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Post by Johnkenn on May 5, 2017 8:14:00 GMT -6
My 2012 Mac Mini is starting to get a little flaky. I'm having major lag with my Bluetooth Mac and a USB drive is starting to not mount. Wondering if it's heat issues. I notice it's running really hot - like 200 F when really intensive processes are running. I guess it's right on time - almost 5 years to the day. Sigh. Anyway, I've downloaded a fan control app and that helps with cooling. But I think I should prepare to purchase another computer. The idea of switching to PC is just daunting- and I don't think I can do it. Would a brand new i5 iMac 3.3 Ghz be enough power? Maybe max out the ram? I could do that and sell my current Mac monitor and make a little back. Not sure if you can add another hard drive though. I've got two ssd's in my mini. Guess I could buy a thunderbolt HD chassis.
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Post by indiehouse on May 5, 2017 8:17:22 GMT -6
Didn't I read that Apple was getting ready to drop a new generation of iMac's?
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Post by kcatthedog on May 5, 2017 8:19:48 GMT -6
There was a reference here a week or two ago that the heat transfer material is probably incorrectly applied and if you open it up and re-apply you may solve your problem. You can also clean out the fan etc. while it is open.
Personally, I would try to hold out until the new IMAC is released ?
I find it hard to think the i5 is the way to go when you can get the i7 quad and maybe more ?
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ericn
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Post by ericn on May 5, 2017 9:21:04 GMT -6
You never know what the next Apple generation is going to bring these days, waiting at least lets you see weather going new or used is better. Always loved the mini, but heat is its enemy. The I7 sever of a generation or 2 ago is still the top of the heap.
I have learned that if you value stability and price always buy a generation or 2 older, and I7 is worth the coin.
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Post by swurveman on May 5, 2017 9:23:04 GMT -6
If you know Steve Lamm, call him. He built my computer 10 years ago and it's still running flawlessly. At the very least, I'm sure he knows someone in Nashville who's building solid computers for DAW's.
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Post by ChaseUTB on May 5, 2017 9:45:22 GMT -6
I7 ftw
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Post by Martin John Butler on May 5, 2017 11:18:44 GMT -6
I had a dozen problems that vanished when I switched from a 2009 i5 mac to a 2011 i7 mac. Don't even think about an i5 John. I blamed everything for my issues except the computer because I couldn't afford a new one anyway.
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Post by john on May 5, 2017 11:35:49 GMT -6
my 2011 MacBook has the same problems. sounds like a helicopter when rendering audio or video. can only work for a couple solid hours before it starts to skip on playback. oddly enough the fan runs hardest when the screensaver animation is happening. i'm waiting on the new imac. if it ends up sucking then I really don't know.
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Post by Johnkenn on May 5, 2017 13:04:32 GMT -6
If you know Steve Lamm, call him. He built my computer 10 years ago and it's still running flawlessly. At the very least, I'm sure he knows someone in Nashville who's building solid computers for DAW's. Wasn't he crypticglobe or something?
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Post by Johnkenn on May 5, 2017 13:06:38 GMT -6
I'm going to try to fix with my magic mouse. I'm hoping that might be the issue instead of any type of overheating. Apparently the battery compartment can momentarily lose connection with the batteries causing Bluetooth To lag
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ericn
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Post by ericn on May 5, 2017 13:17:16 GMT -6
I'm going to try to fix with my magic mouse. I'm hoping that might be the issue instead of any type of overheating. Apparently the battery compartment can momentarily lose connection with the batteries causing Bluetooth To lag Anything that uses RF and rechargeable batteries can be problematic!
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Post by ChaseUTB on May 5, 2017 15:23:50 GMT -6
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Post by rocinante on May 5, 2017 16:50:26 GMT -6
Latest generation i5 isnt gonna be bad.
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Post by matt on May 5, 2017 17:11:05 GMT -6
My 2012 Mac Mini is starting to get a little flaky. You know my answer: 2013 Mac Pro, 8 core, 32 gigs of ram, D500 GPUs. Obscenely expensive but I don't think I will ever stress it in any way. The difference in performance over my old mini is nothing short of astonishing. As it should be for the cost.
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Post by mrholmes on May 5, 2017 17:18:43 GMT -6
I am running my Mac Pro since 2001 without any flaws...
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ericn
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Post by ericn on May 5, 2017 18:04:47 GMT -6
My 2012 Mac Mini is starting to get a little flaky. You know my answer: 2013 Mac Pro, 8 core, 32 gigs of ram, D500 GPUs. Obscenely expensive but I don't think I will ever stress it in any way. The difference in performance over my old mini is nothing short of astonishing. As it should be for the cost. Or first gen Mac Pro upgraded to 8 core 64 bit video card hacked firmware to run latest OS. Far cheaper and will still give a Mac min server a run for its money, but like all cheese Graters no TB option! Add a PCIE chassis with a bunch of UAD cards to taste!
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Post by swurveman on May 6, 2017 8:47:00 GMT -6
If you know Steve Lamm, call him. He built my computer 10 years ago and it's still running flawlessly. At the very least, I'm sure he knows someone in Nashville who's building solid computers for DAW's. Wasn't he crypticglobe or something? Yes , he was Cryptic Globe.. I believe he's an instructor at Dark Horse in Franklin now. He built me a very reliable computer.
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Post by Johnkenn on May 6, 2017 10:31:58 GMT -6
Still dealing with a little lag on my magic mouse. There are a couple of fixes...apparently, the battery compartment would get lose...so a solution is to fold up some tinfoil and place between the battery and connectors to tighten the connection. Seems like that has improved it a little bit, but still occasionally happening. I might go buy a new Magic Mouse to see if that completely solves the issue. If it does, I have a feeling the mini isn't really overheating...but fan control is probably a good idea anyway.
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Post by donr on May 6, 2017 11:01:52 GMT -6
I use smcFanControl on my laptop. It's good to know the actual cpu temp in the menu bar, and you can control the fan speed manually if you want.
When I wanted the laptop to be quiet when recording in the same space, I'd sit the laptop on a couple of picnic freezer cold packs to keep the fan at a minimum.
If the computer starts running hot and loud fan, it's usually Safari, choking the cpu on some flash content on a website. I have to force quit it from the activity monitor app.
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Post by popmann on May 6, 2017 13:54:39 GMT -6
Yeah, I find it hilarious that I can mix full 88.2 sessions on the little Air while it sits in complete silence, and I mean silence....take a break to watch some guitar amp demo on YouTube, and the fans whir up like its about to take off. For its first few years, it sat in the studio only hooked up to the Kronos...I didn't even think it had a fan! I thought they'd built in completely passively cooled since it simply never kicked on. I remember the first time....looking around the room "where is THAT coming from?"
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Post by Johnkenn on May 6, 2017 15:59:37 GMT -6
Shouldn't ssd drives run relatively heat free or am I making hat up?
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Post by popmann on May 7, 2017 14:01:00 GMT -6
No-they all cause heat. Magnetics via the motor spinning all the time....SSDs CAN run cooler, but like all chip technology, if you get cutting edge chips, they run hot to the touch. I know Samsung has had some issues with the new NMVE PCIe "chips" overheating and people were installing/rigging RAM style heatsinks on them to prevent the speed from kicking itself down due to the overheating...
But, less than a full size 7200rpm magnetic, sure--yes, less heat. Not heat free.
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Post by kcatthedog on May 7, 2017 15:24:22 GMT -6
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Post by Bob Olhsson on May 7, 2017 15:36:02 GMT -6
I can't recommend Pro Tools PC www.pro-tools-pc.com/ highly enough. They stress test every single computer they deliver for real world performance with Pro Tools using their customers' interfaces. Neil is a technician at the BBC in London who maintains all manner of computers along with both audio and video software. Steve, their North American representative in Albuquerque, also has years of experience building computers for audio.
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Post by noah shain on May 7, 2017 17:34:32 GMT -6
I can't recommend Pro Tools PC www.pro-tools-pc.com/ highly enough. They stress test every single computer they deliver for real world performance with Pro Tools using their customers' interfaces. Neil is a technician at the BBC in London who maintains all manner of computers along with both audio and video software. Steve, their North American representative in Albuquerque, also has years of experience building computers for audio. A quick glance on their site and I'm impressed! I'm kinda close to getting a new machine and these look great! But do I have to use a windows operating system? Can they do Mac?
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