Fan problems & poor chat support

[robertrl]

I have had Apples since the II+... about 45 years?
I just got the i7 4.2Ghz imac with 2tb SSD... but am disappointed. Sure it's fast, but the fan is constantly going on even with very little usage. I have reset SMC and still nothing. Running a fan program showed CPU temps of 150 to 180 deg. when typing on a chat session and speeds of 2000 or more RPM with activity monitor showing only about 20 to 50% CPU usage and only about 5 to 6 of my RAM being used. Reading the forums... comments suggest the only answer is to return the unit. I tried a chat session and even though it's 11pm to MN. CST I waited 5 to 10 min for a response and then got disconnected.. not once but four times!

Maybe I'm just getting old, but in the old days, the computer worked great and if there was a question you may have gotten disconnected but they would contact you back. Tonight none of the chat helpers tried to email me.... all very disappointing.
I can cut down on the fan noise using a fan control program, but then may run the risk of overheating the CPU and ruining my unit.... so I guess it's return time for the new imac?!

 

[vddobrev]

Can you give it 1-2 days (keep it on) to settle, i.e. it may be indexing. I recently transferred to a new Mac Pro, and I noticed Photos was using a lot of CPU cycles for about 10-12 hours - it was generating the mouse-over previews for videos.

 

[iMacDonald]

Can you give it 1-2 days (keep it on) to settle, i.e. it may be indexing. I recently transferred to a new Mac Pro, and I noticed Photos was using a lot of CPU cycles for about 10-12 hours - it was generating the mouse-over previews for videos.

It is a good point. Furthermore I think there is a process that runs when upgrading to High Sierra that indexes all the face recognition stuff in Photos. That took almost 20 hours to complete on my Macbook Pro (and I don't really have that many photos, maybe 500-1000) when I upgraded from El Capitan to High Sierra.

So depending on how you set up your new iMac these background processes could be playing a part in exacerbating the situation.

However if you are working with a completely empty SSD without migrating other than the OS on there or you have already left the Mac on for several days things probably won't get better.

I definitely would avoid buying the i7 iMac now after hearing all these reports. For me it's not just the worry about the fan noise, just the fact it runs so hot puts me off. After my old late 2009 i5 iMac I vowed to always go for the fastest processor but I'm put off now.

 

[robertrl]

Can you give it 1-2 days (keep it on) to settle, i.e. it may be indexing. I recently transferred to a new Mac Pro, and I noticed Photos was using a lot of CPU cycles for about 10-12 hours - it was generating the mouse-over previews for videos.

[doublepost=1519132958][/doublepost]hi.. good point. I'll look into it and see. That being said, it's been on 24-7 for the last 2 days except for the one or two reboots.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

lol Robert in the 'old days'; we used original LC's with 8MB of memory and a 128MB, yes MB, hard drive, the first model with a hard drive and not a pair of floppies. The fans in them did not make a noise!

For mine if I ain't happy no chat. ~ back they go!

 

[curmudgeonette]

activity monitor showing only about 20 to 50% CPU usage

That much CPU usage means something is actively running and using CPU cycles. As I'm typing this, my 2017 4K w/ i7 is idle 93% to 97%, i.e. 3% to 7% usage. If you are at 20% to 50%, then that explains the fan running!

 

[robertrl]

interesting. I think you hit the nail on the head. I never really use Norton but when I transferred the files it started running again and was using A LOT of memory... about 20 to 30%. then throw in anything else and it threw it over the top...
Add that to my...well idiotic move .. you see I am moving houses and left the plastic film on the front since I am moving in 1 week. BUT the plastic went over the little edge at the bottom which is the unit's intake..
SO... between Norton running all the time AND my (stupidity) of not realizing the plastic was covering the intake vents, the unit was running really hot. NOW... with Norton gone AND it's ability to breathe... the Activity monitor is only showing 4 to 11% CPU usage and temps of the CPU at 118 (a lot better than the 175 degrees and the 50 to 80% CPU usage!!

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO OFFERED SUGGESTIONS. IT HELPED ME NARROW DOWN THE PROBLEM AND RESOLVE THE UNIT. I WILL BE KEEPING THIS UNIT

That doesn't make the Apple chat support any better since then never attempted to get back to me after a disconnect. I hope Apple can eventually get better at this.Good thing I have you guys! Robert

 

[markperryeditor]

I have had Apples since the II+... about 45 years?
I just got the i7 4.2Ghz imac with 2tb SSD... but am disappointed. Sure it's fast, but the fan is constantly going on even with very little usage. I have reset SMC and still nothing. Running a fan program showed CPU temps of 150 to 180 deg. when typing on a chat session and speeds of 2000 or more RPM with activity monitor showing only about 20 to 50% CPU usage and only about 5 to 6 of my RAM being used. Reading the forums... comments suggest the only answer is to return the unit. I tried a chat session and even though it's 11pm to MN. CST I waited 5 to 10 min for a response and then got disconnected.. not once but four times!

Maybe I'm just getting old, but in the old days, the computer worked great and if there was a question you may have gotten disconnected but they would contact you back. Tonight none of the chat helpers tried to email me.... all very disappointing.
I can cut down on the fan noise using a fan control program, but then may run the risk of overheating the CPU and ruining my unit.... so I guess it's return time for the new imac?!

I had this same problem with an I7 running Avid Media Composer. Fan noise was intolerable

I have had Apples since the II+... about 45 years?
I just got the i7 4.2Ghz imac with 2tb SSD... but am disappointed. Sure it's fast, but the fan is constantly going on even with very little usage. I have reset SMC and still nothing. Running a fan program showed CPU temps of 150 to 180 deg. when typing on a chat session and speeds of 2000 or more RPM with activity monitor showing only about 20 to 50% CPU usage and only about 5 to 6 of my RAM being used. Reading the forums... comments suggest the only answer is to return the unit. I tried a chat session and even though it's 11pm to MN. CST I waited 5 to 10 min for a response and then got disconnected.. not once but four times!

Maybe I'm just getting old, but in the old days, the computer worked great and if there was a question you may have gotten disconnected but they would contact you back. Tonight none of the chat helpers tried to email me.... all very disappointing.
I can cut down on the fan noise using a fan control program, but then may run the risk of overheating the CPU and ruining my unit.... so I guess it's return time for the new imac?!

I had this same problem running Avid Media composer. Fan noise was intolerable. After weeks of back and forth with both Apple and Avid, I took a punt and went with the mid i5 and lots of ram. NO NOISE. My feeling is the i7 does not work well in the iMac and its single fan. I'm no expert, thats my theory, the chip just runs too hot. It may not be an issue for some but in an editing situation it was crazy. I can't tell you how much time I wasted!

 

[robertrl]

Interesting. Shame Apple doesn't put out a better high end product. Glad it worked out for you. Bests

 

[markperryeditor]

I guess they do now if you can find the cash for iMac Pro. Nice and quiet from what I have read. Way beyond my means.....

 

[robertrl]

yeah... really hard to justify. I mean if one were to keep it about 6 years, that would be a lease of $1000 a year. That's a lot when the i5 is about $350 to 500 a year!

 

[haruhiko]

I have the exact iMac with yours except for a smaller SSD. It is mostly quiet unless I'm running multiple VMs.. So I guess the plastic sheet covering the air intake was a big problem. Glad that the problem is now solved. Enjoy your Mac

 

[robertrl]

Thanks! looking forward to many years w/ it