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    Alarminly hot lower left area - iBook g4

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by paj4x4, Jul 13, 2007.

  1. paj4x4

    paj4x4 Notebook Geek

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    My wife's uses a relatively old 12 inch ibook g4 (1.2ghz) for her daily web browsing and basic computer needs. I used it recently and noticed that the lower left side (beside the track pad) gets alarmingly hot when the cord is plugged in.

    I downloaded temperature monitor to check the temps:

    Processor - 59c
    Smart Disk - 54c
    Power Supply/Memory Bottomside - 55c
    Graphics Processor Bottomside - 59c
    Battery - 0c (took out the battery coz it's mostly plugged in)

    The temp readings seems to be fine. What I'm concerned about is the alarmingly hot lower left area of the machine. We have 3 other lappys at home and not one gets as hot as the ibook does in that particular area.

    I also noticed that when I run the machine on battery power the heat in the said area gradually decreases...moves into the "warm" (not hot) side of things.

    Is it normal for the lower left side area to be more than warm? Anyone know at what temp does the fan kick in?

    By the way the OS is still 10.3.9. The upgrade (Tiger) is on its way...

    Thanks!
     
  2. paj4x4

    paj4x4 Notebook Geek

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    Anyone?

    Thanks.
     
  3. RadcomTxx

    RadcomTxx Notebook Deity

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    that is a typically hotter area on the ibook, its where the hard drive is. Those temps are a kinda high if just idling, my ibook (1.33) really only hits those when working harder.

    the reason it cools on battery is that the notebook switchs to a battery efficiency mode, where running at slower speeds, it slowly cools a bit.

    my fan usually kicks in around the 60's. and mainly cools the cpu, not so much the farther away HD.
     
  4. paj4x4

    paj4x4 Notebook Geek

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    Temps noted above were taken when the machine was under some load. On idle temp normally hovers between low to mid 40'sc.

    I have now set the processor performance to "reduced" and the HD to "go to sleep when possible".

    Thanks Radcomtxx.