My PowerBook G4 12" Journal - Full tear down, SSD upgrade and CPU Fan.

[bobesch]

I just unscrewed them , looks like they just need to be screwed back in. Nothing broke during the disassembly except for the hall effect sensor

Originally both screws are soldered onto the board.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/PowerBook+G4+Aluminum+12-Inch+1-1.5+GHz+Logic+Board+Replacement/553
Maybe the previous owner replaced them.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Thank you for persevering! It was an epic post.

I'm happy with the results of the job. It's always satisfying to repair what you've got. Better for your pocket and better for the planet too... Although the Quad G5s might not be considered eco-friendly!

The black Macbook is a classic. The repair will be worth it. A Core 2 Duo at >2.0Ghz still packs a punch. Max out the RAM, drop in an SSD and reinstall Snow Leopard for the best performance out of it.

Not only that, there are budding students in very rural parts of third world countries that would LOVE to have a computer! Even one's soo slow that basic computing can be done ... is STILL worth donations.

 

[AphoticD]

Originally both screws are soldered onto the board.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/PowerBook+G4+Aluminum+12-Inch+1-1.5+GHz+Logic+Board+Replacement/553
Maybe the previous owner replaced them.

I didn't take much notice of these when I had my logic board out, but this photo from iFixit appears to show hex screw heads on the underside which I imagine are holding these standoffs in place. Did they really glue these fixings to the logic board? That sounds like a poor choice of design!

[doublepost=1518917305][/doublepost]

Not only that, there are budding students in very rural parts of third world countries that would LOVE to have a computer! Even one's soo slow that basic computing can be done ... is STILL worth donations.

The truly beautiful part of Apple's choices is that the Unix/BSD base for Mac OS X means that any OS X capable Mac, including the original clamshell iBook or Wallstreet G3 can still perform, even to this day, as a platform for a programming student (or enthusiast) to learn C and Objective-C on the native Mac platform and carry those skills across to a modern macOS or iOS.

This aspect alone could change a person's life (or even that of entire communities) by allowing wealth creation in ways which could otherwise be impossible.

The Xcode (v2.5) Developer tools (and the current version of Macports) are freely available to install on any Tiger capable Mac going right back to the original Blueberry iBook G3, PowerBook Wallstreet and early iMacs (unofficially). Projects built with these dev tools are (for the most part), easily portable to a modern multicore $20K+ iMac Pro, to be compiled in High Sierra and Xcode 9, producing the same results from essentially the same code.

It blows me away that I can use my 1999 model iBook to write code (and even build Cocoa UI apps in Xcode/Interface Builder) which can be transported to my High Sierra capable Macs to recompile and run without a hitch. Before the move to Swift, Mac OS X software development (in Objective-C) was beautifully backwards compatible in the way that you can find a solution to produce the same results just by making older (and often more involved) API calls.

The Xcode documentation makes it clear just how much of the modern code base is still Mac OS X 10.0 compatible, which is purely a credit to the work done by NeXT and the founding fathers of Objective-C (and C and OOP in general).

This is a true rarity in the commercial technology world and a great example of evolutionary survival of the fittest.

Not to mention that even a lowly G3 can still produce professional quality results with older versions of Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Pro Tools, Cubase, etc

These old Macs are not dead yet!

 

[Lastic]

So today I decided to do the re-assembly .

I shouldn't have jinxed but I couldn't get the second screw/spring in for the heatsink assembly so I left it with only 1 spring/screw installed.

Another screw which I couldn't get to fit was the longer one to install the EMI finger where the memory is located, no worries there since I didn't have an EMI finger to begin with.

But now, booting from a FW disk to restore an image, it sees the new mSATA disk, I partition it and start off Carbon Copy Cloner.
Fans start running wild , and it goes to sleep, it keeps doing this every minute until I unplug it from the charger and run Carbon Copy Cloner on battery.

With still 3h battery to go , suddenly it shutdown completely .

Reboot, no mSATA disk anymore, I've rebooted from Leopard install DVD, Ubuntu Mate, no mSATA disk.

If I boot again from the same FW partition , I see the disk with no partition , I try to partition it in Disk Utility, it has been
creating partition map for the past 5 minutes ?

Any ideas ?
I also tried reopening it but looks like one of the hinge screws is a goner and stripped completely now so no luck there.

 

[AphoticD]

So today I decided to do the re-assembly .

I shouldn't have jinxed but I couldn't get the second screw/spring in for the heatsink assembly so I left it with only 1 spring/screw installed.

Another screw which I couldn't get to fit was the longer one to install the EMI finger where the memory is located, no worries there since I didn't have an EMI finger to begin with.

But now, booting from a FW disk to restore an image, it sees the new mSATA disk, I partition it and start off Carbon Copy Cloner.
Fans start running wild , and it goes to sleep, it keeps doing this every minute until I unplug it from the charger and run Carbon Copy Cloner on battery.

With still 3h battery to go , suddenly it shutdown completely .

Reboot, no mSATA disk anymore, I've rebooted from Leopard install DVD, Ubuntu Mate, no mSATA disk.

If I boot again from the same FW partition , I see the disk with no partition , I try to partition it in Disk Utility, it has been
creating partition map for the past 5 minutes ?

Any ideas ?
I also tried reopening it but looks like one of the hinge screws is a goner and stripped completely now so no luck there.

Ahh damn, that’s a shame. I think you’ll need to dismantle it again to refit the missing screw/spring on the heatsink. It sounds like the coldplate of the heatsink isn’t sitting flush against the CPU die (heat spreader), so it is overheating the processor and shutting off. The CPU voltage will automatically increase when running from AC, which will produce more heat compared to the battery source which explains the behaviour.

I would attempt to pull it down again and in the process, pull the mSATA SSD out to do a reformat (and repartition) on a different machine without using the IDE adapter (e.g in a mSATA to SATA caddy in a G5) to set it all straight.

 

[CooperBox]

An excellent write-up by Aphotic.
@Lastic. You really need to add that additional heatsink attachment post and it's spring, as at the moment you will be getting slightly uneven pressure onto the processor. As mentioned by Bobesch, I did manage to detach one from the motherboard during disassembly, although I was proceeding with caution (shown just to the right of the processor ref 5th photo in THIS link). As I mentioned it was easily re-attached using a small drop of Araldite.
On my 1.3GHz 12" PowerBook described HERE, I've still not fired myself into refurbishment action of it, as I do believe they are one of the most - if not THE most unpleasant PowerBooks to work on. So I've been puting it off & off since Nov of last year - which is unusual for me as I love tearing almost all Apple laptops apart - so much so that 2 days ago a gifted 2Ghz 13" black MacBook1,1 (A1181) was set-upon the moment I got it home (a pleasant and relatively easy task which I'll detail in a separate thread).
@aphotic. If you were doing one of these again, is there anything you would change, or additions you would make re thermal pads etc? I think I'd almost pay someone to remove those F1,F2, F11 & F12 keys and refit them without damage, a task I definitely don't look forward to. And iFixit describe the keyboard removal/refitment difficulty as moderate. The way I describe that task begins with a 'b'........

 

[AphoticD]

An excellent write-up by Aphotic.
@Lastic. You really need to add that additional heatsink attachment post and it's spring, as at the moment you will be getting slightly uneven pressure onto the processor. As mentioned by Bobesch, I did manage to detach one from the motherboard during disassembly, although I was proceeding with caution (shown just to the right of the processor ref 5th photo in THIS link). As I mentioned it was easily re-attached using a small drop of Araldite.
On my 1.3GHz 12" PowerBook described HERE, I've still not fired myself into refurbishment action of it, as I do believe they are one of the most - if not THE the most unpleasant PowerBooks to work on. So I've been puting it off & off since Nov of last year - which is unusual for me as I love tearing almost all Apple laptops apart - so much so that 2 days ago a gifted 2Ghz 13" black MacBook1,1 (A1181) was set-upon the moment I got it home (a pleasant and relatively easy task which I'll detail in a separate thread).
@aphotic. If you were doing one of these again, is there anything you would change, or additions you would make re thermal pads etc? I think I'd almost pay someone to remove those F1,F2, F11 & F12 keys and refit them without damage, a task I definitely don't look forward to. And iFixit describe the keyboard removal/refitment difficulty as moderate. The way I describe that task begins with a 'b'........

Thanks @CooperBox, I feel the same way about this model. I don’t intend to tear it down again until the thermal paste is due. (Years from now)

One thing I would have done differently is to use a better quality thermal paste. I’m really sold on the Grizzly Kryonaut product I recently started using. It has completely transformed my G5s, they no longer have a mind of their own when it comes to fan noise. I plan to do my MacBook Unibody ‘08 next, which suffers from high running temps.

In saying that though, my PB 12” runs pretty cool compared to other people’s reports.

 

[z970]

I have a question. Would it be possible to theoretically move a soldered graphics chip from one laptop to another by de-soldering and re-soldering? For example, could you un-solder a Radeon from an iBook G4 then solder it to a PowerBook G4?

Another question. Could you use sheets/beds of metal in place of thermal pads? Like replacing old pads with folded squares of tin/aluminum foil, would that work?

Thanks in advance.

 

[1042686]

Ive seen folks use copper shims in place of thermal pads, yes. Please, dont use tin foil.

Concerns - copper is conductive so can short your lobo & does not flex like thermal pad. Because of this folks use thin applications of thermal paste to fit these & like thermal pads, paste eventually dries up and fails so copper shims are as permanent as thermal pads are. Still, some folks swear by them.

 

[z970]

Ive seen folks use copper shims in place of thermal pads, yes. Please, dont use tin foil.

Concerns - copper is conductive so can short your lobo & does not flex like thermal pad. Because of this folks use thin applications of thermal paste to fit these & like thermal pads, paste eventually dries up and fails so copper shims are as permanent as thermal pads are. Still, some folks swear by them.

Thanks.

 

[AphoticD]

If the mounting of the GPU pins is standard across an iBook and the PB12”, Then it would be theoretically possible to replace. @LightBulbFun would be the man to consult with about this kind of work.

I have the last gen iBook 12” with the 32MB 9550 GPU and it perform(ed) well enough, but not exactly light years ahead of the 64MB Go 5200 (in the way the 128MB 9700 in the DLSD is). That iBook overheated and died in the couple days after I bought it (Before I made time to repaste). I have a replacement logic board on order from PowerBookMedic, so when it is back up and running I will run some tests to make a proper comparison.

I have three PB 12” units now and have repasted all of them. In all honesty, my machines now run cool. Most people talk about these machines as running hot, and they did before the repaste, but that’s no longer the case.

The units with hard drives (1.0Ghz and 1.33Ghz) run hotter than the one with the mSATA SSD (1.5ghz) - go figure. I can feel the lower left palm rest getting toasty when the HDDs are getting hit hard, whereas the SSD unit only ever warms up a little on the underside near the back where the CPU is.

On the 1.5ghz model I pasted with a generic Silver 6.5w/mk compound and 1.5w/mk rated (blue) silicone pads. On the 1.0 and 1.33 I have used Grizzly Kryonaut 12.5w/mk rated with 2.5w/mk rated grey pads.

TL;DR I recommend a quality paste and new pads. The Kryonaut product is non-conductive, whereas any introduced metals like a copper or aluminum shim could pose a conductivity issue if not installed safely.

 

[bobesch]

The units with hard drives (1.0Ghz and 1.33Ghz) run hotter than the one with the mSATA SSD (1.5ghz) - go figure. I can feel the lower left palm rest getting toasty when the HDDs are getting hit hard, whereas the SSD unit only ever warms up a little on the underside near the back where the CPU is.

There's the drive located below the lower left palm rest.
I remember repasting etc. didn't solve the problem of running fan's with my 12"PB.
After setting temp-thresholds to 60-65°C for CPU/GPU/Drive there's a steady state now without any fan activity even on heavy load (emulated Win2k, browsing etc.), whilst CPU-temperature is at averager about 70-80°C on regular base on my early-2008 15"MBP.

Does your SSD (or mSATA/converter-combi) sport a temperature-sensor?

 

[AphoticD]

There's the drive located below the lower left palm rest.
I remember repasting etc. didn't solve the problem of running fan's with my 12"PB.
After setting temp-thresholds to 60-65°C for CPU/GPU/Drive there's a steady state now without any fan activity even on heavy load (emulated Win2k, browsing etc.), whilst CPU-temperature is at averager about 70-80°C on regular base on my early-2008 15"MBP.

Does your SSD (or mSATA/converter-combi) sport a temperature-sensor?

It does. But the SSD's "HD" sensor reading only appears in iStat Pro, not in my usual Temperature Monitor menu bar app.

(Note that I just switched this unit on.. It normally runs quite a bit warmer than 30°C).

I imagine asking any PowerBook to emulate Win2k will cause it to run quite hot though!

 

[z970]

Question. Would something like this work in a 12"?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/mSATA-to-2...808526&hash=item464f342630:g:mf4AAOSw4vJasHra

 

[AphoticD]

Question. Would something like this work in a 12"?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/mSATA-to-2...808526&hash=item464f342630:g:mf4AAOSw4vJasHra

You got it. That's the chipset to look for ("JM20330" on the IC on the right). These work well for me at least, YMMV, but for the price, it's worth a shot.

 

[z970]

I still really appreciate how insanely knowledgeable most are here in this sub-forum. That's something that resonated with me when I signed up, and it's something that resonates with me now.

Thank you. All.

 

[AphoticD]

No problem. It's like a knowledge time capsule.

 

[CooperBox]

I still really appreciate how insanely knowledgeable most are here in this sub-forum. That's something that resonated with me when I signed up, and it's something that resonates with me now.

Thank you. All.

Pleased to see you signed up here, and resonating well.
Looking at my workplace at the moment, with 2 disassembled 12" PowerBooks, a Pismo less daughtercard (sent to LightBulbFun for G4 mod), and a superb MacBook7,1 awaiting rebuild, my wife would thoroughly agree with the "insanely" comment for myself, but most certainly censure your word "knowledgeable"........ Bless 'er!
And would you believe that just a few years ago I would have shuddered even at the thought of changing out memory on any laptop.

 

[1042686]

Hey Dan, I have my msata drive ready to drop into my 12” powerbook. On Ifixit, They’re super paranoid about the power cable removal/destroying the mobo etc. I noticed that in your photo, you just propped the entire assembly up with access to the spinner. I also read in ifixit comments a user stated that the cable removal step was not necessary & an unnecessary bricking risk. Could you clarify a bit your process for accessing the drive? Thanks man!

My pb17” hdd/msata swap was easy so I’m not at all scared but would just like a bit more specificity by someone I trust who’s done the job successfully.

 

[CooperBox]

Hey Dan, I have my msata drive ready to drop into my 12” powerbook. On Ifixit, They’re super paranoid about the power cable removal/destroying the mobo etc. I noticed that in your photo, you just propped the entire assembly up with access to the spinner. I also read in ifixit comments a user stated that the cable removal step was not necessary & an unnecessary bricking risk. Could you clarify a bit your process for accessing the drive? Thanks man!

My pb17” hdd/msata swap was easy so I’m not at all scared but would just like a bit more specificity by someone I trust who’s done the job successfully.

You may find that after partially separating the upper case from the lower (step 18), the upper case can be lifted on it's left edge vertically, which in some cases then allows easy access to disconnect the microphone and power mini connectors from the mobo - but this is only possible if those cables have ample free movement and not tightly taped to the underside of the top case (this being the case as shown in this thread post #1 photo 9).
I wasn't aware this was possible, and on my first attempt I very carefully eased up the two mini connectors from within the two small 'windows' (as per step 17). Do not use small metal screwdrivers, best is two spudgers on each side of the individual connectors - if necessary cut down to suit, or two tooth-picks with ends cut to form a screwdriver type edge for leverage.
Take it slowly and CAREFULLY whichever way works for you.
You'll note there are some 20 readers comments relating to step 17 and the disconnecting of these small connectors. I reckon that if one is in a hurry or generally heavy-handed, that's when there's a risk of damage.

 

[AphoticD]

@RhianB exactly what @CooperBox says.

When pulling up the top case cover, first disconnect the trackpad ribbon (gold with handle loop), raise up the cover to the left of the machine and then you can easily (and optionally) remove the other two connectors if you need to.

The “windows”’in the panel are a little misleading IMO.

 

[1042686]

Sounds great, guys. Thankyou. I’ll clone up the drive tonight & try the installation tomorrow after work.

 

[z970]

Well, I finally bought a 32gb Samsung mSATA SSD + new thermal pads for my 12" 1.5.

Did anyone have any troubles with their PRAM batteries? Are there any other possible causes for incorrect date/time?

I am not looking forward to opening this sucker up - again...

 

[AphoticD]

The PB12" uses the same tech as the iBooks (G3 and G4) for storing PRAM settings, including date and time. These models use a small on-board capacitor to hold the PRAM for up to about 20 minutes when the main battery is removed or fully depleted.

This is designed to typically allow for a battery change, but nothing long term like the half-AA's used in the desktops or the coin type found in 15", 17" PowerBooks and the late '05 G5.

I wouldn't go through the trouble of changing the capacitor unless you're having booting related issues or other power management weirdness. If your main battery is too old to hold a charge, then it would be worth replacing that first, which will also bring portability back to the machine.

Other than Power Management Unit (PMU) related troubles, the only other reason to change the capacitor would be if you were to inspect the board and find the capacitor has begun to rust and/or leak then you'll want to remove it before any further damage occurs.


1. This is the capacitor you're looking for. This particular board is an iBook G3 700Mhz (16MB VRAM Opaque), however all PBG4 12" models use the same rated capacitor (0.33F, 5.5V). This one looks pretty good, but I spotted a tiny amount of corrosion in between the two inner cells at the front of the pack here.


2. Here is the underside of the board. There are two solder blobs where the pins of the capacitor push through the board (seen to the left of the "D18" and directly below the "Q55", which is blurred in this shot). Heat these one at a time with the soldering iron and pull the capacitor pins out from the other side as the solder melts.


3. Here is the suspect capacitor once removed. I was unable to see the extent of the corrosion until I had removed it from the board, but you can see this one is toast.


4. Here I have soldered on a new, replacement cap and all should be okay in the world.

Unfortunately for this particular board, it wasn't. The corroded capacitor caused irreparable damage to the PMU and I was not able to revive it (I tried a few other component-level repairs). Ultimately I had to replace the logic board to get the machine working again.

I have replaced three of these capacitors now, one on my Blueberry clamshell iBook and two iBook G3 boards. It's not a difficult job as it seems it was designed to be replaced by hand when needed. You'll just need a basic soldering iron and a little fresh solder to lock in the new pins.

The capacitor you're looking for which suits all model PowerBook G4 12" and iBook G3 and G4 (12" and 14") is;

"5.5V 0.33F H Type Terminal Coin Super Capacitor"

I bought a pack of 10 on eBay out of HK for AU$12 (free shipping).

Long story short though; Replace the main battery if it's not holding a charge and you shouldn't lose your date and time.

 

[z970]

Is it normal behavior for the 12" to lose date/time after several days' worth of complete battery depletion?