Slow 21.5" iMac


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I bought an iMac about 6 weeks ago to use with Photoshop etc. At the moment though I seem to be having major performance issues with it.

It always seems to be going to disk. Churns away like mad. Take now for example. I have Photoshop open with no photo loaded. This safari window open and Entourage.

I then click on say System Preferences and it will take about 4 seconds to load after loads of disk activity.

When I got a photo open in Photoshop it can take a couple of seconds to flatten layers for example. I used to have a 2.4 Core 2 Duo laptop that used to perform better than this.

Anyone got a clue where I start to diagnose the issue? Im new to macs after years of pc use.

Or is this expected? Somehow I shouldn't think so.

Thanks for any help in advance.

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Go the Genius bar in you local Apple center and ask them. (First reserve a place btw.)

My "local" apple store is over 30 miles away. I was going to ring the Apple care line today but its shut on Sundays.

Nothing I can look at myself?

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No it is not to be expected, I have had this MBP I'm on for about 2 years and have never seen a performance issue. Definitely call or go in the store when possible.

Hope you have Apple Care just incase.

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No it is not to be expected, I have had this MBP I'm on for about 2 years and have never seen a performance issue. Definitely call or go in the store when possible.

Hope you have Apple Care just incase.

I just got a 1 year warranty on it. Its only 6 weeks old. Im guessing I'll need to take my iMac into store. Might call 1st.

Thanks

If they find a fault with it. Say its the Hard drive. What do they do arrange a repair?

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Well if your always having to go to your disk that means you don't have enough RAM and your system is using the paging file on the hard drive as extra RAM.

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I just got a 1 year warranty on it. Its only 6 weeks old. Im guessing I'll need to take my iMac into store. Might call 1st.

Thanks

If they find a fault with it. Say its the Hard drive. What do they do arrange a repair?

Yes, I forgot to mention, no performance issues but my MBP did have an issue (ill look to link for video) where it made a weird noise etc, anyways! I had to send it off. The techs in store said they couldnt replicate the issue!?!?! They then proceeded to tell me the laptop makes noises when under stress of powerful programs, like I am some idiot whose 100 years old unaware of normal computing...ANYWAYS. So I wouldn't always trust in store techs, nothing against them, but as soon as I sent it to the plant for repairs (after speaking with Apple support on the phone) they found, replicated and repaired the issue.

That process works as follows:

1) They send you a box with packaging instructions

2) You package it, rip off address label (to your house) and underneath it is an address label to their repair center (not the store, actual plant)

3) Drop it off via FedEX, already paid for by apple, just leave the box with FedEX

4) track it online

5) 3-5 business days, mine actually came back round trip fixed perfectly in 3 days.

P.S. - backup everything you want to keep incase it is the HDD

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My "local" apple store is over 30 miles away. I was going to ring the Apple care line today but its shut on Sundays.

Nothing I can look at myself?

Make sure you reserve a place. Genius bars are VERY busy.

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Well if your always having to go to your disk that means you don't have enough RAM and your system is using the paging file on the hard drive as extra RAM.

Thats what i thought it could be. But it has 4gb of RAM. On a pc it never had issues with 4gb and photoshop.

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Check Activity Monitor and see how many Page Ins/Page Outs you're getting. If you're getting a lot, then it's writing/reading to the HD a lot. You can also see what's taking up all that memory.

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Thats what i thought it could be. But it has 4gb of RAM. On a pc it never had issues with 4gb and photoshop.

Does it only doing it when your running photoshop. I have heard that the mac version of photoshop is poorly coded compared to the pc version and takes up more recources.

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