Why does my powerbook fan run all the time (when external monitor is connected)?

October 27, 2006 12:54 AM

Why does my powerbook fan run all the time (when external monitor is connected)?

I have a 15" 1.67 powerbook with 2g of ram. I just recently purchased a 20" wide dell monitor. Everything is great, except that when my monitor is connected to the powerbook, the fan is always on. Even when all I have running is safari, thunderbird and a few widgets. The only time it stops is when i put the computer to sleep, or turn it off.

The monitor is connected through DVI and I also have a usb cable running from the monitor to my powerbook.

Is it ok to have my pb fan to run all day long?

posted by buybelen to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Your video card is working overtime to drive both the internal display and the external monitor. It's not a problem, but make sure the area around your Powerbook is well ventilated. Just make sure to leave the lid all the way open.
posted by nathan_teske at 1:21 AM on October 27, 2006

I have a 12 inch PB which is hooked up to an external display for about 30-40 hours a week. And this has been going on for over a year. And yes the fan is on the whole time but mine is fairly quiet.

Also discussed here and other forums.
posted by vacapinta at 1:38 AM on October 27, 2006

Try a chillpad (you know the laptop cooling pads).

They have two or three fans usually that pull heat away from the laptop. If it's a temp thing this might help keep your internal fan from running and the chillmat I have (targus) is silent.

Alternatively, bottle caps under the feet work well to increase airflow.
posted by eleongonzales at 8:32 AM on October 27, 2006

This summer my Powerbook fan came on a lot and made me pretty nervous, so I downloaded the free version of Temperature Monitor, which I found out about from an earlier question here, and I was completely reassured by what it was able to show me.
posted by jamjam at 10:17 AM on October 27, 2006