PowerBook G4 cooling/fan control tips: Granite, iCurve

We continue to receive complaints from readers that various PowerBook G4 models get too hot on the underside, and as a result, generate too much fan activity. We previously reported using a cooling pad and processor cycling as viable options.

Charles Bouldin offers some more tips:

Get the machine up off the desk. The insulation of the desk surface makes the fan run a lot more. You can use any of several stands; I use an iCurve, others use the coolpad podium.

Get a climator laptop pad. This is a very clever idea. The climator (climator.com) is a thin sleeve filled with a water/salt solution called 'Glauber's salt' that has a melting point of about 82 degrees F. You put the laptop on this solid material and it gradually melts soaking up the heat from the laptop. Since Glauber's salt has a high heat capacity, it soaks up a lot of heat. This delays the onset of the fan, but doesn't stop it.

A more economical solution is to go to Home Depot and get a 12" by 12" by 1/4" granite tile and put the titanium PowerBook on that. Granite has a fairly high heat capacity and a fair thermal conductivity. The tile makes direct granite-to-metal contact (it fits between the little rubber feet) so that it does a good job of getting heat out of the laptop. This is not a portable solution, but for about $7, it is worth trying.

Feedback? Let us know at late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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