2011 iMac Heat Dissipation/Install Question

[kcdude]

I am considering a fully loaded 27" iMac versus a MBP+ACD combo for my office. My desk is a built in wall hutch deep enough for a CRT montitor but only 19.75" tall. I measure a 27" iMac without the stand at 17.75" high. So if I VESA mount it on an articulating arm it leaves 1" off the desk and 1" from the bottom of the upper hutch.

Desk is 5' long and the iMac would be open on the sides and I would pull it out 12" from the back wall with the articulating mount and slightly tilt it giving maybe another 1/2" of vertical clearance. Is this enough space for air intake and heat dissipation out the top back slot?

 

[kcdude]

135 views and a big ole honkin 27" that puts out heat...nobody out there can comment on a tight install?

 

[Jimmdean]

I say no, but it probably depends on what you are doing most of the time. If you are doing video encoding or gaming then heat dissipation on these is pretty extreme - you'll notice the hutch getting pretty hot at that distance...
I don't feel particularly good about 1" on the bottom either - that would have to affect the speakers...

 

[Benz63amg]

no dont take a chance, the imac needs alot of area around it to let the air out and keep cool, u cant crum it in a place like that with 1 inches of space

 

[skye12]

Whether it would work (for a time) is a secondary question. Do you want your machine
to run hotter than it needs to? No.

 

[Jony Mac]

What about the 21" iMacs? I’m getting mixed feedback on this. I’m really wanting to get an iMac (new model 21”), but I’m hearing a lot about heat issues.

Its mixed. Some people say that these over heat way too much, and buying it without Apple care is dumb. I was looking between this and the 13” MBP, but the specs obviously have me leaning towards the iMac.

Can anyone offer any suggestions or some further backup to this? I’d hate to spend 1200+ dollars only to have tons of problems with this.

 

[kcdude]

Well I opted for a 21 and glad I did. It really throws off some heat while using handbrake and it stands tall on the oem stand. It has plent of headroom for heat dissipation but the 27 would not have been a good call.