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Model A1181: 1.83, 2, 2.1, 2.13, 2.16, 2.2, or 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo processor

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What's underneath the AirPort card?

I've been having heating problems for some time and have decided to finally roll up sleeves and have a good clean out; now in the process of preparing for the job, which in the first instance will involve swapping the dead optical drive for a PATA/IDE HDD caddy with current (320GB) HDD and installing new (60GB) SSD. But that's just the background, not the question.

The question is, what is underneath the AirPort card, because it's always getting warm to hot on that side of the machine faster than it is where the CPU, heatsink and fan are. Now, I intend to take the fan and heatsink out for a !@#$ good clean while I'm there swopping out the optical drive, but the heat isn't coming from that side of the machine; it's coming from (underneath?) the AirPort card. So, what is that chip under the card and what can I do about it getting too warm too often. I had even thought of simply removing the AirPort card to enable increased airflow to that side of the machine, but that is actually a significant impairment to functionality, which I'd rather avoid. Any suggestions?

I will, by the way, be removing the thermal paste and applying fresh when I clean up the heatsink and fan. Perhaps that will be sufficient and I'm just overthinking this?

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Please give us the last three figures of your serial number.

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Z67 - Merom on Santa Rosa

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Apple MacBook "Core 2 Duo" 2.2 13" (Black-SR) Specs

Identifiers: Late 2007 - MB063LL/B - MacBook3,1 - A1181 - 2200

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Thanks, Dan, that's an interesting point. The original HDD had been failing for at least a year, and I suspect it was never 100% right. I wouldn't say the machine has ever really overheated, although it will run at 90+C for a couple of hours doing intensive tasks, but the fans started kicking in more often a couple of years ago. Yes, I did the replace the original 160GB 5400rpm with a 320 5400 at Christmas, because I'd read the 7200's can get hotter. Since then, I've decided to put the 320 into the PATA optical drive bay and put a 64GB SSD onto the SATA interface. The CPU usually idles at 40-50C with fan at about 1800rpm, and heats up to 70-80C regularly with fans spinning up to 4-5000. More than anything, I think, it needs a good clean. Thanks for the heads up about the relationship between the I/O chip and SATA interface; I didn't know that. Wonder how the SSD will affect it? The drive itself may run cooler, but presumably the increased speed may put the I/O chip under greater stress? Would more RAM help?

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If I remember correctly both versions of this system layout are very similar.

Here's a good image of the bottom as you can see the I/O interface chip is right underneath Bottom of logic board.

Do you use an external HD or other device heavily? That could explain the higher heat.

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Yeah, that's the one! So, it's the I/O interface chip, is it?

No, I've got an external HD on Firewire, but it's failing, so I only ever use it very rarely. The optical drive (external) is on Firewire, as well, but that's even more rarely used nowadays. I've got a USB hub on there with the mouse and ID card reader. I often use a pair of external speakers (in the headphone jack) but they have an external power source. The external monitor - a 20" widescreen through mini DVI>VGA adapter - is always on. (This is (still) my main computer; I use it to do everything all day long every day and have done so since I bought it in 2007.) There's the Ethernet cable and the MagSafe adapter, and they're always plugged in. That's just where the heat is - over the I/O frame and a bit to the right, right over the I/O chip. It's quite a bit hotter right there underneath the machine - at the base. It's that I/O interface chip, alright, so you've answered that question, but the big question behind it remains: WHY?

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The I/O chip also supports the internal devices as well so your SATA drive could be failing is it the original drive or did you upgrade it at some point? If you did whats the specs of the new HD?

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Thanks, Dan, that's an interesting point. The original HDD had been failing for at least a year, and I suspect it was never 100% right. I wouldn't say the machine has ever really overheated, although it will run at 90+C for a couple of hours doing intensive tasks, but the fans started kicking in more often a couple of years ago. Yes, I did the replace the original 160GB 5400rpm with a 320 5400 at Christmas, because I'd read the 7200's can get hotter. Since then, I've decided to put the 320 into the PATA optical drive bay and put a 64GB SSD onto the SATA interface. The CPU usually idles at 40-50C with fan at about 1800rpm, and heats up to 70-80C regularly with fans spinning up to 4-5000. More than anything, I think, it needs a good clean. Thanks for the heads up about the relationship between the I/O chip and SATA interface; I didn't know that. Wonder how the SSD will affect it? The drive itself may run cooler, but presumably the increased speed may put the I/O chip under greater stress? Would more RAM help?

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Ooops, replied to your comment in the wrong place (above) earlier today - sorry. Been thinking about your point: the role of the I/O controller in processing data from the SATA drive. Putting an SSD on the SATA (and moving the HDD to the PATA/IDE (optical drive) interface) is going to force the controller to deal with data at its maximum negotiated link speed (of 1.5GB/s - SATA I). That's going to put it under more intense pressure, isn't it? It shouldn't be doing that for extended periods, because big files, like copying videos, will be on the HDD. I intend to run only OSX(.6.8) and apps from the SSD. Logically, it seems to me, doubling the RAM from its current 3GB by swapping the 1GB for a 4GB has got to be the most sensible thing to do. Bloody expensive - I'd been hoping to avoid that for another six months or so - but it's got to make the I/O controller's life a lot more simple if it only has to go to the SSD half as often, hasn't it? Is this thinking sound or fallacious? Am I missing something?

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Ok guys, I agree with the aproach that always depends on wich part of the machine are you using it often, besides thinking that is a machiine tha's at least has already 6 years old and if it's your primary computer you may have been experience a lot of issues if you don't take care of it with regularity. You have to gave it at least one full service once every 12 to18 months.

Those machines can warm up like !@#$ on earth depending on wich OS you have installed on them, if you have enough RAM to run your Apps, remember that the Apps evolve quickly and they're thirsty of power, if you have Lion installed and 2 to 4 GB of RAM and tried to run Adobe CS 5 - 6, core gaming, 3D rendering or something like that. Then may be PART of the problem (just part of it).

Besides, if the computer has a Mini DVI to VGA adapter all the time giving video signal then you are forcing the proccessor, the video proccessor making a video out signal, then converting the digital signal to analog (remenber that you're asking to the MacBook to gives VGA signal "thet means convert the digital signal to analog"), proccessing the data throught the I/O chipset and then to the port, all that without taking in count all the other ports connected, remember that the USB and FireWire ports give electrical power, so consider all that is plugged.

Be prepared if you are going to connect a SSD instead of your optical drive and use it as a startup disk, I will connect it in the place of the original HD and the HD in the place of the optical drive the SSD will heat pretty much too (not as the HD, but it will be more than warm).

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Thanks, Eduardo; yes, I know: I should have done more to keep the machine clean and healthy, but it leads an unusually quiet life - sits on the desk and only very rarely, say on average once a month, goes out for half a day or so. I've never opened it, mainly due to trepidation, but I can't deny an element of laziness. Anyway, that's all over now. I don't play computer games, never have; no Adobe C, no Lion, nor anything like 3D rendering. Thanks for the heads up about the VGA signal. I hadn't realised it was so convoluted AND going through the I/O controller. I was going to ask about that, so you've answered the question proactively. Thanks. How could I get around that? I suppose buying a DVI monitor is the only real solution, isn't it?

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