My early 2009 iMac's LED died about 18 months ago and I placed in the box and it sat... and sat... and sat. About a month ago, I decided I wanted to try to resurrect and took it to a local Mac repair shop. LED replaced and had a SSD installed and this thing is running blazing fast. The SSD totaling resurrected a 5 year old computer.
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How many people's 24" iMac is still running strong?
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mcrazza
macrumors member
This question is directed to owners (past and present) of the early 2008 iMac revision.
Does anyone have the cpu fan issue with their mac? I've got it and have endured it for 5 of the 6 years of ownership. I hate it but there's very little I can do about it.
It could be a faulty temperature sensor, it could be the SMC, or maybe the CPU fan is dying. It could be anything.
Short of personally disassembling the computer, I've gone through ALL options e.g. AHT, reset SMC, clean installed current OS and stock OS, installed every single system update etc etc etc and have come up empty. I can rule out dust and any obvious mechanical faults because after recently replacing the HD the technician had a good look and confirmed he found no evidence of either. Granted it wasn't an absolute thorough check but it's good enough.
And please don't recommend SMC fan control and the like. I want to keep the CPU fan slow and low not fast and loud.
*sigh*
I just don't know. 🙁
Anyone in the same boat as me?
Does anyone have the cpu fan issue with their mac? I've got it and have endured it for 5 of the 6 years of ownership. I hate it but there's very little I can do about it.
It could be a faulty temperature sensor, it could be the SMC, or maybe the CPU fan is dying. It could be anything.
Short of personally disassembling the computer, I've gone through ALL options e.g. AHT, reset SMC, clean installed current OS and stock OS, installed every single system update etc etc etc and have come up empty. I can rule out dust and any obvious mechanical faults because after recently replacing the HD the technician had a good look and confirmed he found no evidence of either. Granted it wasn't an absolute thorough check but it's good enough.
And please don't recommend SMC fan control and the like. I want to keep the CPU fan slow and low not fast and loud.
*sigh*
I just don't know. 🙁
Anyone in the same boat as me?
I must have been one of the un-lucky ones with my 20-Inch iMac, which was the higher end model from 2008, had a fan replaced and Disc drive replaced under Apple care, but the iMac then beach balled often starting a couple of weeks after Apple Care ran out, then basically would boot up to the desktop and basically be frozen at the desktop all pixelated unable to do anything, I did manage to get my data off it luckily.
But then it took me until June 2013 to purchase my current 2012 27" iMac (Slim) which is the Core i7 with 16GB Ram and 1TB Fusion Drive and the 2GB Video Card, which runs a treat, i was going to wait for the refresh but I thought, it will only be miner speed bumps, so I bought it, and lucky I did because the prices went up on the updates.
But then it took me until June 2013 to purchase my current 2012 27" iMac (Slim) which is the Core i7 with 16GB Ram and 1TB Fusion Drive and the 2GB Video Card, which runs a treat, i was going to wait for the refresh but I thought, it will only be miner speed bumps, so I bought it, and lucky I did because the prices went up on the updates.
Howzit peeps?
I have an early 2009 24" 3.06 iMac with 4GB and NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 512MB, with OS X 10.9.4 installed.
So for I have never opened it up to clean it, have not upgraded the memory from the day I purchased it, but I have a few questions after reading this thread.
(1) It seems to be running hot and freezing infrequently, so I after a few searches on Youtube I didn't find any good videos showing how to open it up and clean it. So, does anyone have a link to a decent video or site of the same year and model showing how to do that?
(2) I read that some people had great success with switching to an SSD. I didn't have any issues with speed before the heating issue, but since my iMac will be open for cleaning, I might as well replace the SSD as well as upgrade the memory. So, what kind of SSD should I replace it with, is there a video showing how to do it, and do I have to install any software afterwords to upgrade to an SSD?
(3) I have the Model number (A1225) and EMC number (2267) so I should have all I need to order two new 4GB cards for a total of 8GB. So, does anyone have any suggestions of which site to order them from? I am in Japan, but I can have the cards sent to my family in The US to have them re-shipped if needed.
Thanks in advance and I really appreciate any input or advice.
Oh, this thing has never been opened, and I have had at least 1 cat for 3 years. So, is the heating likely caused by dust bunnies running amok in my iMac?
Oh 2, I run Onyx every few days and did disk permission/repairs already.
I have an early 2009 24" 3.06 iMac with 4GB and NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 512MB, with OS X 10.9.4 installed.
So for I have never opened it up to clean it, have not upgraded the memory from the day I purchased it, but I have a few questions after reading this thread.
(1) It seems to be running hot and freezing infrequently, so I after a few searches on Youtube I didn't find any good videos showing how to open it up and clean it. So, does anyone have a link to a decent video or site of the same year and model showing how to do that?
(2) I read that some people had great success with switching to an SSD. I didn't have any issues with speed before the heating issue, but since my iMac will be open for cleaning, I might as well replace the SSD as well as upgrade the memory. So, what kind of SSD should I replace it with, is there a video showing how to do it, and do I have to install any software afterwords to upgrade to an SSD?
(3) I have the Model number (A1225) and EMC number (2267) so I should have all I need to order two new 4GB cards for a total of 8GB. So, does anyone have any suggestions of which site to order them from? I am in Japan, but I can have the cards sent to my family in The US to have them re-shipped if needed.
Thanks in advance and I really appreciate any input or advice.
Oh, this thing has never been opened, and I have had at least 1 cat for 3 years. So, is the heating likely caused by dust bunnies running amok in my iMac?
Oh 2, I run Onyx every few days and did disk permission/repairs already.
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Okay, I got mine opened and cleaned, but wasnt able to get a compatible SSD yet. Now that I know how to open it replacing the SSD just got a bit easier. Cant wait to do that.
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Sorry to hear that you are having issues with it Mcrazza. Mine is a 2009 and not having issues such as yours so I cant offer much, if any, help. I can only suggest to keep your data backed up since I am noob, but I do hope you get it fixed or replaced soon.
iFitzgerald
macrumors regular
I don't have a 24" iMac, but I do still have my Early 2008 iMac with a 20" display, 2.66GHz C2D, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD and the ATI HD2600 PRO.
I use it everyday, most of the time for gaming...come to think about it, it's my gaming machine! (imagine that haha).
I play Counter Strike: Global Offensive and World of Warcraft. Both have the graphics settings on low, but I personally don't mind. I've also played Diablo III, Starcraft II, League of Legends, Portal, Half Life, Left 4 Dead, Assassin's Creed, Amnesia, Command & Conquer, just to name a few.
I only had one problem on Christmas, when the power supply died, but I got a new one and it's still kicking ass. But I do admit sometimes I wish I had a newer Mac with more juice!
I use it everyday, most of the time for gaming...come to think about it, it's my gaming machine! (imagine that haha).
I play Counter Strike: Global Offensive and World of Warcraft. Both have the graphics settings on low, but I personally don't mind. I've also played Diablo III, Starcraft II, League of Legends, Portal, Half Life, Left 4 Dead, Assassin's Creed, Amnesia, Command & Conquer, just to name a few.
I only had one problem on Christmas, when the power supply died, but I got a new one and it's still kicking ass. But I do admit sometimes I wish I had a newer Mac with more juice!
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My 2009-era 24" iMac is still running well enough that I have started to think about putting in an SSD. Since it's one of the models that can actually be opened, I'm thinking it might be worth trying to keep going a while longer. I've got one of the new 27" iMacs on my desk at work, and it is nice, but not enough more to be worth switching. I was originally skeptical about ssd's but since getting a laptop with one it is hard to deny the boost in system responsiveness.
Also still running 10.6.8 on it.
I think this is the longest-lasting computer I've had. The 7100 and the b&w G3 each lasted about 4 years or so before irreperable failures.
Also still running 10.6.8 on it.
I think this is the longest-lasting computer I've had. The 7100 and the b&w G3 each lasted about 4 years or so before irreperable failures.
Early 2009 iMac with the 3.06ghz and ati 4850 still going strong and still my main machine, but its struggling with LR now and the RAW files from my 5D mkii, because i cant get a new machine till end of next year and looking at putting in a SSD were the dvd drive is with an adapter and a 2Tb+ in the main HDD section, will i get the best speeds with the SSD in the location running of the SATA
replacing superdrive
mid 2007 24" iMac here. I just replaced the original HDD with an SSD (in 2014, the SSD (480GB) is bigger than the original HDD).
Two questions:
1. I want to replace the dead superdrive. I understand that it is a PATA interface, but I purchased the iFixit Adapter. Should I go SSD or HDD here? Would the SSD be a complete waste? I would plan on moving my iPhoto library there.
2. I see that many people went with the 6GB OWC upgrade kit. I did 4GB because the website said that you get better perf with matched pairs? What's this all about?*
Cheers
*All iMac Core 2 Duo systems have two user accessible slots and may be updated with one memory module at a time. For the maximum performance benefit possible, two modules of the same size can be installed to enable 128MBit memory addressing.
From http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/apple/memory/iMac/Intel_Core_2_Duo
mid 2007 24" iMac here. I just replaced the original HDD with an SSD (in 2014, the SSD (480GB) is bigger than the original HDD).
Two questions:
1. I want to replace the dead superdrive. I understand that it is a PATA interface, but I purchased the iFixit Adapter. Should I go SSD or HDD here? Would the SSD be a complete waste? I would plan on moving my iPhoto library there.
2. I see that many people went with the 6GB OWC upgrade kit. I did 4GB because the website said that you get better perf with matched pairs? What's this all about?*
Cheers
*All iMac Core 2 Duo systems have two user accessible slots and may be updated with one memory module at a time. For the maximum performance benefit possible, two modules of the same size can be installed to enable 128MBit memory addressing.
From http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/apple/memory/iMac/Intel_Core_2_Duo
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I just replaced my 1TB HD with a 256 SSD.
You couldnt knock the smile off my face with a palmful of dookie.
Video card died 2 years ago (Nvidia 8800gs) from overheat
had it replaced with same kind of card but now use smcfancontrol to keep it cooler, dont know if I can have it replaced again, Imac early 2008 is now declared obsolete by Apple.
Upgraded to 6gigs of ram and 2tb HD myself
Like the 24inch format and the computer is still fast with Mavericks.
had it replaced with same kind of card but now use smcfancontrol to keep it cooler, dont know if I can have it replaced again, Imac early 2008 is now declared obsolete by Apple.
Upgraded to 6gigs of ram and 2tb HD myself
Like the 24inch format and the computer is still fast with Mavericks.
flopticalcube
macrumors G4
The performance benefit is small (~5%) with matched pairs and is more effective for systems that uses integrated graphics that share the system RAM rather than most iMacs which have a dedicated GPU with its own video RAM.
sgtbob
macrumors regular
24" 2008 iMAC
I had to replace the video card and the hard drive over the past 3 years - otherwise, it is running great on Mavericks and 4 GB RAM. I dread the day I may have to replace it since Apple no longer makes the 24" unit. Its been a workhorse and after 6 years and some, its still my 'go to' machine.
I had to replace the video card and the hard drive over the past 3 years - otherwise, it is running great on Mavericks and 4 GB RAM. I dread the day I may have to replace it since Apple no longer makes the 24" unit. Its been a workhorse and after 6 years and some, its still my 'go to' machine.
Still going strong
I bought my iMac in December 2007 (28th to be exact). Recently, the hard drive died and I replaced it with 1TB WD Green drive. The performance is so much better now and Mavericks is running great. I now believe it was the hard drive and not Mavericks that was causing problems with my iMac.
I plan to replace my iMac in the next two years but I'm quite sentimental about these sort of things. I don't know whether to replace with another iMac or get a Mac Mini when they upgrade them.
Hi, by the way. I'm new on here.
I bought my iMac in December 2007 (28th to be exact). Recently, the hard drive died and I replaced it with 1TB WD Green drive. The performance is so much better now and Mavericks is running great. I now believe it was the hard drive and not Mavericks that was causing problems with my iMac.
I plan to replace my iMac in the next two years but I'm quite sentimental about these sort of things. I don't know whether to replace with another iMac or get a Mac Mini when they upgrade them.
Hi, by the way. I'm new on here.
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rpalstra
macrumors newbie
Still running strong...
Mid 2007 24" iMac running Mavericks, bought it in November 2007. Upgraded the RAM to 4 GB in 2008 and had to have the harddrive replaced in 2010. It's running a bit slow these days though, so I have been keeping an eye out for a new 27" iMac or 15" Retina MBP the last few days/weeks.
Mid 2007 24" iMac running Mavericks, bought it in November 2007. Upgraded the RAM to 4 GB in 2008 and had to have the harddrive replaced in 2010. It's running a bit slow these days though, so I have been keeping an eye out for a new 27" iMac or 15" Retina MBP the last few days/weeks.
Attachments
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+1
My '09 24imac9,1 (1TB HD, later upgraded to 8GB RAM) really improved her performance when I upgraded her to Mavericks from Snow Leopard.
Usually anywhere from 1.5 to 4GB of RAM is being used for buffering the HD.
Latest drivers couldn've hurt either.
My only issue is her inability to deal with many DVDs. Seems to rip most CDs okay tho', and is the higher priority.
I just ordered a refurb latest-gen imac27 the other day;
but will still keep, clean out, and possibly upgrade ol' Bessy with an SSD ("mmmmm, deep refurberation").
She's still too useful to be sent to the glue factory just yet.
cheers
mcrazza
macrumors member
Well, I'm seriously contemplating opening my 8,1 iMac and investigating why the CPU fan hits maximum RPM when there is little-to-no CPU/GPU usage. The CPU fan slowly rises to and stays at 3600rpm no matter what and the only way I can lower it is to turn the display off and wait for it to slow down.
After doing a bunch of tests I can confidently rule out a software issue, however the intriguing thing is Apple Hardware Test does not list any hardware faults either.
Anyway I downloaded the official service manual and read through the instructions, watched a bunch of teardown vids and searched eBay for the relevant tools. Nothing is certain at this point as I'm still debating it but currently I'm leaning towards a DIY disassembly.
On a side note I found an interesting video about how to disassemble an iMac LCD that exhibits shadowing (aka clouding aka bruising) and another video about how to clean inside the LCD. Mine exhibits some splotches on sections of the screen. Apparently dust is the culprit but I have no idea how dust could get between the rear of the LCD and the white board because the unit is sealed with aluminum tape.
After doing a bunch of tests I can confidently rule out a software issue, however the intriguing thing is Apple Hardware Test does not list any hardware faults either.
Anyway I downloaded the official service manual and read through the instructions, watched a bunch of teardown vids and searched eBay for the relevant tools. Nothing is certain at this point as I'm still debating it but currently I'm leaning towards a DIY disassembly.
On a side note I found an interesting video about how to disassemble an iMac LCD that exhibits shadowing (aka clouding aka bruising) and another video about how to clean inside the LCD. Mine exhibits some splotches on sections of the screen. Apparently dust is the culprit but I have no idea how dust could get between the rear of the LCD and the white board because the unit is sealed with aluminum tape.
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iPhoto faces performance increase from upgrade
I'd love to hear from anyone on this thread who may have upgraded their older iMac and use the Faces feature of iPhoto about how much speed up they may have gotten. I asked this question in they buying tips forum but haven't gotten any quantified responses:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1763712/
I'd love to hear from anyone on this thread who may have upgraded their older iMac and use the Faces feature of iPhoto about how much speed up they may have gotten. I asked this question in they buying tips forum but haven't gotten any quantified responses:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1763712/
Our two imacs from 2008 are still going strong.
I do wonder if the graphics card could go though...
As there are four of us in the house I have just got a base rMBP and the kids can fight over the imacs!
Overall very pleased with the pair of them especially as we bought the second in 2009 at an amazing price just after the 2009 early revision came out
I do wonder if the graphics card could go though...
As there are four of us in the house I have just got a base rMBP and the kids can fight over the imacs!
Overall very pleased with the pair of them especially as we bought the second in 2009 at an amazing price just after the 2009 early revision came out
mcrazza
macrumors member
Well, I finally did it. I opened up my iMac and found out why the system was running so hot and loud.
FYI for four of the last six years my Early 2008 iMac has progressively been running hotter and louder. In the last two years it had become crazy loud. The weird thing is that I would boot in, not open any app and within 15-20mins the CPU fan would be roaring at 3600RPM.
Last weekend I decided to do it.
After opening it up and removing the display unit I found a fine layer of dust sprinkled over the components and EMI shielding. An acceptable amount. The HDD and ODD fans were almost spotless but, as I suspected, there was a proper buildup of dust on the CPU fan. This is where it gets interesting.
After removing the left speaker and CPU fan (the latter is really fiddly) I was shocked to discover that half of the heatsinks was blocked with dust. This meant only half of the air successfully passing through the heatsinks was cooling it and the PSU. It completely explained why the left side of the Mac was so hot to touch and why the temperature sensor readings for the CPU and GPU were in the high 60s/low 70sºC and high 80s/low 90sºC for the PSU.
It was dust all this bloody time! The odd thing is that I actually keep a clean desk. I guess that's what six years of dust build up does.
From there I removed the right speaker and logic board, took the components and iMac shell outside and gently blew compressed air onto them. Next I wiped everything with an anti-static cloth, put the Mac back together again, plugged in the power cord and switched on the Mac. BONG! It's alive!
For the next hour I performed a Apple Hardware Test (everything A-Okay) and stress-tested the Mac with CPU-intensive apps and GPU-intensive games. Other than from playing CS:GO when the CPU fan hit 1400RPM (which is unbelievable) the CPU fan did not exceed its base speed of 1200RPM. Amazingly the temperatures on some components are about a third to half of what they were before.
It's nearly been a week now and it's still running whisper quiet. Overall I'm very satisfied with the results and pleased with myself for undertaking this task. 🙂
The next and final task is much more stressful.
The LCD exhibits shadows on parts of the screen and I want to get rid of that, therefore I will have to disassemble the LCD unit and wipe away the dust that has somehow made its way between the actual LCD and the backlight and causes these shadows.
FYI for four of the last six years my Early 2008 iMac has progressively been running hotter and louder. In the last two years it had become crazy loud. The weird thing is that I would boot in, not open any app and within 15-20mins the CPU fan would be roaring at 3600RPM.
Last weekend I decided to do it.
After opening it up and removing the display unit I found a fine layer of dust sprinkled over the components and EMI shielding. An acceptable amount. The HDD and ODD fans were almost spotless but, as I suspected, there was a proper buildup of dust on the CPU fan. This is where it gets interesting.
After removing the left speaker and CPU fan (the latter is really fiddly) I was shocked to discover that half of the heatsinks was blocked with dust. This meant only half of the air successfully passing through the heatsinks was cooling it and the PSU. It completely explained why the left side of the Mac was so hot to touch and why the temperature sensor readings for the CPU and GPU were in the high 60s/low 70sºC and high 80s/low 90sºC for the PSU.
It was dust all this bloody time! The odd thing is that I actually keep a clean desk. I guess that's what six years of dust build up does.
From there I removed the right speaker and logic board, took the components and iMac shell outside and gently blew compressed air onto them. Next I wiped everything with an anti-static cloth, put the Mac back together again, plugged in the power cord and switched on the Mac. BONG! It's alive!
For the next hour I performed a Apple Hardware Test (everything A-Okay) and stress-tested the Mac with CPU-intensive apps and GPU-intensive games. Other than from playing CS:GO when the CPU fan hit 1400RPM (which is unbelievable) the CPU fan did not exceed its base speed of 1200RPM. Amazingly the temperatures on some components are about a third to half of what they were before.
It's nearly been a week now and it's still running whisper quiet. Overall I'm very satisfied with the results and pleased with myself for undertaking this task. 🙂
The next and final task is much more stressful.
The LCD exhibits shadows on parts of the screen and I want to get rid of that, therefore I will have to disassemble the LCD unit and wipe away the dust that has somehow made its way between the actual LCD and the backlight and causes these shadows.
mscriv
macrumors 601
mcrazza
macrumors member
I reckon 8,1 owners who do have the CPU fan issue may have a buildup of dust in the CPU fan and heatsinks. Spread the word.
Macs are notoriously difficult to disassemble with each new model so I'm glad I met the challenge, despite my level of experience, and successfully pulled it off. That, and I saved maybe $100-$150 for someone else to do it. 😀
EDIT:
Second and final task done. I disassembled the LCD display unit and wiped out the dust that had been causing the shadows and weird splotches. The process is fiddly to say the least. Prior to tonight I had been concerned about shielding and replacing the aluminum tape around the unit. Fortunately I discovered there was no aluminum tape like in the later iMac models, it was just clear tape and a little bit of black mylar tape, no worries there. The metal frame encompassing the LCD was a real pain trying to remove it. The lock tabs were near impossible to loosen. I ended up having to gently bend the inner frame to pop the lock tabs. From there I lifted up the very thin LCD and wiped the dust away with an anti-static cloth.
After reassembling and booting up, the screen is clear in the areas where once it had been quite splotchy. Mission Accomplished. Sort of.
Unfortunately the exercise confirmed to me that the one of the CCFL tubes is on the way out, like a fluorescent light that's not as bright as others, and that dust is not the culprit for the slight but noticeable dullness. The other thing is that the one remaining splotch on the screen wasn't due to dust either. It leads me to think that at some point during assembly at Phillips or Apple, too much pressure was placed on this one spot on the screen, which coincidentally looks like the shape of the lower palm. I'm calling it a manufacturer's fault because that splotch has been there since Day One.
Now to be fair I can only notice the one remaining splotch and the slight dullness on the left side of the screen ONLY when I have an all gray background.
Anyway I've done literally all that could have been done and I'm quite satisfied with what has been achieved and in doing so I've extended the life of the machine. Now unless the hard drive dies or I decide to install an SSD, I won't open my iMac ever again.
A new iMac would be nice though. 🙂
Thanks! Yeah, I feel pretty good about it. 🙂
Macs are notoriously difficult to disassemble with each new model so I'm glad I met the challenge, despite my level of experience, and successfully pulled it off. That, and I saved maybe $100-$150 for someone else to do it. 😀
EDIT:
Second and final task done. I disassembled the LCD display unit and wiped out the dust that had been causing the shadows and weird splotches. The process is fiddly to say the least. Prior to tonight I had been concerned about shielding and replacing the aluminum tape around the unit. Fortunately I discovered there was no aluminum tape like in the later iMac models, it was just clear tape and a little bit of black mylar tape, no worries there. The metal frame encompassing the LCD was a real pain trying to remove it. The lock tabs were near impossible to loosen. I ended up having to gently bend the inner frame to pop the lock tabs. From there I lifted up the very thin LCD and wiped the dust away with an anti-static cloth.
After reassembling and booting up, the screen is clear in the areas where once it had been quite splotchy. Mission Accomplished. Sort of.
Unfortunately the exercise confirmed to me that the one of the CCFL tubes is on the way out, like a fluorescent light that's not as bright as others, and that dust is not the culprit for the slight but noticeable dullness. The other thing is that the one remaining splotch on the screen wasn't due to dust either. It leads me to think that at some point during assembly at Phillips or Apple, too much pressure was placed on this one spot on the screen, which coincidentally looks like the shape of the lower palm. I'm calling it a manufacturer's fault because that splotch has been there since Day One.
Now to be fair I can only notice the one remaining splotch and the slight dullness on the left side of the screen ONLY when I have an all gray background.
Anyway I've done literally all that could have been done and I'm quite satisfied with what has been achieved and in doing so I've extended the life of the machine. Now unless the hard drive dies or I decide to install an SSD, I won't open my iMac ever again.
A new iMac would be nice though. 🙂
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sgtbob
macrumors regular
RAM Upgrade
Can 8GB of RAM be installed on a 2008 unit? I was under the impression that 4 or 6 GB was the maximum on the older units? I have 4 GB RAM on my 2008 unit, but more RAM would be my choice if it would be advantageous. Comments?
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If you find another one, let me know!
Can 8GB of RAM be installed on a 2008 unit? I was under the impression that 4 or 6 GB was the maximum on the older units? I have 4 GB RAM on my 2008 unit, but more RAM would be my choice if it would be advantageous. Comments?
----------
If you find another one, let me know!
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