Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

uae

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 8, 2002
51
0
Los Angeles, CA
I was playing some CDs in my SuperDrive on the brand spanking new dual gig G4 and when I was done after about an hour and ejected the CD I noticed that it was extremely warm.

Is this normal?
 
Yes, usually playing CDs for extended periods of time results in an increase in the overall temperature of the disk.

So yeah, its normal, just don't play it overnight. ;)
 
That's what I thought....I'm pretty sure this has happened on my old PC. And perhaps on some macs at work too.

Just wanted to make sure something wasn't wrong with the new system.
 
Actually, I think it's the motor, the laser's not srong enough to generate THAT much heat. Have you ever touched a hard drive right after you turned your computer off? Ouch!

Things tend to get warm when you shoot a laser at them for extended periods of time. It's kinda like an ant under a magnifying glass.
 
The same thing happens to DVDs in my iBook or Cube. They get pretty warm after about 110 minutes.

Don't worry about heat issues. Just start worrying when the labels on the other side start to melt. :p
 
This happens because the reading laser heats the disk so it can see the grooves and also heat comes naturally from the drive as it spins the disk because of fricition. Extended play of a disk would make the disk feel hot after awhile, but its nothing to worry about. If you're worried, tho, just take the CD out periodically. Then, put it back in after a few seconds of cooling. That should put ur mind at ease.
 
The same goes with DVDs. But there is added heat with computer DVD players, since the processor is under heavy usage during the movie. I have played 2 hour DVDs on my iBook and my Cube and whenever they were done playing the disks were EXTREMELY warm. You might as well say that the disk was hot. It almost felt burning.

Don't worry about issues like this, though. If something bad happens [to it], always blame the guy who invented it. Then get a refund. :p
 
haha, looks like KCs the new knowlage man. Guess alpha's shoes needed someone to fill them. :D ;)
 
There have been instances where if you play a cd for extended amounts of time repeatedly, the localized heating by the laser warps portions of the cd. This is called laser rot, but you have to use the CD a LOT to get it and I think it has been pretty much solved on newer cd-roms.
 
Originally posted by topicolo
There have been instances where if you play a cd for extended amounts of time repeatedly, the localized heating by the laser warps portions of the cd. This is called laser rot, but you have to use the CD a LOT to get it and I think it has been pretty much solved on newer cd-roms.

can u show us a pic of that?
 
DVD-rot1.jpg


This is supposed to be a picture of laser rot (on a dvd)

For more info go to http://www.mindspring.com/~yerington/
 
i dont see anythign wrong w/ it (the reflection might be covering it)

But when i went to the site, i could see in the close up pic that it was damaged. I looks like some major scratches or its been melted (both could explain the cloudiness)
 
Originally posted by G5orbust
i dont see anythign wrong w/ it (the reflection might be covering it)

But when i went to the site, i could see in the close up pic that it was damaged. I looks like some major scratches or its been melted (both could explain the cloudiness)

Look at the upper part of the cd, there is a definite cloudiness.
 
Originally posted by W-_-W


Look at the upper part of the cd, there is a definite cloudiness.

yeah i saw that. i kinda thought i was a reflection of the light source, tho. But the close up shot showed me.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.