Temperature of Computer and Peripherals?

1. Mirsky - 11 July 2008

   Hi. I own a 24" IMac that I bought last December. I also have an external 500 gig firewire hard drive that I use for Time Machine backups.

   I keep my Mac and the hard drive on all day and night, although I put the Mac to sleep before I go to bed.

   Recently, I noticed that the IMac is very hot to the touch--both sides of the enclosure are hot and especially the top.

   Also, when I eject a CD that I've put into the Mac, it also feels hot too.

   I also noticed that the firewire hard drive is really hot as well.

   I am wondering if the high temperature of the Mac and the drive could lead to some problems. I am wondering if I should start shutting down my mac at night so it won't get so hot.

   Is the heat of the Mac and hard drive something I should be concerned with? Or should I stop worrying about it?

   Thanks in advance for your advice.

   Mirsky

2. Clark Martin - 11 July 2008

   Sleep on a recent iMac draws as much power as off, about 3W. Heat wise that's nothing. As to the FW drive, see if it sleeps the drive. When you wake the computer in the morning you should be able to hear / feel the FW drive spin up if it is slept. If it doesn't, dismount it then power it down before sleeping the computer.

   The CD feeling warm or even hot after burning is normal.

   The computer does get hot, that's normal. The computer does monitor itself so it shouldn't get too hot.

   Clark Martin
   Redwood City, CA, USA Macintosh / Internet Consulting

   "I'm a designated driver on the Information Super Highway"