# I7 iMac 2017 - Fan noise?



## Levon (Jul 28, 2017)

Hello,
I'm debating about purchasing the new 2017 iMac i7 model. This would be my first Apple computer purchase. The main concern I have is the fan noise and how hot the unit would become under load. I've read several reviews that commented on how noisy and hot the unit gets although this seem to be when processing 4K video. Does anyone have experience of how these machines perform with regards fan noise and heat in a DAW situation?
Cheers,
Levon


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## babylonwaves (Jul 28, 2017)

the fan is clearly audible when the mac is under load for a while. not only a "demanding" arrangement but also a second monitor (especially 4k) leads to situations where the fan is pretty much constantly on.


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## mac (Jul 28, 2017)

It's a 2015, but my imac (5k 27") doesnt make a peep. Either my fan is broken, or the 2017's have more of a heat issue.


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## fritzmartinbass (Jul 28, 2017)

If the heat sensor is failing, or has become disconnected, the fan will run constantly (was an apple genius for 4 years).
My 5k 2015 27" is very quiet.


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## Musicam (Jul 28, 2017)

This Imac is a screen more powerfull, only this thing. Not versatile. The life of an Imac is 8 years perphaps? And the operative system? More expensive.


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## Levon (Jul 28, 2017)

I have heard from the reviews I've read so far that the new 2017 i7 iMacs are noisier than the 2015 versions. Perhaps a combination of the updated i7 and graphics card. New i5 iMacs are supposed to be just as quiet as the previous version.


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## erikradbo (Jul 28, 2017)

I'm in the same situation, and the fan noise seem to be a real issue. However, going for the i5 is quite a significant drop in performance. See this thread for more info and links: http://vi-control.net/community/thr...ing-macbook-pro-with-imac.63924/#post-4115367


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## Publius (Jul 28, 2017)

Its a difficult thing to factor in, as its impossible to evaluate the noise in an apple store due to the high ambient noise level. Maybe there are published specs. I avoided what was then the classic mac pro for years because I read it was noisy on the internet somewhere. When I got one used, turns out it was pretty quiet. Maybe the best thing is to read the specs for db of noise and compare systems, and ensure there is a return policy if it turns out to be too loud.

In a pc discussion elsewhere a poster noted his computer was quiet during audio stuff but the fans got loud when processing video--so workload dependent.


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