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Aluminium iMacs overheating?
- Thread starter Cloudane
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I don't think that is very constructive. Many of us are having problems with heat doing normal things, like watching a DVD...not editing one! I don't think it is reasonable to expect people to spend 2-3 times as much on a machine, just to be able to watch a video or play a game. Software should not be able to break the hardware, maybe make it not run so nicely, but fry a machine? No. There is a very real issue with some (not all) of the iMacs and heat.
Don't need fan control software.
If you need alot of demand from an iMac then I have only two words...
Mac Pro.
l8r
Every computer, regardles of its "power" needs to handle FULL 100% load forever without "overheating"...after all, these machines are just a big calculators. If it brakes with overheating or calculates wrong, its not doing its job.
I mean, you can get the slowest first PC or Mac ever build and but it to crunch numbers, those days there were no issues about overheating
What is 'overheating' though?
The only scenarios that would cause alarm would be freezes, restarts and power downs. If this happened, I'd be right on to Apple for a replacement.
Instead we get "is my Mac too hot?" and a mixture of replies ranging from "that's insanely hot" to "it's fine, there's nothing to worry about".
All from a little 3rd party temperature widget, which seems to do more harm than good it seems!
The only scenarios that would cause alarm would be freezes, restarts and power downs. If this happened, I'd be right on to Apple for a replacement.
Instead we get "is my Mac too hot?" and a mixture of replies ranging from "that's insanely hot" to "it's fine, there's nothing to worry about".
All from a little 3rd party temperature widget, which seems to do more harm than good it seems!
New iMac
I'm a new Mac user and I have to say I love it.
I also must say that I am a little freaked out by the talk about these computers overheating. I got it just last week and it does run fairly hot. I did download smcFanControl and the iStat widget to monitor the heat situation. I ran the Fan Control software for a few days and discontinued use.
If the fan were meant to run that fast, why was it not already programmed to run at that speed or automatically go into a mode that runs the fans faster should the computer's heat drastically increase? I found it odd to have to run such a program. If the computer inherently runs hot, that's fine, but why so much talk about it if that is the case?
OR (laughing at myself, hehe)- did I stumble into the middle or tail end of a conversation Mac users are still having and I am just some newbie that needs to get a grip and realize Mac is the answer to life's most difficult problems?
I'm not a gamer and I see that a lot of people are doing film editing and much more graphic driven applications but I am not. I am using it mainly for song recording, web editing, word processing, photo uploads... I plan on getting Logic soon as well as other software that I hope would not hinder the computer's performance/quality (why should I be worried about that??).
The "vitals" are as follows (Celsius):
HD: 52
CPU A and Heatsink: 36
Airport: 56
Ambient: 23
GPU: 50
GPU Diode and Heatsink: 48
Fan speeds are Mac Default...
I have seen the temps spike a bit more but between 4-9 degree differences were all I experienced.
Why should a consumer have to concern themselves with such software (Fan Control)? Is that not Mac's job? Do I have a computer I should go straight back to the retailer with?
I haven't come across any other forums/reviews mentioning the aforementioned but maybe I haven't looked as hard as I should. From my research, this seems to be a great computer and like I said, I love it so far. From the info I have found, others REALLY dig it too.
Enjoying the new Mac...
NGM
I'm a new Mac user and I have to say I love it.
I also must say that I am a little freaked out by the talk about these computers overheating. I got it just last week and it does run fairly hot. I did download smcFanControl and the iStat widget to monitor the heat situation. I ran the Fan Control software for a few days and discontinued use.
If the fan were meant to run that fast, why was it not already programmed to run at that speed or automatically go into a mode that runs the fans faster should the computer's heat drastically increase? I found it odd to have to run such a program. If the computer inherently runs hot, that's fine, but why so much talk about it if that is the case?
OR (laughing at myself, hehe)- did I stumble into the middle or tail end of a conversation Mac users are still having and I am just some newbie that needs to get a grip and realize Mac is the answer to life's most difficult problems?
I'm not a gamer and I see that a lot of people are doing film editing and much more graphic driven applications but I am not. I am using it mainly for song recording, web editing, word processing, photo uploads... I plan on getting Logic soon as well as other software that I hope would not hinder the computer's performance/quality (why should I be worried about that??).
The "vitals" are as follows (Celsius):
HD: 52
CPU A and Heatsink: 36
Airport: 56
Ambient: 23
GPU: 50
GPU Diode and Heatsink: 48
Fan speeds are Mac Default...
I have seen the temps spike a bit more but between 4-9 degree differences were all I experienced.
Why should a consumer have to concern themselves with such software (Fan Control)? Is that not Mac's job? Do I have a computer I should go straight back to the retailer with?
I haven't come across any other forums/reviews mentioning the aforementioned but maybe I haven't looked as hard as I should. From my research, this seems to be a great computer and like I said, I love it so far. From the info I have found, others REALLY dig it too.
Enjoying the new Mac...
NGM
You're right in everything you said. The main problem here is the gpu, because it shares the same heatsink with the cpu, and when both are working hard, these macs turn in to toasters if the fans don't ramp up enough. Maybe the hardware con handle it, but I prefer to play on the safe side. Some even report graphical glitches and locks and we all can see some cpu throttling above 80ºc.
The macbooks suffer from the same disease. Just exporting a movie in quicktime, makes the cpu throttle. My macbook's cpu bounces between 1.6ghz and 2.16ghz at 6200rpm within 3 min or so when exporting. So, a job that coud be done in 2hours is completed in 3... Maybe an air intake could solve this crap.
The macbooks suffer from the same disease. Just exporting a movie in quicktime, makes the cpu throttle. My macbook's cpu bounces between 1.6ghz and 2.16ghz at 6200rpm within 3 min or so when exporting. So, a job that coud be done in 2hours is completed in 3... Maybe an air intake could solve this crap.
Vista acronym- ROFL
PMR, I just noticed the VISTA acronym at the bottom of your profile (Virus inside...) LOL!!
Thats great! I thought to myself before buying this thing, "you should NOT get a DELL with XP on it because it's on it's way out and I am not thrilled with Vista or the fact that Antivirus/Antispyware (blah, blah) software works only about 80 percent of the time, it seems like." Thus making Vista an even bigger let down when you find you have a virus or any other type of internet related malfunction, or as I refer to them ITD's (Internet Transmitted Diseases, hehe).
Macs are really cool... I just don't want to be bringing it back in 3 months, 6 months AND/or a year for features that are attribute to the system because "some engineers couldn't get it right and did not want to admit wrongdoing after these problems started to occur and became mass paranoia".
Would you happen to know if the 20" versions run at a lower temp? Do NVIDIA cards run at lower temps? Forgive me if the questions seem juvenile. I've got a 3 year warranty on mine so I don't think I should fret but refer to the previous paragraph; I don't want to drive 55 miles all the time to bring it in to get fixed.
take care,
NGM
PMR, I just noticed the VISTA acronym at the bottom of your profile (Virus inside...) LOL!!
Thats great! I thought to myself before buying this thing, "you should NOT get a DELL with XP on it because it's on it's way out and I am not thrilled with Vista or the fact that Antivirus/Antispyware (blah, blah) software works only about 80 percent of the time, it seems like." Thus making Vista an even bigger let down when you find you have a virus or any other type of internet related malfunction, or as I refer to them ITD's (Internet Transmitted Diseases, hehe).
Macs are really cool... I just don't want to be bringing it back in 3 months, 6 months AND/or a year for features that are attribute to the system because "some engineers couldn't get it right and did not want to admit wrongdoing after these problems started to occur and became mass paranoia".
Would you happen to know if the 20" versions run at a lower temp? Do NVIDIA cards run at lower temps? Forgive me if the questions seem juvenile. I've got a 3 year warranty on mine so I don't think I should fret but refer to the previous paragraph; I don't want to drive 55 miles all the time to bring it in to get fixed.
take care,
NGM
Hardware wise, temperatures are similar, depending in cpu speed and dye- the 45nm tends to run cooler than 65nm at the same ghz mark, but they came with higher speeds, so the should be toe-to-toe in temperature matters.
If you are referring to the new 8800GS, it should run hotter than the hd2600pro as I believe the heatsink in the two models are the same.
If you are referring to the new 8800GS, it should run hotter than the hd2600pro as I believe the heatsink in the two models are the same.
Strangely enough, after contacting Apple Care, I was told on 2 occasions that the normal operating temperature of an iMac is between 52 degrees and 95 degrees fahrenheit. I then asked which components were supposed to be at that temperature (being that there are 8 different temps that iStat specifies) and they could not answer that. Mine runs much hotter than that and it makes me wonder why they would disclose that information if most iMac users have much greater operating temperatures.
The consultant then told me, in so many words, that iStat is not "Apple Approved" software and that they do not "condone" its use nor look to it for information about their systems. I wonder what "thermometer" they use to monitor their test equipment. I'm about to stick my meat thermometer in the CD drive (no... but seriously, heheh) Hey, their Apple care desk is really friendly though!
Riddled with confusion but loving my new Logic program (and the encyclopedia that accompanies it),
NGM
The consultant then told me, in so many words, that iStat is not "Apple Approved" software and that they do not "condone" its use nor look to it for information about their systems. I wonder what "thermometer" they use to monitor their test equipment. I'm about to stick my meat thermometer in the CD drive (no... but seriously, heheh) Hey, their Apple care desk is really friendly though!
Riddled with confusion but loving my new Logic program (and the encyclopedia that accompanies it),
NGM
Man you running cool compared to me...
After some light Photoshop:
HD 62ºC
CPU 54ºC
Airport 64ºC
GPU 62ºC
GPU Diode 67ºC
Ambient 30ºC
Power Supply 81ºC
Calling AppleCare today...
I have the late '07 aluminum iMac and I don't have any overheating issues. Sure, the top of the iMac gets a bit hot sometimes, but I've never ever had a problem with flickering textures or any other graphical artifacts. And I run my iMac to the extreme. And by extreme I mean EXTREME. I've run Crysis benchmarks for hours and hours straight, rendered video literally day in day out with my GPU overclocked and I've never run into any problems. I've had this mac for almost a year now. And I've never had to use manual fan control software.
If you're having flickering textures, I'd blame that on the game, conflicting system plugins or extensions, or faulty hardware.
Keep in mind, Apple further underclocked an already underclocked mobility version of the GPU, so there's very little chance you're going to damage the GPU even by running graphics-intensive apps for long periods of time.
If you're having flickering textures, I'd blame that on the game, conflicting system plugins or extensions, or faulty hardware.
Keep in mind, Apple further underclocked an already underclocked mobility version of the GPU, so there's very little chance you're going to damage the GPU even by running graphics-intensive apps for long periods of time.
Blimey this keeps getting dug up from the grave
I'm pretty sure now that it was just the game in question. I was getting paranoid with the "fuzzy pattern" effect appearing on the Windows side etc... Apple Genius said that was normal though *shrug*
I'm pretty sure now that it was just the game in question. I was getting paranoid with the "fuzzy pattern" effect appearing on the Windows side etc... Apple Genius said that was normal though *shrug*
I have just been trialling this over the last few days, and can say I'm a very happy bunny. It was developed for the Macbook pro, and adapted by another developer for the iMac, and we thank them muchly.
http://www.derman.com/Download/Special/iMacFanControl.html
It effectively does for you what you would achieve by watching Temp Monitor like a hawk and actively adjusting SMCfancontrol continuously.
I've found that the preset minimum temps with minimum fan speeds caused too much fan noise, but hedging them in to 40degC min and 80degC max, causes a quiet system on web-browsing, with temps in the region of 40degC (HDD 45) and when using graphics and cpu loading, the temps barely rise, but the fans do rise to the occasion!
At last the temp response system apple should have delivered.
Now I can rest easy.
All we wait for is Apple to wake up and include this in 10.5.6 or something.
^^ what I said...
I use smcfancontrol, something some folks arent aware of is cleaning the bottom holes by the memory and speakers and cleaning the hole in the back which is under the back mount. Clean these holes with the unit off and it will breathe better.Don't need fan control software.
If you need alot of demand from an iMac then I have only two words...
Mac Pro.
l8r
All is well... Still enjoying the iMac...
I just wanted to post about "overheating problems" and let those who have read know about the issues.
I've had the Mac now since the beginning of August. It runs great! I have no problems with it. My temps still stay about the same as the last report with it actually running a tad cooler sometimes when I don't drive it hard. I've seen the HD drive spike at about 56 degrees Celsius when I've been working for a few hours on it. Again, I'm not a gamer so I apologize to those who are and are seeking this forum for advice.
I actually came to the knowledge that core 2 duo processors can withstand great levels of heat. Has anyone else heard of this? Just a question, really...
Otherwise, this is the best computer known to domesticated civilizations. Literally.
These Mac Forums are really cool. I have learned a lot about the machine by looking through the different forums. Thanks for the help!
NGM
I just wanted to post about "overheating problems" and let those who have read know about the issues.
I've had the Mac now since the beginning of August. It runs great! I have no problems with it. My temps still stay about the same as the last report with it actually running a tad cooler sometimes when I don't drive it hard. I've seen the HD drive spike at about 56 degrees Celsius when I've been working for a few hours on it. Again, I'm not a gamer so I apologize to those who are and are seeking this forum for advice.
I actually came to the knowledge that core 2 duo processors can withstand great levels of heat. Has anyone else heard of this? Just a question, really...
Otherwise, this is the best computer known to domesticated civilizations. Literally.
These Mac Forums are really cool. I have learned a lot about the machine by looking through the different forums. Thanks for the help!
NGM
Regardless of whether it's safe for the computer hardware. It's curious why Apple would design a machine that's so hot that you can't even keep your hand on it. Even if that means the aluminum is doing it's job wouldn't someone at Apple be smart enough to think: "hey, maybe people will think these computers are overheating since you can't even touch them for any length of time without burning your skin."
If your iMac is getting so hot that it burns you when you touch it I'd suggest you've got faulty hardware and should send it in for service.
Mine gets warm to the touch but never to the point of uncomfortability, even in the hot summer. At the moment it's barely even warm.
I have two imacs bought at different times and they both get extremely hot. My main point is, how does a major company that's been in this business for years not realize that something like this would, at the least, cause concern with many consumers and might even turn people away from buying the product. From this thread alone you can tell there are a lot of people who think this is a problem. Whether they're right or wrong, you think it's something Apple would care to address.
i bought my first alu imac 2007 winter. It was HOT to touch. Six month later its hdd died. During the repairs they diagnosed also a "burned up powersupply". So, they replaced both. Now, it runs way more cooler, the top of the imac is barely luke warm during normal surfing. My room ambient temperature s about 22-25c. I can concur that now the powersupply runs at least 10c cooler. First time i got a 60-80c psu temps! Now its 50-60c
Maybe Apple are giving their customers too much credit!
I don't agree. Mine gets too hot to touch and is rock solid.
Well, I appreciate you sharing and I'm glad that your machine is rock stable. That said, my machine runs barely warm to the touch even under stress (e.g. gaming in Windows). Judging by Johto's comments above I am not the only one who has an iMac that doesn't double as a room heater.
Once you go Mac, you never go back. Tried and tested.
Well, I say tried and tested- since August 1, 08 at least.
I really like this machine. The heat is not an issue at this time nor has it been the cause of any odd happenings. I don't fondle (heheh) my computer but did for the first few weeks b/c I was so freaked out about the heat and what someone told me regarding heat and computers.
I love the Mac commercials now and totally relate with the dude on the right.
It works flawlessly but again I don't drive it hard. When you call Applecare about heat issues, they don't condone the third party nature of temp monitoring programs similar to iStat and it doesn't concern them much from my experience with them. They said if it is really hot (even to the point of 'burning your skin') that you should take it in to get it fixed.
Well, I say tried and tested- since August 1, 08 at least.
I really like this machine. The heat is not an issue at this time nor has it been the cause of any odd happenings. I don't fondle (heheh) my computer but did for the first few weeks b/c I was so freaked out about the heat and what someone told me regarding heat and computers.
I love the Mac commercials now and totally relate with the dude on the right.
It works flawlessly but again I don't drive it hard. When you call Applecare about heat issues, they don't condone the third party nature of temp monitoring programs similar to iStat and it doesn't concern them much from my experience with them. They said if it is really hot (even to the point of 'burning your skin') that you should take it in to get it fixed.
Well, I say tried and tested- since August 1, 08 at least.
I really like this machine. The heat is not an issue at this time nor has it been the cause of any odd happenings. I don't fondle (heheh) my computer but did for the first few weeks b/c I was so freaked out about the heat and what someone told me regarding heat and computers.
I love the Mac commercials now and totally relate with the dude on the right.
It works flawlessly but again I don't drive it hard. When you call Applecare about heat issues, they don't condone the third party nature of temp monitoring programs similar to iStat and it doesn't concern them much from my experience with them. They said if it is really hot (even to the point of 'burning your skin') that you should take it in to get it fixed.
Is the heat problem on all iMac units or those made before or after a certain date? Is it on one size or all?