How Hot is Too Hot 20" iMac (Mid 07)

Question

I have a new 20" iMac 2.4 GHz that came with the Apple installed 1 GB of RAM. I realize it is normal for the top edge to be warm. I wanted to know how warm so I installed the Temperature Monitor v4.2 and it currently reads 123.8 F. Is this normal or hot? How hot is too hot and what will happen if I install another memory module?
Is there a better utility or something from Apple to track temperature?
aRKay
Ps: How do I add an icon showing one of the new iMac?
Message was edited by: aRKay

Answer 1

+How hot is too hot and what will happen if I install another memory module?+
185 F is too hot, but unless you've got your iMac sitting in direct sunlight or are operating it at the extreme upper end of the ambient temperature operating range at 95 F, it would be highly unlikely to reach that temperature since the fans do an excellent job of cooling.
The whole point of Apple's switching to Intel processors was to provide the same power as the Power PC processors, but at much lower temperatures due to consumers not using air conditioning to such a wide extent as do businesses.
Installing another memory module will not make much impact on most internal temperatures, except it will probably tend to lower the hard drive temperature since with more memory there won't be as much swapping of data back and forth between memory and hard drive.
Computers have always worked faster in a cooler environment rather than in a hotter environment, so if your environment is hot and you want to give your Mac some help, turn on the air.
As to the topic, it is not marked as solved, but is marked as answered.
Message was edited by: myhighway