How to makes the powerbook cooler, the temperature of Radeon hit 100c

ethen said:

Hi Guys,

My powerbook is extremly hot on the top part near the screen (the hinges too)
Is there a way to underclock it and makes it run cooler? it's the PB 1.6Ghz that i just picked up at compusa

the heat is really unbarable, it runs at 45c and also the GPU runs at 100c, that's really odd, the GPU runs really hot.

Thansk in advanced for the help

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100°C? Are you sure I mean, if you touched it you would be scalded. Thats 212° F, boiling for those who never took 4th grade science.

I find it hard to believe a portable GPU can get 200 degrees. My G5 CPU dies never go about 160F

I've got a 15" 1.5GHz PowerBook (last model before the HD ones) with a 64Mb graphics card.

When I push my computer hard (like play X-Plane), Temperature Monitor has reported the Processor/Controller Bottomside sensor as reaching 63.2C, and the Processor Bottomside sensor as reaching 62.0C (their maximum temperatures before the computer will shut itself down are 76.0 and 75.0C respectively) - I don't seem to have a sensor for the graphics card.


The hinge on the lid does get incredibly hot when the processor reaches those kinds of temperatures, but it is designed to take heat away from the laptop.


You can "underclock" it slightly by adjusting the energy saver prefs to "Reduced Performance".

i understand its what your sensor says it reads, but really man, 200+ degrees? Boiling water like a hot plate on your laptop, on the friggen GPU of all things?

I really logically, dont think its possible.

The fact it says 100.0 exactly, notice the others have decimals, seems like it could be broken.

Though unless its not ALWAYS 100.0 my arguement is dead.

Additional Note:

In temperature monitor, go into the Window menu and choose "Sensor Overview" - what is the specified upper limit for the GPU sensor?

It could be that the sensor is giving false readings to the OS, but still giving correct readings, etc, to the fan controllers.

Whats the name of that program, and where can I download it?

told ya 100.0 sounded odd.

and think logically about what might go wrong sometimes, 200 degrees is damn hot and really impossible to hit in a personal computer that isnt overclocked.

ethen said:

it said 69c

thanks

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As the "Specified Upper Limit"? What was the "Value" reading in that same window?

It sounds like TM is incompatible with your graphics card sensor. It took until 10.4.4 and a new version of TM to get data from the sensors on my PB.

wasimyaqoob said:

Whats the name of that program, and where can I download it?

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Temperature Monitor.

Go to http://www.pure-mac.com and search for it there

ThermographX will keep track of whatever sensors your PB (or whatever you have) report, and will graph them (duh) over time.

The GPU would probably burn up or at least shut down if it was really running that hot....something's wrong with the software.

That's funny too, because I have had a similar experience with ThermographX. I use Temperature Monitor on my flashed GeForce6800GT, which almost never touches 70C. ThermoGraphX, on the other hand, told me that it was running at over 115C at idle! So it doesn't work with my sensors.

Unfortunately, I have an upgraded CPU (from OWC) and for some reason it's sensors don't show up in any program.

I believe there is a speed setting in the Energy Saver Control Panel...

Bear in mind that the Powerbook G4 can get pretty darn warm under normal operation, especially if you place it on a bed or something that will absorb and retain the heat. Consider buying one of the many laptop cooler pads out on the market.

Apparently the GPU temperature is correct.

The author of Temperature Monitor has a comment up at the Versiontracker page for the application:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/19994

The newest PowerBook models are fully supported by the application. A temperature of 100°C (212°F) for the internal sensor of the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 chip is the correct and expected temperature, as designed by Apple and ATI. The sensor overview feature of the application also explictly notes that 100"C is the allowed maximum for this sensor location, as specified by Apple. So there is no need to "worry", and the displayed values are accurate.

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shambolic said:

Apparently the GPU temperature is correct.

The author of Temperature Monitor has a comment up at the Versiontracker page for the application:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/19994

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no that just further proves it was a fault in the sensor/program because it read exactly 100.0°

but still doesnt anyone think 200°+ isnt a bit much for a laptop?

Wait a minute...

The newest PowerBook models are fully supported by the application. A temperature of 100°C (212°F) for the internal sensor of the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 chip is the correct and expected temperature, as designed by Apple and ATI. The sensor overview feature of the application also explictly notes that 100"C is the allowed maximum for this sensor location, as specified by Apple. So there is no need to "worry", and the displayed values are accurate.

Click to expand...

That would indicate that the 9700's normal operating temp is the same as its maximum safe operating temp...huh?

If they really say 100C then I guess it's 100C - but that's a very high temperature, significantly higher than any non-overclocked card I've ever heard of.