I canna give you any more power!

[mikailborg]

For the past year, the fan in the power supply on my G4 has been making a grinding noise. This week it got loud enough to drive raininva to distraction, so she asked me to please fix it. (Frankly, I was sick of listening to it too.) Replacement Apple power supplies run $130 - $230 on the web, so that was right out. Besides, it was only the fan itself.

I pulled the power supply out, then the fan, and took it to CompUSA. They had a wide variety of fans, but although several were exactly the right size and shape, they had three-pin connectors instead of two-pin, and the amperage ratings were different, which worried me. The technical guy there strongly suggested I just get a new power supply. (Fans are $10, power supplies $40. Hmm.)

Apparently, my G4 can use a standard ATX power supply, but the motherboard connector pinouts are slightly different, and I'd have to splice some wires (and me without a soldering iron or, indeed, much soldering practice). Also, my power supply is 237 watt. I think I can use a 250 safely, but I don't know that.

On a better note, we played Plague and Pestilence and Dork Tower at Card Night last night, and both games went over well. Dork Tower even came with a free 8-page mini version of Dork FRAG, which means that by taking advantage of the Dragon*Con sale, I got two games for the price of half of one. Not bad!

Soooo tired.

Comments

[phred1973.livejournal.com]

No problem - but after 3 weeks, Dawn'll just be handing you the iron -- I'll be gone.

Glad the lube worked. Is it a ball-bearing bearing fan, or a sleeve bearing? Or does it even say?

[mikailborg.livejournal.com]

It doesn't say. Based solely on the noise it was making, I think ball-bearing, but I could be wrong.