[mackandproud]

I'm running a macbook from 2008. While I like this computer a lot, it is annoying and frustrating to constantly deal with the fans revving up EVERY TIME I watch a youtube clip, or especially if I attempt something as adventurous as playing a video game.

Will an Imac eliminate the constant fan activity with video clips (flash) and video games?

I wouldn't mind working with a bigger screen either.

[Waragainstsleep]

A new one? Certainly will.

[P]

Yes, the new iMacs are much more powerful (especially the graphics) and with the extra space in the box, the fans are quite silent.

If Flash is your problem, also try Click2Flash. It uses Quicktime directly for Youtube clips, which is much more efficient.

[ghporter]

I've never noticed my 1st Gen Aluminum iMac's fans reacting to YouTube video or other graphics. But I maxed out the RAM on it as soon as I could. The 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo with 4GB of RAM handles full screen video without any noticeable fan noise.

[imitchellg5]

Even at 4k RPM, I don't notice my current-rev 21.5"'s fans.

[mackandproud]

Thanks all. I figured the superior cards and processors had to make a difference.

My macbook fans rev up to 5-6K always if flash video plays for more than just a few seconds...

And thanks for the tip p, I will certainly try that.

[mackandproud]

Originally Posted by P 

Yes, the new iMacs are much more powerful (especially the graphics) and with the extra space in the box, the fans are quite silent.

If Flash is your problem, also try Click2Flash. It uses Quicktime directly for Youtube clips, which is much more efficient.

It looks like this is a safari only program? I've looked at the settings, and it's unclear how to get youtube cilps to play as mpg clips?

Right now, I get greyed or blacked out areas where flash would normally play. Instead it simply reads flash or youtube. Clicking enables playback in flash, but does not result in mpg playback.

How do I change the setting to get the benefit of non flash playback?

[sek929]

I have a refurb 2007 iMac and I can barely tell it's on most of the time, even when gaming.

As for Click2Flash, once the flash movies come up as grey boxes merely right click (or control click) and select the appropriate option.

[mackandproud]

Right clicking gives me the following options:

Load Flash

Load All On This Page

Add youtube to whitelist

Clicktoflash settings

Which one enables mpg playback?

[Ph.D.]

I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to noise, so if you are too (I value comments from fellow noise-freaks), here are my comments concerning my Imac:

I'd rather it be silent, but the noise of the fan does not bother me too much. It's a very low-pitched and fairly quiet, almost pure white noise. If there has to be noise, this is what I want.

It's the hard disk that I've found objectionable. On my particular Imac, the hard disk is too loud, and it vibrates quite distinctly. I've often thought about replacing it with a solid state disk just for this reason.

After we've replaced rotating media with SS media, we need to go after the fans. In my dreams, the next generation of computers will have no moving parts whatsoever. (And then we can go after those whiny high-pitched AC power converters, too.)

Cheers.

[P]

Originally Posted by mackandproud 

It looks like this is a safari only program? I've looked at the settings, and it's unclear how to get youtube cilps to play as mpg clips?

Right now, I get greyed or blacked out areas where flash would normally play. Instead it simply reads flash or youtube. Clicking enables playback in flash, but does not result in mpg playback.

How do I change the setting to get the benefit of non flash playback?

It's not mpg. Flash video can be encoded in many ways. One of them - the most recent - is H.264 video, which Quicktime can also play. If the text says "Youtube" - or the name of the site, whatever it is - then Quicktime will play the movie when you click. You don't notice it, usually, except that it takes less CPU. If it says "Flash", it will trigger Flash. There is no setting for this.

[mackandproud]

I see. Well, even in h264 playback, the macbook fans make their presence known. Eh.

[ghporter]

There's something "not right" about how your machine is using its fans. I just ran two lengthy YouTube clips (Tim Conway making everyone on the Carol Burnett Show fall on the floor laughing), and there was absolutely no change in how my iMac sounded. Remember, mine is the first gen aluminum iMac, so yours has a much more capable graphics system, and theoretically should be able to do a lot more graphic work than mine without adding to overall heat.

[mackandproud]

No, I have a macbook.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by mackandproud 

No, I have a macbook.

Oops. I misread something earlier and had the impression we were talking about iMacs. I'll have to do the same check with my first gen MBP, but I can't remember having the fans be particularly obnoxious with it at any time.

[Veltliner]

My iMac is three years old and completely silent.

You hear fans only when you burn a DVD, and then it's still very, very low noise.

[BaBaBooey]

the only time the fan turns on is when i'm playing a video game for a long time (Borderlands, Starcraft II, Singularity, ect) and thats even after around an hour or so... beyond that, its never on and if it is, i don't hear it

by the way, i have the mid 2010 27" Quad i7 2.93 ghz IMac... so its literally 4 months old

[Thorzdad]

The most noise my iMac ever makes is the almost imperceptible sound the hard drive makes when it's actually having to do some work...like when I'm doing a backup to my external drive, or editing photos in Photoshop. I've never heard any fan noise.