An interesting new 17" cooling addition

[mac jones]

From the iFixit.com

Apparently one of the fans in the unibody model has a frictionless bearing (magnetic)

Theoretically, you can reach some impressive speeds with something like this.

Sunon's site says, "By using magnetic levitation force (MagLev), these fans feature zero friction with no contact between shaft and bearing. With excellent rotational stability, the MagLev fan eliminates vibration and typical wobble and shaking typically experienced in fan motors. MagLev also provides excellent high temperature endurance that results in long life."

Apparently, Apple's used similar fans in MacBooks in the past.



http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/First-Look/MacBook-Pro-17-Inch-Unibody/618/2#s3256

 

[ayeying]

Wouldn't that also make the fans quieter?

 

[kolax]

Wouldn't that also make the fans quieter?

Well a lot of the noise is the air flowing rather than the bearings. At 6000rpm, I think they'd just be as loud..

 

[ayeying]

Well a lot of the noise is the air flowing rather than the bearings. At 6000rpm, I think they'd just be as loud..

well, of course there would be sound. i don't mean it'll be silent but would it be quieter then regular ball bearing based fans? I think the MacBooks use regular ball bearings and it can get quite loud at max.

 

[mkrishnan]

So the article states that similar fans were used previously... in which Macbooks, if not all of them? To what extent is this particularly new?

 

[MAGICMOXTER]

This is great and all, but if you had a power problem in your computer, or if the magnets lost charge for some reason... any physicist will tell you all you have to do is hit a magnet gently a few times to make it loose charge..

Perhaps if as the above poster wrote this technology was used in other computers, the reason for them overheating was due to this.

 

[ayeying]

So the article states that similar fans were used previously... in which Macbooks, if not all of them? To what extent is this particularly new?

I don't think my current Unibody has a MagLev fan. I'll dissect my system later after i get home.

 

[kolax]

well, of course there would be sound. i don't mean it'll be silent but would it be quieter then regular ball bearing based fans? I think the MacBooks use regular ball bearings and it can get quite loud at max.

You think it's the ball bearings making the racket...? It is the air being flushed through.

Any fan will make noise - you can't make a silent fan at 6000rpm. Fast moving air being flushed anywhere will make noise.

 

[duffyanneal]

My original Macbook had a Sunon maglev fan. So yeah, they have been used for quite a while. Apple uses several different fan manufacturers so it's luck of the draw. Anyone remember the original Macbook moo sound problem? Well it was caused by a particular fan which had a tendency to make a moo sound when it turned on and ramped up. The Sunon fan was virtually quiet so it did not exhibit the problem.