CPU temps seem high, is this normal?

[PowerPCFan]

Hi. I was using Audacity to record music from my keyboard (as in piano keyboard) with my PowerBook G4 that has Digital Audio in port. Then I noticed the CPU was getting up to 165°F when using Audacity, and 130°F when backing up HDD with Time Machine. Is this too hot for an 867 MHz G4 CPU? I just don't want it to overheat.

 

[eyoungren]

Hi. I was using Audacity to record music from my keyboard (as in piano keyboard) with my PowerBook G4 that has Digital Audio in port. Then I noticed the CPU was getting up to 165°F when using Audacity, and 130°F when backing up HDD with Time Machine. Is this too hot for an 867 MHz G4 CPU? I just don't want it to overheat.

You could probably stand for a repaste of your CPU, but that said it's more or less normal.

You don't have to worry too much. Apple has a built in system that will immediately switch the system off if temperatures become dangerous to the CPU. It's called thermal shutdown and it's designed to protect the system. If you ever hit it, you will know because the system will just shut off on you.

 

[PowerPCFan]

Good to know. I have a tube of Arctic MX-5 only used once, and the hard drive is clicking a lot. I will at some point have to do a tune up (thermal paste, cleaning, ssd, ram upgrade) but I heard the Aluminum PowerBook G4s are very hard to take apart.

 

[eyoungren]

Good to know. I have a tube of Arctic MX-5 only used once, and the hard drive is clicking a lot. I will at some point have to do a tune up (thermal paste, cleaning, ssd, ram upgrade) but I heard the Aluminum PowerBook G4s are very hard to take apart.

In order of difficulty the 17" is the easiest (it has the most room), then the 15" and lastly the 12".

But there's plenty of help. I usually start with iFixit: https://www.ifixit.com/Device/PowerBook_G4_Aluminum_Series

 

[Project Alice]

I heard the Aluminum PowerBook G4s are very hard to take apart.

Aluminum’s are extremely easy to take apart except the 12” Models.
The 12” ones are a huge pain.

 

[PowerPCFan]

Unfortunately I have the 12" model, I watched a This Does Not Compute video where he took apart a 12" one and upgraded it, it did look pretty hard.

 

[ervus]

How quickly does it get that hot? It might have a broken solder joint. It wouldn't hurt to oil the fan and blow the dust out. ...might as well put in a SSD while you have it apart.

forums.macrumors.com/threads/powerbook-g4-12-maintenance-servicing.2243978/

 

[PowerPCFan]

It had a rough life, I can tell by lots of dents in the case, but I use it for YouTube and Audacity, which are both things that keep the CPU at 100% because it's only 867mhz. I just had it on for 2 hours watching YouTube at 480p and that fan was SO loud, it gets hot! There is definitely some severe thermal throttling, it feels like a 250mhz G3 right now
Some day I'll throw in a mSATA SSD like Sean from Action Retro uses on his channel.

 

[PowerPCFan]

It really is hot though, I deleted iStat menus because that took long to load at startup but it's at least 175 degrees Fahrenheit. (about 100 degrees in Celsius) I might reinstall it so I can get a sense of when it might start to overheat and when I should take it apart and do a major tune-up, it works fine but if I replace some things it could be better.

 

[eyoungren]

It really is hot though, I deleted iStat menus because that took long to load at startup but it's at least 175 degrees Fahrenheit. (about 100 degrees in Celsius) I might reinstall it so I can get a sense of when it might start to overheat and when I should take it apart and do a major tune-up, it works fine but if I replace some things it could be better.

Youtube is going to keep it hot. The problem with PowerPC and things like Youtube is that the video isn't processed by the GPU, it's processed by the CPU, so it's pegged at 100% which drives up the heat.

@Dronecatcher can probably suggest some better performing workarounds for viewing YT that might help, but in the long run you may be better switching to an early Intel Mac or PC for YT video.

 

[Dronecatcher]

I just had it on for 2 hours watching YouTube at 480p and that fan was SO loud, it gets hot!

I'd consider that a breach of the Geneva Convention (subsection 433b, abusing vintage computers) - the CPU will be at a constant 100%!

Put your Powerbook into Reduced power mode to prevent this thermal madness and adjust your methods accordingly - hand off Youtube to PPCMC7 and FFPlay and stick to 360P - or even 3GP or audio only.

Recording on Audacity - I can't remember whether you can direct recordings to a particular source but if you can, recording to a USB stick will stop the HDD doing all the work and overheating.

EDIT: Yes you can - in Preferences/Directories

 

[PowerPCFan]

I'd consider that a breach of the Geneva Convention (subsection 433b, abusing vintage computers) - the CPU will be at a constant 100%!

Put your Powerbook into Reduced power mode to prevent this thermal madness and adjust your methods accordingly - hand off Youtube to PPCMC7 and FFPlay and stick to 360P - or even 3GP or audio only.

Recording on Audacity - I can't remember whether you can direct recordings to a particular source but if you can, recording to a USB stick will stop the HDD doing all the work and overheating.

EDIT: Yes you can - in Preferences/Directories

Hi, what is the Geneva Convection, and how do you use reduced power mode? Thanks for the ideas!

 

[Dronecatcher]

Hi, what is the Geneva Convection, and how do you use reduced power mode? Thanks for the ideas!

Don't worry...British humour

System Preferences/Energy Saver - there's an option to have the CPU running at fullspeed, a reduced speed or variable speed on demand:

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Hi, what is the Geneva Convection, and how do you use reduced power mode? Thanks for the ideas!

Geneva Convention of 1949 - there were four specific documents. This was post WW2 world leaders/diplomats establishing/expanding on previous humanitarian treatment during wartime treatises. Drone catcher's humor is indeed very dry and very English and very funny

 

[ervus]

Drone catcher's humor...

I think you mean humour.

 

[PowerPCFan]

Don't worry...British humour

System Preferences/Energy Saver - there's an option to have the CPU running at fullspeed, a reduced speed or variable speed on demand:

View attachment 2010044

Haha I expected it was just a joke, just didn't know if it was something important. Thanks for the battery settings, I haven't been able to test it but I set the Energy Saver settings to everything you showed in that picture.

 

[PowerPCFan]

Haha I expected it was just a joke, just didn't know if it was something important. Thanks for the battery settings, I haven't been able to test it but I set the Energy Saver settings to everything you showed in that picture.

I just tested the new settings, The computer was a tiny bit slower but I ran it in a virtual windows 10 machine in the InterWebPPC browser and it didn't overheat that much. It felt pretty normal when I touched the bottom of the computer. I think it did something.

 

[Dronecatcher]

I just tested the new settings, The computer was a tiny bit slower but I ran it in a virtual windows 10 machine in the InterWebPPC browser and it didn't overheat that much. It felt pretty normal when I touched the bottom of the computer. I think it did something.

I think the Reduced setting sets the CPU at two thirds normal speed so there will be a performance hit but hopefull less thermal issues.

 

[PowerPCFan]

I think the Reduced setting sets the CPU at two thirds normal speed so there will be a performance hit but hopefull less thermal issues.

I won't keep posting updates on this thread every time I use this PowerBook but I just did some Audacity recordings and YouTube and it didn't overheat at all. Setting it to Reduced may run it at two thirds of the full 867MHz, but when it overheats, it also slows down (thermal throttling?)