lazerpouf

Q: Power Mac G5 Dual Core gets hot and fans run slow

Hello

 

I have a Power Mac G5 (Late 2005) Dual Core that has fan problems. The temperatures get high and the fans barely spin up. The CPU fans sit at 499 and 515 rpm and when playing Minecraft they go to about 600 rpm and the CPU gets up to 151F. I have ran Apple Hardware Test and it still doesn't work. It is running Mac OS 10.5 and has 6 GB of RAM and has a 500GB hard drive. I have:

  • Reset PRAM
  • Re-installed Mac OS X
  • Replaced Hard Drive
  • Cleaned dust
  • Ran AHT
  • And reset the SMU
  • Tried editing AppleFan.kext

iStat pro says the fans spin about:

CPU A intake: 499 rpm

CPU A exhaust: 515 rpm

CPU B intake: 499 rpm

CPU B exhaust: 515 rpm

Backside: 1000 rpm

Slots: 1500 rpm

drive bay: 1000 rpm

 

Is this normal? Do they always spin slow or is there any other things I can do or software to download?

PowerMac, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Feb 15, 2016 4:00 PM

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Q: Power Mac G5 Dual Core gets hot and fans run slow

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  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Feb 16, 2016 10:29 AM in response to lazerpouf
    Level 10 (123,603 points)
    Feb 16, 2016 10:29 AM in response to lazerpouf

    Fans way too slow, temps way too high!

    G5Temps.gif

    G5fans.gif

    AHT won't help, but ASD 2.6.3 is used for setting & recalibrating the fans, sadly it was never available to the public.

     

    Is the LCS leaking?

  • by Drew Reece,

    Drew Reece Drew Reece Feb 16, 2016 10:57 AM in response to lazerpouf
    Level 5 (7,527 points)
    Notebooks
    Feb 16, 2016 10:57 AM in response to lazerpouf

    I'd consider clean install on a new partition - it will get your edits to the Apple kexts out of the way, it probably is hardware as BDAqua is alluding to but you can rule out software if you want.

     

    Apologies if your 'Re-installed Mac OS X' means you already erased the HD. 'Reinstall' may not be the same as an 'erase & install'.

     

    Safe mode will disable non-Apple extensions, that means you cannot use iStat - look at your fans & judge the speed to see if you notice any difference.

    Try safe mode if your Mac doesn't finish starting up - Apple Support

  • by lazerpouf,

    lazerpouf lazerpouf Feb 16, 2016 1:09 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 16, 2016 1:09 PM in response to BDAqua

    The Power Mac G5 is not liquid cooled, so it's not leaking. Thank you though.

    It's a 2.3 GHz

    I found ASD 2.6.3 on the internet somewhere and I have tried that. Any other suggestions?

    My fans spin much slower (as mentioned earlier) and the temperatures get hot when playing Minecraft, etc.

  • by lazerpouf,

    lazerpouf lazerpouf Feb 16, 2016 1:20 PM in response to lazerpouf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 16, 2016 1:20 PM in response to lazerpouf

    Hi

     

    I replaced the hard drive because the other one was failing, but after when I installed Leopard, I restored my documents, apps, etc. from a Time Machine backup. I will make sure next time I use my G5 to start up from the Mac OS X installation disk and do a fresh install (Erase and Install) and then copy only apps that I use often (MS office 2008, etc.) and see if that works.

     

    Thanks for your suggestion. I will try it out right now!

  • by lazerpouf,

    lazerpouf lazerpouf Feb 16, 2016 2:54 PM in response to lazerpouf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 16, 2016 2:54 PM in response to lazerpouf

    I finished installing Leopard, and installed iStat Menus to see the fan speeds.

    It said that the backside temperature sensor is 2012 degrees Fahrenheit, but that can't be true

    Whenever I turn on the tower, a little red light comes on when it starts up for a few seconds.

    Other PowerMacs sometimes have loud fan speeds or the fans spin up and down based on temperature and CPU usage.

    Mine justs sits there at 499 and 515 rpm, put when playing minecraft, they go up to 699 rpm, but BDAqua's temperature readings show much faster speeds.

     

    Is my PowerMac's fans normal or do I need to do anything else. I have only installed iStat Menus, nothing else.

    How do I get my fans to spin like BDAqua's when my CPU is at 151ºF but BDAqua's CPU is at 127ºF and spinning way faster than mine at 151?

  • by Drew Reece,

    Drew Reece Drew Reece Feb 16, 2016 3:42 PM in response to lazerpouf
    Level 5 (7,527 points)
    Notebooks
    Feb 16, 2016 3:42 PM in response to lazerpouf

    I think the red LED is just a warning, search apple.com for more info - I recollect a document that explained it, but it has been a while since my G5 worked & I can't summon up a URL, sorry.

    The fans speeds seem low to me and the temps look high. I'm surprised Minecraft runs

     

    What did you run on ASD? It can calibrate the CPU's, did you actually do that or any of the other routines?

     

    Have you looked for dust bunnies & cleaned it out?

     

    P.S. Doesn't this model have a clear plastic cover inside the door? Removing that was a sure way to get the fans to go to max for me, there was a reflective sensor at the bottom if I recall correctly. Does it have any effect if you remove the door & cover when running?

     

    Step 3 picture #2

    https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Power+Mac+G5+Late+2005+Backup+Battery+Replacement/6 260

  • by lazerpouf,

    lazerpouf lazerpouf Feb 16, 2016 4:37 PM in response to Drew Reece
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 16, 2016 4:37 PM in response to Drew Reece

    Hi

     

    I turned the computer on and opened the cover and with a flashlight, the red LED is the CHECKSTOP led.

    According to the PowerMac G5 late 2005 manual, it says:

     

    No.7   Checkstop   red  Expected Condition: Off (LED flashes once at startup and then goes off) LED on indicates: CPU hang. Things to check: Check RAM. Is processor assembly seated correctly? Check that mounting screws are properly tightened. Next steps: remove processor assembly and check for damaged pins on connector or logic board connector. Replace processor, if necessary. Replace logic board if necessary.

     

    I ran ASD a last year, but that was with the old MacOSX installation, and the old hard drive. The fans get really loud when running the tests, and it has 6GB of RAM, so the memory tests take really long. Should I run it again?

     

    I've cleaned it out, but I didn't get to the Power Supply or behind the logic board, I have only gotten to the CPU heatsink; and the computer was not very dusty when I got it last year.

     

    The fans spin up a tiny little bit when the cover is removed. When it is off, but plugged in and the cover is removed; the yellow NO_GOOD_TRICKLE LED goes on.

     

    According to my trusty iPad with the service source on it it says:

    LED On: AC power OK.  Things to check: Check for AC power at the wall outlet, try another outlet. Next steps: Check operation of the air deflector sensor. Replace PSU.

     

    I couldn't remove the CPU heatsink when I was cleaning it yesterday because I don't have a long Hex driver needed to remove the hex screws in the heatsink (there's holes that go down in the heatsink that are long)

     

    The date and time doesn't reset when it is unplugged, so the PRAM battery works. So should I replace the PRAM battery? I have some coin cells somewhere.

  • by Drew Reece,

    Drew Reece Drew Reece Feb 16, 2016 5:28 PM in response to lazerpouf
    Level 5 (7,527 points)
    Notebooks
    Feb 16, 2016 5:28 PM in response to lazerpouf

    I don't know if the thermal calibration would help, I was wondering if it was a recent thing that made this happen but that is not the case.

    The check LED sounds fine since it goes off. 

     

    You may need many hex extensions to reach those CPU bolts

     

    A PRAM battery may help, but it seems unlikely to cause this.

     

    What model are those readings from BDAqua?

  • by lazerpouf,

    lazerpouf lazerpouf Feb 16, 2016 5:52 PM in response to Drew Reece
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 16, 2016 5:52 PM in response to Drew Reece

    Hi

     

    I replaced the PRAM battery, reset the PRAM, and reset the SMU, but I still get the checkstop LED; but when I open the air deflector sheild; the fans actually spin slower than 499 and 515 rpm, and the CPUs get hotter. For example, if CPU A is at 90ºF then it will go up to ~110º and stay around that.

     

    I got the PowerMac at the MIT flea market and when I turned on the first time, I think the fans never spun up when on load or when the temperatures got higher.

     

    I think BDAqua has a liquid cooled Power Mac because it says "CPU A Pump"

     

    Should I get some hex extensions and continue getting to the Power Supply/ Back of logic board or just leave it alone?

     

    I don't know what is wrong with this computer. The fans should spin faster than BDAqua's readings when those are at 127º when mine are at 151º when playing Minecraft 1.5.2 on Java 5 (I tried to get SE6 to work.) Is it a defect or a CPU/ Logic board/ PSU problem?

     

    Also, the hard drive has been making nosies like its caching or constantly writing something, even the second the hard drive turns on. The fans also spin down to very slow speeds (499, 515 rpm for CPU A,B Intake+Exhaust fans) before logging in, loading login window. I appreciate all your help!

  • by lazerpouf,

    lazerpouf lazerpouf Feb 17, 2016 7:03 AM in response to lazerpouf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 17, 2016 7:03 AM in response to lazerpouf

    I don't think it is a software problem because on my old hard drive, I installed Ubuntu Linux for PowerPC and I think the fans did not spin up when they needed to (like Mac OS). You could also hear them spinning down before the linux desktop appears, just like in Mac OS X. It's probably a hardware problem with the computer, not something to do with the software or operating system.,

  • by Drew Reece,

    Drew Reece Drew Reece Feb 17, 2016 7:20 AM in response to lazerpouf
    Level 5 (7,527 points)
    Notebooks
    Feb 17, 2016 7:20 AM in response to lazerpouf

    Sorry I missed the 'CPU pump' in BDAqua's post. It's comparing Apples & oranges

     

    I had an early 05 dual 2.3Ghz model which died about a month after Applecare ended. I don't know if I have any old temperature readings around, I'd need to check old backups, I'll look at the weekend, but I suspect I can't read the format that Bresink's Hardware Monitor uses.

    See if you can find some other temp figures for that model on the web.

     

    If it has been running happily for a while why mess with it? How much have you used it?

     

    Linux can be bad at reading Mac temp sensors - sometimes this will result in them being on full blast constantly. They have got better at including drivers or kernel patches to support them.

     

    Check the read me that came with the ASD disk. See if you want to recalibrate (do you think it was done right first time?).

  • by lazerpouf,

    lazerpouf lazerpouf Feb 17, 2016 7:58 AM in response to Drew Reece
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 17, 2016 7:58 AM in response to Drew Reece

    It was kind of hard to find temperatures on the internet, but I found this: (not mine)

    Picture.png

    CPU A Core 1 is at 117ºF and the Intake/Exhaust fan is at 970/1000. Mine would be if mine was at 117ºF: 499/515 rpm which is slower than the above.

    I got it in June, 2015 and it needed a special power cord; and while I was waiting for it, I checked for dust, took out the memory and put it back in. I wish I didn't

    do those things.

     

    The fans were slow, not fast (499,515 rpm, nothing compared to the picture above.)

    I am currently running ASD 2.6.3 with all the tests (I have 6GB of memory, so it's going to take a long time.) Then I will run thermal calibration. I have done this before, but I will do it again!

  • by Drew Reece,

    Drew Reece Drew Reece Feb 17, 2016 8:20 AM in response to lazerpouf
    Level 5 (7,527 points)
    Notebooks
    Feb 17, 2016 8:20 AM in response to lazerpouf

    That person was using Firewire networking - I'm the only person I know that has done that!

     

    That one also has 'CPU A Pump'

  • by lazerpouf,

    lazerpouf lazerpouf Feb 17, 2016 8:56 AM in response to Drew Reece
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 17, 2016 8:56 AM in response to Drew Reece

    Hi

     

    I finished running all the tests and Thermal Calibration is done.

    It takes about an hour and a half to do all the tests including Thermal Calibration.

     

    But the fan speeds! They're at 970/1000 rpm, mine never ever went past 699 rpm, even when the CPU is at 150º!

     

    The Computer is now off.

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