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2011 iMac Hard Drive Upgrade, Fan Issues
- Thread starter ChargedPC
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2TB Seagate installed, No fan issues
We just installed a 2TB seagate with Migration Assistant running the right fan was at 5400 RPM after the assistant was complete right fan settled at 1300 RPm. We then tried various programs and right fan remained at about the 1200 - 1300 mark. Seems to be fine, although I have not yet run a Hardware diagnostic.
We just installed a 2TB seagate with Migration Assistant running the right fan was at 5400 RPM after the assistant was complete right fan settled at 1300 RPm. We then tried various programs and right fan remained at about the 1200 - 1300 mark. Seems to be fine, although I have not yet run a Hardware diagnostic.
I was going to Buy a new iMac.
I have been a loyal apple consumer. I have bought iPods, iPad(2010), iPhones(4), mac minis(2009 & 2007), 13"macbook air(2010), 17"macbook pro(2011), and a Mac Pro(2010). I have provided a list of concerns of why my Next Desktop purchase will be reviewed!
1) Macbook air RAM cannot be upgraded.
2) NO Blu-Ray Player. Yes, I like watching Media on Discs. Why would I want to pay the premium that itunes charges for lower video bit-rates.
3) Inflated Costs, I purchased 8 Gigs of RAM for 2011 Macbook Pro for $104.
4) 2011 iMac No Consumer upgrade for Hard Drives!
5) iTunes is too controlled, I have seen to many legit applications turned down.
These are only a few of my concerns, I have been a Fanboy for a few years and now I feel completely betrayed by Apple.
I have been a loyal apple consumer. I have bought iPods, iPad(2010), iPhones(4), mac minis(2009 & 2007), 13"macbook air(2010), 17"macbook pro(2011), and a Mac Pro(2010). I have provided a list of concerns of why my Next Desktop purchase will be reviewed!
1) Macbook air RAM cannot be upgraded.
2) NO Blu-Ray Player. Yes, I like watching Media on Discs. Why would I want to pay the premium that itunes charges for lower video bit-rates.
3) Inflated Costs, I purchased 8 Gigs of RAM for 2011 Macbook Pro for $104.
4) 2011 iMac No Consumer upgrade for Hard Drives!
5) iTunes is too controlled, I have seen to many legit applications turned down.
These are only a few of my concerns, I have been a Fanboy for a few years and now I feel completely betrayed by Apple.
Mac world upgraded the hard drive in a 2011 iMac the article is here
They used HDDFanControl to fix the fan issue, its a software solution that uses SMART data to control the fan speed.
They used HDDFanControl to fix the fan issue, its a software solution that uses SMART data to control the fan speed.
HDD Fan Control isn't working for me
On my 2011 iMac with a replaced drive, I experienced the expected HDD fan issue, and I can control the main hard drive fan with HDD Fan Control, but there is still an extreme heat issue because the two other system fans are not increasing in speed. More detail in my other post here. https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/12671092/
Does anyone have an idea of how I can solve the issue of the other two fans?
On my 2011 iMac with a replaced drive, I experienced the expected HDD fan issue, and I can control the main hard drive fan with HDD Fan Control, but there is still an extreme heat issue because the two other system fans are not increasing in speed. More detail in my other post here. https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/12671092/
Does anyone have an idea of how I can solve the issue of the other two fans?
OK, I guess I'll be accused of being a Fanboy for this, but what the heck. Most of your concerns don't really apply to your Future Desktop Mac.
1. If you are getting a MacBook Air and not a desktop, I could see why this would be a concern.
2. You can get a USB Blu-Ray disc player (I assume you also have Blu-Ray hooked up to your TV?). Does Blu-Ray really make a difference on a 27" monitor? Is that really how you watch movies?
3. Can't you upgrade the RAM on the MacBook Pro yourself? Then you don't have to pay the Apple memory premium.
4. What can I say, this is my biggest complaint about the iMac - I'd go so far as to say there is NO upgrade path, consumer or otherwise. The only solution is to buy plenty of storage on Day 1. You always need more, right? Then you run into the price premium discussion. You have enough computers you probably should put something to use as server storage instead of having tons of local storage on all your computers (another complaint of mine about Apple - everything has its own hard drive with duplicate data, no Macintosh Home Server product - maybe we'll see that with the Time Capsule upgrade that should be coming?)
5. iTunes isn't that controlled - there are what 500,000+ apps there? Isn't that enough? Plus, I assume you are talking about iOS apps and not MacOS apps. If you have an iOS device, you are still stuck with iTunes, so I don't see how getting a PC desktop saves you anything. Apple has wider margins on their iOS devices than on iMacs anyway.
You would leave the integration and richness of the Apple Ecosystem for the Windows Wild West over those reasons? With all your other Apple equipment, the cost and limitations of an iMac are pretty small compared with the energy and effort of maintaining currency and additional software on a different platform.
Hi John, you are correct in your presumption that HDD Fan Control does not have any effect on the other fans as stated in your linked post,
This means something else is causing/stopping the other fans from speeding up, have you installed any other fan control software? Have you tried anything else to adjust your fan speed?
One obvious thing to try is resetting the SMC.
If you can provide more details we will be able to help you more.
The only thing that has worked for me is HDD Fan Control
Has anyone found any other software that will put the fans in check? I don't really want to pay $30 for a simple fan control app, no offense to the developer. If there is no other solution, I may have to.
Has anyone found any other software that will put the fans in check? I don't really want to pay $30 for a simple fan control app, no offense to the developer. If there is no other solution, I may have to.
Anyone upgraded to a 3T HDD yet
I'm not into all the SDD stuff, still like a large amount of storage over supposed speed gain with SDD.
Thus, as anyone upgraded to a 3T HDD yet at 7,200RPM.
Also what are the thoughts of upgrading to maybe a 640G 10,000RMP or 15,000 RPM HDD - how do these compare to regular SSD?
I'll upgrade to 3T soon once price comes down a little - it will be Apple Authorised Installed for US$25.00 - takes 2 days though and must provide your original restore discs.
I'm not into all the SDD stuff, still like a large amount of storage over supposed speed gain with SDD.
Thus, as anyone upgraded to a 3T HDD yet at 7,200RPM.
Also what are the thoughts of upgrading to maybe a 640G 10,000RMP or 15,000 RPM HDD - how do these compare to regular SSD?
I'll upgrade to 3T soon once price comes down a little - it will be Apple Authorised Installed for US$25.00 - takes 2 days though and must provide your original restore discs.
From what I've been reading, they're still substantially slower than SSDs, not to mention the fact that if you put a 15,000 RPM HDD in an iMac it's more than likely to send the computer into total meltdown.
I paid the $30 to HDD Fan Control (2007 white iMac w/Lion) and now I can use the machine, which was not the case with SMD Fan Control or others.
There is no "supposed" about it-not light speed, but quite a dramatic change even on my old white elephant.
Don't they accommodate 2 drives? They should, that would be the best. Especially if you could install the OS on both, eh?
SSD is always going to win in performance over a platter based drive.
I'm looking to add a 4TB 7200RPM drive for storage next week, i'll keep you posted. Any thoughts on 7200RPM noise levels on these 4TB drives? Might be a wise choice going with 5400RPM? It's purely for storage as i'm on a SSD for serious work.
My post was pretty old, iMac fan Control does the trick now for free:
http://www.derman.com/iMac-Fan-Control
since this post appear to be awake again.. ill see if anyone knows
using smcFanControl and iStat. i find my iMac HD temp. jumps to -192 F [yes negative 192 F] so the fans go off the rails for the CPU and Optical drive... do a restart and fans stay high yet temp reverts back to actual temp.. do a turn off.. then turn it back on they reset to default settings..
this has happened several times now.. when i take it to store it never happens for them even when they keep it for a week.
another problem that ONLY arises after this temp/fan speed spike is my fps drops to extreme lows.. even navigating the web or my HD becomes a challenge cuz things load extremely slowly yet memory and cpu usage is well below normal. and only using about 30% of the HD.
any ideas would be appreciated.. ty
using smcFanControl and iStat. i find my iMac HD temp. jumps to -192 F [yes negative 192 F] so the fans go off the rails for the CPU and Optical drive... do a restart and fans stay high yet temp reverts back to actual temp.. do a turn off.. then turn it back on they reset to default settings..
this has happened several times now.. when i take it to store it never happens for them even when they keep it for a week.
another problem that ONLY arises after this temp/fan speed spike is my fps drops to extreme lows.. even navigating the web or my HD becomes a challenge cuz things load extremely slowly yet memory and cpu usage is well below normal. and only using about 30% of the HD.
any ideas would be appreciated.. ty
Maybe there is Another way: move board from your old drive (1tb,2tb) to new (3tb,4tb) same manufacturer same model.
I solved the fan problem by using the HDD Fan Control program. Everything seemed fine but after about 6 days it would stop booting and just go to a white screen with a spinning wheel in the middle after the normal white screen with an apple in the middle. It would stay there until I turned it off. I formatted and the same thing happened 2 more times after about 6 days. Any idea what could be causing this?
Possible hardware workaround to runaway fans
Hello,
Long time lurker, first time poster here
I think I may have worked out a way to trick the 2011 iMac's hardware monitor to not bother listening to the temperature sensor. Unfortunately it precludes the use of both an SSD and a mechanical drive simultaneously, but it certainly allows you to calm the fans down by default and then use software to ramp them up as necessary.
I've explained it on a blog post here.
It all hinges around the magic part number 922-9877
Hope that helps someone,
Harry
Hello,
Long time lurker, first time poster here
I think I may have worked out a way to trick the 2011 iMac's hardware monitor to not bother listening to the temperature sensor. Unfortunately it precludes the use of both an SSD and a mechanical drive simultaneously, but it certainly allows you to calm the fans down by default and then use software to ramp them up as necessary.
I've explained it on a blog post here.
It all hinges around the magic part number 922-9877
Hope that helps someone,
Harry
As far as I know, this is specific to the Thunderbolt-equipped 2011 iMac, but you may wish to verify that! If you have Mini DisplayPort connectors rather than Thunderbolt I think you're in the clear.
iMac 2011 HD upgrade resolution (and 2009/2010)
Just to shed some light on the subject for you all (i've only just found this message, so its a bit delayed)
For starters, a standard SATA power cable uses only 4 cables, despite having a 15pin connector. This is because the pins are broken down in sets of 3, and each cable type can be combined after it leaves the connector. (the main reason for this is because the current on each individual pin cannot move fast enough on a single pin to power the 3.5" drives, so they have to have 3x 12v, 3x 3.3v, 3x 5v then 2 sets of 3x coms, which are then combined onto 1 cable... so the 4 cables used are 12v, 3.3v, 5v and coms)
Without going into too much technical detail, two coms tracts send the data from the internal SMART disk of the hard drive to the main logic board. The difference between Apples drives and an industry standard drive is that the firmware revision differs... The logic boards in the 2011 iMacs can only communicate with certain revisions of this firmware, and after testing nearly 100 different drives, i have been unsuccessful in finding a revision that works with it without changing the hardware or running the software. (which isn't free by the way, its a £20 download, but you can download a sample of the app to test it beforehand)
With the 2009 and 2010 iMacs that use the internal SMART disk to convey the hard drives temperature, i have found certain industry standard firmware revisions do work with it, but each manufacturer uses a different connection type, as they dont use the SATA power cable to send the data, but instead use a separate 2 pin connector cable that goes to the logic board directly. As there is no central source if firmware revisions that will work with it, maintaining stock of the drives that do work has proven to be a pain, as testing a drive from each stock with a 2009 or 2010 machine is not the easiest option. (suppliers are not able to specify firmware revisions when shipping drives in my experience, so restocking a specific revision that previously worked is not possible)
Needless to say, i found a sensor that operates at the same frequency as the internal SMART disk for the 09/10 imac, and its part number is 593-1029 (you can look it up on http://www.thebookyard.com) its listed as the LCD cable for the same range, but it is compatible with the hard drive port, as i have done rigorous testing on this. all you need to do is replace the current sensor cable, then adhere the sensor to the drive (then it will act as a surface temperature sensor instead of an ambient temperature sensor)
As for the 2011 iMac problem, the easiest solution was to make a cable myself. So, instead of explaining the whole process in all its technical glory, here is the link to the part on the site. http://www.thebookyard.com/product.php?products_id=10085
As for an easier to fit solution, i am currently working on an adapter solution that will not require loosening the screws on the logic board to fit a replacement cable. (As the SATA ports are on the underside of the logic board by the graphics card port)
I have also written a small blog about it here if you want a bit more detail, otherwise i can explain the process in more detail if you'd prefer.
http://thebookyard.wordpress.com/20...d-their-hard-drives-2011-hd-problem-resolved/
But all is not lost, as there is always a solution! Even if it takes a bit of creative finagling to do so.
I guess apple is using the SMART temperatur information over the sata bus now - but due the diff firmware in a diff format.
And "normal" SSDs don't have any temperatur sensor at all, only enterprise SSD show one.
That's worst than 2010 !
Just to shed some light on the subject for you all (i've only just found this message, so its a bit delayed)
For starters, a standard SATA power cable uses only 4 cables, despite having a 15pin connector. This is because the pins are broken down in sets of 3, and each cable type can be combined after it leaves the connector. (the main reason for this is because the current on each individual pin cannot move fast enough on a single pin to power the 3.5" drives, so they have to have 3x 12v, 3x 3.3v, 3x 5v then 2 sets of 3x coms, which are then combined onto 1 cable... so the 4 cables used are 12v, 3.3v, 5v and coms)
Without going into too much technical detail, two coms tracts send the data from the internal SMART disk of the hard drive to the main logic board. The difference between Apples drives and an industry standard drive is that the firmware revision differs... The logic boards in the 2011 iMacs can only communicate with certain revisions of this firmware, and after testing nearly 100 different drives, i have been unsuccessful in finding a revision that works with it without changing the hardware or running the software. (which isn't free by the way, its a £20 download, but you can download a sample of the app to test it beforehand)
With the 2009 and 2010 iMacs that use the internal SMART disk to convey the hard drives temperature, i have found certain industry standard firmware revisions do work with it, but each manufacturer uses a different connection type, as they dont use the SATA power cable to send the data, but instead use a separate 2 pin connector cable that goes to the logic board directly. As there is no central source if firmware revisions that will work with it, maintaining stock of the drives that do work has proven to be a pain, as testing a drive from each stock with a 2009 or 2010 machine is not the easiest option. (suppliers are not able to specify firmware revisions when shipping drives in my experience, so restocking a specific revision that previously worked is not possible)
Needless to say, i found a sensor that operates at the same frequency as the internal SMART disk for the 09/10 imac, and its part number is 593-1029 (you can look it up on http://www.thebookyard.com) its listed as the LCD cable for the same range, but it is compatible with the hard drive port, as i have done rigorous testing on this. all you need to do is replace the current sensor cable, then adhere the sensor to the drive (then it will act as a surface temperature sensor instead of an ambient temperature sensor)
As for the 2011 iMac problem, the easiest solution was to make a cable myself. So, instead of explaining the whole process in all its technical glory, here is the link to the part on the site. http://www.thebookyard.com/product.php?products_id=10085
As for an easier to fit solution, i am currently working on an adapter solution that will not require loosening the screws on the logic board to fit a replacement cable. (As the SATA ports are on the underside of the logic board by the graphics card port)
I have also written a small blog about it here if you want a bit more detail, otherwise i can explain the process in more detail if you'd prefer.
http://thebookyard.wordpress.com/20...d-their-hard-drives-2011-hd-problem-resolved/
But all is not lost, as there is always a solution! Even if it takes a bit of creative finagling to do so.
FYI, I don't know if this is the same thing, but owc is now selling a kit as well for the 2011 imac...
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DIYIM21HDD11/
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DIYIM21HDD11/