New to macs so not sure if this is normal. The top of my mid 2010 iMac 27" is really hot to the touch. Did a check with iStat and the power supply was avg 144 deg and the gpu 139 deg. Is this normal?
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Overheating?
- Thread starter beachmusic
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If those are temperatures using the not yet obsolete Fahrenheit scale, then those temperatures are mighty fine and more than within the specs.
And if your iMac would overheat, it would shutdown to prevent damage.
Those Macs in their heat - a sine of over-heating? - a short story by Mister GGJstudios
And if your iMac would overheat, it would shutdown to prevent damage.
Those Macs in their heat - a sine of over-heating? - a short story by Mister GGJstudios
I could almost literally fry an egg on the back of my former 2010 27-inch iMac. Especially the upper left corner.
It's funny because a lot of people were worried and immediately assumed that the 2012 iMac would be even hotter because of its slimmed down design. The exact opposite is true: The casing doesn't even become lukewarm.
It's funny because a lot of people were worried and immediately assumed that the 2012 iMac would be even hotter because of its slimmed down design. The exact opposite is true: The casing doesn't even become lukewarm.
Quite normal.
The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat. CPU Tjmax = 105C (221F), GPU Tjmax = 100C (212F) on i3, i5, i7 processors. (Source: Intel)
Unless there is a rare defect in a Mac, most temps are well within the normal operating range, considering the workload being put on it. Websites with Flash content, games and other multimedia apps will put higher demand on the CPU/GPU, generating more heat. This is normal. If you're constantly putting high demands on your system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just your Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.
It is also quite normal for your Mac to become extremely hot to the touch during intensive operations. The aluminum body transfers heat more effectively than other materials used in computer casings, so you will feel the heat more. This doesn't indicate that it's overheating and will not harm the computer to be hot to the touch.
Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis). iMacs have 3 fans with minimum speeds in the 800-1200 range. They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level.
If your fans are spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC.
(PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help.)
The intake and exhaust vents are in the back of the computer near the hinge on all Mac notebooks (except the new MBP with retina display, which has intake vents along the sides at the bottom). The iMac vent is a slot on the back near the top of the computer. Make sure the vents remain unblocked to allow your computer to perform at its best.
Learn about the fans in your Mac
Apple Portables: Operating temperature
For Flash-related issues:
- Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available.
- Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
- Use the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.)