2009 Early iMac Freezing 3.06GHz,24", ATI 4850

That just sounds like a broken video card. Sorry to hear your troubles. If it's any consolation, my iMac is running as well as can be expected after the firmware update. I am really enjoying it.

Good luck in your search for a good alternative. Are you going with a mac or switching brands?

I have been a mac user for over 10 years - no way would I switch. Unfortunately, I took a risk and bought a computer right out of the gates. I will wait a few months for Apple to iron out the glitches and repurchase. FYI - the redline issue was escalated; software conflict was ruled out. Specialist should be contacting me tomorrow to determine plan of action.

I also had some video anomalies at first after the EFI update, but more subtle. You could see it on the default Leopard background--little red lines and hatches. I rebooted into Windows XP via Bootcamp, and it persisted. It was weird, almost like the color depth was set too low (but I checked it) and only apparent on some images, mostly blues and reds. I powered the machine completely down and back on, and it's working fine now. Maybe try that before sending it back.

I keep doing that myself. I bought the 1st Intel MacBook Pro and had to live with a few trips to apple store for repairs, including the topcase which peeled like it had a sunburn.

I couldn't help myself with this imac, I knew it was a refresh of sorts, but I figured the architecture wasn't going to be that new. (Other than the video card).

Good luck with your specialist.

I never did get a call back from my tech support call from a week ago. I guess they just assumed that the EFI update was my fix.

coreworksnet,

I think you are on to part if not all of the issue. My iMac 24 2.66 4GB NVIDIA (two weeks new) was having the same freeze issues. Have an Apple 24-inch LED Cinema Display attached. Thought it might be overworking the graphics card. Also attached is a Firewire 800 Lacie 1TB HD (which is not SMART aware). So, this morning decided to test a few combinations:
24-inch LED ON
Bluetooth ON
WiFi OFF
1TB OFF

Worked for several hours with never a freeze or even a pause using InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat Pro, Illustrator, NeoOffice, Font Explorer X Pro, Default Folder, Little Snitch. Usually had at least one freeze an hour before. I'll try latter with the Lacie 1TB on and see if it has anything to do with a non-SMART external. Could there be some polling done by the Mac itself on external HDs that gets bogged down when the drive is not SMART? I have only two drivers installed -- a GCC printer (postscript on ethernet which was also on the entire time and printed several docs) and a Kensington Turbo Mouse. Have the latest version of smcFanControl kicked up a few notches. Did not take any readings with iStat Pro--did not want to tweak smc any more since all was moving along smoothly.

My MacBook unibody has NEVER frozen, but I only use it for email and as an off-site work tool and it is never connect it to anything. Use it only with MobileME using WiFI with Airport Extreme at home and in the office with a LinkSys system.

Hope this sheds some light for others.

After the EFI Update my "iMac ATI" never froze. But in Photoshop zooming in and out an opened picture the grey background around the picture has often noise instead of a unique gray solid. And I noticed that the mouse disapears in firefox when hitting the delete key to go back to the previous visited website (after moving the mouse it apears again on the screen).
Anybody else who has this "problems"? ?

I haven't noticed any issues in Adobe's software. I'll try it out in a bit and let you know.

Fix seems to have fixed the problem. Not a single freeze since installation.

Something's been worrying me, though:

Have our Macs become less optimal than they initially were due to the repeated lock-ups and force-shut downs they had to endure?

Or are they still like the day they came out of the box?

Same here. I have had no issues with the locking up since the update was installed.

As far as your concern goes, I guess it would be best tested with a video game and testing the frame rates. (I don't have a game handy that I can do this with). But considering that we've got a working computer now, and before the fix, we did not... I guess we're better off.

I'm not sure that the fix was something pulled back on the power of the video card, as much as fixed a conflict between components. (I'm sure there are more qualified people to speak on the technical aspects of the firmware update, than I).

I'm very pleased with the expediency of the update and that it fixed the issue.

Thanks for responding.

I play WoW, so I did as you suggested and checked the frame rates. I'm relieved to say that the frame rates are as high as they ever were (60~160 fps at max. settings).

Though, my concern is less towards the fix -- whether or not it "pulled back on the power of the video card", as you put it; what I worry is that the issue itself (repeated lock-ups & force-shut downs) affected my iMac.

Thing is, I've only recently beamed myself out of a PC universe, where things like freezes and force-shut downs will gradually worsen a PC's overall performance.

I guess I'm trying to figure out whether Macs are any different. Are Macs built to survive such things intact?

I also have the New 24 inch iMAC with the 3.06Ghz 4GB DDR3 GT 120 Graphics it has been randomly freezing for the past 2 months however it got worse over the last week I rang Apple support did a myriad of tests wasted a lot of time did an erase and install of OSX 10.5.6 and updated all my software.
I spent roughly over 20 hrs stuffing around with my machine very unproductive after all the updates it froze again during operating one app Logic Studio so very frustrated I rang Apple and asked for a replacement 3 hours later they said they would replace my machine.
Thanks Apple for your professional service.

The freezing seems to be affecting a range of different years, is this a design common to 2006-2009 models?:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1467276&tstart=0

Apple needs to address this problem.

Hi Xandraa, You & I have the same model & configuration of ram. I however didn't have any video issues, BUT on the 30th of May I had a problem with overheating so bad that Apple arranged an appointment at the Genius Bar. It was so bad they couldn't make my hard drive mount.

They first replaced the hard drive to no avail. Next the power supply with the same result. They deemed that it was not a fan issue because the fans were operating within spec.

They have decided to replace the machine for me. Now, here's the thing, I told them that when I bought it that it was the the top spec machine and would they replace it in like as they no longer produce hat one any longer? They agreed and so I am currently awaiting my new machines arrival, it has the new max processor plus the larger hard drive. That's cool!

One concern I do have though, is that I upgraded (?) to the ATI Radeon 4850 video card and have just read this Monster thread relating to freezing.

If you have AppleCare, back up your data and push for a replacement, mine was bought on "Black Friday" November 2007, so was beyond the one year standard warranty, but well within the AppleCare extension.

Hope that this helps

Regards

Mike

just had the same thing happen to me tonight. I was playing an itunes library song through Front Row...I pressed ESC and the screen writing went distorted, and the computer froze. When I tried to produce the Force Quit box, I got the pinwheel forever... Eventually I had to press the power button to turn it off and back on. Now the imac appears to be fine.

This is a new 24" imac and I have had it for about 2 months. I am new to the mac world and this was the first thing that happened to me that reminds me of Windows.

Anyone know what this happened? Was it a fluke?

thanks-
chris