CFW5: Heat + whining noises + power source

I am using CF-W5 and I have found more issues than expected:

- I understand that many (or all?) of Panasonics laptops do not have fans in order to save electricity, mechanical movement and reduce noise. Furthermore they are using low voltage processors. However, does anybody find them to be uncomfortably hot (especially the area nearest to the Alt and Spacebay keys) when connecting to the mains? Is this normal? When on battery, the problem is not that pronounced.

- I notice that is a stream of whining noises (something like very very fast morse codes) when it is on low CPU load, no sounds when CPU load above 50%. This has something todo with USB devices being connected. Documentation says by disabling USB power save the problem can be minimized, which is true. Since it is already stated in official documentation I presume this problem is "by design" or "unfixable". Does this problem apply to most of us? Has anyone by any chance found out how to eliminate the problem? I use the comp in relatively quiet environments, so the whinny noise can be quite distracting.

- Lastly, can I switch power source while the comp is in hibernation/sleep? Or should switching of power source be done when the comp is on? I noticed the screen brightness could not return to its original level and manual attempts were futile when the switching is done when the comp wasnt powered on. A restart was required to return to normalcy.
(To add on, can I turn on/off my ADSL modem when my comp is still in hibernation/sleep?)

Thanks

 

The Toughbooks do not have fans to keep them water resistant... Not neccessarily to save the battery. They can get a little warm but mine has never been hot! You should look into a freeware cpu and hard drive monitor to check your temps!

The whining noises could be coming form your hard drive though I have also heard A/C adapters and monitors whine at times. You'll need to track it down by trial and error.

You shouldn't switch power when in hibernation mode. The cpu draws a small amount of power to keep the memory going to preserve whatever you were doing when you closed the lid to enable hibernation. It won't kill your cpu I don't think but you will probably lose whatever info you had. Yes... You should be able to turn your DSL off when in hibernation... It just may take a few seconds for it to pick it back up when you turn it back on.

 

A comment about hibernation? Without knowing for sure, it appears to me that much of the hibernation/closing the lid is handled by software/OS only. My CF-28 (non-Windows) will boot up and start running completely with the lid closed. While I've been spending more time configuring it than using it here initially, I have been using TightVNC to operate it remotely. That way, I don't have to struggle with typing as much on the rubber keyboard.

Likewise, I can close the lid while it's running and VNC operation continues. It also seems like my rubber keyboard is a little easier to operate, if I press the keys at the top edge of the keys instead of the center. I've never seen one disassembled, but it acts like they are almost hinged near the bottom of each key.

 

Well... You are right. Hibernation is a function of the OS... And you can tell it to hibernate when the lid is closed when using XP. (I assumed that this was the case.) You can also program it to go into standby. (or to shut off I think) You can also tell it to do absolutely nothing when the lid is closed...

 

I thought the CF-W5 was described as a semi-toughbook as it is a laptop targetted at the clumsy executive market who want a very light laptop but one that does not break when they drop it off their lap. It isn't water-proof and some models in the range such as the CF-Y5 may have a fan.

 

While I know a lot abou the CF-28... I'm not up on all the other Toughbooks and variants. My point was that Panasonic didn't get rid of fans to save power... They did it to make water ingress less likely. There are no Toughbooks that are "water proof"... There are some models that are water resistant. Actually I believe that all Toughbooks have a rugged factor to some degree and also have the water resistant feature to some degree.

 

Thanks for the correction.

I remember watching the Gadget show, a UK light entertainment TV show, where they submersed a Toughbook in a children's inflatable paddling pool and then set off some explosives. I guess I got the wrong idea from that show.