iMac Temp High

[Phil W]

My iMac is running what I would consider hot 125F....Is this something I need to be concerned about? And if it is how do I cool it down other than shutting it off? The front is not hot and the back is warm to the touch.

 

[topgunn]

125ºF is 52ºC which is actually pretty cool. Your computer can get up to 100ºC or 212ºF before it starts slow things down to protect the system from overheating.

 

[Phil W]

Thanks for reply...Never had it get that hot that I could tell...I turned down the brightness on the monitor and that has dropped it to 122F...But if the 120's are not hurting it I will just keep an eye on it for now. Thanks.

 

[BuCkDoG]

Ya that's very cool in terms of CPU temps. Your more than fine. The older MBPs would idle at higher than that lol.

 

[Raven007]

Get Macs Fan Control then you can monitor highest heated portion of the iMac and increase the fan's RPM to keep the temp around 150 degrees F --- https://www.crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control

 

[Whiteman007]

Thanks for reply...Never had it get that hot that I could tell...I turned down the brightness on the monitor and that has dropped it to 122F...But if the 120's are not hurting it I will just keep an eye on it for now. Thanks.

You prob had your temp setting on Celsius before. Like someone else posted 125 F is only 52 C and that’s fine they go up to 100+C

 

[wizbang68]

My iMac is running what I would consider hot 125F....Is this something I need to be concerned about? And if it is how do I cool it down other than shutting it off? The front is not hot and the back is warm to the touch.

well, what sensor is running at 125* ? CPU?, GPU, HDD, ODD, etc. Your iMac has over 12 temp sensors for various areas of the mac. for the CPU/GPU 125* is just an indication that your mac is working with some moderate processing tasks. Passing 135* is when the iMac would start to throttle the device down. Have you had the iMac serviced recently to remove dust/dirt buildup inside the case. This is a good maintenance task to do annually as it gets the accumulated dust out of the case and improves the heat transfer to the heatsync's & and aluminum case. I would ensure you don't have your iMac in a "alcove" or enclosed area where fresh-air is not able to reach the back of the unit. Likewise above the exhaust there should be a place to allow the heat to escape if you have it in an enclosed area. Beyond that a small fan blowing under the front of the unit will force the hot air out of the enclosure and out the front top if there is no option to get airflow in from the back.

 

[WrightBrain]

well, what sensor is running at 125* ? CPU?, GPU, HDD, ODD, etc. Your iMac has over 12 temp sensors for various areas of the mac. for the CPU/GPU 125* is just an indication that your mac is working with some moderate processing tasks. Passing 135* is when the iMac would start to throttle the device down. Have you had the iMac serviced recently to remove dust/dirt buildup inside the case. This is a good maintenance task to do annually as it gets the accumulated dust out of the case and improves the heat transfer to the heatsync's & and aluminum case. I would ensure you don't have your iMac in a "alcove" or enclosed area where fresh-air is not able to reach the back of the unit. Likewise above the exhaust there should be a place to allow the heat to escape if you have it in an enclosed area. Beyond that a small fan blowing under the front of the unit will force the hot air out of the enclosure and out the front top if there is no option to get airflow in from the back.

I'm really not certain about the advice to take your mac in for service every year to clear out the dust. This is a service a computer user should be able to do themselves. I know it is impossible on the iMac to do so, but I think that highlights one of it's major flaws. Anyway the service would be cost prohibitive when the machine is out of AppleCare.

The other is that you recommend to use external fans to keep the machine cool. A well designed machine would have no need for such a set up.

Other than cutting holes in the machine I would recommend using Turbo Boost Switcher to temporarily disable Turbo Boost and Macs Fan Control to adjust the iMacs internal fans to higher speeds when under stress. The increase fan usage will increase the risk of dust buildup. But either you risk damage to an internal part due to heat or you risk the dust.

 

[Kurri]

My iMac is running what I would consider hot 125F....Is this something I need to be concerned about? And if it is how do I cool it down other than shutting it off? The front is not hot and the back is warm to the touch.

which imac do you have?