867MHz PowerBook Noise

[mrpepsi]

I just got a new 15 inch PowerBook with an 867MHz G4, and I have noticed the fan kicks in when under practically no load.

Right now as I'm typing this, I only have Safari open, and both the rear and the right hand fan are going full blast. Is this normal?

The fan comes on after a few minutes use and stays on. It has never cycled off. It's quite annoying. The battery life is not quite what I expected either, probably due to the fans.

It's beginning to make me miss my 600MHz iBook that I traded up from.

Any help would be appreciated.

[MrMacMan]

Is your house so heated that the fans need to run all the time?

I can't find a real reason for this...

[mrpepsi]

Originally posted by MrMacman
Is your house so heated that the fans need to run all the time?

I can't find a real reason for this...

My house is about 69 to 72. I've tried all the obvious things like setting the Processor Performance to "reduced".

As a network admin I work with several other pc laptops and iBooks, and never had this happen. This is my first PowerBook though.

[nospleen]

I have a PB 867 and my fans rarely come on. I can not speak for everyone, I have only had mine for about two weeks.

[hui__lim]

I agree with MrPepsi, I have noticed that my fan does kick in when there is no load and stays on till... well erm... forever (or at least till I put my computer to sleep). Anyone have any recommendations or any answers as to why this is?

[mrpepsi]

I don't understand how with some powerbooks like nospleen's can run normally while others don't. I wonder if it's a plant quality issue, or perhaps simply differing qualities of G4's.

[alex_ant]

Open up Process Viewer and see if there are any hidden processes that are hogging the CPU. Also, I've heard of heat sinks becoming unseated. I think Apple could help you out here if you called them.

[TheMightyG]

Originally posted by alex_ant
Open up Process Viewer and see if there are any hidden processes that are hogging the CPU. Also, I've heard of heat sinks becoming unseated. I think Apple could help you out here if you called them.

You might want to try one of those Coolpad risers...they do a decent job at dissapating heat buildup on the bottom of a laptop.
But I agree...a computer that has minimal or even no active apps should not get that hot. The idea about a poorly affixed heat sink seems like a good possibility.

G