The new iMac is a lot noisier!

[Huginnmuninn]

Fan noise. according to benchmarks even the 21"i7 iMac kicks the crap out of the 6 core Mac Pro costing 300 more refurbished and still needing a monitor.
So 600 more with a mid level 4k monitor. It's 3rd in single core geekbench scores and just below 8 core and 27" i7 on multi-core. Seems like a decent trade off.

I'd like to see a link to those benchmarks if you have one handy.

Sounds like you convinced yourself on your decision then. For me Lightroom and (most of) Photoshop doesn't take advantage of the i7's speed-boosting hyperthreading/cores, while playing Youtube streams tends to get the fan going, which is just annoying, too annoying to me. The only reason I need MOAR POWER is for Lightroom, and while the app is progressing (slowly) to take better advantage it just doesn't make an appreciable difference with exception (like exporting images).

If you're willing to spend relatively more on a 21" iMac and break it open (possibly voiding warranty if you need work done) in the name of pure speed, I'd just recommend spending less and assembling an even faster hackisntosh. I just don't see the 21" iMac as being that great a compromise for most people, and if you've got extreme needs that regularly take advantage of apps that accept hyperthreading then there are better DIY options.

 

[flapflapflap]

Unlike EugW, you have nothing to support your position. Give us some evidence, even anecdotal will suffice.

 

[Huginnmuninn]

Unlike EugW, you have nothing to support your position. Give us some evidence, even anecdotal will suffice.

What specifically are you referring to? And who are you referring to?

 

[flapflapflap]

Much of the 33 pages are based on an incorrect OP statement "it's noisier than before" and incorrect thread title. The 2017 i7 iMac is NOT noisier than before -- it's faster than before at about the same noise level. In some cases such as transcoding in FCPX from H264 to proxy, it is TWICE as fast as the 2015 model. This is probably due to the improved Quick Sync logic in the i7-7700K. Most of the reason for the 33 pages was well described by Albert Einstein's statement about only two things being infinite in the universe.

EugW has done a valuable service by showing how 3.8Ghz i5 is now a viable option in many CPU-intensive applications. It has about the same multicore performance and much better GPU performance than the top-spec 2013 iMac 27, yet is cooler and quieter. However some people cannot figure this out and believe the 2017 i7 iMac is somehow flawed or worse in terms of noise and heat than the 2013, 2014, or 2015 i7 models. It is definitely not. For the most part nothing has changed in this regard.

In fact the 2017 i7 model is definitely better in terms of noise and heat than the 2014 model. Ironically this thread isn't about the 2014 model -- if anything THAT one deserved a thread like this.

No. You are debating an entirely different issue. The majority of this 33 pager is a discussion on how annoyingly fast the current i7 reaches certain temps. It gets hotter, stays hot longer and unfortunately gets hot much sooner under the same load conditions vs its predecessors.

 

[Huginnmuninn]

No. You are debating an entirely different issue. The majority of this 33 pager is a discussion on how annoyingly fast the current i7 reaches certain temps. It gets hotter, stays hot longer and unfortunately gets hot much sooner under the same load conditions vs its predecessors.

Exactly. It's not that the machine necessarily gets louder but that it gets hot/loud early - and earlier than previous models.

 

[flapflapflap]

Exactly. It's not that the machine necessarily gets louder but that it gets hot/loud early - and earlier than previous models.

Yes. That is why the i7 is flawed. I can tolerate noise, whether it is normal or unusually loud, but for the sake of the longevity of my iMac, I cannot tolerate heating issues. And I want to re-iterate that we are all in agreement that the i7 has heating issues. Whether it actually compromises the integrity of the machine is something we will eventually ascertain but clearly the i7 is flawed.

 

[joema2]

Exactly. It's not that the machine necessarily gets louder but that it gets hot/loud early - and earlier than previous models.

It does not and there is no basis for that. Despite 33 pages, nobody has presented any authoritative evidence the 2017 i7 iMac "gets hot/loud....earlier than previous models", at least back to the 2013 i7 iMac.

I own and use the top-spec 2013 i7 iMac, the 2015 i7 iMac and the 2017 i7 iMac. I have the 2015 and 2017 i7 iMacs on my desk right now, side by side. If there was any dramatic difference don't you think those of us who use them professionally would notice it?

 

[Huginnmuninn]

"Authoritative" apparently not including anyone who bought the machine, gave blow-by-blow descriptions of this behavior on this site, then exchanged the machine for an i5 iMac because of it.

Sorry it's not authoritative enough for you. Have a nice day,

 

[circuitt]

https://browser.geekbench.com/mac-benchmarks

I'd like to see a link to those benchmarks if you have one handy.

Sounds like you convinced yourself on your decision then. For me Lightroom and (most of) Photoshop doesn't take advantage of the i7's speed-boosting hyperthreading/cores, while playing Youtube streams tends to get the fan going, which is just annoying, too annoying to me. The only reason I need MOAR POWER is for Lightroom, and while the app is progressing (slowly) to take better advantage it just doesn't make an appreciable difference with exception (like exporting images).

If you're willing to spend relatively more on a 21" iMac and break it open (possibly voiding warranty if you need work done) in the name of pure speed, I'd just recommend spending less and assembling an even faster hackisntosh. I just don't see the 21" iMac as being that great a compromise for most people, and if you've got extreme needs that regularly take advantage of apps that accept hyperthreading then there are better DIY options.

 

[Huginnmuninn]

https://browser.geekbench.com/mac-benchmarks

Thanks. In that case, eh. In that one test tons of newer Macs beat the Mac Pro (in single core tests, that is - the multi-core still has the Mac Pros way ahead of all other Macs), and the fastest i7 iMac in this one test is merely 9.6% faster in single core test average.

 

[circuitt]

Thanks. In that case, eh. In that one test tons of newer Macs beat the Mac Pro (in single core tests, that is - the multi-core still has the Mac Pros way ahead of all other Macs), and the fastest i7 iMac in this one test is merely 9.6% faster in single core test average.

iMac beats the 6 core Mac Pro under multi-score only the 12 core and 8 Mac Pro beats the iMac, so 5200 vs 3700 single score isn't much ?

 

[Huginnmuninn]

By 11% in benchmark tests, which most people don't experience on day to day, minute by minute usage. Yeah, like I said, not incredibly impressed by that for the $500 extra over the i5

 

[circuitt]

By 11% in benchmark tests, which most people don't experience on day to day, minute by minute usage. Yeah, like I said, not incredibly impressed by that for the $500 extra over the i5

I've been talking about the i7 21 vs Mac Pro nothing about an i5.

 

[Huginnmuninn]

I've been talking about the i7 21 vs Mac Pro nothing about an i5.

Sorry. So the 21" i7 is a grand 2% faster than a 4-year-old Mac Pro! That's "kicking the crap" out of it?

 

[circuitt]

Sorry. So the 21" i7 is a grand 2% faster than a 4-year-old Mac Pro! That's "kicking the crap" out of it?

Yes

 

[Huginnmuninn]

lol. Then enjoy your 21" iMac.

 

[joema2]

...the machine...gets hot/loud...earlier than previous models....."Authoritative" apparently not including anyone who bought the machine, gave blow-by-blow descriptions of this behavior on this site, then exchanged the machine for an i5 iMac because of it...

Even though the thread title and OP says the 2017 i7 iMac gets noisier than previous models and even though you say it gets hot/loud "earlier than previous models", there is no basis for this. Nobody in this thread has presented definitive evidence of that the 2017 i7 iMac 27 gets hot/loud earlier than previous i7 iMacs 27s back to 2012.

The people who exchanged the 2017 i7 for an i5 iMac did NOT do so because the i7 iMac got hotter/louder than any previous i7 iMac 27 back to 2012. Rather they noticed it was louder than they preferred on certain workloads. If they'd had experience with a 2015 i7 iMac 27 or a 2014 i7 or a 2013 i7 or a 2012 i7, they'd have noticed the 2017 was no different in this area. The 2017 i7 iMac heat/noise is no worse than any i7 iMac 27 back to 2012. I know because I have one of each of those, and the 2015 and 2017 models are sitting on my desk within inches of each other, both running FCPX.

The 2017 3.8Ghz i5 iMac is quieter under high load than the i7 model, but that's not what the thread title is saying, that's not what the OP said, and that's not what you said. Rather the allegation is the 2017 i7 iMac gets hot/loud earlier than previous i7 iMac 27 models. Obviously this means previous models of the same type and within recent years. It doesn't mean the 2017 i7 iMac gets hot/loud earlier than a 2011 i7 Mac Mini or a 2009 iMac 27 with a 2.8Ghz i7-860 or a 2010 iMac 27 with a Core i3. Those comparisons would have no meaning.

If Rip Van Winkle went to sleep in 2000 and his last computer was a Powermac G4 Cube, today he'd notice the 2017 i7 iMac is a lot hotter and louder. But a lot of things are different between then and now including the 2017 model is about 70x faster. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Van Winkle might post on Mac Rumors the 2017 i7 runs hotter/louder than "previous models". That's only true based on his limited experience.

 

[Huginnmuninn]

Even though the thread title and OP says the 2017 i7 iMac gets noisier than previous models and even though you say it gets hot/loud "earlier than previous models", there is no basis for this. .

You must be copy/pasting. Please don't respond to me if you're going to ignore what I wrote, just to post the same jeremiad against the OP.

EDIT: Actually, never mind - I fixed it on my end.

 

[SaSaSushi]

Even though the thread title and OP says the 2017 i7 iMac gets noisier than previous models and even though you say it gets hot/loud "earlier than previous models", there is no basis for this. Nobody in this thread has presented definitive evidence of that the 2017 i7 iMac 27 gets hot/loud earlier than previous i7 iMacs 27s back to 2012.

This thread has 33 pages mostly because the conversation goes in circles. I, like you, had a Late 2013 iMac before the 2017 i7 iMac and the fans are no louder nor do they spin up any faster.

My own workload does not cause the fans to spin up at *ALL* so I appreciate your valuable perspective on this. In over three months of usage with the i7, the fans are at idle 99% of the time.

The point is, the 7700K i7 is obviously not defective, as some of the more vocal users in this thread who never even used one and are pointing to irrelevant articles about issues with overclocking are claiming.

If you don't want a 7700K, don't get one but let's stop with the misinformation about defects.

 

[Huginnmuninn]

I, like you, had a Late 2013 iMac before the 2017 i7 iMac and the fans are no louder nor do they spin up any faster....My own workload does not cause the fans to spin up at *ALL*... If you don't want a 7700K, don't get one but let's stop with the misinformation about defects.

I never used the word 'defect.' However, this thread contains numerous reports from people who found that the current i7 iMacs spun up faster and became noisy when non-i7 machines did not at the same tasks, or they reported that the i5 iMacs were mostly dead silent when maxed out, or people were just annoyed by the fan noise. Many of us prefer computers to be as quiet as possible, and do not need the additional advantage for that which the i7 provides. It's not "misinformation" when the reports I mentioned are plentiful. Just a few of the many, many examples are below:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/#post-24707040

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-4#post-24717329

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-5#post-24718631

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-12#post-24746136

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-12#post-24746924

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-13#post-24749266

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-13#post-24749528

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-13#post-24750937

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-15#post-24757180

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-17#post-24763893

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-18#post-24766677

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-18#post-24766948

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-19#post-24769245

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-19#post-24769749

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-22#post-24781533

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-new-imac-is-a-lot-noisier.2051501/page-29#post-24849142

 

[SaSaSushi]

I never used the word 'defect.'

I never said you did. I said it was stated.

However, this thread contains numerous reports from people who found that the current i7 iMacs spun up faster and became noisy when non-i7 machines did not at the same tasks,

Which is to be expected. The i7 is a more powerful processor.

Many of us prefer computers to be as quiet as possible, and do not need the additional advantage for that which the i7 provides.

I completely understand this and of course you and other such users should not buy the i7.

It's not "misinformation" when the reports I mentioned are plentiful. Just a few of the many, many examples are below:

That depends on what "It" means. If "It" means users who went with i5 iMacs because they were bothered by fan noise in the i7 then I would agree.

However, if by "It" you mean the 7700K is problematically hot and spins the fans quicker and louder than prior high-end iMacs I do not.
[doublepost=1505095601][/doublepost]

And I want to re-iterate that we are all in agreement that the i7 has heating issues. Whether it actually compromises the integrity of the machine is something we will eventually ascertain but clearly the i7 is flawed.

That must be the royal we.

As mentioned above, in three months with my i7 7700K iMac I think I've heard the fan like five or six times. I don't do much video encoding but I do do some gaming and other processor-intensive stuff.

At the moment it is 30.6°C ambient temperature in this room and the CPU is idling at 47°C, right around where it usually stays in those conditions.
The idling temps are actually cooler than the high end CTO 3.5GHz (i7-4771) Haswell CPU in my Late 2013 iMac which usually hovered in the low 50°s when the ambient temps were high.

Certain processor-intensive tasks will cause the core temperatures of the 7700K to get hotter faster than lower speed models as is expected. This will cause the fans to engage sooner when doing those tasks.
If you find the 7700K to be too noisy, get an i5, end of story. The 7700K is certainly not flawed nor is it any noisier than the previous generations so stop spreading misinformation, please.

 

[propower]

Pass the popcorn

 

[Ethosik]

Guys, most of us complaining are not saying it is louder than previous models. If they are set up side by side exporting a long video for 45 minutes, it would sound the same. We are saying it gets loud FASTER. This processor does have heat issues. As the article states that you shouldn't overclock it (which is why people buy the K models in the first place). That article states that the CPU spikes 30 Celsius just opening a website. The proof is that these get loud FASTER than previous models. It is the same level of noise, most of us aren't saying differently.

 

[SaSaSushi]

Guys, most of us complaining are not saying it is louder than previous models. If they are set up side by side exporting a long video for 45 minutes, it would sound the same. We are saying it gets loud FASTER. This processor does have heat issues. As the article states that you shouldn't overclock it (which is why people buy the K models in the first place). That article states that the CPU spikes 30 Celsius just opening a website. The proof is that these get loud FASTER than previous models. It is the same level of noise, most of us aren't saying differently.

I think it's a good time to give up on trying to connect an issue that occurs for some users when overclocking the 7700K to supposed problems with the non-overclocked 7700K in the 2017 iMac.

On the other hand you have some users in these forums who are actually using the 7700K and had prior generation iMacs to compare them to, one of which doing professional video encoding telling you that it does not get hotter faster and may actually exhibit cooler behavior than the 2014 i7.

 

[Ethosik]

I think it's a good time to give up on trying to connect an issue that occurs for some users when overclocking the 7700K to supposed problems with the non-overclocked 7700K in the 2017 iMac.

On the other hand you have some users in these forums who are actually using the 7700K and had prior generation iMacs to compare them to, one of which doing professional video encoding telling you that it does not get hotter faster and may actually exhibit cooler behavior than the 2014 i7.

If Intel themselves state that ANY form of overclocking on a K CPU results in heat issues, then there is an issue even on non-overclocked CPUs. That means that it is already at a high thermal temperature where ANY overclocking causes severe issues. K series are unlocked and geared towards overclockers. And other users, myself included, do notice a difference with the i7 iMac. It does get loud faster.

Here is a quote from a tester running it STOCK.

I have found that the i7-7700k reports a momentary (a second or less) temperature spike +25 > 35 degrees Celsius anytime a program is opened, a webpage is opened, a background app runs etc. The temperature blip cascades through the cores in random order; not the same every time. This causes my heatsink fan to constantly cycle up and down. Temperatures otherwise report as steady, normal increases. Peak temperature under Prime95 blend test is 71 degrees Celsius.

Source - https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/05/intel-dismisses-concerns-over-core-i7-7700k-temperature-problems/

More - https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/paul-taylor/core-i7-7700k-temperature-spikes-enrage-users/

More - https://www.techpowerup.com/233018/...ed-on-intels-core-i7-7700-i7-7700k-processors

More -

Note that even running stock people notice some issues, it's not just overclockers that notice an issue