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

PowerMac G5 fan speed and Disc Utility question.

TantalizedMind

TantalizedMind

Suspended
Original poster
Feb 5, 2007
889
520
Hey guys.

I have a (circa 2003) single 1.8GHz PowerMac G5. Since the installation of Leopard (launch day) my G5's fans speed up a lot. I only have 1GB of memory, so maybe if I boost it to 4GB (newegg.com), the G5 won't have to strain as much and therefor possibly eliminate the chance of the fans accelerating?

Would that work? Also when I used to use 10.3.etc Disc Utility always worked properly and repaired my permissions. Since the installation of Leopard whenever I try to repair permissions Disc Utlitly sits there acting like its searching for something but it is not. It just sits there for hours if you leave it. It makes no sense.

Any suggestions? Thanks guys.

I just need Leopard working properly since my G5 can't run Snow Leopard. I just bought a new Ninja so I can't afford a new MacPro this summer. Well.. if I went to empty the bank I could. Haha.
 
Maybe if you fill up your RAM your G5's fans will slow down; maybe you could pop the case open and see what fans are being extra-loud before you commit anything. Find the offensive fan and reseat it - if that doesn't work, try resetting PRAM. Your hard drive could also be loose and causing the noise (personal experience).

I take it you are also using 10.5.7?
 
Leopard seems to have altered the fan speed evenlopes on the Power Mac G5 and iMac G5. They're no longer as prone to being airplane engines and Leopard is very snappy to boot.

I'd give the PRAM reset a try as well. Things should be quieter under Leopard. More RAM if it's affordable is never a bad idea.
 
I just reset the PRAM. We will see how it goes but the fans started getting a little fast again right after I booted up and open Safari. I might try getting 4GB of ram from newegg. By far the cheapest.

I do not do much on the computer besides surf, network my music collection, and light word processing. So upgrading isn't that much in need. Just want to get my old baby running smooth.


Thanks guys for letting me know about the PRAM.
 
___WOAH____


Hey guys... I just ran an Apple Hardware test from a cd that came with my G5, (10.2.7 on that disc, lol) and guess what I found when it ran a test on the logic board...

***ERROR*CODE*** ***ERROR*CODE***

2FAN 4/8: Fan For BACKSIDE

***ERROR*CODE*** ***ERROR*CODE***



Symptom

Two error codes in Apple hardware Test (AHT) 2.1 may indicate an error when there is no error:

2FAN/4/x: Fan For BACKSIDE
(The "x" will be a number.)
This error code usually means the fan behind the drive bay has failed. This fan is a "blower" type fan, located behind the drive bay fan. The drive bay fan is located between the hard drive and the SuperDrive.



Solution

When you see "2FAN/4/x: Fan For BACKSIDE" or "2FAN/4/x: Fan For SLOT", there's probably nothing wrong with the fans. To make sure the fans are working:

Remove the outer door, leaving the inner air deflector in place.
Look at the slot fan to see if it is working. (Compare the fan appearance when the computer is turned off, and when the computer is turned on. If the fan "disappears" when the computer is on, it is working.)
If the fan is not working, take the computer to an Apple Authorized Service Provider for repairs.

Apple Hardware Test 2.1 has been updated to 2.1.1 and contains a revised fan test. Contact Apple Support to get the updated version.
When you get the updated Apple Hardware Test, check the fans in your computer to make sure they're working.
 
The fans behind the HDDs are quite a pain to get too. I remember looking long ago on how to remove them so I could clean mine but I just left that one alone. You have to take a lot out to get to them. They probably just need a good cleaning. Try blowing some compressed air into them, use the one with the long straw to get back in here.

I think I have a service manual in .pdf if the OP wants it. I don't think I remember reading in there on how to remove the HDD fans. Good luck.
 
Panic! The system is 6 years old! Who knows what could happen next!?

Lawl. Replace fan and move on.
 
Even though you already figured your problems out, might I add that as far as I know, more RAM would not lower fan speeds. The addition of RAM would not release significant strain on the CPU, as those sticks are there for fast caching, releasing strain from your multitasking hard disks.
More RAM, especially the hot G5 RAM, may actually heat up your case a tad.
 
Dirt in the fans also accumulates and can actually short things out and/or cause more heat build up.

I had a single 1.8 with 8gb ram not the 4 gig max ram model --

the fans went up and down all day until I turned powersaver to highest.

Clean the case out reseat everything; bet the fans work still.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back