iMac G5: So hot it may melt, literally

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I have yet to decide if AppleInsider will do a followup on this issue, but it is interesting nonetheless:



Check out this report:



http://www.powerpage.org/cgi-bin/Web...y?newsID=12446



Sounds a lot like the issue I described in this article, month's before the iMac G5 was announced:



http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=550



I'd be very interested to hear if any of you guys and gals are experiencing similar problems with your new iMac G5s.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 28
    pbg4 dudepbg4 dude Posts: 1,611member
    At least one fan in my 20" iMac is tuned to a very annoying pitch. It doesn't turn fast and it isn't particularly loud (any other noise in the room drowns out the fan noise), but if my iMac is the only thing in the room making noise, the fan's pitch is almost headache inducing.



    I've also noticed that almost from the moment it is turned on the iMac is blowing hot air out the top vent. This is what the fan is supposed to do. I guess I'm surprised at how quickly the escaping air warms up though.



    Haven't noticed any warping / melting of the vent or optical drive area. I will definitely check tonight when I get home.
  • Reply 2 of 28
    a rather inflamatory (no pun intended) thread title.

    One person complained of warping which may have been due other reasons
  • Reply 3 of 28
    kcmackcmac Posts: 1,051member
    My 20" runs cooler than my old G3 iMac DVSE 400. The case feels warm only on the lower right part of the "chin" on the front. Otherwise, it is cool.



    My old iMac gets very hot on the top of the machine where the vent holes are located.
  • Reply 4 of 28
    I'll have to check that out before I buy my iMac, I dont' want to get one if they are going to melt. I bet i'll get some wierd looks when I am feeling up an iMac at the apple store...
  • Reply 5 of 28
    pbg4 dudepbg4 dude Posts: 1,611member
    I checked mine and it definitely isn't melting. It's getting some serious use as well!
  • Reply 6 of 28
    banchobancho Posts: 1,517member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by mynameis

    I'll have to check that out before I buy my iMac, I dont' want to get one if they are going to melt. I bet i'll get some wierd looks when I am feeling up an iMac at the apple store...



    They're pretty cool with you touching the machines. It's when you start in with the deep tongue kisses that they start to get nervous...
  • Reply 7 of 28
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Bancho

    They're pretty cool with you touching the machines. It's when you start in with the deep tongue kisses that they start to get nervous...



    Hehe, you're right, they do. The trick is to plug the- OMG! You're PERVERTED! Get AWAY!
  • Reply 8 of 28
    dorndorn Posts: 28member
    Ok.



    Real simple... iMac G5 won't melt. There's an internal thermistor that will shurt down the comptuer (like hard power off) if it gets close to being that hot.



    And that heat is well above plastic melting.



    I honestly dont see the purpose of the article...



    I've taken one apart, the product is nicely designed, thermal management is pretty slick using blowers rather than fans, and the SMU (something new to the product line, which may actually be more coverable as NEWS) provides management of diagnostic LEDs (also something new that cool). Its a nice blend of portable and desktop technologies.



    Seriously though... Dev note is on dev connectin, read it, its got good info about how the iMac G5 works, and behavior that helps defeat this argument.



    As a side note, are others really tired of the use of "inside sources"... Yea, peeking at upcoming stuff is fun, but in the world of people making stuff up for sensation, facts would be nice.



    Dorn.
  • Reply 9 of 28
    dorndorn Posts: 28member
    Btw,



    ? original imacs = cooled by convection - no fans so top of unit is warm like a tv.



    ? flat panel imacs - single 120mm fan pulling air from the bottom, up around components and exhausing near the base of the neck (i may have airflow backwards, but you get the point), fan and the frame is designed to minimize fan noise.



    ? iMac G5 - zoned cooling using three blowers. one blower for CPU and two blowers used to pull the hot air from the bottom of the computer through a slit in the rear of the computer. blowers are controlled by hardware via smu + os.



    One thing about "warping" by the optical drive. a few things can cause that...



    1. check optical drive alignment, if you've taken it out and not installed it all the way, its going to cause that.



    2. Fully tighten the bottom screws. The mechanism for holding the rear panel of the iMac G5 may not have gripped that back panel fully. (trust me this is a damn cool mechanism, take a look at it and you'll see what i mean)



    If heat were to cause warping, why would it be centralized to that area since the exhaust covers the whole back?



    /shrug... just offering up some info
  • Reply 10 of 28
    pbpb Posts: 4,255member
    I am wondering if the heat in the iMac G5 would damage or shorten the life of the LCD. If I am not mistaken, LCDs are not meant to be used in such temperatures.
  • Reply 11 of 28
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Bancho

    They're pretty cool with you touching the machines.



    I've been working with a guy who over the past two days while plugging a USB drive into the back of computers has managed to have them short out and fry on him. I think they'll mind if he touches one
  • Reply 12 of 28
    giaguaragiaguara Posts: 2,724member
    Kasper, I think you are becoming a constant figure in the internal humor mailing lists...
  • Reply 13 of 28
    dorndorn Posts: 28member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by PB

    I am wondering if the heat in the iMac G5 would damage or shorten the life of the LCD. If I am not mistaken, LCDs are not meant to be used in such temperatures.



    Not really because the LCD is on the opposite side of the midplane. The majority of heat generating components is all on the rear side of the computer.



    Another way to think of it is that the midplane is sort of like a powerbook stiffener + mlb, if you put airflow over the hot components and mount a display on the other side, then it won't be affected by that heat since its being pulled away.



    now if it was designed in a way so the heat was circulated "between" the midplane and LCD, then yea, maybe. But its not designed like that.



    Regards.



    (You know its a cool product when technology jaded ppl like me get excited)
  • Reply 14 of 28
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    From the article:



    Quote:

    No matter where you are in the room, you can hear it. I am thinking about returning it for a PowerMac G5 instead.



    Good idea. You know, because the dual G5 Power Macs are silent and everything.
  • Reply 15 of 28
    pbpb Posts: 4,255member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Dorn

    Not really because the LCD is on the opposite side of the midplane. The majority of heat generating components is all on the rear side of the computer.

    .

    .

    .

    now if it was designed in a way so the heat was circulated "between" the midplane and LCD, then yea, maybe. But its not designed like that.





    Hmm, I just read in the other thread philby's post about the german magazine c't. They measured a temperature of 48 C in the upper left corner of the new iMac, while TFTs are designed to operate in no more than 40 C. It seems something is not right here.
  • Reply 16 of 28
    dorndorn Posts: 28member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by PB

    Hmm, I just read in the other thread philby's post about the german magazine c't. They measured a temperature of 48 C in the left upper corner of the new iMac, while TFTs are designed to operate in no more than 40 C. It seems something is not right here.



    Interesting, did they provide any info on how the temps were gotten?



    I'm stretching a bit here so bear with me:



    external thermometer (infrared) - yea something odd with that.

    Internal thermometer - to get that in, some aspect of the airflow may have been affected possibly causing a dead spot. (i.e. the airflow is not only "pushing air" but also relying on a vacuum to be created that helps the airflow as well) If a dead spot is created by a wire sticking in the case, that could happen



    Or it could be an odd machine, or just how it is... However, i'm not quite ready to accept the later...



    Ponder....
  • Reply 17 of 28
    guarthoguartho Posts: 1,208member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Dorn

    Btw,



    ? original imacs = cooled by convection - no fans so top of unit is warm like a tv.







    The original iMac had a fan that drew heat off of the processoor daughter card.
  • Reply 18 of 28
    banchobancho Posts: 1,517member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Guartho

    The original iMac had a fan that drew heat off of the processoor daughter card.



    Very true. Convection cooling was introduced with the slot loading iMacs.
  • Reply 19 of 28
    dorndorn Posts: 28member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Bancho

    Very true. Convection cooling was introduced with the slot loading iMacs.



    I'll be damned, you're right. I stand corrected.



    (but then again, slot loads did use convection... so /shrug) (/em feels nitpicky today i guess)
  • Reply 20 of 28
    pbpb Posts: 4,255member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Dorn

    II'm stretching a bit here so bear with me:



    external thermometer (infrared) - yea something odd with that.




    That's it. They used an infrared thermometer. Check out the latest reply from philby in my request, in the same thread.
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