Handbrake Causes The Sweats.....

[HappyMac]

Hello,

New member here trying to understand my new 2011 Mini.

I got the base version with 2gb of ram, and then bought 4gb from OWC. The problem I'll describe happens with either set of memory.

According to iStatNano, when I rip a movie using Handbrake 9.5, or watch a streaming Netflix movie, my CPU A runs at 198-207 degrees. As I am writing this, I realized I should have checked the fan speed, but I know it is turning fast since I can hear it plainly.

I took the Mini to my local Apple store where they did a battery of tests and declared it fit for duty. I was told that the Mini has a sophisticated system for determining if it needs to shut down due to overheating. From what I have read on the web, it would seem my Mini is overheating. At least according to iStatNano.

So my question centers around whether or not to trust what iStatNano is telling me. Is there a bug I don't know about when iStat is installed on Lion?

My Mini has never shut down on its own, never given me any problems that I could point to. I have noticed a system slow down (frequent beach balls) when I have Parallels open and Chrome and Safari, but when this happens, iStat says my temps are around 140.

The helpful person at the Apple store said I should not worry, and to trust the built in protections. She also said if it starts to act erratic, bring it in.

Any thoughts or advice? Has anyone else seen >200 for an extended period without a shutdown? My case has not felt anything more than warm.

Thanks a bunch
_________________
I know just enough to be dangerous, and not quite enough to be trusted.......

[philiparcario]

first off 4gb ram is not enough. buying it with out asking around was a waste of time and money.

parallels eats f'ing ram.

CHROME LIKES RAM!!
set the chrome safari parallels up and look at activity monitor look at the free ram you will be at < .5gb then the machine swaps out to the hdd and the stock hdd is slow. BEACHBALLING!!

owc is a good company tell them you want 8gb ram and ask to get a credit for the 4gb of ram you purchased. or buy this ram


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231342

$5 off w/ promo code EMCKAKH96, ends 9/5




as for temps. buy i statmenus 3 cost 16 for one machine 28 for family (they say 5 machines) istatmenus 3 will allow you to set many speed settings for the fans. I have 5 speed setting for my mac mini and if I run handbrake i set the fans at 4500 or 5500 rpm.

let you mini breath. I use these feet.

http://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=300561&d=1314406821
http://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=300564&d=1314406963

http://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=300565&d=1314406963


this also stops sliding minis


here is the thread about lifting your mini

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1210567&page=3


http://www.quietpcusa.com/Acousti-Products-AcoustiFeet-Soft-Silicone-Anti-Vibration-Feet---Black-up-to-18-lbs-4-pack-P478C0.aspx

link to the feet.
_________________
2010 Mm 2.4 C2D oem 320gb hdd 8gb ram
2012Mm base 2.5 with 16gb ram diy fusion drive
2012Mm quad with 8gb ram oem 1tb hdd

promise pegasus r6 3x 3tb + 3x 4tb =21tb hdds
lacie little big disk 2x 512gb ssds
synology 2tb disk station

[ez061111]

Welcome!

I concur with the RAM suggestion. 4 GB is good for most folks, but with the price of RAM so low, if you are going to open the machine it really makes sense to just install 8GB. The system slowdowns are all due to the RAM, depending on how much multitasking you are doing, 4GB sounds like it isn't enough for you.

Overheating your computer was not; unless it shuts itself down, the Mini is running properly. The chips in the last couple years of the higher- end MBPs run incredibly warm as a result of the computing power that they bring to the table. My quad core MBP occasionally gets to a peak of 108°C when working doing extensive photo work but is functioning properly. Now that similar chips are being put in the Minis others are starting to see these temps, which are quite a bit higher than the older/outdated Core2Duo speeds.

A free utility you can use to monitor temp and also set your fan speed is called smcFanControl. I've been using it for a couple of years without any issue and it is currently installed on all of my systems. For 1080p encodes on HandBrake I will set the fan to 4000 rpm and haven't seen temps get much higher than 70°C, which with the work it's doing is pretty cool. Even without any 3rd party programs the computer will ramp up the fans automatically, so really not to worry. When the dual fans on my MBP start going it begins to sound like a jet engine.

Enjoy your computer!
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2.0 GHz i7 Mini 8 GB RAM, OWC Merc Extreme SSD & Samsung Spinpoint
2.6 GHz i7 Mini 16 GB RAM, Samsung 830 & Hitachi
15" 2.3 GHz i7 MBP 16 GB RAM, OWC Extreme Pro 6G SSD & WD Black

[macmanmacman]

i can explain this...

I stat nano doesn't play very well with the new mini's it has to do with a change in temp sensor's. The new sensors are not detected correctly in i stat nano i have a mid-2010 mac mini right before they released the new 2011 mini and my mini tells me my temp is 500 degrees which is impossible because the machine would have shut down if it was running that hot.

Also i would have deep fried the processor.

[Smithcraft]

I can explain it better.

The CPUs are rated for higher temps than what you are seeing reported by iStat.

Heck, I can get my Intel mini up over 200 degrees Fahrenheit, but I don't worry about it since I have since updated the fan management, and the CPU is rated for 100 degrees Celsius. Which is roughly 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Philip - I like those rubber feet! I think I'll pick some up for my Intel mini!

SC

ps - my experience is that OWC is not a good company.
_________________
Grumpy old man of computing.

[Desktop] G4 mini - 1.5Ghz 1GB 80GB HDD - Newer miniStack v2 500GB - 10.5.8

[Media System] Intel i5 mini - 2.33Ghz 8GB 500GB HDD - 4 x Hitachi 2TB HDD in a qBOX-SF - 10.7.5 (Thanks Phil!)

Make sure it has pins!

[philiparcario]

[HappyMac]

I do appreciate the input of those more wise than me.

I just got off Chat with OWC and was once again pleased with their customer service. Seems my 30 Day Return Period ends on Monday, which all of you know is Labor Day. Odds of me getting my RAM back to OWC by Monday are slim to none, but this does not matter after all. They said they would give me an exception, and I could have until Friday to get my 4gb of RAM back to them for a full refund. I have never had any problem with OWC and this is a perfect example of why I steer my friends to them. Or I should say I WOULD steer my friends to them if I had any.

I plan to get 8gb as was suggested.

I am currently running Handbrake in the background and iStatNano says it is using 384% of the processor while Top says it is using 79%. I guess the moral of this story is to stop using iStat.

The fan is currently at 5433rpm according to iStat. Since it is going full bore, do I really need a fan controller?

Do any of you have a suggestion for how much memory to allocate for Parallels?

Thanks for the advice.
_________________
I know just enough to be dangerous, and not quite enough to be trusted.......

[ez061111]

Great news regarding OWC. Personally I haven't had a bad experience with OWC and they have been great with the couple of warranty issues I have had...but I recognize that others haven't had the same results.

[philiparcario]

Owc has sold dead products to me , but they have been good on returns. This is important as a lot of electronics end up doa or quick to die far too often. OWC has always honered returns warranties etc . Now dell ,tiger direct or seagate that is another story.
_________________
2010 Mm 2.4 C2D oem 320gb hdd 8gb ram
2012Mm base 2.5 with 16gb ram diy fusion drive
2012Mm quad with 8gb ram oem 1tb hdd

promise pegasus r6 3x 3tb + 3x 4tb =21tb hdds
lacie little big disk 2x 512gb ssds
synology 2tb disk station

[Smithcraft]

Philip - I picked up a set of clear 'bumpers' at a hardware store this afternoon, so I'm good. Thanks though!

As for OWC, they dicked me around on a bad video card, then refused to RMA 'cuz it was past the thirty days, but I was able to get ATi to come through when I told them about all the issues getting support from OWC. I will never give OWC another penny(even if they are the only place I can get XLR8YOURMAC shirts from)!

SC
_________________
Grumpy old man of computing.

[Desktop] G4 mini - 1.5Ghz 1GB 80GB HDD - Newer miniStack v2 500GB - 10.5.8

[Media System] Intel i5 mini - 2.33Ghz 8GB 500GB HDD - 4 x Hitachi 2TB HDD in a qBOX-SF - 10.7.5 (Thanks Phil!)

Make sure it has pins!

[Bandit Bill]

[HappyMac]

I have heard the stories about Apple's propensity to just replace a broken product, but I have never had an Apple product fail. Is this where I knock on wood?

I tend to stick with Amazon and OWC for my Apple related purchases since I have never had a bad experience with either.

Am I hijacking my own thread since this tangential at best to the topic?
_________________
I know just enough to be dangerous, and not quite enough to be trusted.......

[Smithcraft]

[Bandit Bill]

[HappyMac]

No biggie. My main question was answered, so this is just gravy as far as I am concerned. Frankly it is refreshing to join a forum that is not filled with people who take themselves too seriously.

Since this has become a non focused thread, I'd still like an opinion on one of my "sub" questions: How much allocated memory is enough for Parallels? I would not have to ask this question if there was an equivalent to OneNote for the Mac.

I guess I could trial and error it, but I suspect one of you has an informed opinion.

Thanks for the help.

Ps. Just how does one become a Bandit in these here parts?
_________________
I know just enough to be dangerous, and not quite enough to be trusted.......