Level 2

235 points

Hard drive: Macintosh temp range?

Can anyone tell me the safe, 'normal to max' temp range for the iMac G5 HD: Macintosh? Mine runs at 157-160 F and whenever I run the Disk Warrior Hardware Test Device, it says that the temp (right now 158 F) is above normal and may indicate failure or pending failure. I wrote to Disk Warrior and the Tech who responded said "There is no set "normal range". However, anything over 140 F is probably too hot." How can there not be a posted "normal temp range"?

It's been running this way for months. I've uninstalled BOINC/SETI because that had the fans running too high and I thought the temp would come down w/o it, but it hasn't.

This is the Rev. A and I had both the Power Supply and the Motherboard replaced a long time ago. Is it looking that way again?

iMac G5, 20 (Rev. A); 1.8 GHz; 233 GB, Mac OS X (10.5.5), iBook G4, 10.5.5; AEBS; iPhone G3

Posted on Oct 6, 2008 11:52 PM

38 replies

Dedo Author

Level 2

235 points

Oct 7, 2008 3:20 PM in response to pogster

I have Airport checked and use Airport Extreme but nothing is displayed for that and I have an external HD but it's not on during the day.

I'm also running 4.7.

I'll be anxious to hear from iSlayer.

roam

Level 6

13,637 points

Oct 7, 2008 5:32 PM in response to Dedo

I don't have an iMac G5 to inspect, but I think there is a second sensor for the HD. The SMART chip plus a second one, which seems to be the one talked about in the link I previously provided.

pogster

Level 5

5,123 points

Oct 7, 2008 6:14 PM in response to roam

yeah I've just been poking around a few sites and I think your right. From what I've read the second one seems to mounted to the frame of the computer just beside the HD. The first sensor reads the smart chip and the second the heat radiated from the HD.

roam

Level 6

13,637 points

Oct 8, 2008 2:59 AM in response to pogster

pogster
So it's really the first one, the smart chip, that should be paid attention to don't you think, rather than the ambient one?
Perhaps Dedo should back up his data after all, if that disk is as hot as the smart chip is reporting.

Message was edited by: roam

pogster

Level 5

5,123 points

Oct 8, 2008 6:44 AM in response to roam

Yes it would seem to me the first one, the one with the name of the drive, is the physical hard drive.

As for back ups I'd recommend doing that no matter what the temp is. That's why I have a TC. It's not just drive failure that can go wrong as was shown in this recent topic: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1740609&tstart=0

roam

Level 6

13,637 points

Oct 8, 2008 6:57 AM in response to pogster

Agreed, it is certainly wise to have a backup for any emergency. I think if Dede's HD is running at 68 C he may need to call on it within months.

Dedo Author

Level 2

235 points

Oct 8, 2008 8:51 AM in response to roam

Unfortunately, I also agree ...... with both of you.

I agree the first HD (the System) is the one to watch and it's the high one. And while it's been running this way for many, many, months, I also agree that it's probably just a matter of time before there's a problem.

Funny, I don't do a lot of game-playing, number-crunching, or intense graphics; things that might run it hard. And since, as I mentioned earlier, the motherboard, the PSU, then the hard drive have all been replaced, it should be able to go indefinitely; I expected it. It's only 3 1/2 years old!!

Dedo Author

Level 2

235 points

Oct 8, 2008 9:08 AM in response to roam

roam, how on earth is your System HD running at 38C/100.4F?

Dedo Author

Level 2

235 points

Oct 8, 2008 1:17 PM in response to roam

I decided to cross check iStat Nano with iStat Pro and Nano identifies the second HD as the Hard Drive Bay. So, perhaps there are sensors inside and outside the Bay?

pogster

Level 5

5,123 points

Oct 8, 2008 2:49 PM in response to Dedo

Dedo wrote:
I decided to cross check iStat Nano with iStat Pro and Nano identifies the second HD as the Hard Drive Bay. So, perhaps there are sensors inside and outside the Bay?

My guess is 'hard drive bay' refers to the area the hard drive is sitting in - as in a wash bay where you'd park your car - and the second sensor in question is reading the air temp inside the 'bay'.

To better illustrate I found this video and my guess is the second sensor is the small one removed near the outside edge of the computer opposite the main connectors:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=1tt8Jky3RQY

You can also see the 'bay' the hard drive sits in.

pogster

Level 5

5,123 points

Oct 8, 2008 2:54 PM in response to pogster

There appears to be two fans near the hard drive. Maybe one of yours has stopped working? Just a thought.

Message was edited by: pogster

Dedo Author

Level 2

235 points

Oct 8, 2008 3:09 PM in response to pogster

I get three fan speed readings: System: 1721, CPU 1535, and Hard Drive 2401. How many fans are there on an iMac G5 PPC?

I only see two in these pictures.

http://mactree.sannet.ne.jp/~kodawarisan/imacg5/imacg502.html

pogster

Level 5

5,123 points

Oct 8, 2008 4:28 PM in response to Dedo

Dedo wrote:
I get three fan speed readings: System: 1721, CPU 1535, and Hard Drive 2401. How many fans are there on an iMac G5 PPC?

I only see two in these pictures.

http://mactree.sannet.ne.jp/~kodawarisan/imacg5/imacg502.html

I have no idea how many fans there are. A third in the power supply maybe?

roam

Level 6

13,637 points

Oct 8, 2008 5:41 PM in response to Dedo

Dedo (got the name right this time),
The eMac's HD runs between 20C at start up to 50C on an uncomfortably hot summer's day, but usually around the mid to high 30's between these extremes.
It is currently 29C.
The new iMac's HD is currently 32C and I expect its temp. range to be similar when summer comes.

Your HD could,
1. be designed that way.
2. have some error in the smart firmware giving a false reading.
3. be on the way out.

If it is (2) feel it. 68C should feel 'hot' to touch. I don't mean you could fry an egg on it but hot in the colloquial sense.

Disk life varies quite a bit, ranging from around three to four years is the expected useful life, though of course many find their drives last twice that. As I say it varies.

You could add an extra fan to blow over the HD if you wanted to tinker.

Dedo Author

Level 2

235 points

Oct 8, 2008 6:59 PM in response to roam

It's pretty warm but not alarmingly so. It'll do what it'll do. I'm pricing the new ones just in case.

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Hard drive: Macintosh temp range?