Apple just released new iMacs and mac minis.
They claim the new iMacs are even quieter than they used to be - which is remarkable since they used to be very quiet indeed. They go into the thermal design somewhat on their site, however they do not mention (nor could they, given the large variations in configuration) how the systems ramp up under load.

I'd assume that the tope end Core i7 + HD4850 isn't all that quiet under load, but I'd love to see an SPCR review of any of these systems - they use components that are favourites in the community in and of themselves, and with Apple system design and thermal control and regulation, the results could be interesting indeed.

I've been wanting to do some iPhone development, and have been waiting for the new Mac Minis.

It irks me though that Apple wants us to pay AU$849.00 for the base model here in Australia, but in the US the same machine is US$599 (AU$650 at current exchange rates).

Sorry to jack the thread, but can anyone recommend a US dealer that ships internationally?

Hi,

The new machines do look pretty sweet -- the iMacs now have 4 RAM slots so they can have up to 16GB... 16GB...drool! The cases are now all aluminum, and the 27" screen (in particular) must be excellent.



I'll have to try out the new Magic Mouse with it's touch sensitive back -- there are no physical buttons, so it will be virtually silent.

iFixit has a teardown of the 27 inch iMac.

Six temperature sensors, three fans, surprisingly beefy heatsinking - this puppy should be quiet even at load for the low end config.
The higher end configuration is another question - I can't really see how on earth they will be capable of dissipating all that heat without significant noise. Looking forward to some critical testing.

Thanks for the link! I notice they also tear down the Magic Mouse:

http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Magic-Mouse/1240/1

Qualitatively, my 21.5" mac is very quite. I can sometimes find it difficult to know if the machine is in standby or the screen is just shutoff. The 1TB disk is model WD1001FALS, 1TB w/32MB cache. I can hear it on I/O but beyond that I can't hear distinctive drive noises.

The fans seem to be really low speed and are incredibly quiet. I strain to hear them, even at full CPU load (but it is more obvious).

The aluminum transfers heat very quickly so the machine can feel quite warm but I suspect this also means it can wick away heat from sensitive components efficiently enough even at such low fan speeds. They don't seem to ramp up much at all.

Are the new iMacs any quieter than the previous versions? Just wondering if anyone here has any direct experience with both.

Hi,

Frankly if the new iMacs are quieter, then then they are virtually silent. If they are the same (or even a bit louder) than they are still among the quietest computers. They also use very little power, even if you include the display -- my 24" uses ~116watts at 100% load with the monitor.

I'm running a computer with just scythe 120mm low spin fan. Are the Imac comparable in terms of noise with the scythe fan? if so, i probably pick up a 27" iMac

I broke down and bought the Corei7 2.8GHz, ATI 4850, 1TB version.
That is, the highest performing and highest powerdraw version. It is significantly quieter than its 24" predecessor which I own and had standing right beside the 27" model for 2-3 weeks. I'm amazed, I didn't think it was possible. I do not hear the fans speed up under any normal use circumstances, it remains exceedingly quiet, quieter than my doing-my-damndest-and-keeping-all-fans-at-minimum undervolted E8400 system with passive gfx-cooler.
Again, I just don't see how it's even possible. But if you want a quiet preassembled computer, the current iMacs are better than anything I've come across or managed to assemble myself.

Just out of interest has anybody measured the idle power consumption of either the 21.5 or 27â€

[quote="Gohan"]Just out of interest has anybody measured the idle power consumption of either the 21.5 or 27â€