Cooling New iMac

[T_O_P12]

Just made the switch and got an 27" iMac and I love it but want to take the best care of it. Is there any benefit in keeping it as cool as possible? Such as if I were to run a fan across the back of the case to help cooling or as long as it is in the operating temperature range it will be fine and work the same?

 

[chas_m]

Welcome and congrats on the switch!

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/ap...what-do-i-do-guide.html?highlight=overheating

I find it endlessly fascinating that so many switchers appear to believe that Apple just "forgot" about this aspect of running a computer, and thus the user has to worry about it for some strange reason. They didn't, and its really nothing you need to think about, like viruses. It's just a non-issue unless something is mechanically wrong with your computer, which is exceedingly rare.

 

[Jamie-Jamie]

Do Windows computers overheat a lot? I see a lot of questions like this, and my husband always spends tons of money on cooling stuff for his parts bin PCs. It makes me wonder... if I ever own a Windows PC, do I need to like... keep it in the fridge?

 

[Raz0rEdge]

All electronic components generate heat..the more the load on the component, the more the heat..

However, Windows itself isn't going to make components generate more heat than OS X or Linux..

As a manufacturer of computers, Apple is keenly aware of the need for proper heat dissipation on all of their products. Excessive heat can damage the system.

I also have the the 27" iMac and you'll notice that the bottom of the screen is nice and cool while the top is warm..the iMac is designed to suck air from the bottom where cooler air is and send it over the components and the warmed air from the top..

So as long as you aren't putting the iMac in such a confined space that there is no air flow at all, just let it be and enjoy..

Regards

 

[SweetCosmicPope]

I'm absolutely clueless as to how all the cooling and stuff works. Installing hardware and software, and being proficient in it is one thing, but many things I just have no clue how they work. lol

As far as cooling, all I know is that my old XP laptop from about 8 years ago (ouch!) could fry eggs on the bottom. I'd get burns on my lap if I was sitting around surfing the net in my boxers. Wife's laptop doesn't get that hot, but it does get pretty warm.

 

[Mr. Drums]

Just turn it on and use it! It's just a computer - they are made to be used a lot. It won't overheat and die on you. It's exactly like any other computer you've ever used in your life, and they don't need extra fans or cold temperatures to opperate them.

 

[Gandalph]

If Apple had wanted people to have a fan running to send cool air across their products they would have supplied one.

 

[IvanLasston]

Before everyone thinks apple always has it figured out - do note the death of a lot of time capsules.
What's killing Apple's Time Capsules after 18 months? | Technology | guardian.co.uk
My original time capsule suffered this fate - luckily I was able to take out the drive and stick it in a USB cage. All my data was still there. I even had a cooling pad with a fan below the time capsule and it still died in 18 months.

Anyway I've never seen a case where more cooling has hurt a computer system but there are a myriad of ways that overheating can kill a system. That being said - I would say most Apple computers do seem to have cooling figured out so unless you are seeing some really high temps (which I would take to an apple store first) I wouldn't really worry about it. But being a new switcher I do watch my temps with istats menu.
iStat Menus, a Mac app by iSlayer

 

[TattooedMac]

iStat Menus, a Mac app by iSlayer

+1 for iStat Menus, but keep in mind this is only a guide/reference to go by. Dont see them as actual Temps even though they calculate it very well ....

 

[Mr. Drums]

Just don't buy a "time capsule" - whatever the heck they are!

 

[chas_m]

Before everyone thinks apple always has it figured out - do note the death of a lot of time capsules.
What's killing Apple's Time Capsules after 18 months? | Technology | guardian.co.uk
My original time capsule suffered this fate - luckily I was able to take out the drive and stick it in a USB cage. All my data was still there. I even had a cooling pad with a fan below the time capsule and it still died in 18 months.

Please note that the date on this story was, as of this writing, six months ago -- this is no longer an issue, as Apple has corrected the problems and replaced the defective units.

Investigations by Apple showed that despite clear warnings NOT to do so, people kept piling stuff on the top of the Time Capsule, essentially blocking its convection ventilation and killing the power supply (not the hard drive).

Now, one could argue that Apple should have known that a flat-topped device was going to have this problem, or that convection ventilation is prone to this risk, or that they should have made the warning more obvious, but what you can't argue is that this shows that Apple doesn't know how to cool electronic devices.

 

[IvanLasston]

Please note that the date on this story was, as of this writing, six months ago -- this is no longer an issue, as Apple has corrected the problems and replaced the defective units.

The story may have been 6 months ago - and the problem fixed now with the latest versions - but that isn't the point - the point is Apple doesn't always get it right - and it is part of my point - it took Apple 2 iterations to get the time capsule right.

Investigations by Apple showed that despite clear warnings NOT to do so, people kept piling stuff on the top of the Time Capsule, essentially blocking its convection ventilation and killing the power supply (not the hard drive).

Look around the internet - you'll see one day owners of time capsules just tried to reset the time capsule and it didn't turn on ever again. Do you think even a majority of the time capsules reported on Register here | Time Capsule Memorial Register were because people put stuff on top of their TC? Even if you believe that, I personally had a time capsule die - and I DID NOT have anything on top - Also, I put a laptop chill pad with both fans blowing on the Time Capsule - and it still died. I took it apart and it was the over-heated capacitors in the power supply.

Now, one could argue that Apple should have known that a flat-topped device was going to have this problem, or that convection ventilation is prone to this risk, or that they should have made the warning more obvious, but what you can't argue is that this shows that Apple doesn't know how to cool electronic devices.

Feel free to refute the overheating with proof from other articles - but search the web - everything points to overheating - including the article I pointed to, as well as my own dissection of an actual time capsule. How is any of this not proof? Because you believe Apple's report that blames owners so Apple didn't have to replace the hardware?

I also want to say - before any arguments go down the wrong path - I went and got another Time Capsule believing that Apple figured it out - but again - the point is - Apple isn't perfect and of all the things you'd think they make bomb proof - you think they'd make their backup device such that it wouldn't fail. And to the OP more cooling doesn't hurt - but in my case it only delayed the inevitable.