It's not quite that simple. The heat is extremely localised and given the design of the iMac there isn't much you can do externally to cool it, other than using it inside a refrigerated room. Even then the area concerned will still get hot, it will just take longer to fall over.
When I had overheating problems on my upgraded G4, I opened the case and had a fan blowing across the processor directly. Despite that it would still freeze up when undergoing processor intensive tasks, like audio ripping or file conversions and I could feel the heat coming off it with my hand.
If I manually fanned it with a large board I could get it through tasks that otherwise would lock it up. Extremely tiring and ultimately futile.
btw I got that upgrade from OWC and was dropped like a hot potato immediately it looked like it was a dud. Last time I ever order from them.
No one has determined it is a heat issue at all, open one of these up and you'll see the Heat pipes and heat sinks are as large as the ones on the CPU.
I received and installed Leopard with no success. It doesn't matter what I am running i still get the freeze or "no response" problem. It just happened when opening mail and using ichat. I am just happy that I purchased this on a military installation and can return no questions asked. This freezing problem is a real shame and from many sites visited a bigger problem then some care to admit here. The real shame is this machine at first glance is incredible however just a fancy cover for what seems like big problems. Best of luck to all IMAC users and my hats off to you for the ones without any problems... go play the lottery.
Apple joins the rank of Quanta: looks great, but offers no compatibility. The 24" iMac uses a card that is based on the MXM formfactor but offers no compatibility. A reader of MXM Upgrade has tried several MXM cards in his Apple, including a reference 6200 card MXM Upgrade has send him, and none of those worked. If we are correctly informed, this comes from an incompatible vBios and this behavious was also seen in the past with incompatible AGP cards.
No one has determined it is a heat issue at all, open one of these up and you'll see the Heat pipes and heat sinks are as large as the ones on the CPU.
Looks like a duck, walks like a duck, sounds like a duck...
I work at a university computer lab, where we have some Dell Optiplex 740's which were having freezing issues and BSOD's at random. They have a Radeon HD 2400 XT, pretty much similar to the IMac's video chipset. A few weeks ago, Dell came out with both a driver and video BIOS or firmware update, and all is good now. For us, it was definitely not a heat issue, as we had a problematic machine that sits right under an air conditioning outlet, so it was one of the coolest machines in the room. It turns out that the updates disabled the Dynamic Power Management (DPM) feature of the video cards. I have a feeling that a similar update needs to be applied to the iMacs as well.
Seriously though, I sympathise with those having iMac problems. It is troubling though that Leopard installs are hampered due to people thinking Leopard is the culprit rather than their hardware.
I was initially excited about new ATI cards because they are 65nm compared to nVidia's 80nm. However, clearly ATI and AMD are in a world of shite right now.
Intel and nVidia are owning their asses right now.
I am wondering if the 24" 2.8ghz is causing more suffering because that is a Intel Core2Duo 2.6 'OCed 2.8ghz. Combine that with crappy ATI GPUs and *sigh*... Not to say that Apple does not take the blame, all-in-ones operate within pretty narrow thermal margins.
The way it is going to break down is this: Apple has to fulfill it's contractual and batch obligations to ATI so it will continue to use them.
Where there are heating, crashing problems it will offer those, along with custom build GPUs to nVidia (whichi I strongly, strongly encourage for anyone getting new iMacs).
As soon as Apple can bail out of using ATI, iMac's will go to nVidia.
This is going to be expensive for Apple. The GPU is on the logic board, so it's not as simple as just swapping out a graphics card. They'll have to replace the entire logic board. But, if it turns out that it's a heat issue, I don't see that there's any other resolution. Graphics drivers won't resolve it.
The right thing to do, obviously, is to replace the logic board for all affected customers.
Perhaps, perhaps not. A redesigned heatsink/fan unit may do the trick. We don't know what we don't know.
What I do know is that such a basic design error should never make it into production. Apple seems to be regressing into some bad old habits. I hope not.
My hope is that the new iMacs will get such a reputation as a troubled model that sales will plummet to the point Apple will be forced to introduce a real desktop.
My hope is that the new iMacs will get such a reputation as a troubled model that sales will plummet to the point Apple will be forced to introduce a real desktop.
Erm no, cause one of the point why people prefer all in one then a real desktop cause it looks cleaner for office or workstore usage. No more cloggin wires. For gamers I understand why you guys would want a real desktop cause you all can upgrade or mod it. Its very unlikely that Apple would make a desktop that is upgradeable with 3rd party hardwares cause Apple seem to like being in control of everything. It makes thing easier when something go wrong. And its easier for them to build their OS cause they know whats the min specs gonna be and so on (and which Apple product will be able to use it).
I guess the iMac will still go on and maybe Apple might release a lower end version of their PowerMac series. Which im totally guessing.
I really hope Apple would use Nvidia graphics though. Cause I have always been a fan of Nvidia, and my current PC is getting to its age limit soon, so lets hope Apple updates their iMac line before my computer goes bye bye.
Yesterday's night for the first time my new 24" iMac gets totally nuts in GUI. After couple of hours working, probably when GPU temperature got higer, first in Front Row and then even in system and Dashboard - parts of graphic elements was missing or covered with chaotic-mosaic-rubbish pattern! There comes even flashy colourfull rainbow rubbish during playing fulscreen video in FrontRow!
I have all updates installed and GUI is not freezing from this time. But if that mosaic patterns will come everytime when temperature gets higher, then it's serious problem! It's winter now, what about 30 degrees in summertime?!
I will want to change this stupid ATI crap for completely different GPU!!!
I'm writing from Italy. I bought a 20" 2.4 iMac on the 24th of October and I'm experiencing the same freezing and oddities on the screen. I've made all the updates suggested by Apple, I installed Leopard and the 1.3 upgrade. With extreme patience I've made the pram reset following the instruction of Apple phone support (here in Italy you pay aroung 0,17 euros per minute to get a solution for a problem they are causing to you!!)
I still have the problem. I don't know if its a heat problem as sometimes it is there also at the first morning switch on. To me it appears random.
Anyway I'm depressed. Also here in Italy many posts in mac forums are on this subject.
I'm depressed and furious because when I hear Apple saying: "few users" as a way to minimize the problem I think that my money was as good as the money of the other people. But my iMac isn't.
So I think that this great company should have more respect for its customers. Apple more than all the others.
This afternoon I'll bring my iMac back. Of course they will say: "we never heard about this problem". That's why I've printed some posts along with some picture of the crazy screen just to show them that I'm not crazy. I will let you know if this "last beach" solve my problem.
Does anybody know Steve jobs personal email?? Well, could be an idea let him know what's happing outside golden doors of Apple.
Just got back from vacation and was prepared to buy an iMac. However, after reading all the items here will be delaying that purchase. Glad to see it here first instead of touting all the advantages of the iMac to my wife and then having it freezing.
Glad sites such as this are around to avoid some potential pitfalls.
Might be an after Christmas purchase by the sounds of it...
Comments
LOL... Obviously you were editing as I was responding.
Yeah...I missed the "i" in front of Mac then realized that you were singling out one model, My bad.
The white 24" iMacs did, I don't think the current ones do.
The current ones have a separate daughterboard
I've never had any problem with ATI, and I haven't heard of any systematic problem due to failures or flakiness of ATI chips.
The 2600HD has had some issues in general on both platforms
I think video cards in their desktops might be replaceable by swapping out one card. It's a five minute job.
You'd be surprised how many desktop models from HP and Dell (even higher end ones) have integrated graphics.
It's not quite that simple. The heat is extremely localised and given the design of the iMac there isn't much you can do externally to cool it, other than using it inside a refrigerated room. Even then the area concerned will still get hot, it will just take longer to fall over.
When I had overheating problems on my upgraded G4, I opened the case and had a fan blowing across the processor directly. Despite that it would still freeze up when undergoing processor intensive tasks, like audio ripping or file conversions and I could feel the heat coming off it with my hand.
If I manually fanned it with a large board I could get it through tasks that otherwise would lock it up. Extremely tiring and ultimately futile.
btw I got that upgrade from OWC and was dropped like a hot potato immediately it looked like it was a dud. Last time I ever order from them.
No one has determined it is a heat issue at all, open one of these up and you'll see the Heat pipes and heat sinks are as large as the ones on the CPU.
new iMacs.
The iMac graphics are all on-board soldered.
Dude, sorry but as I and others have said, the new imac uses MXM daughter cards.
This means that apple can pull the card and replace it.
It does not mean that you can bung a geforce 8800gxt in it
Despite MXM supposedly being a standard, they ain't.
See here if you are interested: http://www.mxm-upgrade.com/
Especially the Al iMac reference here: http://www.mxm-upgrade.com/notMXM.html
To quote:
---
Apple joins the rank of Quanta: looks great, but offers no compatibility. The 24" iMac uses a card that is based on the MXM formfactor but offers no compatibility. A reader of MXM Upgrade has tried several MXM cards in his Apple, including a reference 6200 card MXM Upgrade has send him, and none of those worked. If we are correctly informed, this comes from an incompatible vBios and this behavious was also seen in the past with incompatible AGP cards.
---
Also see here for good imac take-apart: http://www.kodawarisan.com/imac_2007...07_mid_02.html
Forget iMac for games I reckon
new iMacs.
20" model
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB of GDDR3 memory \t
20" model & 24" model
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
24" model
2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
Macbook: Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory (Supports 256MB but Apple reserves part of that memory)
Macbook Pro: nVidia
15.4-inch: 2.2GHz (MA895LL/A) 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
PCI Express: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 128MB of GDDR3 SDRAM and dual-link DVI
15.4-inch: 2.4GHz (MA896LL/A) \t17-inch: 2.4GHz (MA897LL/A) 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
PCI Express: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM and dual-link DVI
The iMac graphics are all on-board soldered.
The Current iMacs' video chip set are on a daughtercard, not soldered to the board.
I actually am having quite a few freezing issues with my brand new Macbook Pro
For what it's worth, my MacbookPro 15" 2.2Ghz C2Duo has a GeForce 8600M GT running 10.4.10 has no issues what so ever since I bought it in August.
No one has determined it is a heat issue at all, open one of these up and you'll see the Heat pipes and heat sinks are as large as the ones on the CPU.
Looks like a duck, walks like a duck, sounds like a duck...
...must be a bleedin' ferret!
apple will fix that soon, iMac is a great machine with leopard on it ...
WRONG. The White iMac is a great machine with Tiger on it.
In this case the videocard stops working, the screen goes black.
The cpu is still working, just you can't see what's happening.
And yes you have to reboot to get your screen back again.
Thank you. In that case, none of our machines are having a problem.
I was initially excited about new ATI cards because they are 65nm compared to nVidia's 80nm. However, clearly ATI and AMD are in a world of shite right now.
Intel and nVidia are owning their asses right now.
I am wondering if the 24" 2.8ghz is causing more suffering because that is a Intel Core2Duo 2.6 'OCed 2.8ghz. Combine that with crappy ATI GPUs and *sigh*... Not to say that Apple does not take the blame, all-in-ones operate within pretty narrow thermal margins.
The way it is going to break down is this: Apple has to fulfill it's contractual and batch obligations to ATI so it will continue to use them.
Where there are heating, crashing problems it will offer those, along with custom build GPUs to nVidia (whichi I strongly, strongly encourage for anyone getting new iMacs).
As soon as Apple can bail out of using ATI, iMac's will go to nVidia.
This is going to be expensive for Apple. The GPU is on the logic board, so it's not as simple as just swapping out a graphics card. They'll have to replace the entire logic board. But, if it turns out that it's a heat issue, I don't see that there's any other resolution. Graphics drivers won't resolve it.
The right thing to do, obviously, is to replace the logic board for all affected customers.
Perhaps, perhaps not. A redesigned heatsink/fan unit may do the trick. We don't know what we don't know.
What I do know is that such a basic design error should never make it into production. Apple seems to be regressing into some bad old habits. I hope not.
My hope is that the new iMacs will get such a reputation as a troubled model that sales will plummet to the point Apple will be forced to introduce a real desktop.
Erm no, cause one of the point why people prefer all in one then a real desktop cause it looks cleaner for office or workstore usage. No more cloggin wires. For gamers I understand why you guys would want a real desktop cause you all can upgrade or mod it. Its very unlikely that Apple would make a desktop that is upgradeable with 3rd party hardwares cause Apple seem to like being in control of everything. It makes thing easier when something go wrong. And its easier for them to build their OS cause they know whats the min specs gonna be and so on (and which Apple product will be able to use it).
I guess the iMac will still go on and maybe Apple might release a lower end version of their PowerMac series. Which im totally guessing.
I really hope Apple would use Nvidia graphics though. Cause I have always been a fan of Nvidia, and my current PC is getting to its age limit soon, so lets hope Apple updates their iMac line before my computer goes bye bye.
I have all updates installed and GUI is not freezing from this time. But if that mosaic patterns will come everytime when temperature gets higher, then it's serious problem! It's winter now, what about 30 degrees in summertime?!
I will want to change this stupid ATI crap for completely different GPU!!!
I'm writing from Italy. I bought a 20" 2.4 iMac on the 24th of October and I'm experiencing the same freezing and oddities on the screen. I've made all the updates suggested by Apple, I installed Leopard and the 1.3 upgrade. With extreme patience I've made the pram reset following the instruction of Apple phone support (here in Italy you pay aroung 0,17 euros per minute to get a solution for a problem they are causing to you!!)
I still have the problem. I don't know if its a heat problem as sometimes it is there also at the first morning switch on. To me it appears random.
Anyway I'm depressed. Also here in Italy many posts in mac forums are on this subject.
I'm depressed and furious because when I hear Apple saying: "few users" as a way to minimize the problem I think that my money was as good as the money of the other people. But my iMac isn't.
So I think that this great company should have more respect for its customers. Apple more than all the others.
This afternoon I'll bring my iMac back. Of course they will say: "we never heard about this problem". That's why I've printed some posts along with some picture of the crazy screen just to show them that I'm not crazy. I will let you know if this "last beach" solve my problem.
Does anybody know Steve jobs personal email??
scrical
Glad sites such as this are around to avoid some potential pitfalls.
Might be an after Christmas purchase by the sounds of it...
groan