iMac startup/wake/SSD questions

[Spectrum]

I am considering replacing a broken 17 inch MBPro with a 21 or 27 inch iMac, but I will need to be able to move the computer around the house/garden.

Questions:
1. How fast is startup/shutdown times with the basic Fusion drive?
1A. With the SSD option?

2. Is it possible to install a "Deep Sleep" option so that the computer enters/exits deep sleep every time it goes to sleep? The reason I ask is so that I can unplug it and move it around without needing to reboot each time.

3. The SSD upgrade options are eye-watering, and the 21 inch is limited to 256/512GB for the non/retina versions (both too small). I was considering sticking a slim 1TB USB3 SSD external on the back of the iMac to use as a permanent data volume. Any comments on this? Is it be possible to sync such an external drive with DropBox? (essential). If I use "Deep Sleep" will it remount correctly?

4. What is the desktop performance of the 21 inch when using higher resolution scaled desktop options. I know that on the 27 inch, expose/and window rendering can get a little choppy - and that's with a dedicated GPU to help out.

Note: I will NOT be playing any 3D games, but I do care about how smooth the desktop animations are.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

If you unplug it it will need to reboot even deep sleep won't stop that.

And SSD or fusion drive will boot in 10 to 15 seconds

Yes an external shpuld be fine in sleep and shutdown although deep sleep may cause issues.

Desktop animations stuttering is an OS X issue not a hardware issue although I have heard of no issues at all with it in any of the 2015 iMacs.

 

[Spectrum]

Thanks - on a laptop, Deepsleep copies RAM to HD/SSD, and then you can pull power cord and battery (if you wish) and once replaced everything comes back up with no problems. Does DeepSleep work differently on the iMac?

I agree that stuttering is partly an OSX issue, but form my experience when playing in the Apple Store a while ago, it is made worse when running the displays at higher res than "native" (2x) due to the way OSX renders the image at 2x the apparent target screen resolution - thus calculating 10s of millions of pixels then downscaling.

EDIT: the DeepSleep I am enquiring about is also called safe sleep or hibernate:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201635

And here is a widget (I have used it on MBPros in 10.6.8) but I don't know if if works on the new iMacs and new OS, or what will happen to external devices.

https://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/status/deepsleep.html

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Thanks - on a laptop, Deepsleep copies RAM to HD/SSD, and then you can pull power cord and battery (if you wish) and once replaced everything comes back up with no problems. Does DeepSleep work differently on the iMac?

I agree that stuttering is partly an OSX issue, but form my experience when playing in the Apple Store a while ago, it is made worse when running the displays at higher res than "native" (2x) due to the way OSX renders the image at 2x the apparent target screen resolution - thus calculating 10s of millions of pixels then downscaling.

EDIT: the DeepSleep I am enquiring about is also called safe sleep or hibernate:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201635

And here is a widget (I have used it on MBPros in 10.6.8) but I don't know if if works on the new iMacs and new OS, or what will happen to external devices.

https://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/status/deepsleep.html

All your stuff will come back up but it will still have to reboot to do so.

 

[Spectrum]

Rebooting and waking from safe sleep (a stored image of the RAM) are completely different things surely?

EDIT: THis webpage seems to suggest that it is possible to force Safe Sleep/hibernation even for desktops like the iMac by altering the pmset in terminal.

http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-hibernate-a-mac--cms-23235

Question1: has anyone done this successfully with the 2015 iMacs?
Question2: what happens to any mounted USB3 drives?

 

[Spectrum]

I'm bumping this thread to see if anyone has any answers to my two prior questions:

1. Has anyone used DeepSleep options on the 2015 iMac range? (by changing pmset in terminal for example).
2. What happens to mounted USB3 drives with files open on them? Do the files close? Will the computer fail to sleep?

Thanks!

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I'm bumping this thread to see if anyone has any answers to my two prior questions:

1. Has anyone used DeepSleep options on the 2015 iMac range? (by changing pmset in terminal for example).
2. What happens to mounted USB3 drives with files open on them? Do the files close? Will the computer fail to sleep?

Thanks!

You don't seem to understand, the iMac does not have a battery, if you unplug it it will be turned off whatever mode you are in, and will have to reboot.

 

[Spectrum]

You don't seem to understand, the iMac does not have a battery, if you unplug it it will be turned off whatever mode you are in, and will have to reboot.

DeepSleep mode copies the contents of RAM to disk. On a laptop this allows you to remove the battery (for weeks), reinstall it, and then wake from sleep as if nothing had happened.

It seems to me that the same thing should be possible on a desktop machine by selecting the pmset option 3 that copies a temporary RMA file to the HD. Indeed on the newest iMacs, Apple has deployed a feature that forces iMacs to enter DeepSleep mode after a 4 hour delay (EU regulations for power saving feature). So in theory, after 4 hours, you can unplug your iMac and then replug it in and it will still wake form sleep - and *not* need to reboot.

Comments?

But my question really concerns what happens to external USB device, which I have read normally *prevent* entry into DeepSleep mode.

 

[maflynn]

I am considering replacing a broken 17 inch MBPro with a 21 or 27 inch iMac, but I will need to be able to move the computer around the house/garden.

I would think since its unplugged, the computer would be shut down and not in hibernation. I think it will boot back up, whether it then tries to copy the sleep image to ram, is something I don't know, but i think it will be slower then booting up if that was the case

If you need mobile solution, get a laptop, an iMac was not designed to be moved around and its weight distribution that makes it a bit bulky to continually move from room to room, risking damage.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

DeepSleep mode copies the contents of RAM to disk. On a laptop this allows you to remove the battery (for weeks), reinstall it, and then wake from sleep as if nothing had happened.

It seems to me that the same thing should be possible on a desktop machine by selecting the pmset option 3 that copies a temporary RMA file to the HD. Indeed on the newest iMacs, Apple has deployed a feature that forces iMacs to enter DeepSleep mode after a 4 hour delay (EU regulations for power saving feature). So in theory, after 4 hours, you can unplug your iMac and then replug it in and it will still wake form sleep - and *not* need to reboot.

Comments?

But my question really concerns what happens to external USB device, which I have read normally *prevent* entry into DeepSleep mode.

No without a power source it will shut down. Yes it will bring everything back up as it was if your settings are correct but it is still a reboot once unplugged, with any sort of SSD this will be 15 seconds. What you call it, deep sleep , turn off etc is not relevant it will still have to reboot the computer. The same as it would be if you removed a battery from a laptop.

I have a USB 3 drive plugged into my MacBook I can put it sleep, turn it off etc etc and when it comes back on it comes back up no problems.

 

[Spectrum]

I would think since its unplugged, the computer would be shut down and not in hibernation. I think it will boot back up, whether it then tries to copy the sleep image to ram, is something I don't know, but i think it will be slower then booting up if that was the case

If you need mobile solution, get a laptop, an iMac was not designed to be moved around and its weight distribution that makes it a bit bulky to continually move from room to room, risking damage.

I already have a 15 inch laptop. Ideally I would like a replacement 17inch MBPro, but I am exploring if an iMac can be used. The 21 inch iMac is not very heavy compared to my outgoing 17 inch 2008 MBPro model, so I'm OK with that.

The point about resuming form DeeSleep is that I can leave files open. I almost never reboot my MBPro, and woudl liek to the use the iMac in the same manner if at all possible.

No without a power source it will shut down. Yes it will bring everything back up as it was if your settings are correct but it is still a reboot once unplugged, with any sort of SSD this will be 15 seconds. What you call it, deep sleep , turn off etc is not relevant it will still have to reboot the computer. The same as it would be if you removed a battery from a laptop.

I have a USB 3 drive plugged into my MacBook I can put it sleep, turn it off etc etc and when it comes back on it comes back up no problems.

If you remove a battery form a laptop you do *not* need to reboot. It resumes from the sleep image stored on disk and takes 5-10 seconds with a SSD and 4-8GB RAM. I've done this hundreds of times.

With respect to your USB3 point: But does the MB go into *DeepSleep*?

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I already have a 15 inch laptop. Ideally I would like a replacement 17inch MBPro, but I am exploring if an iMac can be used. The 21 inch iMac is not very heavy compared to my outgoing 17 inch 2008 MBPro model, so I'm OK with that.

The point about resuming form DeeSleep is that I can leave files open. I almost never reboot my MBPro, and woudl liek to the use the iMac in the same manner if at all possible.



If you remove a battery form a laptop you do *not* need to reboot. It resumes from the sleep image stored on disk and takes 5-10 seconds with a SSD and 4-8GB RAM. I've done this hundreds of times.

With respect to your USB3 point: But does the MB go into *DeepSleep*?

It just seems to me that what you want to happen happens anyway wether you turn it off or put it into sleep or whatever it only takes a few seconds to come back up, and will reopen all your apps and etc as you left them. What it's called and wether it's a reboot or not is immaterial.

As for the USB it seems to deep sleep fine over night with it plugged in. No excessive battery loss or any of that.

 

[tubeexperience]

I think that OP is looking for a feature that is Hibernation.

 

[Spectrum]

I think that OP is looking for a feature that is Hibernation.

Yes. Hibernation is essentially the same as DeepSleep/SafeSleep. And very different from shutdown/reboot. I am pretty sure it is possible to implement this behaviour on the iMac by adjusting the pmsettings...what I don't know is how an external USB data drive will behave.

i.e. will it be ejected? Will any open file be closed/corrupted? Or will it behave just like normal sleep?