HELP: iMac feelin' hot hot HOT

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That is, according to Temperature Monitor, the CPU is easily over 60C, sometimes 70C. This is higher recently than some weeks ago*

And the machine sometimes just shuts down black, like the power cord was yanked (though oddly, not always when the temp is so high).

I started running CHUD Nap but that hasn't done much (not that I really expected it to fix things).

Yes, I need to open the machine and clean it, although the outlet is not dirty. Also check internal alignment.

But before opening, I'm looking for other suggestions.

- Like, how can I tell if a fan has stopped working? *seems like I don't hear the fan crank up, even with CPU temp high.

- Any other bright ideas or stuff to check?

- Any reason NOT to put a foil heat sink on the HDD (Which is a non-original; a WD Green 1TB)?

- Will it help if I can get Steve Jobs to come and wave a palm front near the air intake? :-D

Thanks!
 
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You could download iStat in widgets its free and it will give you fan speed and temp in either ℃ or ℉ besides a lot of other info. You might want to pull up Activity Monitor and see if you have a runaway app.
 
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Yea, iStat is great. I use it.

I just checked it, and it looks like I'm running 45-60°c, 64°c on Northbridge. I don't have any performance errors, other than issues caused by too little of RAM. (Upgrades coming tomorrow :) ).

I know my last iMac ran really hot. ( 65° plus ) And it's still kicking today, after about 5 years. It could probably use a cleaning.
 
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Mid 2010 27" 2.93GHz Intel Quad Core i7 iMac 12Gb Ram OS X 10.8.5 / 10.10
I have iStat menus 3 installed on my imac and temps are always around the 20-30c mark unless im doing some video editing work when it goes to 40-50c.

I do have the "shuts down black" occasionally, but reading around the net it looks like a problem when upgrading the ram (yes, I upgraded from 4 to 16GB ram and the shuts downs started then).
Looks like 12GB ram works though as the mac has been stable since I took out 4 gigs.
 
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I have iStat menus 3 installed on my imac and temps are always around the 20-30c mark unless im doing some video editing work when it goes to 40-50c.

I do have the "shuts down black" occasionally, but reading around the net it looks like a problem when upgrading the ram (yes, I upgraded from 4 to 16GB ram and the shuts downs started then).
Looks like 12GB ram works though as the mac has been stable since I took out 4 gigs.

Wow, those temps are way lower. I'm feeling a fan is not working maybe.

Can you tell me more about the RAM problem? I have seen some RAM-related shutdown codes, so I'm very interested in this aspect. Maybe I have two sets of problems going on...
 
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Mid 2010 27" 2.93GHz Intel Quad Core i7 iMac 12Gb Ram OS X 10.8.5 / 10.10
Wow, those temps are way lower. I'm feeling a fan is not working maybe.
Are you reading them in 'Celsius or Fahrenheit'. Could be a faulty fan too, take it for a checkup.

Can you tell me more about the RAM problem? I have seen some RAM-related shutdown codes, so I'm very interested in this aspect. Maybe I have two sets of problems going on...

Sure. My mac came with standard 4GB ram and after a while it just wasn't cutting the mustard when i did some HD editing, so i bit the bullet and decided to max out my mac to 16GB.

Off I went to an reputable online ram provider (begins Cr) and made sure that I ordered the correct type of ram for my mac (DDR3 - 1333 MHz).

Took out the macs Apple supplied 4GB ram and installed the upgrade ram, and thats when the shutdowns started.

I looked around the suppliers forum (and others) and it seems that quite a few people have experienced these sporadic 'shutdowns' after upgrading their ram and it looks like it happens when you add the full amount.

Anyway, I did all the resets that people suggested (SMC,VRAM,PRAM) and tested all the ram modules and slots (all were okay), but it was still happening .

Then I put back the Apple supplied ram (2X2GB) and just added 8GB of the upgrade (2x4GB) which gave my mac 12GB Total ram.
I also checked my power multi-plug socket to make sure there wasn't a short on one of them and swapped the plugs around.

So far it seems to have sorted out the shutdowns I just hope I haven't spoke (or typed) too soon.

Conclusion:
It's not the upgraded ram modules.
It's not the macs ram slots.
There maybe a system conflict when doing a full ram upgrade.
I might just be lucky:D

Cheers.
 

CrimsonRequiem


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60ºC isn't that hot. That's maybe my MB watching a flash video. Try rendering or playing a game and you can easily get 70-90ºC. >_>"
 
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Opened it and cleaned it, some dirt but not really dirty. Powered it up while open, not sure the fan between the air intake and the CPU was running. The other two fans are running. Reset the SMU via internal button while I was at it.

Now trying to boot from Apple Hardware disc but the machine won't boot completely now (sigh, another thread perhaps)

I do have brand "C" memory for several years now without this problem. It is maxed to 2GB in this machine. Does memory "go bad"? Now I get "Invalid memory access" when I try to boot the the A. Hardware disc.
- And, the fan CRANKS the flow, so I guess both fans (?) must be working.

???

I really like the machine, I don't want to trash it. Besides the money, I do NOT like the glass screens on the new ones since I really notice reflections and they really bug me.
 
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Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Yes memory does fail particularly if it gets too hot!

What disc are you tryinh tp boot from? Not a grey disc that did not come with the machine when new?
 
OP
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It's a silver disk, "Apple Hardware Test" SW version 1.1 691-3096-A, copyright 2001. "To use this CD hold down the C key as the computer starts up"

Oddly, today the CPU temps are significantly reduced, down in the low/mid 50s.

I loaded the iStat widget and it shows all 3 fans operating. On the other hand it showed all 3 operating yesterday and the CPU was exceeding 70C.

Sigh (of both exasperation and I-hope-relief) :\

I'm feeling I have a memory crash problem and the temps are another issue (maybe fritzing the RAM, good point).
 

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