Freezing iMac Issue Due to Hardware?

[AppleMojo]

not sure how anyone could even consider it NOT to be a heat issue unless it's a denial thing. thinner build + metal casing= an obvious heat increase. open a huge pc tower, hold your finger on the vid card/ chip see how long it takes to heat. imagine how much quicker it happens in a tiny space. or how many lockups have users had on the previous white plastic (which i own) iMac? i've never had one.

The white plastic to aluminum update was not the only change, so it would be rather simple minded to assume that the obvious cosmetic difference is to blame.

The chipsets are different, the memory is different and I assume that this can't be the same batch of sweat shop employed 3rd world employees that put them together in the first place. -- Oh, and don't forget global warming isn't helping the heat of my iMac either.

Again, it isn't a heat problem. They locked up on first setup / install when we got them home. They freeze from a cold boot.

 

[roland.g]

Apparently, although certainly not in all of them. Mine hasn't frozen once since I got it several weeks ago.

Mine didn't do it for 2 months after I got it, now I have seen it at least 4-5 times in the last week or 2.

I don't do much GPU related on it, no gaming or anything, and each time mine has done it, it is the screensaver that freezes it up. Cosmos effect. The slides just stop changing and moving and I can only hold down the power button to shut it down.

 

[Queso]

Mine didn't do it for 2 months after I got it, now I have seen it at least 4-5 times in the last week or 2.

Ah, thanks. I'll keep my eye on it for the moment then.

 

[whiteyanderson]

The white plastic to aluminum update was not the only change, so it would be rather simple minded to assume that the obvious cosmetic difference is to blame.

The chipsets are different, the memory is different and I assume that this can't be the same batch of sweat shop employed 3rd world employees that put them together in the first place. -- Oh, and don't forget global warming isn't helping the heat of my iMac either.

Again, it isn't a heat problem. They locked up on first setup / install when we got them home. They freeze from a cold boot.

actually it would be rather simple minded to not read through my entire or other posts to see that i equated the overheating not only to a possible ati card issue but, a metal casing and thiner build. the plastic to metal comparison was an EXAMPLE. cosmetics have nothing to do with it, except for that fact that as usual, it has to boil down to that here doesn't it? maybe it's the aqua scroll bars?

 

[roland.g]

Ah, thanks. I'll keep my eye on it for the moment then.

I was planning on backing everything up for a clean install of 10.5. Now I'll just backup and switch out my 4GB for the original 1GB RAM and call Applecare, expecting to send it in/repair/replace or take it by the Apple Store.

 

[AppleMojo]

Mine didn't do it for 2 months after I got it, now I have seen it at least 4-5 times in the last week or 2.

Our situation was very similar, except I had a single freeze during the initial setup and just attributed it to weirdness. I wish, oh how I wish I would have seen the future and had it exchanged.

roland.g have you taken it in for repair yet? (... Nevermind, this came in just below your post)

I had to get AppleCare over the phone to authorize the repair and that took an unfortunate 5 hours of phone support, which included the obvious "archive and install". But once I had satisfied the AppleCare rep that it was still doing it, he sent me off to the local store.

 

[MacTheSpoon]

If some Mac Pros are having similar problems, then I'm skeptical that it's a heat issue. Their chassis are very well ventilated.

 

[gattotimo]

A refund would be nice at this point, but a repair was all they would offer.

But IF the problem is the videocard itself (all of them RadeonHD2600), how can they repair it? Shouldn't they substitute it with a videocard that DOES work, indeed?
I mean, repair is a solution only if it's just some units of rotten Radeon2600 to cause the issue, but if it's all of them to be condemned to freeze? (I hope my thought is clear, damn my english )

 

[flopticalcube]

If you can get them to repair it and it no longer freezes than fine. But if its an actual flaw in the card and ALL iMacs are susceptible just some more than others due to variations in the manufacturing process and uses of the machines, then nothing short of a full scale recall will suffice. I am sure Apple knows this, at least on some level if not at the AppleCare front lines.

 

[Yateball]

Oh, and don't forget global warming isn't helping the heat of my iMac either.

Quite possibly the funniest thing I've read on macrumours ever... very well done.

 

[keysersoze]

I'm just curious, but did anyone look for bad capacitors? I know this was a problem with the ooollllddd G5 iMac, but it exhibited the same behavior. Just a question.

 

[Goldfinger]

Quick question: does the cursor still move with a freeze? A friend of mine has a new iMac and he's experienceing freezes with Aperture. The whole interface locks up but the cursor still moves around. (there's no disk activity either).

He never had any freezes before yesterday (when he installed Aperture).

 

[AppleMojo]

actually it would be rather simple minded to not read through my entire or other posts to see that i equated the overheating not only to a possible ati card issue but, a metal casing and thiner build. the plastic to metal comparison was an EXAMPLE. cosmetics have nothing to do with it, except for that fact that as usual, it has to boil down to that here doesn't it? maybe it's the aqua scroll bars?

I was basing my comments solely from your post.

not sure how anyone could even consider it NOT to be a heat issue unless it's a denial thing. thinner build + metal casing= an obvious heat increase.

It boils down to posts on topics users have no experience with.

Let me know when you've had a 24" Aluminum iMac freeze on you, spent time with AppleCare and taken it down to your local Apple Store and spoken with them.

 

[flopticalcube]

Quick question: does the cursor still move with a freeze? A friend of mine has a new iMac and he's experienceing freezes with Aperture. The whole interface locks up but the cursor still moves around. (there's no disk activity either).

He never had any freezes before yesterday (when he installed Aperture).

That's the freeze.

 

[leonstafford]

I'm running my Core 2 Duo 2Ghz without an LCD attached and it's now winter here, so I shouldn't have any heat issues. That said, I had my first freeze tonight while running VLC, Transmission, Mail, FireFox. My resolution is set to 2048 x 1536 and I've played many HD 1080p vids fine without any hiccups. I have owned several G5 iMacs which only ran when I had the aircon turned on in the room. I think the Intel machines shouldnt suffer from overheating unless the way the video cards are attached in the plant is dodgey.

 

[gattotimo]

If you can get them to repair it and it no longer freezes than fine. But if its an actual flaw in the card and ALL iMacs are susceptible just some more than others due to variations in the manufacturing process and uses of the machines, then nothing short of a full scale recall will suffice. I am sure Apple knows this, at least on some level if not at the AppleCare front lines.

Thanks, that's exactly the point . If it's a flaw in the card, Apple can't just repair each iMac that feature that card, cause the issue would eventually surface again. Let's just hope they discover what is causing this mess soon.

 

[chmarch]

How Long before a Freeze?

I am simply curious to all the people who have had freezing issues...how long before you started having the freezing problems did you have the iMac? I've had mine 2.5 weeks now with no freezing problems, but is it inevitable?

 

[Luap]

The lesson is the same as always!

Never buy a Apple revision A product!!

This is nonsense. Its not the 1st intel flat panel iMac, is it? So its no more of a rev a product than the previous gen iMac was. Just because it has a new design of case doesnt make it rev a.
The next gen alu iMacs will likely contain different hardware here n there too, like gpu etc. Whats to say that wont have teething problems also?

A software patch could under-clock the GPU and/or memory to reduce the heat. Won't help performance, but it will help longevity.

Although technically possible, they cant do this surely? As the the specs are then below what Apple advertised them as being. There would be an uproar, not to mention some legal issues..

Anyway, Macrumors have basically taken the story from AppleInsider. And AppleInsider got the story from Joe Bloggs, whos guess is as good as anyone elses. So don't take this news as fact. Especially given AppleInsiders track record of posting crap for news for 2 or more years.

 

[flopticalcube]

I am simply curious to all the people who have had freezing issues...how long before you started having the freezing problems did you have the iMac? I've had mine 2.5 weeks now with no freezing problems, but is it inevitable?

A week or two.

 

[TBi]

ok i could buy that in a sense except for the fact that the macbook isn't "metal" and therefore may be an entirely different issue.

The wire shorted against the heatsink. Also a wire can short internally too. There is a lot of metal actually inside the macbook

 

[EngBrian]

Are newly purchased Imac doing this or are freezing machines typically from the first "batch"...ie purchased back in august or september.

 

[Luap]

Lets not forget there is strong evidence that yet another software update is on the way. Hopefully this week?
Best to see how that pans out, rather than blaming hardware now. Infact this is partly why im surprised/disappointed MacRumors followed AppleInsider and posted this 'news' today.

 

[flopticalcube]

Are newly purchased Imac doing this or are freezing machines typically from the first "batch"...ie purchased back in august or september.

It appears that even newly purchased machines have this problem.

 

[dont24]

Apparently, although certainly not in all of them. Mine hasn't frozen once since I got it several weeks ago.

Same here. I haven't experienced any freezes with my 24".

 

[white pilgrim]

A friend wants to get the iMac soon, it would be her first since the bondi ones years back. Any thoughts if this freeze issue is gonna get worked out soon or eventually, or should i stop her?