[G4] Noise issue

[Paul Shand]

The noise was quite loud when the first Dual Gigs came with 10.2.1.  
Part of the original shock for me was the back shield of the optical 
drive bay was not mounted but just dangling at an angle at the back of 
the optical drive bay loosely.  First time I booted and until I opened 
up the side for the first time and spotted that, the noise was quite 
loud.  Like a toy Helicopter's sound effects.  When I put the shield 
back on properly the noise was smoothed out but still in the Hot 
Weather and especially when booting from 9 the high REV sounded by the 
large fan behind the CPU Heatsink was quite loud.  This was in 10.2.1 
and 10.2.2 but I think it was when 10.2.3 combo upgrade came along and 
the Firmware update, the volume of the Fan noise decreased 
significantly in both 10.2.3 and 9.  Though in hot weather, say a 
steady 92o F like here on the Gold Coast Australia during XMAS it can 
be Revving quite high and a little noisy but ambient heat is the 
reason, also I would rather see it's doing it's job.

Since then the Power Supply has apparently been reduced from 400W to 
350W.  The 400W power supply is not bad at all in the noise dept.  
Though some people think it is one of the reasons Apple reduced from 
400W to 350W.  That would not make much real difference noisewise, 
though maybe the 350W produces less heat in the first place so then the 
box is not going up to the threshold where the larger fan behind the 
CPU Heatsink would maybe not kick in so soon during hotter ambient 
temperatures.

So, I ran mine up on the bench monitoring it's performance for 3 
months,  after the 10.2.3 Combo Upgrade one month into the three when 
before I was concerned about the FAN I saw it improve with the Upgrade 
and is far more settled.

I now use it mounted on few wooden bread boards to raise it away from 
the Deep Pile carpet about a foot to the right of my right leg below 
the computer bench and it doesn't worry me at all.  I also don't bother 
with 9 on this machine anymore, I just run X.

I don't know how long X will remain the main operating system though.  
Who knows?

9 had a long life from it's roots in 7.5.whatever it was, through to 
9.xxxx.  Will X last that long?  I bloody hope so.

If I was going to buy one now, I would buy the 1.4.2 model and from the 
Apple Store and with all the RAM slots filled with Apple Certified RAM. 
  Peace of mind.  That's why.

Hardly any PC2700 RAM that was tried in my G4 MDD will work in these 
models which need very good PC2700.  You may think you'll save money by 
hunting around for a cheap RAM deal but end up wasting a lot of time 
and disapointment returning RAM which won't work.  Plus even RAM which 
will fail to boot the machine and fail the Apple Hardware Test will 
work in PCs no problem.  So people who sell PC2700 thinking because it 
works in their PCs sell it to Mac people and don't believe it when it 
won't work in a MAC.

Hope this may assist you.

Paul