“To be fair, the system Apple first described, was in context with is an iMac-like docking station,” Purcher reports. “Yet the fact remains that if an iMac-like docking station was on the drawing board for a liquid cooling system in 2008, then the likelihood of that extending to the iMac is nothing short of being a no-brainer.”
“Why would Apple want to add liquid cooling to the iMac? Because with Apple now adopting true Intel desktop chipsets for the iMac, we keep hearing about heat issues – and it’s only going to be getting worse as time goes on,” Purcher reports.
Read the full article here.
Steve, Steve, Steve please say NO!!!
oh you mac fanboys
—
err , i’m a mac fanboy !!
I thought they made the switch to Intel because Intel’s chip designs were so much more power efficient, and wouldn’t suffer the overheating issues the G5 was plagued with.
When do we get iMacs powered by an A32 processor?
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We’re going back to PowerPC!!!!
@jaundiced
Why no?
I think these were conceived while Apple was trying to figure out how to put a G5 into what is now an iMac.
The patent was started and obtained to keep in their patent arsenal.
This will be great.. then I can get one and hope that the coolant leaks and whipes out my imac then get it replaced free being a year out of warranty and get a new mac pro 😀
Oh, I hope this doesn’t happen!
“Yet the fact remains that if an iMac-like docking station was on the drawing board for a liquid cooling system in 2008, then the likelihood of that extending to the iMac is nothing short of being a no-brainer.”
Yes, it is a no-brainer…
because you have to have no brains in order to jump to a conclusion like that.
MDN, why do bother with this nonsense?
Why not add something useful that people really want like BluRay instea of palming it off as a “bag of hurt”
A fluid cooling system to go with a fluid interface. Makes sense to me.
I knew the water-cooling in the G5 towers were going to leak and so I never bought one. And now they are leaking all over the place. The exact same thing will happen with the iMacs, only it’s be a much bigger shitstorm when it happens because there will be so many more home owners with them leaking water on their desks….
An article based on a 2-year old patent disclosure? And the author makes his case that it may happen real soon now because chips are getting hotter? And all this time I thought the trend was that chips are running cooler. Silly me.
My i5 iMac runs like a space heater when I’m rendering, but the aluminium case helps it shed the heat really quickly. Not sure what liquid cooling would offer.
Apple moved away from PPC because its thermal performance was not as good as Intel processors. That would mean that in order to get the same performance as a quad core Intel processor, a PPC equivilent would be starting house fires…
I would love to see some attention to the Mac line now that the iPad is out. The new iMac is great, however Apple did almost nothing to promote it. Now that SJ has put the iPad out I hope he starts putting some work back in Mac division. Mac is still where they make their most money.
And the screen saver (or savior) will be an aquarium! woaff!
Yeah, makes sense to me.
These Intel iMac machines really get hot and if you work them hard they really get hot in a short time.
I have seen some failures to the graphics cards I kinda felt were heat related. Could be.
Let it be known that liquid computers can be a real bitch to service in a lot of different ways.
Remember that engineers are not techs and don’t have to routinely take apart computers they design either.
Perhaps bigger, more robust fans and heat sinks are the answers.
Apple did have a liquid cooled G5:
Apple Power Macintosh G5 2.5 DP
this model adds a liquid cooling system that replaces the traditional heat sink.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g5/stats/powermac_g5_2.5_dp.html
Not sure why the problem is only going to get worse, the drive is on for better chip efficiency. This is true in desktop and server chips saves money lowers carbon footprint.
I hope not. I was unlucky enough to have a leaky G5 Power Mac. Luckily the cooling system didn’t explode, destroying the machine like some folks did, but I did have a nice gooey puddle on my desk.
Hell I’m siting at work replacing the main board on a Power Mac G5 2.0ghz Dual PPC, and I’m looking at its liquid cooling system as i type… looks odd to have pluming in my tower come to think of it. Not to add its hell removing it to get to the main board.
The G5??? Pretty stupid bringing up the G5. The patent came later and it’s designed for a smaller computer like a laptop. Arguing about the G5 is brain dead. The other aspect of this article is could Apple redesign the iMac or intro a mini Mac Pro to get around the heat issues. The article is an open question even though it has merit being that Apple is applying for patent protection. Say what you will, but this is a good question and I vote for a redesign of a iMac Pro or a mini tower.
@ sosumi –
Yes, we know. And they leaked. A lot. I’m being screwed by them to this day. Which is why people don’t want to see this come back.
Just because Apple applies for a patent on something, it does not mean they are going to use it.
I can understand using a special cooling system on a MacBook design. However, I don’t see it happening on an iMac. As much as Apple wants to keep it sleek and thin with an iMac, they should be able to use air and heat-sink based cooling to keep it simple and less expensive.
@ Gabriel
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That would be an A64 processor.
With Apple shaving off a few cm’s with each iMac refresh it’s no wonder they need a liquid cooling system to dissipate the heat. Might I suggest having a “translucent” glass casing where the black bevel is now, and fill it with water and a few goldfish….
I miss those fish screen savers….
Plus, as an added advantage, when the goldfish are floating on top and not moving, you know your machine is running a little to hot. Throttle back or your iMac will end up like your goldfish!
I’M ONLY KIDDING FOLKS!!! ONLY KIDDING!
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If they want some alternate cooling system why not use peltier cooling? This would work for desktops that are connected to a power supplies. CCD chips typically use cooling systems like that to cool the chips to -60C or lower. They work very quickly and a low powered version would be ideal for a desktop.
I had a liquid cooled G5 once… HATED IT.
I had to replace the entire processor and cooling system… not cheap.
I’d most likely NOT purchase a liquid cooled computer again.
Hmmm. I have a liquid cooled G5 desktop powerMac I still use every day. So this is definitely not new territory for Apple should they choose to reinstate liquid cooling!
The point was to get us thinking of what Apple may do being that they themselves are kicking around ideas and yes, patenting them. “DogGone” makes a good point and “The other Steve” sneaks in a clever one! More power in an iMac. That’s gutsy thinking and you’ll need something to keep it cool. Apple surprised us switching to a real desktop chip and now we’re seeing problems with heat and firmware. Something has to give here and that’s once again the point of the article and debate.
Instead, why don’t Apple use the folks responsible for the A4 and the G4 to kick off Intel? That way Apple will be able to put more power in its Macs for the same price!
And what would you do with all of your programs? You know they wouldn’t run.
I don’t see why they would, since they quickly moved away from the liquid cooled tower that eventually failed
It’s to keep hot heads who bitch about glossy screens, and no Blue ray cooled down.
Can’t wait for the first liquid cooled iPad!!
“Can’t wait for the first liquid cooled iPad!!”
Only if you drool when you’re using it.
Mineral oil submersion is way….
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Cooler
look it up on YouTube it’s fascinating
I agree with ken1w. The liquid cooling would make the machine more expensive and just because Apple puts a patent on it doesn’t mean it will go into production.
Just about every company does the same thing for various reasons.
Silly gobbledegook!
This is my first time here. Great site, strange fan base. They can’t even stay on subject. Apple is trying to figure out a way to keep heat down on desktops. They don’t spend time and money on patents unless there’s an issue that Jobs wants a solution for. I don’t think exotic oils or saying there’s no the problem is much of a contribution. How about a redesign if you don’t think liquid cooling will fly. That’s the flipside to this article. Anyways, too bad. Great site, strange fan base. Minds of a flea.
@ Joe,
For the sake of your sanity, leave and never return.
These people are frickin’ nuts!
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@ Sir Gill Bates,
Now you …. have a frickin’ sense of humor.
My comment was to stir up an intelligent conversation, not chase everyone away. Ho! Whatever.
You’re a funny guy Gill
Obviously none of you detractors on this thread have ever owned a G5 iMac, felt the massive amount of heat pouring out of a new 27″ iMac, or use either in a room with less than stellar air conditioning.
Bunch of newcomers here for sure. Apple was working on liquid cooling way back in the late 80’s or early ’90s. Made the front cover of MacWorld or MacUser back then.
I’m think i’m having a G5 flashback
The patent is over two years old? Isn’t that like a century in computer tech?
I’ve had my i7 for four months! The other day I sensed a dull sound in the room. It lasted for about five minutes. It was the iMac’s fans. I had been watching Flash movies for about three hours.
I think Apple’s handled the heat issue pretty well.