[DM-MUG] speed & quiet

[Jon Thompson]

-- 
Jon Thompson
Jon Thompson Consulting
jon@mac-consultant.com
(515) 360-0250
On Mar 28, 2005, at 11:02 PM, John Kisner wrote:

> My main desktop is a dual G4 with roughly 800 mhz processors (I think 
> they are 767 or so -- I'm on my laptop now).  The machine is peppy 
> enough for my needs, but there are at least 3 minor annoyances:
>
> 1) The computer fan is very noisy.  2) The combo drive is noisy and 
> sometimes there are "scratches" when I transfer several music CDs to 
> iTunes (I assume from heat buildup).  The same disk usually transfers 
> "cleanly" after the drive cools down.  3) Startup seems very slow.  
> Not sure why it has slowed down (and I have optimized hard drive, 
> etc.) but it might be a harbinger of trouble on the horizon.
>
> Questions for the peanut gallery:
>
> 1) Would Mac Mini be slower than this dual-processor machine?  Would a 
> G5 desktop be quieter?

I don't have hard figures to back it up, but I would imagine that a 
mini would be slower given these things...

- Slower hard drive
- No threading at all between 2 processors

> 2) Are there ways to eliminate noise and other problems via some sort 
> of tuneup?  Or do noise and G4 desktops go hand-in-hand?

My brother's G4 had a vibration between the door and the case that 
needed a foam strip to take care of.  However, his was the only case of 
that I've seen, so I believe it is rare.  Fan noise and G4s go hand in 
hand.  Also, a CD drive of any kind and noise go hand in hand.

>
> 3) Does buying a G4 at this point make sense, or will I want a G5 when 
> the new version of OSX arrives?

The G5 iMac, while the fan is audible, is quieter than a G4.  I would 
even go so far to say that the G5 tower, with the latest firmware 
updates, is quieter than a G4.  However, those fans will kick on high 
and be louder than a G4 if you are doing something processor intensive.

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