Hot or Not

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Hi Folks,
I purchased my Imac about 18 months ago.

27-inch: 3.2GHz
3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
8GB (two 4GB) memory
1TB hard drive1
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX with 1GB

It's set up in my office with many other electrical items and I guess that at any one time there are two or three items running off different plugs, today I smelt a burning smell not like a fire more like electrical, I checked all the plugs one of which was running warm.
I then put my hand onto the back of my Mac and on the top, the top was quite hot, I have never done this before so I don't know how hot it should be running, I guess it should be quite warm, it is however, running fine, I've kept it running to see if the heat fluctuates but it doesn't seem to be, the smell didn't last long "I guess about 30 seconds" I unplugged the plug that was warm, "nothing to do with the Mac, what so ever".
All I want to know is, does the Mac usually run quite hot, It probably sounds like a strange thing to ask after 18 months of constant use but I honestly have never noticed how hot it is running.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Cheers.
Kev.
 

pigoo3

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All I want to know is, does the Mac usually run quite hot, It probably sounds like a strange thing to ask after 18 months of constant use but I honestly have never noticed how hot it is running.

General answer yes. More specific answer...it depends on what you're doing.

Since you haven't noticed this for 18 months...it's probably been like this all along (unless you started doing something more "intense" lately).

You can install an application called "Temp Monitor" to get a better idea of temps:

Temperature Monitor: Description

Also (since this computer is 18 months old)...you never know...some dirt/fuzz may be building up a little on the inside...and it may need a little cleaning (although newer iMacs are getting harder & harder to open up & clean).

Lastly...if the temp in the room that the iMac is in is warmer than usual...that can also increase the iMac's temp.

- Nick
 

Raz0rEdge

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If you touch the top of the iMac, you will find that it's hot and that's how it's supposed to be. There are slits at the bottom of the iMac and an elaborate fan system that sucks cold air from the bottom and then sends it over all the components and the hot air out the top. This cools the components and expels the warm air..

Additionally, since the iMac case is aluminum, it's going to seem hotter to touch than a plastic case might, but that doesn't mean it's misbehaving or anything..
 
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My iMac also runs so hot it's almost too hot to touch the top, but every source says it's normal.
 

Raz0rEdge

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My iMac also runs so hot it's almost too hot to touch the top, but every source says it's normal.

It should definitely not get so hot that you can't touch it. The top of my iMac is warm, but nothing unbearable to touch..
 
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^ I should add, the ambient temps are in the upper 80sF° and, the high speed fans never kick in. But yes, it's no exaggeration when I say the top is almost unbearably hot when grasped. Also consider that it's an all-in-one so the heat is be concentrated.
 

chscag

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Every iMac is an all in one, but the heat at the top vents should never be hot enough so that you can't place your hand there. Your iMac has three fans so it might be a good idea to download something like iStat Pro and monitor the fan speeds and temps. (It's a free app.)
 

Raz0rEdge

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My computer is currently seeing temps (in degC). All values are from iStat Pro..

HD - 42
CPU - 42
Ambient - 22
GPU Diode - 56
GPU Heatsink - 53
Mem Controller - 44
Optical Drive - 36
Power Supply 2 - 52

The fans are running as:
Optical Drive - 998 rpm
Hard Drive - 1170 rpm
CPU Fan - 936 rpm

I'm definitely not seeing very high ambient temps in my AC'ed home..
 

chscag

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My temps and fans speeds are very close to yours. (Mid 2011 iMac 21.5")
 

pigoo3

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^ I should add, the ambient temps are in the upper 80sF° and, the high speed fans never kick in. But yes, it's no exaggeration when I say the top is almost unbearably hot when grasped. Also consider that it's an all-in-one so the heat is be concentrated.

It's best to talk in terms of numbers (°F or °C). Different folks have different tolerances for heat. What one person thinks is "unbearably hot" to the touch...another may only think is warm/very warm.

Need numbers.:)

Temp Monitor:

Temperature Monitor: Description

- Nick

p.s. Of course ambient temps in the upper 80's °F does not help when it comes to computer temps.
 
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chas_m

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Yes, people are completely goofy when it comes to what constitutes "hot" or "cold!"

When I lived in Florida, anything below 70F was "freezing!"
Where I live now, anything above 80F is "a heat wave!!"

My current resident is un-airconditioned because we don't need it here for the very occasional "actually hot" day.

In Florida it's practically against the law not to have central AC *and* your own pool *and* a car with AC. Indeed, most people there spend most of their time in an AC environment and almost no time outdoors, particularly during the summer (except when swimming or going to the beach to get a tan, of course, then the heat is perfectly acceptable!).

One other thing to remember: it is a myth that computers need to be kept freezing cold to work properly. That was true in the 80s, it's not true anymore. Certainly you can overload/overclock a computer better in cold rooms than warm/hot rooms, but "normal temperature" for processors under load is well north of what you or I as humans would find "hot."

Case in point: my computer just finished converting a big AIFF file to MP3, but other than that it's not doing anything (except me typing this). Current CPU temp: 74C (169F). The fans are on, yes, but barely noticeable, and that's because they are cooling the machine from the AIFF->MP3 conversion from a few minutes ago.
 
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I downloaded that temp. monitor app. However, it only shows a meaningless reading of 102° F (Dock icon). I have no idea what that is reading (CPU?). Ambient temp is a more reasonable 70° F.
 

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I would suggest the iStat Pro instead, it's a desktop widget and will show you more information..
 

pigoo3

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I downloaded that temp. monitor app. However, it only shows a meaningless reading of 102° F (Dock icon). I have no idea what that is reading (CPU?). Ambient temp is a more reasonable 70° F.

Temp Monitor has lots of temp readings. You may not be looking at the correct window/windows.

- Nick
 
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Screen shot. ambient temp 74° F. It'll be more fun when I post on a really hot day.

Screen Shot 2013-07-23 at 6.24.34 PM.png
 

pigoo3

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Screen shot. ambient temp 74° F. It'll be more fun when I post on a really hot day.

Yes...maybe so!;) Not a whole lot there to get excited about...which is a good thing!:)

- Nick
 

Raz0rEdge

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Here are my stats in degF. I've got a VM running Linux building Android, so the temps are higher than when I posted before..but nothing that alarms me..:)

Just curious why CPU Core 8 doesn't register any temp at all though..

Sensor Overview - Dante.png
 

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