powerbook Ghz noise question....

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
hello,

ok, i order a 1ghz powerbook with 1gb ram, and a superdrive. it works great and i love it. the only question i have is the noise it makes. the noise comes from the top right of the computer (near the power button) and i think this is a fan. anyway, right when i turn the laptop on this fan comes on, when the screensaver goes on the fan goes off, but as soon as i enter the desktop again the fan goes on again. I would think it would take a lot more for the fan to go on, its not that load at all, but if the fan didnt go on it would be dead silent. should this fan always be on? this powerbook doesnt get hot at all by the way, though i havent kept it on for more than about 2 or 3 hours so far.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    could it be the hard drive ?



    there is a fan in there also, though.



    Those are the only things that should be making noise.
  • Reply 2 of 10
    I have the same problem with my PowerBook (867). It only happens when I'm really doing something processor-intensive and when my PowerBook is warming my lap...prolly the fan. <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
  • Reply 3 of 10
    I have a new 1ghz Powebook and I keep getting a clicking noise - sounds like it may be the hard drive but not sure. The sound is coming from the lower right side. Is anyone else getting a clicking type noise?
  • Reply 4 of 10
    hey,

    ok the noise is the fan. it isnt that loud, i was only suprised it came on so soon because it doesn't really get that hot. my friend has the 667mhz version and that gets really hot sometimes. I guess they really cracked down on the heat sink but i think the fan should be used less.



    oh yea, there arent any clicking noises, so im not sure what thats all about jeagan. the HD is located in the center, under the trackpad, the optical drive may be making the noise but i really dont know



    [ 12-29-2002: Message edited by: sully ]</p>
  • Reply 5 of 10
    It's probably the HD. In most environments, it's inaudible, but it does make faint clicks, whirrs and chirps. I guess it would be nice to have these things completly silent. But until everything is fanless and solid state, I'm going to venture that all computers will make noise.



    -Composer
  • Reply 6 of 10
    Hey Sully,



    It's the fan. Happens on my GigaBook too. There was quite a frenzy of posts on other fora about the noise, some people saying it was unbearable and thus a manufacturing defect, etc. But now it's quieted down and I think most are used to the idea that this is a "normal" noise for the GigaBook.



    FWIW, you'll find that the right rear fan tends not to come on if you're on battery power and/or in reduced processor mode (in Energy Saver).
  • Reply 7 of 10
    YMMV, but if my TiBook's fans have come on after some time, just moving it to a different (i.e. not yet heated up) spot on my desk will usually make the fans go off again a couple of seconds later.



    Bye,

    RazzFazz
  • Reply 8 of 10
    Hi,



    I also have a noise problem: when the powerbook is plugged in and a speaker system is connected, I get quite some noise through my speakers. Note that I only hear it when I don't play anything off course.

    Does anyone else have this problem?

    Is it normal?



    Thanks
  • Reply 9 of 10
    I have the 1Ghz with the 60GB HD. It is quieter in all respects than my 500Mhz. Of course, the side fan doesn't come on too often. It will come on when I'm using electric image, but it's pretty quiet. The stage-two fan will come on when I'm rendering a long scene, etc.



    The stage two fan (plus the stage one fan) is quieter than the fan on the 500Mhz.



    The stage one fan is quieter than the original 500Mhz, since the HD is loud. Though I replaced the original HD with an IBM 32GB, which is quiet. Even so, the stage one fan is pretty unnoticeable.



    The HD is quiet. More quiet than the IBM 32Gb in the 500Mhz.



    So at all stages, the Ghz is quieter.
  • Reply 10 of 10
    Well, I opened up the PowerBook, and sure enough, there is a fan there, also another fan on the middle bottom. The hard drive is located center top. The PowerBook looks cool on the inside...
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