iMac 24-inch 2.16 Heat and Firmware Upgrade Problem

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I just purchased a new 24-inch 2.16 iMac that arrived yesterday. The first thing I noticed after setting it up was how much heat it was putting out. It was really a lot! I have a 20-inch version of this same model iMac at work and have no heat issues.



I would put an installer CD in my new home iMac just long enough to install the program and it would come out as hot as a firecracker. But the machine was very quiet in all operations.



Later on in the evening, I got a software update that said I needed to update my firmware on this Mac. I did, everything went well, and I actually think the machine is got giving off as much heat. But now it is really noisy. Every function it performs is accompanied by "chatter," for lack of a better word, and that was not the case before. My 20-inch iMac at work is as quiet as can be (like the 24-inch was to begin with), but has never had heat issues.



Does anyone know if this is a problem with the 24-inch 2.16 iMac and if the firmware upgrade has caused other iMacs to develop noise issues where there were none before?



Thanks in advance for any information any of you can provide!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    phlakephlake Posts: 91member
    I'm not familiar with any reported issues, but it sounds like perhaps the fan controls were set incorrectly in the old firmware. The new firmware probably has the fans running more often/quickly, meaning less heat but more noise.
  • Reply 2 of 14
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mac4youandme View Post


    I just purchased a new 24-inch 2.16 iMac that arrived yesterday. The first thing I noticed after setting it up was how much heat it was putting out. It was really a lot! I have a 20-inch version of this same model iMac at work and have no heat issues.



    I would put an installer CD in my new home iMac just long enough to install the program and it would come out as hot as a firecracker. But the machine was very quiet in all operations.



    Later on in the evening, I got a software update that said I needed to update my firmware on this Mac. I did, everything went well, and I actually think the machine is got giving off as much heat. But now it is really noisy. Every function it performs is accompanied by "chatter," for lack of a better word, and that was not the case before. My 20-inch iMac at work is as quiet as can be (like the 24-inch was to begin with), but has never had heat issues.



    Does anyone know if this is a problem with the 24-inch 2.16 iMac and if the firmware upgrade has caused other iMacs to develop noise issues where there were none before?



    Thanks in advance for any information any of you can provide!



    Download iStat pro from the apple web site. Its a free widget. It will tell you the internal temps and fan speeds. Then report back.
  • Reply 3 of 14
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Phlake View Post


    I'm not familiar with any reported issues, but it sounds like perhaps the fan controls were set incorrectly in the old firmware. The new firmware probably has the fans running more often/quickly, meaning less heat but more noise.



    Thanks for your reply! I hadn't thought about that.
  • Reply 4 of 14
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    Download iStat pro from the apple web site. Its a free widget. It will tell you the internal temps and fan speeds. Then report back.



    Didn't know about this program. I will do that and report back on the results. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my question!
  • Reply 5 of 14
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mac4youandme View Post


    Didn't know about this program. I will do that and report back on the results. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my question!



    Do it for the one at work and see what differences there are.



    Frankly I wouldn't think you'd hear the fans all that often. I rarely hear mine on my MBP.
  • Reply 6 of 14
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    Do it for the one at work and see what differences there are.



    Frankly I wouldn't think you'd hear the fans all that often. I rarely hear mine on my MBP.



    That's an even better idea, but one I can't do. Our macs at work are on a network and as of about six months ago, we can no longer load applications on our computers. Too many people were loading apps that gave the network big problems, so now we can't put anything on them.



    But it was a great idea!
  • Reply 7 of 14
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    Download iStat pro from the apple web site. Its a free widget. It will tell you the internal temps and fan speeds. Then report back.



    I download iStat and took a screenshot image of the data right after I started my Mac and then repeated the process at intervals after it had been up for awhile. How do I copy the data from the screenshot images so you can see them?



    Thanks!
  • Reply 8 of 14
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mac4youandme View Post


    I download iStat and took a screenshot image of the data right after I started my Mac and then repeated the process at intervals after it had been up for awhile. How do I copy the data from the screenshot images so you can see them?



    Thanks!



    Get a flicker account. They're free. Upload the imager to them and then you can click the image link in the 'replay to thread' box and paste the link of the image at filcker in there. It will then show the image in your thread.
  • Reply 9 of 14
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    Get a flicker account. They're free. Upload the imager to them and then you can click the image link in the 'replay to thread' box and paste the link of the image at filcker in there. It will then show the image in your thread.



    Here's the images. Hope you can ready them. There is no doubt, BTW, that the computer is much, much cooler since the firmware upgrade, just noiser and it has quieted down a little since I posted. But the screen is no longer hot to the touch and I can't feel the heat from it as before. So the person that posted that the noise might be related to the firmware upgrade could be right. If so, I'd rather live with a computer that's not as quiet than the heat which was unbelievable.



    Thanks so much for your help!





    www.flickr.com/photos/22764699@N03/
  • Reply 10 of 14
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mac4youandme View Post


    Here's the images. Hope you can ready them. There is no doubt, BTW, that the computer is much, much cooler since the firmware upgrade, just noiser and it has quieted down a little since I posted. But the screen is no longer hot to the touch and I can't feel the heat from it as before. So the person that posted that the noise might be related to the firmware upgrade could be right. If so, I'd rather live with a computer that's not as quiet than the heat which was unbelievable.



    Thanks so much for your help!





    www.flickr.com/photos/22764699@N03/



    I saw your images. You fan speeds were low and temps low as well. Was the machine noisy when you made those iStat images?



    Try stressing your machine and looking at your iStat numbers. If you download cinebench from the apple website and run it, it will make your cpu work hard. Its free as well.
  • Reply 11 of 14
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    I saw your images. You fan speeds were low and temps low as well. Was the machine noisy when you made those iStat images?



    Try stressing your machine and looking at your iStat numbers. If you download cinebench from the apple website and run it, it will make your cpu work hard. Its free as well.



    Yes, the machine was noisy when it made those iStat images. I wish I had known about iStat before I applied the firmware upgrade so we could have a "before picture." One thing I did notice when I looked at the latest iStat report was the power supply temperature was listed at 64 degrees. Is that high? http://www.flickr.com/photos/22764699@N03/2190295048/
  • Reply 12 of 14
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mac4youandme View Post


    Yes, the machine was noisy when it made those iStat images. I wish I had known about iStat before I applied the firmware upgrade so we could have a "before picture." One thing I did notice when I looked at the latest iStat report was the power supply temperature was listed at 64 degrees. Is that high? http://www.flickr.com/photos/22764699@N03/2190295048/



    I don't think the noise is coming from your fans. At those speeds my MBP is silent. Could the sounds be from your hard drive?
  • Reply 13 of 14
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    I don't think the noise is coming from your fans. At those speeds my MBP is silent. Could the sounds be from your hard drive?



    I think that could be a possibility, but all I can tell you was the machine was very quiet before I applied the firmware upgrade. Could the firmware upgrade have made the hard drive work harder and thus now have noise when it didn't?



    Second question, how hot does your power supply go on your Mac? I'm still wondering about the 64 degrees for the power supply that iStat showed?



    Thanks again!
  • Reply 14 of 14
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mac4youandme View Post


    I think that could be a possibility, but all I can tell you was the machine was very quiet before I applied the firmware upgrade. Could the firmware upgrade have made the hard drive work harder and thus now have noise when it didn't?



    Second question, how hot does your power supply go on your Mac? I'm still wondering about the 64 degrees for the power supply that iStat showed?



    Thanks again!



    My iStat doesn't show the power supply temp, so I can't help you there.
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