21.5" 10.1 iMac...
- Thread starter Brian8bit
- Start date
My old iMac used to get quite warm, almost hot to the touch in certain parts around the back. I wouldn't be particularly worried about one side being warmer than the other either, you get hot spots all the time in computers with small cases. Laptops nearly always get warm around the hard disk.
If I really put the MBP through it's paces it can easily get hot enough to want to take it off my lap. If your computer has a general overheating problem it should just shut itself down. If it's otherwise working normally and you're not noticing any funny smells then it's more than likely just normal.
I don't have that particular iMac though, so maybe someone could put your mind at ease with their experiences with the same machine.
I don't have that particular iMac though, so maybe someone could put your mind at ease with their experiences with the same machine.
Soldato
- Joined
- 26 Aug 2003
- Posts
- 24,297
The top edge does get quite hot, and yes the left side does get hotter.
It's just that there's loads of stuff wedged in there, and they're not cooled as much as a lot of stuff for the sake of quietness. Don't worry about it.
It's just that there's loads of stuff wedged in there, and they're not cooled as much as a lot of stuff for the sake of quietness. Don't worry about it.
I downloaded a fan controller from here: http://www.derman.com/iMac-Fan-Control
Installed it and had a look at the thermal readings and they were all fine (mid 30s). Spun the fans up to 2400rpm on the CPU for ten minutes and then restarted. After the restart I set the CPU fan speed back to 1200rpm. There's now next to no noticeable heat on the top of the enclosure, especially on the left corner that was the worry originally. I mean, I'm really really impressed as to the difference from before and after. It's making me wonder though why it was previously getting so hot. Though I feel much better now and less anxious as there's next to no heat on the enclosure.
Note: The temp sensors for the HDD and GPU don't work with the fan controller from above on my iMac 10.1. HDD temp returns 0 and the GPU temp returns -127.
Installed it and had a look at the thermal readings and they were all fine (mid 30s). Spun the fans up to 2400rpm on the CPU for ten minutes and then restarted. After the restart I set the CPU fan speed back to 1200rpm. There's now next to no noticeable heat on the top of the enclosure, especially on the left corner that was the worry originally. I mean, I'm really really impressed as to the difference from before and after. It's making me wonder though why it was previously getting so hot. Though I feel much better now and less anxious as there's next to no heat on the enclosure.
Note: The temp sensors for the HDD and GPU don't work with the fan controller from above on my iMac 10.1. HDD temp returns 0 and the GPU temp returns -127.
This issue has been flagged up by a couple of magazine reviewers that I have read and the problem has got worse with the current i core series of Intel CPUs. The heat you can feel from top left is the PSU and the heat from the centre is the HD. One of the reviews said that when bench testing the unit got hot enough to seriously make your hands smart if it touched and went on to say that it does cause them concern about longevity.
You will get plenty people coming on here saying it's fine and that the aluminium is doing its job by acting as a heat sink. However, heat is the enemy of electronics so for me that's not a good sign. My iMac is the outgoing model and yes it does get warm but nowhere near as hot as the new models.
You will get plenty people coming on here saying it's fine and that the aluminium is doing its job by acting as a heat sink. However, heat is the enemy of electronics so for me that's not a good sign. My iMac is the outgoing model and yes it does get warm but nowhere near as hot as the new models.