iMac high fan speed

[PowerPCFan]

I just acquired a 2010 iMac with a 1st gen i7 for $70 at VCF East 2024 Consignment. The hard drive fan is constantly at 4000 RPM because I think the hard drive temperature sensor is dead.

Edit: the sensor is definitely not dead because I can see the drive temp changing but the fans still go full speed

I used OpenCore Legacy Patcher to go up to Big Sur (not Monterey or Ventura because I still have a spinning HDD) but the fan problem still happened on Sierra and High Sierra, so it's not an incompatibility with an unsupported OS.

I have Macs Fan Control and Fanny installed so I can set a custom fan speed, view temps, and view current fan RPM - what is a good fan speed for a 1TB SATA HDD? Is 1500 RPM good? 2000 RPM?

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I just acquired a 2010 iMac with a 1st gen i7 for $70 at VCF East 2024 Consignment. The hard drive fan is constantly at 4000 RPM because I think the hard drive temperature sensor is dead.

Edit: the sensor is definitely not dead because I can see the drive temp changing but the fans still go full speed

I used OpenCore Legacy Patcher to go up to Big Sur (not Monterey or Ventura because I still have a spinning HDD) but the fan problem still happened on Sierra and High Sierra, so it's not an incompatibility with an unsupported OS.

I have Macs Fan Control and Fanny installed so I can set a custom fan speed, view temps, and view current fan RPM - what is a good fan speed for a 1TB SATA HDD? Is 1500 RPM good? 2000 RPM?

I usually set the fan speed at 3500rpm or autoadjust with CPU temperature (on Mac Fan Control), higher than that it will be a little noisy.
Eventhough my iMac has no HDD inside (replaced with SSD), I think it will be cooler to pump as much fresh air as possible to cool down the internal environment.

 

[PowerPCFan]

I usually set the fan speed at 3500rpm or autoadjust with CPU temperature (on Mac Fan Control), higher than that it will be a little noisy.
Eventhough my iMac has no HDD inside (replaced with SSD), I think it will be cooler to pump as much fresh air as possible to cool down the internal environment.

I kinda realized that 1500 was too low when the back of the Mac felt like touching the sun after setting up OpenCore...
3500 is almost max speed and that's pretty loud and annoying, I don't want it to overheat and I don't want it to sound like my Power Mac G4 MDD "WindTunnel"...

do you think 2700 RPM is enough to cool down the hard drive? It's stock as far as I know, but I have no way of knowing if it was ever replaced (if it was, maybe that's why the fans are always at max speed)

And what are normal temps for the hard drive?

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I kinda realized that 1500 was too low when the back of the Mac felt like touching the sun after setting up OpenCore...
3500 is almost max speed and that's pretty loud and annoying, I don't want it to overheat and I don't want it to sound like my Power Mac G4 MDD "WindTunnel"...

do you think 2700 RPM is enough to cool down the hard drive? It's stock as far as I know, but I have no way of knowing if it was ever replaced (if it was, maybe that's why the fans are always at max speed)

And what are normal temps for the hard drive?

I have no idea. I don't keep any HDD inside my iMacs. Below is official reference from Western Digital.
Perhaps my number of Fan speed was a little inaccurate. As you still have the internal HDD, you can set Mac Fan Control to adjust it to vary with the HDD temp (if readable by Mac Fan Control)

How to Measure the Temperature of a Drive

Find detailed answers to your support questions for your Western Digital, SanDisk, WD_BLACK, or WD storage product.

support-en.wd.com

 

[PowerPCFan]

I have no idea. I don't keep any HDD inside my iMacs. Below is official reference from Western Digital.

How to Measure the Temperature of a Drive

Find detailed answers to your support questions for your Western Digital, SanDisk, WD_BLACK, or WD storage product.

support-en.wd.com

Thanks.

What is the lowest you would set the hard drive fan speed to?

And did I get scammed, or is $70 for a Mid 2010 iMac, i7-870, 12GB DDR3, 1TB HDD a good deal?

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Thanks.

What is the lowest you would set the hard drive fan speed to?

And did I get scammed, or is $70 for a Mid 2010 iMac, i7-870, 12GB DDR3, 1TB HDD a good deal?

70$ for the LCD panel + aluminum stand + protection glass is still a decent price. The rest are just bonus. Their value may be vary depending on how you can utilize the computer part of your iMac.
Add an SSD, upgrade the GPU and install newer mac OS than High Sierra, I would say you will get a quite decent AIO computer for common usage.
My iMac 2010 (in my signature) has been in used daily by my wife for about 3 years, she can manage it for another 3-4 years, I guess.

 

[PowerPCFan]

70$ for the LCD panel + aluminum stand + protection glass is still a decent price. The rest are just bonus. Their value may be vary depending on how you can utilize the computer part of your iMac.
Add an SSD, upgrade the GPU and install newer mac OS than High Sierra, I would say you will get a quite decent AIO computer for common usage.
My iMac 2010 (in my signature) has been in used daily by my wife for about 3 years, she can manage it for another 3-4 years, I guess.

Agreed!

 

[Andrey84]

Yes, this iMac is a prime candidate for the SSD upgrade. It will give it a second life and you'll feel a big performance
improvement in daily tasks.

I've installed two SSDs into a Late 2009 iMac myself - as an advanced user and by no means a professional - and it's not that hard, but fiddly of course. These are MUCH easier to work with compared to the Retina generation.

This iFixIt kit covers everything you'll need:

iMac Intel 21.5" and 27" (Late 2009-Mid 2010) SSD Upgrade Kit

Upgrade the storage and improve boot time and read/write speed in your iMac Intel 21" and 27" Late 2009-Mid 2010 with this SSD upgrade kit.

www.ifixit.com

I remember buying the SSDs separately though, so maybe the sold different kits back in 2014.

You might want to remove the DVD-drive, while you're at it, to improve air circulation.

 

[PowerPCFan]

Yes, this iMac is a prime candidate for the SSD upgrade. It will give it a second life and you'll feel a big performance
improvement in daily tasks.

I've installed two SSDs into a Late 2009 iMac myself - as an advanced user and by no means a professional - and it's not that hard, but fiddly of course. These are MUCH easier to work with compared to the Retina generation.

This iFixIt kit covers everything you'll need:

iMac Intel 21.5" and 27" (Late 2009-Mid 2010) SSD Upgrade Kit

Upgrade the storage and improve boot time and read/write speed in your iMac Intel 21" and 27" Late 2009-Mid 2010 with this SSD upgrade kit.

www.ifixit.com

I remember buying the SSDs separately though, so maybe the sold different kits back in 2014.

You might want to remove the DVD-drive, while you're at it, to improve air circulation.

I probably won't do this because I won't be daily driving this Mac but is there any way I could buy these parts separately? I would consider daily driving this computer if it didn't take forever to do anything. $100 for only 250 GB seems really expensive.

Also how easy is it to do an SSD upgrade in a Late 2015 21" iMac? My dad has one and it's really slow.

 

[Andrey84]

I probably won't do this because I won't be daily driving this Mac but is there any way I could buy these parts separately? I would consider daily driving this computer if it didn't take forever to do anything. $100 for only 250 GB seems really expensive.

Also how easy is it to do an SSD upgrade in a Late 2015 21" iMac? My dad has one and it's really slow.

Please note that 500GB is just $110. However, I bought it all separately in 2014. Unfortunately, I don't know how to buy this thermal sensor separately now. You'll have to search for it. The bracket and the suction cups should be easy to find though.

DYI SSD upgrade of a Late 2015" iMac should be doable, but it's harder due to display being glued to the iMac's body. There is a special prier tool that is used to remove the adhesive - lots of tutorials online.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I probably won't do this because I won't be daily driving this Mac but is there any way I could buy these parts separately? I would consider daily driving this computer if it didn't take forever to do anything. $100 for only 250 GB seems really expensive.

Also how easy is it to do an SSD upgrade in a Late 2015 21" iMac? My dad has one and it's really slow.

For iMac 2010, you won't need the expensive OWC adhesive and tools.
1 SATA SSD with capacity of choice. Any reputable brand is OK, even old one like Intel, Samsung, Micron etc.
1 set of torx screw drivers.
2 thick books or small carton boxes (10cm thick) to hold the LCD panel.

Tips on how to remove the protection glass:
Set your iMac laid down on a table, face-up.
Use your finger nails to slightly pry open the protection glass.
Then use your finger to slowly lift up the protection glass
When the magnetic force becomes weak, carefully lift up and remove the protection glass

Use the screwdriver to remove the 8 screws holding the LCD panel.
Lift it up from the top side, enough opening to insert the carton box.
With 8~10cm opening, you can slide you hand inside the iMac to remove the HDD and replace it with the SSD.

 

[GoodWheaties]

I just acquired a 2010 iMac with a 1st gen i7 for $70 at VCF East 2024 Consignment. The hard drive fan is constantly at 4000 RPM because I think the hard drive temperature sensor is dead.

Edit: the sensor is definitely not dead because I can see the drive temp changing but the fans still go full speed

I used OpenCore Legacy Patcher to go up to Big Sur (not Monterey or Ventura because I still have a spinning HDD) but the fan problem still happened on Sierra and High Sierra, so it's not an incompatibility with an unsupported OS.

I have Macs Fan Control and Fanny installed so I can set a custom fan speed, view temps, and view current fan RPM - what is a good fan speed for a 1TB SATA HDD? Is 1500 RPM good? 2000 RPM?

I know others have replied but I will add some information. The reason the fan was at full speed is because iMacs use a temperature sensor that is only inside the original hard drive. Mostly likely the drive was replaced. You can use a special inline sensor that OWC sells to allow the fan to act normal but it is about $40. If you plan on opening it up to put an SSD in it (highly recommended) you might consider spending the money on the sensor.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I know others have replied but I will add some information. The reason the fan was at full speed is because iMacs use a temperature sensor that is only inside the original hard drive. Mostly likely the drive was replaced. You can use a special inline sensor that OWC sells to allow the fan to act normal but it is about $40. If you plan on opening it up to put an SSD in it (highly recommended) you might consider spending the money on the sensor.

The OWC inline sensor you mentioned about is for iMac 2011, not for iMac 2010.
OP can use the ODD sensor to replace the HDD headless sensor in his iMac 2010, not very accurate, but it can be counter balanced in Mac Fan Control.

 

[GoodWheaties]

The OWC inline sensor you mentioned about is for iMac 2011, not for iMac 2010.
OP can use the ODD sensor to replace the HDD headless sensor in his iMac 2010, not very accurate, but it can be counter balanced in Mac Fan Control.

They sell one for the 2009-2010 iMacs as well. I put one in a friend’s 2009 iMac. Macsfancontrol can work but there is the risk of it getting too hot if you set it too low. It is nice to just install something and never worry about it again.

 

[PowerPCFan]

I know others have replied but I will add some information. The reason the fan was at full speed is because iMacs use a temperature sensor that is only inside the original hard drive. Mostly likely the drive was replaced. You can use a special inline sensor that OWC sells to allow the fan to act normal but it is about $40. If you plan on opening it up to put an SSD in it (highly recommended) you might consider spending the money on the sensor.

But the sensor still appears to be working...

When I open MacsFanControl I see a temperature next to the hard drive and it appears to change.

Fans are still full speed though.

 

[GoodWheaties]

But the sensor still appears to be working...

When I open MacsFanControl I see a temperature next to the hard drive and it appears to change.

Fans are still full speed though.

Oh sure but the cooling fan (just to be clear-not part of the HDD) is being controlled by something else that needs the internal sensor of the original HDD. This is quite well known. You have to use Apple original drives or an inline sensor. You can find it on Amazon too.

 

[GoodWheaties]

Make sure to get the one for your year though if you get one.

 

[PowerPCFan]

Is there a chance that the GPU is dying @GoodWheaties? Could just be OpenCore but there's some crazy graphics glitches

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I would just replace the stock GPU with a newer one like AMD FirePro M6100, dying or not.

 

[PowerPCFan]

I would just replace the stock GPU with a newer one like AMD FirePro M6100, dying or not.

how do I do that? I just figured out that the glitches are OpenCore related but if GPU replacement is very easy then I might do it.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

how do I do that? I just figured out that the glitches are OpenCore related but if GPU replacement is very easy then I might do it.

By carefully do a research, purchase the necessary parts, draw your own upgrading plan, then execute it.

Research here:

2011 iMac Graphics Card Upgrade

iMac 2009 to 2011 MXM3 graphics card upgrade (Lastest update 10/13/2023 - this is the official documentation page - you found it finally!) This is the single and only documentation post. During the last years we constantly updated this post to reflect the lastet development of vBIOS and OCLP...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[GoodWheaties]

Is there a chance that the GPU is dying @GoodWheaties? Could just be OpenCore but there's some crazy graphics glitches

It is possible if it is a 27”. It was more common in the 2011 models though. I had a 2011 that the GPU kept failing and I had to bake the GPU to get it working again. You literally remove the GPU card and put it in the oven at about 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes. I tried a different GPU but wasn’t able to find one that actually worked.