never come on?

Tomster · Dec 11, 2002, 07:17 PM

Originally posted by wilburguy:
A final update on my 1Ghz fan noise problem. The guys at TekServe compared my side fan noise (by the power plug) with another identical machine owned by one of the techs there and HIS IS EVEN LOUDER! Poor guy.

He does not feel that my fan is defective and will be sending it back to be.

Sigh..

Anybody wanna buy a new PowerBook?

This sucks! It would be one thing if ALL the new Powerbooks were loud with constant fans, we would have to accept it. After reading this forum, especailly the past few posts, there are Powerbooks out there that are quiet with fans that occasionally shut off. We were just not lucky enough to get one. But we did pay full price for it....

bamchum · Dec 12, 2002, 01:05 AM

I called Apple about this, though I'm still not sure it's a problem. If it is a problem, the problem as I see it is this: the fan on the right side of my 1Ghz TiBook goes on after 5-20 minutes and never turns off. The other fan, in the center, turns on and off as it needs to. But not the right-hand fan.

I explained this to the Apple guy. I also explained that I am running the TiBook on a CoolPad on a desk and that it happens regardless of what the machine is doing (it could be idling in the finder and the fan would still come on).

The Apple guy said it seemed like it might be a problem given the circumstances. He then started instant messaging a higher up before reporting back to me that the higher up said that the machines run hot and that it's normal. I pressed the low-level guy a little about whether it was part of the machine spec that the fan should come on and stay on and he was noncommittal. He gave me a case number and the names of some service centers and said I could take it there if I want to.

So I will.

bamchum

rmc45 · Dec 12, 2002, 02:04 AM

Hey everyone with the fan problem. Call Apple tech support and ask to speak to Jeff in level 2 support. Both Jeff and Arron say that the right fan should not run all the time. I just sent mine in for the right side fan problem and the techs at apple in Texas say that there is nothing wrong, however level 2 support says there is. We need to complain to these two techs and maybe some repairs will come our way.

iBorg · Dec 12, 2002, 04:00 AM

Originally posted by lokjah:
my replacement machine has been absolutely wonderful.

ive been using it since monday afternoon and have yet to hear a fan come on.

last nite i was doing audio work in reason for an hour and a half with heavy usage. prior to that work in photoshop. also have watched dvds.

l�k

Wow ..... sounds like your TiSD is at the opposite end of the spectrum of fan activity - I'd be concerned that the fan has never come one, even with Photoshop use.

Plugged into AC, my Ti's right fan turns on within 5 minutes, even with simple internet browsing alone, and generally continues to run as long as it's plugged in. Hot air blows out the right-sided vent, so I know it's cooling the laptop, and the bottom becomes quite warm, although not too excessive to use on my lap. The fan is not very loud, much quieter than my Pismo 500's fan (although that fan only came on occasionally, with heavy use), and when the 2nd fan comes on (hardly ever, without really pressing the processor!), it's a little louder, but never excessive. Even though it's not loud, I'm concerned that the right fan stays on.

On battery, the right fan comes on later, and is intermittent - again, hot air blows out the right vent, so it's definitely cooling the laptop.

Hell, at this point, I don't know if I have "the fan problem" or not - but the noise isn't excessive, the heat of my TiSD is quite reasonable, and if I just have to put up with a (fairly) quiet fan on most of the time ..... well, I'm OK with that. (Now, if Apple comes up with a firmware update to address this, I'll certainly go for it!)

Lokjah: if your fan never comes on, how hot does your Ti get? You might want to run this by an Apple Tech, especially since intensive processor use doesn't set the fan running, even with Photoshop or DVD-play. Quiet is ideal, and as long as the Tech gurus aren't concerned, then you're one lucky dude - I just don't want to hear in the near future that you've fried your CPU!

iBorg

hippy · Dec 12, 2002, 05:25 AM

dude you're PB sounds just like mine, I am beginning to think this is normal behaviour and like you say I can live with it....The fans are no way near as loud as my Pismo 500 and the 1ghz machine is a heck of a lot faster/more powerfull..

Time will tell I guess...Is there anyone else out there who doesn't hear the fan????

by the way...iBorg when did you recieve your Powerbook

TheIceMan · Dec 12, 2002, 05:55 AM

Originally posted by hippy:
dude you're PB sounds just like mine, I am beginning to think this is normal behaviour and like you say I can live with it....The fans are no way near as loud as my Pismo 500 and the 1ghz machine is a heck of a lot faster/more powerfull..

Time will tell I guess...Is there anyone else out there who doesn't hear the fan????

by the way...iBorg when did you recieve your Powerbook

Hippy: I have a 667Mhz G4 PB, my fan only comes on once in a while, usually when it's been on for 6-7 hrs. or when my Aquarium Screen saver comes on (it's an intensive screensaver, kinda ironic huh?). It seems that it's the 1 Ghz models that have these fans which are either loud or come on constantly or both. I hope Apple corrects this soon. I feel for you guys. Yeah, by all means time to take it up the tech support ladder. If enough people complain, Apple will HAVE TO admit to the problem and provide some sort of resolution to it. In a related note, I thought Apple did release some type of fan-fixing update recently.

chdupond · Dec 12, 2002, 07:07 AM

Originally posted by lokjah:

and i did receive my unit on the 9th so maybe i got one of the updated ones out of taiwan. i'm not sure.

sean mentioned the changes in production would start the 6th.

l�k

lokjah, what are the firsts figures of the serial number of your PowerBook ? (In the �about your Mac� box, double click on the �10.2.2� to know it)

For example, mine is beginning like that :

QT246***********

QT stands for the manufacturer
2 : 2002
46 : 46th week of the year (week from 11 to 17 of November).

The 6th of December is Friday of the 49th week.

Thanks for the info

dajay · Dec 12, 2002, 08:28 AM

OK, lets see if we can narrow this down to one specific batch of PowerBooks.

Mine is from week 44 and I have a 867 mhz without the fan problem.

Anyone else?

DVD Plaza · Dec 12, 2002, 08:53 AM

My 1GHz SD is a week 45'er with fan problems.

hippy · Dec 12, 2002, 08:59 AM

Mine is week 45 also but I am still not sure if I have the fan problem, I have been working all morning doing quite heavy flash game development (ON BATTERY POWER) and my back fan has only come on once.... and shut off after about 10 mins....

DVDplaza what would yours do in that situation?

wolfen · Dec 12, 2002, 09:14 AM

hippy,

If I'm in Photoshop or Illustrator for 5 minutes, the fan will come on solid and won't stop until the program has been off for 10 minutes. That's with battery power. With the cord plugged in, it would stay on until the machine shut off.

So, if you have the fan problem, I'll trade ya!

wolfen

hippy · Dec 12, 2002, 09:33 AM

Wolfen, do you consider your machine to have the fan problem though??? my fan is on more often whilst plugged in too... esp when charging...

jjs357 · Dec 12, 2002, 09:55 AM

I have posted about the fan problem -- I do have it. My machine's serial begins QT248 so I have one from week 48 of 2002 which is the week of Nov. 25? It shipped from Taiwan on Nov. 29.

hippy · Dec 12, 2002, 10:01 AM

Wolfen, do you consider your machine to have the fan problem though??? my fan is on more often whilst plugged in too... esp when charging...

dajay · Dec 12, 2002, 12:40 PM

Originally posted by hippy:
Wolfen, do you consider your machine to have the fan problem though??? my fan is on more often whilst plugged in too... esp when charging...

Hippy, you don't have the fan problem. Otherwise you would have been annoyed enough to call apple already.

Just relax and enjoy your ti.

jmp998 · Dec 12, 2002, 01:07 PM

lokjah or someone else who has a recent (post 12/6) powerbook, especially if your fans are quiet or run infrequently, could you post the system software revision and firmware (boot ROM) revision, just so we can see if there is a software difference or hardware? Both can be found using Apple System Profiler.

My fans run frequently but are reasonably quiet. My powerbook has:
OS 10.2 6F21
Boot ROM 4.5.3f2
Manfactured week 46

hippy · Dec 12, 2002, 01:10 PM

daJay...thanks dude....finally I can relax !

Tomster · Dec 12, 2002, 03:25 PM

Hi Everyone,

Some fairly good news on my fan issue. My Powerbook is on its way back to me and should arrive this afternoon. I called and asked what was done to it. They reported the motherboard was replaced. To me, this was fantastic as my Powerbook was perfect in evry other aspect - perfect screen, great airpot range, and good build quality. The other problem I hoped that would be resolved from this is the annoying hum from my motherboard. More to follow when the unit arrives.

StiZeven · Dec 12, 2002, 03:27 PM

Well, I just received my replacement TiBook (it's sitting here in the box). Since I am here at work, I am going to wait till I go home before I open her up. However, the S/N on the side of the box starts with: QT249. I am a bit confused - this replacement was setup in system on 12/6 and according to the rep, it supposedly went into production on either that Saturday (12/7) or Monday (12/9). However, since it is from week 49, it was most likely built on Saturday 12/7 (as 12/9 would be from week 50). Unless of course it was built the same day that the replacement order was placed, OR perhaps they had pre-built chassis from the beginning of that week (49)? So as far as I am concerned, build week 49 is very non-specific as it could be before OR after 12/6.

So does anyone know if Apple builds on Sat or Sun? What day do Apple's weeks start, on a Sun or Mon? If this 12/6 build process change is true, is that effective 12/6 on or effective the day after (12/7) on? Is there a way to know which day of week 49 the system was built?

Whatever the case, I'll post again later on tonight or tomorrow when I have time to play with it. I am working late tonight then going out afterwards so most likely tomorrow.

Tomster · Dec 12, 2002, 07:55 PM

I just got my Powerbook back from Apple after having the motherboard replaced. When I took my Powerbook out of the box, it was cold - far colder than it ever gets when stored indoors. I booted it up and found I really missed the speed and the screen. (I had been using a 12.1 600mhz iBook for the last week.)

I fired up iTunes and waited. Twenty five minutes passed befor it warmed back to room temperature.

Then the right fan kicked in. As I wrote this, it remained on. BUT things are better. Before, the fan was loud. I mean really loud. Right now it is a high pitch whine that I can live with, I think. I am in the office and the ambient noise level is high.

A few observations on this fix. The right fan now kicks out a lot less air. My previous fan blasted out a good breeze. If I blocked the vent before, I would hear the fan strain, like blocking up a vacuum hose up. I can now block the vent with no change in sound.

I am at work and cannot crunch the processor with Wolfenstein, but I will at home to see if the rear fans are any different.

Anyone else get theirs back from repair yet?

iBorg · Dec 12, 2002, 08:04 PM

Originally posted by jjs357:
I have posted about the fan problem -- I do have it. My machine's serial begins QT248 so I have one from week 48 of 2002 which is the week of Nov. 25? It shipped from Taiwan on Nov. 29.

Our TiSD's are from the same shipment. How loud is your fan? As I've posted, my right-fan runs almost continuously while plugged into AC, but is pretty quiet, so I don't think I have the noted "fan problem," although maybe mine's still running too often. Hot air blows out the vent while the fan runs, so it appears to be cooling my Ti.

iBorg

lokjah · Dec 12, 2002, 08:20 PM

well so far its stayed cool, and has been very quiet. it behaves just like my lombard did. ive been in an out alot this week so i promise i'll post after i do some hi res, multi layer photoshop work.

l�k

Originally posted by iBorg:

Wow ..... sounds like your TiSD is at the opposite end of the spectrum of fan activity - I'd be concerned that the fan has never come one, even with Photoshop use.

Plugged into AC, my Ti's right fan turns on within 5 minutes, even with simple internet browsing alone, and generally continues to run as long as it's plugged in. Hot air blows out the right-sided vent, so I know it's cooling the laptop, and the bottom becomes quite warm, although not too excessive to use on my lap. The fan is not very loud, much quieter than my Pismo 500's fan (although that fan only came on occasionally, with heavy use), and when the 2nd fan comes on (hardly ever, without really pressing the processor!), it's a little louder, but never excessive. Even though it's not loud, I'm concerned that the right fan stays on.

On battery, the right fan comes on later, and is intermittent - again, hot air blows out the right vent, so it's definitely cooling the laptop.

Hell, at this point, I don't know if I have "the fan problem" or not - but the noise isn't excessive, the heat of my TiSD is quite reasonable, and if I just have to put up with a (fairly) quiet fan on most of the time ..... well, I'm OK with that. (Now, if Apple comes up with a firmware update to address this, I'll certainly go for it!)

Lokjah: if your fan never comes on, how hot does your Ti get? You might want to run this by an Apple Tech, especially since intensive processor use doesn't set the fan running, even with Photoshop or DVD-play. Quiet is ideal, and as long as the Tech gurus aren't concerned, then you're one lucky dude - I just don't want to hear in the near future that you've fried your CPU!

iBorg

lokjah · Dec 13, 2002, 01:10 AM

ok i just went thru some fraggin QIII and my fan came on, its awesome quiet tho, it has been on since i quit the game 5 minutes ago.

l�k

Tyrion · Dec 13, 2002, 06:14 AM

some fan observations on my 1 gig combo machine:

when i first got the PB i played around in OS X for approximately 20 minutes - nothing happened so far. then i opened itunes and began to copy all my mp3 backups. after about 5 minutes, the back fan kicked in at an audible noise level and it was pushing out a good deal of hot air. i finished copying that CD and made a little experiment: i closed itunes and unplugged the book from the AC adapter. then i waited... and, after about 3 minutes the fan went off. great. then i started itunes again and began to copy until the fan came on. i closed itunes again but i did NOT unplug the book. this time, i had to wait a little longer till the fan shut off - about 5-10 minutes. but it DID shut off.

hippy · Dec 13, 2002, 08:43 AM

Originally posted by Tyrion:
some fan observations on my 1 gig combo machine:

when i first got the PB i played around in OS X for approximately 20 minutes - nothing happened so far. then i opened itunes and began to copy all my mp3 backups. after about 5 minutes, the back fan kicked in at an audible noise level and it was pushing out a good deal of hot air. i finished copying that CD and made a little experiment: i closed itunes and unplugged the book from the AC adapter. then i waited... and, after about 3 minutes the fan went off. great. then i started itunes again and began to copy until the fan came on. i closed itunes again but i did NOT unplug the book. this time, i had to wait a little longer till the fan shut off - about 5-10 minutes. but it DID shut off.

pretty much the same here mate! I guess thats just the price of having a powerful cpu in a titanium case....Rather the fan than scorch marks....

murbot · 11:06 AM

You could have silent computing with an iBook, if you don't mind the dinky display and weak performance. I'll take the TiBook anyday, thankyouverymuch.

StiZeven · Dec 13, 2002, 06:04 PM

No one cares that the fans are on cooling the system. We just want to know why Apple isn't using quiet ones.

DVD Plaza · Dec 13, 2002, 08:22 PM

Originally posted by murbot:
You could have silent computing with an iBook, if you don't mind the dinky display and weak performance. I'll take my TiBook anyday, thankyouverymuch.

Why the iBook? The PowerBook 800DVI is a dead silent beast, I run my 800DVI and 1GHz SD PowerBooks side by side for up to 8 hours a day/night and the 800DVI is dead silent whilst my 1GHz SD is a dustbuster.

murbot · Dec 13, 2002, 10:26 PM

Sorry, I was just having this discussion with an iBook user... should start thinking before I post.