MacBook 1.1 - Loud fan

Hi,

I have a MacBook 1.1 from 2006 and its fan is driving me crazy!
It's at 6200rpm almost constantly!
And no I haven't got a stuck print job, and my activity monitor is fine and my harddrive has tons of free space.
Please advice!

Mjolby

In most cases totally normal...especially if you're:

- gaming (hard drive or internet based)
- playing videos (You Tube)
- doing anything that requires a lot of gpu resources

HTH,

- Nick

p.s. Warm/hot environmental temps will make things worse.

Right now, i'm just on this forum using Google Chrome and the fan is at 5700rpm. No games or anything

Give this a try Link

Didn't change anything, as soon as my mac booted up the fans went to 6000rpm...

Mjolby said:

Right now, i'm just on this forum using Google Chrome and the fan is at 5700rpm. No games or anything

Click to expand...

Are you 100% sure (as you mentioned in your original post) when you check "activity monitor" nothing is running that shouldn't be or that you don't recognize?

Another possibility...as you know...you're MacBook 1,1 is around 5 years old (2006)...it's very very possible that your fan (and/or computer on the inside) is dirty!

- Nick

I am indeed, and the fan has already been cleaned. I have no idea what it could be :S

Mjolby said:

I am indeed, and the fan has already been cleaned. I have no idea what it could be :S

Click to expand...

Did you disassemble the MacBook to clean the fan?

- Nick

Yes, could it simply mean that I need a new fan?

Mjolby said:

Yes, could it simply mean that I need a new fan?

Click to expand...

Seems unlikely to me. Either your processor really is heating up - or the controller is malfunctioning. Is your computer feeling warmer than normal?

It's probably just time for a new computer - 5 years is a pretty good run.

Ye, I'm pretty sure it's my processor and yeah it probably is time for a new computer, a huge shame that mac laptops aren't really affordable for students

Thanks for all the quick answers though, but if you come up with some other solution, please do make a new post

If you look at the refurb store or online for used Macs - you may find a deal that fits your budget/requirements.

Just out of curiosity - have you brought up Activity Monitor to see if anything is running that's exercising the CPU?

The only thing drawing cpu right now is google chrome and the activity monitor itself, and yes I'm looking online for refurbished apple laptops, however it's quite hard to find some close to Sweden, as I'm not sure that i'd trust shipping from outside of Europe at least.

Mjolby said:

Ye, I'm pretty sure it's my processor and yeah it probably is time for a new computer, a huge shame that mac laptops aren't really affordable for students

Click to expand...

I really wouldn't give up on the MacBook yet! We get questions about hot Mac laptops all the time (high fan rpms, high temps, etc.)...so we've been down this road many many many times.

In the vast majority of situations...one or more of the suggestions made so far usually resolve or explain why the MacBook is hot & fan running at high rpm's. Either:

- the computer really is still dirty
- there is something or "somethings" running in Activity Monitor that shouldn't be
- a demanding app. is running that is taxing the cpu or gpu

...or this is the rare situation where there is some sort of hardware failure. It's really hard to be 100% sure...since we cannot see the computer in person.

- Nick

Could it be that I need to apply some new thermal paste to the processor?

If it comes on full blast as soon as you press the power button, that pretty much rules out any software problem or abnormal CPU load.

It's definitely worth re-applying the thermal goop as it tends to dry up with age.

If Apple laptops only last 5 years, I'd be severely disappointed...mine's only 3 years old, and I routinely use PC laptops which are almost a decade old and still work fine.

Mjolby said:

Could it be that I need to apply some new thermal paste to the processor?

Click to expand...

Doesn't seem likely. Not at the extremes you're describing.

What's the utilization of the CPU in Activity Monitor and by what application?

Mjolby said:

Could it be that I need to apply some new thermal paste to the processor?

Click to expand...

Anything's possible...but unlikely (probably a long shot). Just out of curiosity...you could install the program:

Temperature Monitor

...and let us know what your temps are.

- Nick

BrianLachoreVPI said:

Doesn't seem likely. Not at the extremes you're describing.

What's the utilization of the CPU in Activity Monitor and by what application?

Click to expand...

Here's a snapshot of my current Activity Monitor.

pigoo3 said:

Anything's possible...but unlikely (probably a long shot). Just out of curiosity...you could install the program:

Temperature Monitor

...and let us know what your temps are.

- Nick

Click to expand...

Normally my temp is 60c-70c (CELSIUS) with 6000rpm and when watching YouTube for example temp goes up to 80c and 6500rpm+.