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Dual G4 fans

rppp01a

rppp01a

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 5, 2007
4
0
Arizona
Hi guys. New to the forum. I'm hoping for some help on my beloved G4.

I bought my PowerMac G4 used about 3 years ago. It has run very well for me over the years. It is a bit long in the tooth, but the only things that are of concern are the speed of the mouse and how loud it is. So I figured I would ask if anyone here knows of anyway I can find fans for this system so I can continue to use it - without requiring earbuds to block out the noise.

I can't afford to retire it, and don't want to be without a Mac. I work on unix/linux systems all day and this OS is awesome.

And if anyone has any mouse tips, I'll take those, too!

Thank you
 
AlexMaximus

AlexMaximus

macrumors 65816
Aug 15, 2006
1,181
538
A400M Base
A short history of fans

rppp01a said:
Hi guys. New to the forum. I'm hoping for some help on my beloved G4.

I bought my PowerMac G4 used about 3 years ago. It has run very well for me over the years. It is a bit long in the tooth, but the only things that are of concern are the speed of the mouse and how loud it is. So I figured I would ask if anyone here knows of anyway I can find fans for this system so I can continue to use it - without requiring earbuds to block out the noise.

I can't afford to retire it, and don't want to be without a Mac. I work on unix/linux systems all day and this OS is awesome.

And if anyone has any mouse tips, I'll take those, too!

Thank you
Click to expand...

Hello my friend,

here is short overview regarding fans:
The first G4 models came with 400 W Power supply with very noisy delta fans. 2 x 60 mm for the powersupply and one 120 mm Delta fan as a case fan. Apple had a power supply swap program at that time (low noise fans & 360W instead of the original 400). Since this is a long time ago it would be hard to find a unused packege. I also want to mention that the later MDD models came with that PS with low noise fans, however they where not really that good either.
Your options: The best and most expensive solution would be a Verax fan kit from veraxfans.com. They have canceld the kit a couple month ago, however there are some thirdparty dealers who most likely have some left.
There is a kit for the PS and a kit for the case fan.
If you do not want to go with verax, you can still replace the fans yourself by using the same size fans with today technology. For the case fan, a lot of people use a Panasonic fan with hydro bearings, but I have heard also really good things about the brand new Silenx fans. They are the most quiet ones with 18db only.
Anyways to look up some infos, here are some links for you:

Verx CPU & PSU Fan solution:

http://www.pcsilent.de/en_pg_PowerM...ems_G4_Quicksilver_fan_sets_low_noise_70.html

G4 MDD cooling modification with verax fans

http://homepage.mac.com/paul74/MDDG4CoolingMod.htm

Forum for G4 noise & cooling solutions:
(This one is really detailed)

http://coolstuff.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/powermac-g4-mdd-cooling-and-noise-reduction/

Hope this helps you. Good luck and don't sell your G4, it's classic and a keeper that will serve you very well.

Alex

:apple:
 
rppp01a

rppp01a

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 5, 2007
4
0
Arizona
AlexMaximus said:
Hello my friend,

here is short overview regarding fans:
The first G4 models came with 400 W Power supply with very noisy delta fans. 2 x 60 mm for the powersupply and one 120 mm Delta fan as a case fan. Apple had a power supply swap program at that time (low noise fans & 360W instead of the original 400). Since this is a long time ago it would be hard to find a unused packege. I also want to mention that the later MDD models came with that PS with low noise fans, however they where not really that good either.
Your options: The best and most expensive solution would be a Verax fan kit from veraxfans.com. They have canceld the kit a couple month ago, however there are some thirdparty dealers who most likely have some left.
There is a kit for the PS and a kit for the case fan.
If you do not want to go with verax, you can still replace the fans yourself by using the same size fans with today technology. For the case fan, a lot of people use a Panasonic fan with hydro bearings, but I have heard also really good things about the brand new Silenx fans. They are the most quiet ones with 18db only.
Anyways to look up some infos, here are some links for you:

Verx CPU & PSU Fan solution:

http://www.pcsilent.de/en_pg_PowerM...ems_G4_Quicksilver_fan_sets_low_noise_70.html

G4 MDD cooling modification with verax fans

http://homepage.mac.com/paul74/MDDG4CoolingMod.htm

Forum for G4 noise & cooling solutions:
(This one is really detailed)

http://coolstuff.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/powermac-g4-mdd-cooling-and-noise-reduction/

Hope this helps you. Good luck and don't sell your G4, it's classic and a keeper that will serve you very well.

Alex

:apple:
Click to expand...

Thank you.
I had been considering selling my G4 because of the noise factor and the age. It has worked well as a web and file server, though the disks are filling up with data and audio/video. But if I can keep it running for at a relatively low cost then I will gladly do so.

I will look into these links. I am glad I found this forum. Thank you!
 
T

Tracer

macrumors 6502
Jun 20, 2007
271
0
Does anyone have experience with Quicksilver vs MDD noise?

I've heard that the MDD is much louder, but wondering if anyone has had both.

Tracer
 
H

HW-Hack

macrumors newbie
Aug 25, 2007
25
0
Now its my turn

I just bought a MDD 1GHz via a good deal on ebay -- and my first job will be to quiet it down.

In my previous life at Intel I did PC motherboard + system design and worked with some very talented thermal / acoustic guys. There are some very simple rules
#1 use the most silent fans possible with the biggest diameter possible throughout the system design - power supply - cpu - etc. Smaller fans have to spin faster and emit annoying tones
#2 get cool ambient air to the CPU(s) as quickly as possible
#3 when possible spin those fans at about 8-9v instead of 12v -- much quieter
#4 get cold air in (as mentioned above) and get hot air out - again using quiet fans spinning at slower speeds
#5 remove physical barriers to air flow -- basically remove safety grills on fans - power supplies - etc .... and keep your fingers OUT!!!!
#6 lastly dampen vibrations use pieces of old bicycle inner-tube to rubber mount hard drives - fans - etc --- use nylon screws instead of metal screws

Final comment - in pictures I've seen there seem to be a gap between the the cpu heat sink and the cooling fans --- fashioning a duct out of strong plastic film or thin card-board -- plus some duct-tape ----- will direct that air (and fan noise) directly into the heatsink where the air will cool and the noise be muffled a bit:D
 
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