My machine (a 7455 G4/933) started to behave erratically since the
weather turned hot a few days ago. Things like uboot would not reboot
(dumping hex values all over the screen), hd reads being largely trashed
etc.

</BR>

I took time to remove the unefficient ThermalTake thing (discovering
btw that the thermal compound beneath includes a textile layer
which can hardly be considered as an efficient thermal flow conductor, which
makes me feel like the ThermalTake is better suited for nice-looking mobos
as a chipset fan... Additionnally, the ThermalTake's plastic
fan has already more or less self-destroyed already after less than 1 year
of use, having a high power-off torque probably due to dust friction.

</BR>
</BR>

Look <A HREF=TT.JPG> here </A> for a detail of the
thermal compound below the ThermalTake, including a view of the textile layer.

</BR>
</BR>

I've taken time to make a proper cooling for my G4, made out of a Pentium
heatsink (60 x 60 x 30 mm), on which is fixed a brand new 60 x 60 mm AMD fan
from a Duron fan+sink, plus the usual Zalman thermal compound (just a bit,
on the G4 die itself).

</BR>
</BR>

The sink has been drilled with 2 holes matching those in the CPU
module, and is firmly fit in place by a pair of screws with insulator washers,
absolutely flat on the G4 die, but not too tight, not to bend the CPU module
PCB, of course. Additionnally, the small caps around just procure a set of
points that lie just below the G4 die surface (lets say less than 1.10th
mm), which makes it easy to align.

</BR>
</BR>

I did not use the AMD sink, because it is definately too
big & heavy, & would have put a mechanical constraint on everything that 
would be too much.

</BR>
</BR>

Look <A HREF=DURON_SF.JPG> here </A> for a detail of
the kind of Duron sink+fan on which i picked the fan (mine is not this one,
but the same from AMD).

</BR>
</BR>

Look <A HREF=SinkDrilled.jpg> here </A> for a view of the Pentium Sink, under which the AMD fan has been screwed. The sink is cleaned, and drilled with the two holes which will receive the 2 screws through the CPU module's PCB.

</BR>
</BR>

Look <A HREF=Cleaned.jpg> here </A> for a view of the CPU module, after removal of the ThermalTake sink, and cleaning of the TT thermal paste traces.

</BR>
</BR>

Look <A HREF=Pads.jpg> here </A> for a detail of
the Duron wegde pads, that I pasted on the G4 to help balance the sink position.

</BR>
</BR>

Look <A HREF=PastePads.jpg> here </A> for a detail of
the CPU module just before mounting the sink, with Zalman thermal compound on the G4 die. On the left, you can see the sink/fan combo ready to be assembled with the CPU module.

</BR>
</BR>

Look <A HREF=Under.jpg> here </A> for a detail of
the CPU module associated with the new sink/fan, with the 2 black screws mounted on plastic insulating washers.

</BR>
</BR>

Look <A HREF=COOLER.JPG> here </A> for an overview of
the new cooling system in place, on the A1 mobo.

</BR>
</BR>

Look <A HREF=DETAILS.JPG> here </A> for a detail of
the new cooling system.

</BR>
</BR>

Since I installed that, the machine runs for hours without erratic
behaviour, except the crashes I expect when I provoke them.

</BR>
</BR>

FYI, look at what Apple puts on 800 MHz G4's <A HREF=G4MAC800.JPG> here </A> or anywhere...








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