iMac 12.2 benchmark score very low..

Hi;

iMac 27" model 12.2 - i5 - 3.2 GHz - 16 GB RAM, 1 TB disk, Lion 10.7.3.... two months old.

I downloaded the BlackMagicDesign disk speed tester a while ago, and found that the read/write score was about 80-90 MB/s. Which is normal, compared to the results I saw on the Internet.

Lately I hooked up a G-Technology external FireWire 800 drive, and I just ran the test again to see the result of that drive. To my surprise, the internal HD now yields 68/68 (MB/s Write/Read) vs. 75/70 for the G-Tech drive; meaning that the external drive is faster then the internal one.

I then downloaded XBench, another benchmark application, where you can submit/compare your results with those of others. This showed that my system is significantly slower then other comparable systems.

My disk has 760 GB free of 1 TB... 16 GB RAM, and I performed the tests after a fresh restart and no applications running other then the benchmarked. I did the same with all external disks switched off.... same results. Recently, I cleaned the system (Onyx, repair permissions, verify disk etc.). I did have some trouble in the beginning due to a faulty memory module, but since that has been replaced my system runs trouble-free.

I do not understand why my system is so much slower at disk IO then other systems. I understand that Mac's do not really need disk defragmenters/ regular cleaning as PC systems do, and I do not have any troubleware installed....

Anyone any idea what might be the cause? Could it be that the G-Drive installed drivers that slow down the internal disk?

Thymen

Disk Data:
Intel 6 Series Chipset:

Vendor: Intel
Product: 6 Series Chipset
Link Speed: 6 Gigabit
Negotiated Link Speed: 3 Gigabit
Description: AHCI Version 1.30 Supported

WDC WD1001FALS-403AA0:

Capacity: 1 TB (1,000,204,886,016 bytes)
Model: WDC WD1001FALS-403AA0
Revision: 06.01D02
Serial Number: WD-WCATR8073420
Native Command Queuing: Yes
Queue Depth: 32
Removable Media: No
Detachable Drive: No
BSD Name: disk0
Rotational Rate: 7200
Medium Type: Rotational
Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified
Volumes:
disk0s1:
Capacity: 209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)
BSD Name: disk0s1
Content: EFI
Macintosh HD:
Capacity: 999.35 GB (999,345,127,424 bytes)
Available: 762.39 GB (762,391,236,608 bytes)
Writable: Yes
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk0s2
Mount Point: /
Content: Apple_HFS
Recovery HD:
Capacity: 650 MB (650,002,432 bytes)
BSD Name: disk0s3
Content: Apple_Boot

Thymen said:

Anyone any idea what might be the cause?

Click to expand...

How about posting your benchmarking results from X-bench and the BlackMagicDesign app (the official results from the programs)...so we can investigate & compare against other benchmarks for similar systems out there?

As well as some benchmarking threads we have here at Mac-Forums.

When you say your computer is slow...are you only concerned about the disk I/O performance...or cpu & gpu results as well?

- Nick

See the pictures. In the lower one (XBench), I am the red one...

Thymen

Well...

Called Apple support today, they eventually told me that disk performance was not a software issue, so they could not help me. Only in case of a Seagate hdd, then they would replace it, since performance issues were known with this drive. However, we discussed the matter a bit further, and they suggested a re-install of OSX. I told about other sw problems I have had, and they hinted that it could well be that the so-called 'premium re-seller' had not done a premium job. My system is mid-2011 (purchased it it February 2012!), and possibly the re-seller had re-placed Leopard with Lion without considering hardware differences between systems. And Software Update does not detect/consider it.

So, I backed up everything, made a Carbon Copy Clone just in case, and reinstalled Lion directly form the Apple servers via the Internet. In this case you are guaranteed to get the proper drivers etc.

Did take about half an hour, from start to finish.... no questions asked, no serial numbers to cough up ... great!

First thing I did was to start BlackMagic disk speed benchmarker. Guess what?

Before re-install 50-60 MB/s Read and Write
After re-install 120-130 MB/s Read and write.

!!!! more then double the performance !!! And, in sync with what I found on the Internet from other users !!

Currently reinstalling software, doing a speed test after every major install. I hope performance will remain as it s now...

Thymen

Wow...congrats on finding a solution!

Sounds like a very unusual situation. You never mentioned the "premium reseller" earlier in the thread...so it was hard to foresee this as the source of the issue.

Who is/was the "premium reseller"?

Congrats again,

- Nick

I am living in the Netherlands, so it is not one of the big American resellers. Besides, mentioning a name without giving them the opportunity to explain themselves first is not nice. I will ask for an explanation, though...

It was hinted by AppleCare that should I buy at the AppleStore on the Internet, then the gear would come directly from Apple, and that they always make sure everything is OK. And I would always get the latest version, not a mid-2011 in feb 2012, for there ave been two new versions since, albeit minor ones..

I have had more then one bone to pick with this reseller already, and if they cannot explain this issue well... I might file a complaint about them at Apple. I wanted this machine for private use in order to NOT have the same kind of issues I have with the PC systems I deal with every day, but so far it has kept me quite busy.

I trusted the big Apple logo, and the banner "Premium Reseller" in the shop. But is appears that does not mean anything at all... it is NOT Apple you're buying from! Ah well, let's hope that the days of trouble free use have started now.

Thymen

Thymen said:

...mentioning a name without giving them the opportunity to explain themselves first is not nice. I will ask for an explanation, though...

I have had more then one bone to pick with this reseller already, and if they cannot explain this issue well... I might file a complaint about them at Apple.

I trusted the big Apple logo, and the banner "Premium Reseller" in the shop. But is appears that does not mean anything at all... it is NOT Apple you're buying from! Ah well, let's hope that the days of trouble free use have started now.

Click to expand...

Sounds to me that since you have already had multiple issues with this "premium reseller"...and are already thinking about filing a complaint about them for multiple previous issues...that mentioning their name at this point would/could help others in the Netherlands.

If this disk I/O problem was the first issue you had with them (which they haven't had a chance to respond to yet)...I could see waiting before mentioning their name.

I was mostly curious if it was a North American based reseller...and if I would have heard of them.

The important thing is that your computer seems to be running as it should!

- Nick

My grievances with the reseller so far:

1. I paid full price for a 27" i5 3.1 GHz iMac, with 4 GB. I paid USD 260 extra to have it upgraded to 8 GB RAM (they gave me 25% discount on that because they had something to celebrate.. guess what it was...). We discussed the config in the shop, before I took it home, and we agreed that it would be 2 x 4GB, same as when you get an 8GB machine from the Apple Store so I could extend memory later. I discovered after I had installed the system and was peeking around to see all the specs that all slots were occupied with 4 x 2 GB RAM modules. Complained about this, and a week later I went back to the store, handed in the 4 x 2GB, and got 2 x 4GB. Bought an additional 2 x 4 GB from the electronics supermarket next to them for USD 100. Meaning I paid 5 times the price I could have paid for the extra 4 GB... but that is my own fault.
   .
2. I had ordered an English version of MS Office, which they had not available in their branch, but could get within a few days from another branch. Promised to call me when it arrived. After two weeks I called them, and it appeared it had been there for some time already....
   .
3. I asked several questions about what mice were working properly with an iMac besides the MM. Could not give me an satisfying answer.
   .
4. Asked if a USB 3.0 external hard disk would for with the iMac. They did not know. Took the gamble, and it is no problem at all.
   .
5. I found out that the keyboard was not functioning properly. Some keys appeared not to be mapped well. Browsing on the Internet, I found that this might have been a left-over from previous OSX-versions: a wrong key mapping file. Delete it, and a new, correct one will be installed. Told them about this. They had no clue
   .
6. Got errors, mouse problems, kernel panics. Went to the shop, they had no clue. Browsing the Internet (and this forum), found hardware (memory) tests, and discovered one memory module possibly was broken. Called Apple Support because I could not get the Apple HardWare Test started (to test all hardware; instructions for Lion is to also hold the Alt-key next to D). Memory module from reseller was broken. Wondered about the module brand "LifeTime", called Apple and they said they never heard of that brand, so I wondered if I paid top dollar for an obscure, inferior brand. However, reseller said 'it was OK, they had been using then for years' . Exchanged faulty module, and cleaned up system.
   .
7. During this first contact with Apple Support there appeared to be a problem with the registration. I have 3 year Apple care. It appeared that the system was registered on another person's name as well as on mine.... Apple Support fixed that.
   .
8. System more stable now. Bought a G-Technology FW800 external drive for data. Compared speeds between internal- and external HD. Found out that external HD was faster than internal, and internal drive speed lagging far behind comparable systems from others.
   Called Apple Support, they could not really do anything about it. However, when they asked how I installed the system, and I responded that I did this from the internal drive without Internet connection, they hinted that the reseller might have ' upgraded' a Leopard machine to Lion prior to sale, and that something had gone wrong. Like outdated drivers etc. And there had been two more releases after the mid-2011 model. I bought end of Feb 2012... This reminded me also about the keyboard mapping and registration problem... Am wondering now if I paid full price for a refurbished model.
   .
9. I re-installed the system via the Internet, and the keyboard mapping was OK without tweaking. Drive speed increased by factor of 2, and God knows what else has been 'fixed' that should not have been wrong in the first place....

I am going to send a letter to the reseller, and hope they can explain everything. If not, I will send the same letter to Apple as well. After all, it gives Apple a bad rep as well as the reseller, doesn't it?

One more thing: Apple Support is great. They are friendly, helpful, and really try their best. Like the tech support person who helped me yesterday. Knowledgeable, and took all the time needed to discuss everything, and the alternative actions I could take. No complaints here!

Thymen

Thymen,

I don't know...you have an awful longggg list of grievances there! Sounds to me like it may be difficult for this "premium reseller" to explain away so many things.

I can't see how mentioning their name (at this point with so many issues) would be unethical. Your call of course.

This sounds like an unfortunate (but interesting situation). Please please keep us updated.

Thanks,

- Nick