With regard to the new LCD-iMacs: is the consensus that the overheating issue of the fan-less models has been completely solved in the new design?
The new iMac is a totally different design. sounds like an obvious thing to say, but it is not just a different shape, it's a different technology. The iMac G4 has more in common with a Titanium Powerbook than a G3 iMac. It basically uses the same double-sided flat-board design used in laptops, with a heat pipe to carry the heat off the G4 CPU. The entire case is cast aluminium with a plastic shell to make it look pretty, meaning anything in there has a huge aluminium heat dump to carry heat off it. At the top is a fan that blows across this aluminium casing to carry the heat away. The fan, being vertical, also accelerates convection in the case interior. I think it's a pretty clever design, and the fan is very quiet, yet throws out a constant stream of warm air, suggesting it's doing a fine job. In addition the G4 CPU features a 'deep sleep' mode not used on most G3s that means it goes cold when asleep as it doesn't perform any major functions, only a 'keep alive'. The board's power manager keeps the RAM powered and shuts off all other unnecessary functions like the LCD inverter (that generates the backlight voltage), the video card (which generates a quite bit of heat during operation, especially if you have a Geforce4). This all means the iMac goes virtually stone cold in sleep, allowing components to cool. The lack of HT circuitry for a CRT makes it a lot cooler anyway.
In essence, take a G4 Powerbook of the same CPU speed and ask how often the fan comes on during normal operation. Add a constant 80cm fan and more cooling sink mass to that and you have a pretty stable, cool running, and above all quiet Mac. On a hot day my iMac G4 runs fine with zero reliability problems (i got it this summer during one of the hottest UK summers on record - 36degreeC temperatures and high humidity...) while I have problems with PCs crashing in hot weather (my PC started locking up a lot this summer, but it was definitely fine as soon as the temperature dropped again).
-- Mark Benson
AIM - SilValleyPirate MSN - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit FlatPackMacs online: <http://fpm.68kmac.com> Visit my Homepage: <http://homepage.mac.com/markbenson>
"Never send a human to do a machine's job."
-The Matrix
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