Mac Mini i5 2.3 too hot?

Hi Everyone,
I've been reading information about the temperatures people are seeing from the Mac Mini i5 2.5 and i7.
I've recently purchased an i5 2.3 Mac Mini this month. I'm concerned that this is too hot. I'm not really using anything intensive. Mainly browsing, icloud services, Facetime, MSN, Skype.
Using iStat 3.18, I get the folloiwng figures:
Airport Card     53 degrees C
Ambient          60
Ambient 2       56
CPU 1            94
CPU A            88
CPU Promixmity   79
Mem Bank A1      62
Mem Module A1   60
Mem Module B4   50
Power Supply       54
That looks very hot. I don't particularly hear the fan but I can see the rpm is 2183rpm.
In fact - here is a piccy from the Photo Stream.
Message was edited by: Andrew Checkley

Hi, yes this is a Lion machine. I think that is my main concern as well.
The machine ran very hot and no fans kicked in which either means that my temperature monitoring software was incorrect or the Mac stood for awhile cooking without the fans kicking in. I fear it is the latter.
I understand about cooling (being one of the unlucky ones who had a broken liquid cooled quad 2.5 Power Mac) and only installed the Mac Mini temperature monitor when I became concerned that the mac was running way to hot. During the days I've owned the mini, this was majorly different. I also have a quad core Intel Mac Pro in the same room to compare it to.
Then I saw the temps and felt the heat from the back vent. I knew this wasn't normal. It was running at this heat without anything open or any underlying system operations running in the background.
I've decided to phone Apple. I'll see how the Mac Mini fairs but I don't like the thought of it cooking at 94C for so long.
Message was edited by: Andrew Checkley

Similar Messages

  • Mac Mini Server freezes hard, too hot?

    Hi,
    Our Mac Mini Server (half a year old) with the newest system crashes hard now and then.
    It could run for up to three weeks occasionally but now in the summer it could sometimes only run for minutes until it hangs hard with frozen mouse and clock.
    I have found no other way than resetting by the power switch.
    According to the technical specification it should handle up to 35°C environment. (Right now we have 28°C in the room here.)
    It seemed to help a bit by installing smcFanControl and increase the fan speed.
    It will crash even without any work being done on it. No special applications started. No network traffic.
    If the exhaust temp is above about 32 to 34° the problems seem to worsening. Now it is 37°C despite full fan speed (5500 rpm) and it crashed after minutes.
    Sometimes it will even hang during the boot process.
    Have anybody else heard about such problems?

    Hi MalcomKay,
    I had to open a service ticket as Jiri suggested. The technician was pretty sure the crashes were caused by a defective Airport board and exchanged that (despite I doubted that and never used Airport for the server).
    I came back home (2x2x120 km of travel) and started the Mac Mini Server up. I booted and run the AppleServerDiagnostics.app test from an USB. It lasted 15 minutes (until it was warmed up) and then crashed so hard it was not counted by the test. It just froze hard. It crashed  when running the memory test. It always crashed before finish when running that test!
    I returned the server to the Apple Service (another 480 km of travel). This time they exchanged the whole motherboard. They tested it running intense traffic and operations for one full week without a freeze. So it was a faulty mother board!
    Now it has been running like a charm for months.
    This is not the first temperature problem affected board Apple has delivered to me.
    Good luck! /Johan
    Tips: Prepare an USB stick you can boot from. It is so frustrating to have a computer without a dedicated DVD where you can boot from and run the hardware tests.

  • How do I keep Mail on my Mac Mini from using way too much system memory?

    Mail is using 1.27G of system memory.  I have selected "Don't keep copies of any messages" under Preferences>>Accounts>>Advanced.  Is there some cache that needs to be cleared?  I realize that I have a LOT of messages on the server but it seems like they shouldn't be stored locally on the mac.  Any ideas?
    Thanks,
    Peter

    I did get rid of the antivirus software which is why I am where I am now

  • Bridging the gap between Mac Mini and iMac

    Does anyone agree that Apple needs to add another model between the Mac Mini and the iMac? I think they need something like a Mac Mini Plus. Two models, one with the 1.83GHz Core Duo and one with the 2.0GHz Core Duo. The unit itself would be slightly larger than the standard Mini and include a PCI Express slot with several video card options and a faster (7200RPM) hard drive. Personally, I hesitate to buy an iMac because of the built in monitor. I would prefer to buy a separate LCD flat panel monitor that I could keep for years and use with different Mac models as I upgrade. As for the current Mac Mini, it's video and processor options are on the low end, albeit perfect for the casual user, but for someone that wants to do some gaming or video editing, they don't quite cut it.
    Don't get me wrong here, I love the elegant design of the iMac, but I think Apple needs to offer something that allows us to have the iMac equivalent computing power without the built in monitor and without having spend a thousand more on a PowerMac.
    Athlon XP 1800+   Windows XP Pro  

    Yes, I'd love something in the form of a Mac Mini that was closer in spec to the iMac.
    Honestly, the only reason I won't buy an iMac CoreDuo is the built-in monitor.
    And, the only reason I won't buy a new Mac Mini is that they are underpowered.
    I have owned two iMac G5 systems, and both had serious faults with their built-in LCD panel.
    The first would permanently etch in anything on the screen for every hour of intensive use.
    It wouldn't etch it in in normal use. But, if I did any of my audio work, it would heat up the system so hot that the image on the screen would literally cook into the LCD panels plastic surface.
    It literally looked like you took a razor blade, and precisely carved the exact image into the surface of the screen. Pretty nasty looking. Nothing would get rid of it, and it would happen every time I did my audio editing / processing work for an hour.
    Naturally, the more work I did, the worse it got. I only got two editing sessions out of an LCD panel before having it replaced.
    After going through that for a while, I sold the system after having a fresh panel installed under warranty.
    I got tired of damaging the screen after every hour of work.
    The second iMac G5 was purchased a year later. That one also suffered permanent damage to it's LCD panel. But, not quite as noticeable.
    I know that there are a bunch of people getting ready to hit me with the "Image Persistence" explanation. But, trust me, I know about Image Persistence, and this wasn't it.
    I was seeing actual permanent screen burn-in (which is not supposed to happen on LCD panels).
    The service tech was absolutely amazed at the appearance of my screen. And, yes we verified it was the actual panel that was damaged. He wouldn't replace it without verifying that it was the panel itself.
    Anyway, I called to arrange service on the second system again, and before I could get it in there, the backlight started flickering. And, I had already had tons of other stuff fixed on the machine. So, I sold it and bailed-out.
    Now, after all the problems I've had with the built-in screens on the iMac G5 systems, I don't want another Apple product with a built-in screen. I want to use my own LCD panel.
    I have an LCD panel that I'm using now. It's about 3 years old, and only cost me $200. And, it doesn't have even the slightest indication of image burn-in or image persistence. I use it every day, and use it just like I did the iMacs.
    So, what I want now, is a machine comparable to the iMac CoreDuo, but without the built-in screen.
    The current Mac Mini's cost way too much for their very low specifications.
    I already have a Mac Mini G4. It's underpowered as well. But, no worse-off than the current Mac Minis.
    Now, if Apple produced a Mac Mini with identical specs to the iMac, I'd gladly buy it.
    Even better for them, I'd pay the same price as the current iMac to get it without the built-in monitor.
    Yes, that's right, I'd pay the full price of the iMac to get a Mac Mini without a monitor if it was of the same specifications otherwise.
    The current Mac Mini is obviously stripped-down to prevent competition with the iMac. But, I think they'd find that they would simply expand their user base if they offered a better Mini.
    With their product line as it is, the current Mac Mini is not a compelling machine, and the iMac is not an option because of it's built-in monitor.
    Get me a high-end Mac Mini and you've got a sale.

  • Clicking noise on new Mac Mini

    I got a new Mac Mini last month and noticed it makes a clicking noise quite frequently. It just started to really bug me, so I looked into it and found this site:
    http://mymacfixes.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-do-i-stop-clicking-noise-from-hard.ht ml
    which says:
    On Macs, this is often found in replacement drives for the MacBook and the Mac Mini. Apple modifies the firmware of drives it supplies to avoid this problem, but no one does that for the speedier, larger replacements. Upgraders get more -- or less -- than they bargained for.
    How can you tell for sure if your drive is affected? Download a shareware program like smartctl orVolitans Software's Smart Utility and look for the load cycle count. Hard drives are rated for only a few hundred thousand of those. If your drive has gone through thousands or hundreds of thousands in a short time, you're in trouble.
    So, I downloaded Volitans Software Smart Utility and see that within the past 10 minutes the Load Cycle Count has a Raw Value that seems pretty high. 15 minutes ago it was 32257 and now it isof 32286... which sounds like about the correct number of clicks that I have heard coming out of this stupid thing.
    I noticed above it says "On Macs, this is often found in replacement drives for the MacBook and the Mac Mini" ... hmm, replacement drives? Interesting! I flipped the Mac Mini over to install new RAM after 2 weeks and that is when I noticed 2 big scuffs on the bottom of it. How did they get there? I couldn't believe I had been that rough with it since I was being VERY careful with it. That seemed very strange to me, but now  I think it makes sense. I think they gave me a machine with a replacement drive that was poorly upgraded (and scuffed up in the process).
    If I take it in to the Apple Store, will they deny there's a problem (o me it seems pretty obvious there is one)?
    Or will they do the right thing and transfer my info to a new machine?

    PS - before you reply suggesting I take it back to be on the safe side (which makes sense) can any of you with a relatively new Mac Mini download the trial software above and let me know what your Load Cycle Count is? You just have click the "show all" button under attributes and then find the Raw Value in the right column.
    If you can't do that, then could you please make it very quiet in your place and listen for clicking. If your machine clicks a few times every 15-30 seconds or so then either your Mac Mini is screwed up, too, or it's just what Mac Minis do.
    Thanks.

  • Ipad mac mini combo possible?

    Hello all
    This is my first post
    I am itching to buy a mac mini and was about to when the ipad came out. So here I see a beutiful display (with a keyboard dock) that would be perfect for a mac mini.
    The mac mini needs a display, keyboard and mouse. ipad has display and keyboard.
    The combo reminds me of the powerbook duo i think it was. Go mobile with the ipad and back up stuff on the mac mini. It sounds too good to be true.
    But the question is - does this combo have a market of more than me?
    Any ideas?

    AFAIK, the iPad cannot be used as a "just a monitor and keyboard" for any computer. So your idea would not work, at least not the way I believe you're thinking about it.
    The analogy of the Powerbook Duo is more akin to the Macbook Air than the Mini. The Duo included a screen and keyboard like any other notebook, just lighter without the optical drive, etc. The Duo also ran the same MacOS as the desktops and other notebooks, unlike the iPad/iPod Touch/iPhone.
    The idea of a "transportable remote screen" was tried in the Windows world several years ago with products like the [Viewsonic Airpanel|http://hk.viewsonic.com/en/products/airpanel/index15.php]. This was a tablet screen that ran a version of Microsoft PocketPC, just like other Windows Mobile PDAs of the time. This is similar to how the iPad is running an OS similar to the iPhone and iPod Touch, but is not exactly the same as the desktop OSX. The Airpanel would connect directly to the PC as a traditional monitor when docked, but when you pulled it from the dock, you would use the Remote Desktop protocol to remote control the Windows PC. (This of course, assumed you has some sort of Wi-Fi connectivity in your house.) It never really took off. On of the issues was that the Airpanels were too expensive. Similar in size and pricing to the iPad, but realize you're getting a only 10" screen for several hundred dollars, where even back then, you could get a 15" screen for around $200. (Nowdays, $200 will get you a 20" or larger screen.)
    There are apps to let your iPhone/iPod Touch remote control a Mac, but you still need a screen/keyboard/mouse to do the initial setup of the Mac. (i.e.: VNC, a.k.a. Screen Sharing.) So assuming that you can run those apps on the iPad, you could do similar to the Airpanel. Some exceptions:
    - You don't really get a "directly connected" screen when docked.
    - And the iPad's directly docking keyboard wouldn't work for the Mini. I thought I heard that there would be a wireless keyboard for the iPad, but I doubt you could use the one keyboard for both the Mini and iPad without having to do some "relinking" of some sort. (IOW, it wouldn't be convinient.)
    - Remote control is likely not to be very fast, depending on what app and how it's connecting. This might not be a big deal if you're doing light work like email or web surfing. (But you can do email and web surfing on the iPad directly, so the "need" to remote control the Mac is reduced.)
    In general, these apps are a complement to, not a replacement for, the traditional screen/keyboard/mouse. But the advantage that the iPad and this idea has is time. When this was tried in the Windows world, the Pocket PC CPUs were much slower, so the remote experience was really bad. With the fast CPU and screen of the iPad, and faster 802.11n, the experience will likely be much better. But I have my doubts that there is much of a market for this. But who know, maybe this is the "killer app" that will make the iPad the "must have" for 2010.

  • I cant change the volume on my mac mini, cant change the volume on my mac mini

    Hi i bought a new mac mini just after Christmas too replase my MBP late 2008 and i love it and now i made the right choice but iv ran into a slight issue with the mac mini a cant adjust the volume via the apple wireless keyboard, apple remote or im computer settings but i can only use my 32" samsung TV to adjust the volume i would prefer not having more clutter around my desk i have tried do the cmd,alt,P,R rest but it didn't work i am using a HTMI to DVI converter and the cable is DVI to HDMI could this be the issue thanks for any help

    Long shot, but...
    Open Audio Midi Setup in Applications>Utilities, see the input & output options & KHz setting there, some things will change it for their own use, then not set it back.

  • Dangerous to put stuff on Mac Mini?

    I just bought a Mac Mini to replace a PowerPC G5 that died. That monster lived under my desk; the Mac Mini sits on it, close enough so that I can insert DVDs. However, the top of it is the only clear spot on my desk — so I find myself (unconsciously) putting things on it. How dangerous is this? Or, to put it in a positive way, can I use it to keep my cup of coffee warm? (I know I'm not supposed to block the air vents in the back, which is nearly impossible, given the number of cables connected there.) Despite the levity, this is a serious question, and I thank responders in advance.

    to put it in a positive way, can I use it to keep my cup of coffee warm?
    I would recommend not putting any cup or other unsealed container of liquid on or near your Mac mini. There's too much chance of a spill which could damage the mini. Solid objects should be no problem, though I wouldn't suggest putting any other electronic device or other source of heat on the mini as it could cause the mini to overheat.
    Regards.

  • What should i do? mac mini late 2012 temp 90degrees when i was playing mw3

    What should I do?????? ;_;
    My mac mini's temp is too high(90c) when playing MW3(run in osx)

    That is normal. My 2012 is alos now running 90C with Set@Home running in background

  • Slaving my mac mini

    I'm currently still using a mac mini, but it gets too bogged down at times: more and more as I add more complex samples. I'm thinking (have been for quite a while) of getting an iMac and keeping my samples (Kontakt etc) on the mini, so it would sort of be slaved up.
    The slaving process is something I'm not at all sure about, so can anyone provide info or a link to how I would go about this?
    Thanks.

    Yes...
    Just make sure the most powerful Mac is the Master Mac in your system..... (I know thats an obvious point but some people overlook it somehow)
    Also, any plugin thats a large CPU hog and that you use frequently, install on the slave as that's when you will get the greater benefit from using that plugin on the slave computer off loading it's CPU load from your Master Mac.... In your case, also installing Kontakt on the slave Mac would be a good move as then you can use Kontakt on both machines to help spread the load across both Macs....
    Finally, make sure any networked devices you have on your ethernet network, are all Gigabit devices.. and that you don't have an older 10/100 device attached somewhere.. as that will drop the entire ethernet network down to 10/100 which is not good.... as VEP requires a gigabit ethernet network to work without issue.
    As an example, a friend of mine overlooked the fact he had a printer connected via ethernet that was a 10/100 device... That caused all kinds of problems in VEP until he realized his mistake and removed it from the network at which point VEP then began to work normally and without any issues...
    Other than that, you should be good to go.....
    Have fun!
    Cheers..
    Nigel

  • Mac Mini too hot?

    I would like to know if these readings are considered "too hot" for a mac mini (current gen):
    HD: 42 C
    CPU : ~55 C
    Ambient: 40 C
    Temperature readings are from iStat Nano, and the current outside temperature is about 90F (unfortunately, no air conditioning or fans in the room).
    The reason I'm worried is because the mini feels very hot to the touch, and I don't even hear the fans inside running even though I'm sitting less than 3 feet away from it. The current fan speed is 1791rpm.
    Thanks,
    Jonathan

    If it makes you feel any better my unibody mini runs similarly hot, and yes, mine too is hot to the touch (but far from being so hot I need to take my hand off it). Interestingly but not surprisingly, the side that the power supply is on feels noticeably hotter than the other size.
    I think this is normal and expected as I previously compared it to the hot bottom of a MacBook Pro which makes perfect sense considering the aluminum unibody design and MacBook Pro parts inside + the internal power supply. I sometimes think the aluminum unibody design was intentional to double as a large heat sink. The ventilation where my mini rests probably doesn't provide the best air flow as it sits on a home-theatre style shelving system which is complete closed at the back with the exception of a small hole to run cables through. Actually, my generation one G4 mini in the same location would run so hot at times it would force the system to sleep (or a "coma" as I liked to say ha) to cool down.
    Maybe someone should start a thread to post their unibody temperature readings? But I think there would have to be some standardization in the sampling as my CPU can run as cool as 50C and as hot as 78C depending on the load on the system.

  • Mac Mini Mid 2010 Too Hot after 10.7 Lion

    I never measured the temp on the mini using 10.6, because it never got hot to the touch.
    Now with Lion it is very hot to the touch (the top cover), so I decided to install a temp monitor and these are the readings:
    CPU: 58 - 60c
    CPU Heatsink: 56c
    Airport Card: 48c
    Ambient: 37c
    HD Bay: 40c
    Mem Bank A1: 56c
    Mem Controller: 48c
    North Bridge 50c
    I leave this mac mini always on, and I am afraid the temp is too hot. Using 10.6 I never needed to worry about temp, it never got hot (well it did at first with the screen saver, but once I turned it off it worked fine).
    Are these readings normal?
    Thanks in advanced.
    Wilfredo.

    ziqi wrote:
    Of course Not!
    My MBP have the same problem with U.
    And I have some more problems in Facetime.
    Apple should fix those problems soon!!!!
    I can't even type on my mac, 'cause keyboard is too hot!
    I don't understand, you are kidding, right?
    At least for me this is a real problem. Even when the computer is not processing anything it gets hot. I have to place an external fan to cool it down. I didn't have this problem when the same computer was running SL.
    Thanks anyway for the reply.

  • Why is it getting very hot mac mini 2011

    my mac mini gets too hot and shuts down on its own

    When running feel to see if you can sense any air flow from the vents. Maybe a bad fan

  • New Mac Mini running very hot?

    I have just bought (few days ago) a new Mini 2.0GHz with standard 1GB RAM and 120GB HD and it's my first Intel Mini so I have no reference for this behaviour.
    When I boot the system up it shows CPU at around 57-59 C temperature and 1-2% load, so basically idle state.
    If I get it to do things, it will climb up to 78-80 C at 80% load. Did not run at 100% load yet, but 78 C feels pretty hot as it is.
    The bottom of the unit is very hot and the sides and even top are warmer than what I'd expect the Mini to be.
    Is this normal behaviour or should I return this unit and get a different one?

    3dluvr wrote:
    Thanks for all replies, I guess I'll just have to settle that it runs this high.
    Though some people have told me their Minis are cooler than 57 C idle, I tend to believe Apple does not take much care when applying thermal paste or seating the heatsink onto the CPU. I have read way too many reports supporting this to be the case when people opened their Minis and checked...
    I have same problem that you with new Mac Mini 2GHz and 2GB of Ram and 160GB of HDD.
    Yesterday I run aMule, and I can see CPU B was 79º and CPU A 68º with 50% or 60% of load and I was afraid of it.
    Do you use your Mac Mini to full load and it works well? Did you try to apply a new thermal paste?
    Thank you and sorry for my bad English

  • Mac Mini display is too large for screen on only one user account

    Okay, so I left my two year olds alone for a minute playing the "alphabet game" on my Mac Mini. They only had the keyboard, no mouse but managed to muck up my display leaving me a bit frustrated.  The screen is now too large for my Samsung display. The only way to see everything (dock, top bar, etc) is to move my mouse arrow to the end of my display and see it roll back onto the page.  I've checked the settings there and they are fine. The MacBook Pro plugs right in and is proper resolution. So I then wondered if another account on the Mac Mini would do the same thing. I logged out of my Admin account and into another and everything looks just dandy. I log back into my Admin account and it's too large and blurry again. The resolution is set correct at 1920x1080 at 60 Hz.
    What button did they push on my keyboard that would do this and how do I get it back?? Aargh! Thanks all!

    Ha, figured it out myself from another discussion forum finally. Thoght I'd share in case anyone else runs into this. They must have hit "Zoom" by htting the "Control" and scroll buttons at the same time..
    Resolution:
    You can zoom out by holding down the Option and Command buttons on the keyboard and, while you hold them down, pressing the - key. 

Maybe you are looking for