I disagree. There's plenty of teardown videos if someone needs that. We're here to see his take on the cooling, rather than trying to outdo iFixIt. I'm relieved that he skips it to discuss the hardened thermal paste on these older iMacs, rather than making us fast forward through 15-30 mins of video just to get to the nuts and bolts. Thumbs up.
UPDATE: The iMac now runs 3.5x faster and super cool. To anyone wanting to do this, IT IS NOT AT ALL DIFFICULT! Just take your time. Do it over the course of 2-3 nights. Just go easy. Put screws back in their holes so you’ll know where they go later or better yet, follow IFixit guides. Idiot proof! I replaced both the PCI drive and the SATA with SSDs for an all fusion SSD. (Only with APFS VERSIONS). I took off all the heatsink junk on there and applied new paste. I’m so beyond thrilled. I’ve always taken care of the machine and it not only looks brand new but runs like a new machine as well. 27 inch 5k with all top specs other than a fusion and it also has 32GB ram. I LOVE IT! Thanks!
Apple fans in auto mode run too slow for a computer with almost no air flow. Get an app with temp monitors and set the fans to manual. I set mine to 2.5k. Sure, the fans become audible but it is still fairly quiet. Never understood why the fan boys want silence. I want my machine to last and to not thermal throttle or shut down.
Some answers. As to what type of paste to use, use silver paste as it's more effective and lasts longer then your regular thermal paste. As to the over heating issues, it was a combination of terrible ventilation(hot air being flushed out) design of the iMac and defects with the video card copper heat sink setup(on my 2011 model the video card had a defect(in my case a pinhole leak with the copper). At the time Apple's Program Replacement fixed it for free of charge, but the same problem resurfaced with the replacement video card setup, 6 months later. I boxed the iMac after that 2nd incident and years later I'm thinking to revitalize it with a slightly different video card for it off ebay.
How is the cooling on the iMac? I'm in the middle of a iMac 27" Mid 2011 repair and it looks like the vram has too large of a space for standard thermal compound to make a good enough contact. I plan on use a thermal pad replacement compound call K5 Pro which should be viscous enough to cover the large gap. If you look at the original paste, you can see that the compound is very thick on the 2011 iMac.
It's time to rebed the main chips after 10 years. You can use silicon thermal pads instead of paste. Does the same job for all the chips. Heard liquid metal is being used but it reacts with the copper & aluminum. Never used it but it's being discussed as a solution. Reduce the heat by switching over to using SSd`s is the most practical option, while your in dismantle mode replace the dvd writer/player with another smaller ssd to act as your OS drive.
Did this fix to mine also but after assembly, the fans are running at full speed. Any idea why? I've triple checked to make sure connectors are back where they should be. Any help would be much appreciated.
Once you remove the monitor, can you still power it up just to see if the fans are even turning at all? I don't hear mine or feel any air whatsoever on the exhaust at the top. Just wondering if it would cause any issue with the monitor or anything else powering it up without it.
I did this today, about 2-3 hours labour, depending how much dust has settled in the fans, in the casing, on the board. Good Thermal Paste about 10 bucks. Since the thing is wide open it's a great opportunity to do an SSD and HDD upgrade . A total of around 200-250 including the upgrades (SSD + 2 TB drive)
So I’m about to change the video card, thermal paste and ssd... I was wondering if you’ve changed the video card before ifixit is saying I might need to remove the dvd. What do you think?
What helps to reduce temperatures from my experience: Hi folks! By doing these three things, my iMac 27, Mid 2011 is about 30 °C cooler now. Even while doing heavy 3D-Rendering in Cinema 4D ! 1. Replace broken LCD with too high temps (e.g. 70 °C) Often those displays have "clouds" and also lost brightness. LDC is basically a huge radiator... 2. Remove the HDD and replace it with an SSD. If you already have an SSD, even more reason to take out the HDD and use an exernal one. Why? because the HDD MASSIVELY blocks the air circulation of the central fan and stores additional heat. 3. For cooling down the GPU: remove the ODD !!! Removing the ODD creduces temps in the GPU by around 30 °C !!! And honestly, how often du you open CDs on your iMac? I haven´t been doing it since years... As an industrial designer, I had a closer look at the cooling system of these older iMacs... it´s a catastrophy. The fans don´t have a free way to pull in the cold air and all kind of components are blocking the air stream on its way throug the housing. I think for the iMac pro, the geniuses at Apple have improved this...
Hey man, You sound like the perfect person to ask for advice regarding iMac cooling systems. I wanna get the 3.6 GHz to 5 Ghz 8 core i9 imac with vega 48 graphics. I assume it has the same cooling system as theres no physical redesign since 2012. I feel like theres no way in HELL any of the cpu or GPU power will come to use in that enclosure and design. Thoughts?
It is not glue, it is called "thermal-paste". The thermal-paste will get dried out after a while and will not be able to lead the heat between the GPU (video-card) or CPU (processor) and the heat-sink. This will cause overheating-problems if this is the case. You need to scrape off the thermal-paste clean it with for example some alcohol-swaps (as he did; NOT WATER!). After you have done this and every last bit of the old thermal-paste is off, you go a head and apply brand new good quality thermal-paste. You only need to apply small amount (look in the video). Because it spread out allot when you connect the heat-sink(s) on top. Ask a computer-shop maybe, or Google what the best thermal-paste is at the moment.
hey guys i want to ask you all a question lately my laptop is consuming up to 100% of cpu and hard disk i get same problem either it has windwos 7 or 10 so its should be from inside would you like to tell me wich causes the over use of those components ? Because i hate when my laptop is slow btw i have an ASUS pretty old i can get more details just tell me hope for some answers , have a good time everyone
You are a Skill man but for the unskilled a bit of a nightmare I would liked to see some shots in your Video (SLOWING DOWN) it was like have Breakfast,Lunch and Diner at the same time Sorry
+moroccan gyy nope it is C, @ 1:35 he says 106 degrees F, but that is actually C which is 222.8 F, if you don't believe me look up CPU temps under load online and then reply back
The graphics card can be removed without removing the main board, three screws and two plugs and the card is out! Just look at the circuit board and you can see how easy! Greetings from Germany 👍🏻
Hi, neat video! Ever thought to replace the gpu with a non stock gpu? Ive replaced 2 Ati stock gpu's but both of them passed away! I wish there was a way to place a non stock gpu on my 27" mid 2010 iMac, i would buy it new and use a 3pipe heat sink, maybe it would last longer!!!
Hey Diy Tech. My cpu fam run with 100% i downloaded mac cpu fan but i cant change rpm. Program dont let me do that. I aplay new termal paste on cpu grafic card twice and stel run at 100%. Any sudgestens. I search on you tube but nothing similar to my problems. Please help.its imac late 2010 yeah i know its old but its dam good computer
Ross: I think the best solution is thermal Grizzly, either paste, or liquid metal in a thorough thin application on both the CPU, and GPU. About that inadequate fan. I think that is the main culprit of 2 to 3 year card longevity. A better fan, quieter would go a long way to better internal temps. I have seen people down in the 50's C, which will make the machine last till totally obsolete. This machine is not even obsolete in 2019, if you replace the CPU with the 2600, and the gpu card with either the alienware gtx 765, or 780. With the 780 you could even play the most demanding video games if you run them at 720, or 1080. This machine if treated with love is still a good machine with an ssd, and max mem.
Yes, the video COULD have been a bit more visually descriptive for people who are somewhat (but not yet 100%) confident in their fixit skill level, because there are a few little cables to undo when pulling the screen out, which can break easily if one doesn't realize that those cables are there along with some other little handy bits of info regarding screw placement, etc... that professional techs would know and mid-rangers might not. So those who are pissed that people are requesting that a FIX VIDEO actually show the process, RELAX and loosen your sopiled panties & diapers, ladies. As for the temperature monitor, just download an app called Temp Monitor. It's perfectly fine and does the job.
My 2014 (late) iMac is running at 228F at times. Tearing it apart today to suck the dust out, new paste and new ssd. It’s a maxed out system other than not having an SSD (fusion it has) so this should be fun :-) I’ve replaced AC jacks on computers and even an iPod touch with it soldered you the board so this looks easy. Just screws and patience with a little adhesive.
I am sure this is the problem with my mac (also a 2010 27") and looks like I am going to have to just replace my mac and probably not with another mac. thanks
Video shows many important parts of the work but you can see more details about how to replace thermal pastes here m.ruclips.net/video/e9v5MDivZfc/видео.html
A long time saying but thanks for the video which answers a lot of questions and answer for myself and what I must now do! Perhaps the person who says pointless video should go to ifixit.com
I bake my video card iMac 2011, so after baking, iMac don't want power on absolutely, no signal, no white screen, no black screen, no any reaction. Before baking, was a black screen but fan is working, also i hear sound of DVD. But now, now reaction, hold power button and use socket to power no result. So who can advice?
Just forgot to plug in power cable to Logicboard. So i did unopened again, then plug it, and work great. Bake work - great! Today is 7-Feb-2018 Video card working up to 2 month
Hey man, loved your video, I'm also thinking about cleaning my mac and making it cooler. just curious about the temperature, because 80 degree Fahrenheit is only 26 Celsius which is almost room temperature, are you sure it's not Celsius ?
Which would rather deal with, a little noise? Or shelling out another $2500+ for new iMac every 4-6 years? Heat will fry the components over time and Apple WILL NOT carry replacement parts for your 5 year old iMac.
I don't have a CPU that's overheating, though the PSU can get very hot in warm surroundings . do your thermal paste replacements stopped the PSU from getting hot too?
Definitely shouldn't have fast forward through the most important process, dismantling and building. Clean clear vid, add the rest and you're golden.
I disagree. There's plenty of teardown videos if someone needs that. We're here to see his take on the cooling, rather than trying to outdo iFixIt. I'm relieved that he skips it to discuss the hardened thermal paste on these older iMacs, rather than making us fast forward through 15-30 mins of video just to get to the nuts and bolts. Thumbs up.
@@agentduke2there aren’t many teardowns that go to the processor for this particular model
UPDATE:
The iMac now runs 3.5x faster and super cool. To anyone wanting to do this, IT IS NOT AT ALL DIFFICULT! Just take your time. Do it over the course of 2-3 nights. Just go easy. Put screws back in their holes so you’ll know where they go later or better yet, follow IFixit guides. Idiot proof! I replaced both the PCI drive and the SATA with SSDs for an all fusion SSD. (Only with APFS VERSIONS).
I took off all the heatsink junk on there and applied new paste. I’m so beyond thrilled. I’ve always taken care of the machine and it not only looks brand new but runs like a new machine as well. 27 inch 5k with all top specs other than a fusion and it also has 32GB ram.
I LOVE IT! Thanks!
Hi thanks for sharing, I have a couple of questions what is the PCI drive? also would please put the link for the thermo paste you used?
Another useless time lapse video which skips over the important parts.
kgb2220 Go to iFixit for their guides. Can’t go wrong.
Good, but why did you speed through the main disassembly phase, which I mostly wanted to see??
Watching you fix this was so vicariously satisfying. Congratulations, and thanks for the great video.
Apple fans in auto mode run too slow for a computer with almost no air flow. Get an app with temp monitors and set the fans to manual. I set mine to 2.5k. Sure, the fans become audible but it is still fairly quiet. Never understood why the fan boys want silence. I want my machine to last and to not thermal throttle or shut down.
Wish program are you running to measure the temperature?
That's SSD Fan Control. But more details you get with TGPro or Macs Fan Control
Is it still holding up?... no more overheating?...
Some answers. As to what type of paste to use, use silver paste as it's more effective and lasts longer then your regular thermal paste. As to the over heating issues, it was a combination of terrible ventilation(hot air being flushed out) design of the iMac and defects with the video card copper heat sink setup(on my 2011 model the video card had a defect(in my case a pinhole leak with the copper). At the time Apple's Program Replacement fixed it for free of charge, but the same problem resurfaced with the replacement video card setup, 6 months later. I boxed the iMac after that 2nd incident and years later I'm thinking to revitalize it with a slightly different video card for it off ebay.
How is the cooling on the iMac? I'm in the middle of a iMac 27" Mid 2011 repair and it looks like the vram has too large of a space for standard thermal compound to make a good enough contact. I plan on use a thermal pad replacement compound call K5 Pro which should be viscous enough to cover the large gap. If you look at the original paste, you can see that the compound is very thick on the 2011 iMac.
is there another video where you went through all the steps?
It's time to rebed the main chips after 10 years. You can use silicon thermal pads instead of paste. Does the same job for all the chips. Heard liquid metal is being used but it reacts with the copper & aluminum. Never used it but it's being discussed as a solution. Reduce the heat by switching over to using SSd`s is the most practical option, while your in dismantle mode replace the dvd writer/player with another smaller ssd to act as your OS drive.
How do you blow it clean if you don't take it apart? What is the best method (direction?)
Did this fix to mine also but after assembly, the fans are running at full speed. Any idea why? I've triple checked to make sure connectors are back where they should be. Any help would be much appreciated.
Once you remove the monitor, can you still power it up just to see if the fans are even turning at all? I don't hear mine or feel any air whatsoever on the exhaust at the top. Just wondering if it would cause any issue with the monitor or anything else powering it up without it.
How can we watch what you do when you fast-forwarded through all of those parts? Otherwise, good video
What would a job like this cost if I were to have a tech do it?
I did this today, about 2-3 hours labour, depending how much dust has settled in the fans, in the casing, on the board. Good Thermal Paste about 10 bucks. Since the thing is wide open it's a great opportunity to do an SSD and HDD upgrade . A total of around 200-250 including the upgrades (SSD + 2 TB drive)
So I’m about to change the video card, thermal paste and ssd... I was wondering if you’ve changed the video card before ifixit is saying I might need to remove the dvd. What do you think?
if only u lived next door and was able to pop over and do the same for me, sad times of a overheating imac
What helps to reduce temperatures from my experience:
Hi folks!
By doing these three things, my iMac 27, Mid 2011 is about 30 °C cooler now.
Even while doing heavy 3D-Rendering in Cinema 4D !
1. Replace broken LCD with too high temps (e.g. 70 °C)
Often those displays have "clouds" and also lost brightness.
LDC is basically a huge radiator...
2. Remove the HDD and replace it with an SSD.
If you already have an SSD, even more reason to take out the HDD and use an exernal one.
Why? because the HDD MASSIVELY blocks the air circulation of the central fan and stores additional heat.
3. For cooling down the GPU: remove the ODD !!!
Removing the ODD creduces temps in the GPU by around 30 °C !!!
And honestly, how often du you open CDs on your iMac? I haven´t been doing it since years...
As an industrial designer, I had a closer look at the cooling system of these older iMacs... it´s a catastrophy.
The fans don´t have a free way to pull in the cold air and all kind of components are blocking the air stream on its way throug the housing.
I think for the iMac pro, the geniuses at Apple have improved this...
Hey man,
You sound like the perfect person to ask for advice regarding iMac cooling systems.
I wanna get the 3.6 GHz to 5 Ghz 8 core i9 imac with vega 48 graphics. I assume it has the same cooling system as theres no physical redesign since 2012.
I feel like theres no way in HELL any of the cpu or GPU power will come to use in that enclosure and design.
Thoughts?
MAN , you are FAST !
question so basically all you did was scrape the glue off? you did not replace it?
It is not glue, it is called "thermal-paste". The thermal-paste will get dried out after a while and will not be able to lead the heat between the GPU (video-card) or CPU (processor) and the heat-sink. This will cause overheating-problems if this is the case. You need to scrape off the thermal-paste clean it with for example some alcohol-swaps (as he did; NOT WATER!). After you have done this and every last bit of the old thermal-paste is off, you go a head and apply brand new good quality thermal-paste. You only need to apply small amount (look in the video). Because it spread out allot when you connect the heat-sink(s) on top. Ask a computer-shop maybe, or Google what the best thermal-paste is at the moment.
Thermal paste is not glue. Its a thermally conductive compound used to transfer heat from the processor to the heatsink.
"How to" with a timelapse where we can't see anything. What is the point of this video ?
Even at 0.25 speed we can't see. What the hell ?
What did you do to fix this?
hey guys i want to ask you all a question lately my laptop is consuming up to 100% of cpu and hard disk i get same problem either it has windwos 7 or 10 so its should be from inside would you like to tell me wich causes the over use of those components ? Because i hate when my laptop is slow btw i have an ASUS pretty old i can get more details just tell me hope for some answers , have a good time everyone
How do u fix a blank screen
You are a Skill man but for the unskilled a bit of a nightmare I would liked to see some shots in your Video (SLOWING DOWN) it was like have Breakfast,Lunch and Diner at the same time Sorry
Good brother
too fast??? about as much use as a one legged man at an ass kicking competition
Without putting the glass on, you won't get an accurate reading. Ill bet the temp was about the same.
It's actually a 2011 model, not a 2010. It has the infamous AMD GPU in it.
Antistatic glowes,wristband ? woot woot
"How To"
You mean Celsius not Fahrenheit
Actually its F . if it was C , that thing will be melting.
+moroccan gyy nope it is C, @ 1:35 he says 106 degrees F, but that is actually C which is 222.8 F, if you don't believe me look up CPU temps under load online and then reply back
My iMac 2011 CPU is running at around max 49 degrees C. under normal conditions. In the video it says "88 F" ...
My 2009 imac is always 28c - 31c.
tweeker
waste of time
I can’t respect you as a technician for not throwing an SSD in that thing while you had it open. LOL.
What’s that program to check how hot is it ?
Ssd fan control
Got charged $600 from Apple to do the job. Ended up going through a friend and he said they never replaced the thermal paste 🤦🏾♂️ we got ripped off.
Apple will just replace the mainboard.
Why you do not put in description more details about type of thermal paste you are using. Please do not make your video like cartoon. MORE DETAILS!!!
I used Arctic Silver MX4. supposedly one of the best thermal paste out there.
Can you now fix mine , please 😉
Video too fast :-(
Also, I think you are talking Celsius not Fahrenheit. For any Mac that is running hot I highly recommend a free app called Macs Fan Control
Its pretty hard to find any recommendations for custom setting which fans to follow which priority cores, heatsinks, etc. Any ideas?
The graphics card can be removed without removing the main board, three screws and two plugs and the card is out! Just look at the circuit board and you can see how easy! Greetings from Germany 👍🏻
Hi, neat video! Ever thought to replace the gpu with a non stock gpu? Ive replaced 2 Ati stock gpu's but both of them passed away!
I wish there was a way to place a non stock gpu on my 27" mid 2010 iMac, i would buy it new and use a 3pipe heat sink, maybe it would last longer!!!
Way too much thermal paste there bud. Nice video though!
Hey Diy Tech. My cpu fam run with 100% i downloaded mac cpu fan but i cant change rpm. Program dont let me do that. I aplay new termal paste on cpu grafic card twice and stel run at 100%. Any sudgestens. I search on you tube but nothing similar to my problems. Please help.its imac late 2010 yeah i know its old but its dam good computer
Replaced my hard drive with a solid state drive, has never overheated again.
HDD generate around 30-59c of heat.
Thanks for the inf!!!
this is giving me some hope
Needs to be SPED UP even faster, my brain can handle it….. NOT
I dont mean to offend you but all you do with the comments is heart but you don’t answer their comments.
Why in fast foward dude, why?????
Go too fast look like you are don't really let the people learn from you. It's bed video
im having this problem rght now, imac 2017 4.2ghz,
Got exactly what I needed from this video. The likely culprit for the overheating is old, cracking thermal paste. Thanks!
Ross: I think the best solution is thermal Grizzly, either paste, or liquid metal in a thorough thin application on both the CPU, and GPU. About that inadequate fan. I think that is the main culprit of 2 to 3 year card longevity. A better fan, quieter would go a long way to better internal temps. I have seen people down in the 50's C, which will make the machine last till totally obsolete. This machine is not even obsolete in 2019, if you replace the CPU with the 2600, and the gpu card with either the alienware gtx 765, or 780. With the 780 you could even play the most demanding video games if you run them at 720, or 1080. This machine if treated with love is still a good machine with an ssd, and max mem.
@@paublusamericanus292 Actually, the 2600S is a lower TDP and would reduce heat.
What you do with thermal-pads on GPU memory? Is it K5 PRO?
Yes, the video COULD have been a bit more visually descriptive for people who are somewhat (but not yet 100%) confident in their fixit skill level, because there are a few little cables to undo when pulling the screen out, which can break easily if one doesn't realize that those cables are there along with some other little handy bits of info regarding screw placement, etc... that professional techs would know and mid-rangers might not.
So those who are pissed that people are requesting that a FIX VIDEO actually show the process, RELAX and loosen your sopiled panties & diapers, ladies.
As for the temperature monitor, just download an app called Temp Monitor. It's perfectly fine and does the job.
My 2014 (late) iMac is running at 228F at times. Tearing it apart today to suck the dust out, new paste and new ssd. It’s a maxed out system other than not having an SSD (fusion it has) so this should be fun :-)
I’ve replaced AC jacks on computers and even an iPod touch with it soldered you the board so this looks easy. Just screws and patience with a little adhesive.
I am sure this is the problem with my mac (also a 2010 27") and looks like I am going to have to just replace my mac and probably not with another mac. thanks
Video shows many important parts of the work but you can see more details about how to replace thermal pastes here m.ruclips.net/video/e9v5MDivZfc/видео.html
A long time saying but thanks for the video which answers a lot of questions and answer for myself and what I must now do! Perhaps the person who says pointless video should go to ifixit.com
I bake my video card iMac 2011, so after baking, iMac don't want power on absolutely, no signal, no white screen, no black screen, no any reaction. Before baking, was a black screen but fan is working, also i hear sound of DVD. But now, now reaction, hold power button and use socket to power no result. So who can advice?
Just forgot to plug in power cable to Logicboard. So i did unopened again, then plug it, and work great. Bake work - great! Today is 7-Feb-2018 Video card working up to 2 month
Hey man, loved your video, I'm also thinking about cleaning my mac and making it cooler. just curious about the temperature, because 80 degree Fahrenheit is only 26 Celsius which is almost room temperature, are you sure it's not Celsius ?
Factory applied thermal paste is the worst. They always glob it on and use to much.
what happened when it was overheat
so dont put the gpu in the oven at 200c for 8 mins?
Cool video, went finished with my Mac should i shut it down or on sleep?
with your fans running at 5400 rpm isn't that a bit noisy.
Which would rather deal with, a little noise? Or shelling out another $2500+ for new iMac every 4-6 years? Heat will fry the components over time and Apple WILL NOT carry replacement parts for your 5 year old iMac.
I don't have a CPU that's overheating, though the PSU can get very hot in warm surroundings . do your thermal paste replacements stopped the PSU from getting hot too?