i7-7700K (2017) iMac problems

After selling my 2017 i5 iMac to a woman from Scottsburg and setting up my 2020 iMac, I needed to prepare my recently purchased 2017 iMac (with an i7-7700K) for resale.

The first step was to remove the Windows partition and erase everything on the computer — and that's where the problems began.

I used Boot Camp to remove the Windows partition I had previously created, which should have reclaimed the 1.6 TB I had allocated to Windows. While the program successfully deleted the partition, it reported an error when attempting to reclaim the storage space. I then tried using Disk Utility (the Mac partition tool), which also failed and told me to try running it from Recovery Mode, which didn't work.  A few years ago, I tried the same thing on my old, dying 2009 iMac, and that attempt had failed too.

Newer iMacs have a built-in feature to securely erase everything automatically, but while the option exists in macOS, it doesn't actually function on older models. So, the recommended method is to boot into Recovery Mode, reformat the drive, and reinstall the OS — a process I had successfully completed on the iMac I just sold.

Unfortunately, the 2017 iMac with the i7 processor reformatted the drive but threw an error during the OS installation. It simply refuses to install. At this point, I have a $400 paperweight with no operating system.

I'm starting to wonder if the 2 TB hard drive might be defective.  It is, after all, an eight-year-old computer.

Next, I'll try creating a bootable USB flash drive with the macOS installer using my 2020 iMac. According to everything I've read online, that's the recommended next step if the OS won't install through Recovery Mode.  It is probably what the repair shop would try.

The WORST iMac to buy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yvY-tYh0bM

My Super Weird 2020 iMac "Review"

I see that two people are selling this computer for $500 on Facebook Marketplace.   I am tempted to get one.

This is an 8-core machine with 16 threads (hyperthreaded).  This is comparable to my 8-core mini computer, but less powerful.  This machine is 7% slower than the 8-core M4 chip.

My point is that there are cheaper options than Apple Silicon.   It can run Windows.  It is upgradable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMFCVvy0rkE

The Problem with Laptops and Heat - and the problem with Apple computers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq9O99TgFv4

@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
0:34 It is ironic that the video features the Minisforum UM790 Pro. Mine overheated and died after 14 months of heavy use. I argued with the manufacturer about the warranty, but they told me that the seller on AliExpress was responsible for warranty service. The seller agreed to inspect it if I shipped it to China. It took six weeks to arrive, and now the seller is examining the dead computer to determine whether they will provide warranty service. Mini computers use mobile components, making them similar to laptops. I now realize that a mini-computer is unlikely to have adequate cooling.

Apple Watch $20 Million Payout: Are You Eligible And How Do You Claim?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2025/01/31/apple-watch-20-million-payout-are-you-eligible-and-how-do-you-claim/

Linus Tech Tips on The Tonight Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vybLi25Q8Fw

Fwd: Failure of Minisforum UM790 Pro

Mini computers have been really popular and many people think that traditional desktop PCs are on the way out.  Instead, people will buy mini computers, laptops and tablets.

This is mostly because of Apple, which has released some very powerful small devices.  Mini computers often use laptop parts, and the 'M' in Apple's M-chip series stands for "Mobile".  Apple uses the same powerful processors in laptops and tablets.

AMD claimed that their Ryzen 9 7940hs is an M-chip killer.  I knew that I wanted something like this, and I waited four years to get the right chip.   It has twice the processing power of the M2 chip, and unlike Apple, the computer I bought has upgradeable storage and memory which they don't charge you a fortune for.

However, mine failed after 15 months.  I'm not sure if it is fixable.  The motherboard is custom to this computer, and might not be replaceable.  However, I could buy the cheaper "barebones" model that lacks memory and storage, and transfer those from the broken computer.

The processor uses up to 55 watts under a full load, which is almost as much as a 60-watt lightbulb.  I could feel the heat coming off of the computer, and I was concerned about this.  Maybe a regular desktop would be easier to cool.  (By the way, a competing mini-computer company overclocks the same processor and it uses 65 watts.)

Apple often uses less power to keep their computers cooler.

Minisforum is a Chinese company apparently in Hong Kong.  Some might claim that this is typical Chinese-made quality, although everything is made in China.

I sent a complaint to Minisforum...

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John Coffey <john2001plus@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Jan 8, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Subject: Failure of Minisforum UM790 Pro
To: <support@minisforum.com>

Failure of Minisforum UM790 Pro.

I purchased a Minisforum UM790 Pro from Ali Express on August 22, 2023. It arrived in about five weeks. Because of circumstances in my life, I was not able to use it until late October 2023.  The computer lasted less than 15 months.

I bought this computer because I wanted a powerful computer for chess analysis. It is five times faster than my other computer, and I often ran it at 100%.  

I was a little concerned about the heat the computer produced.  I could feel a steady stream of hot air coming from it.   I thought that it would be okay because you have advertised it as having  "Cold Wave 2.0".  I assumed that the computer was capable of running at 100% for long periods.

This morning I was doing some intense chess analysis on the computer and it suddenly quit.  I tried to power it back on, but it would not turn on.  I disconnected and reconnected the power and it would not turn on.  Five minutes after the initial failure I saw orange sparks like a tiny fire come from the left side.  I could smell smoke.  I disconnected the power.

To use an English expression, I assume that the computer is "fried."  Other than doing intense chess analysis, I have not abused the computer in any way.

I am not sure if I can get this repaired.  I don't know if the motherboard is replaceable or repairable.

I was hoping that you could advise me.

I am disappointed in the quality of the computer that it would fail this way.  However, I am considering getting the less expensive barebones model and trying to transfer the memory and storage to the new computer.  

--

Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com

Introducing the credit card sized Cardputer!!

https://youtube.com/shorts/bx4Mef6K23o?si=T0pCZ5QHuVPZLbyo

Our phones could be powerful computers. We just need easier ways to wirelessly access peripherals and cast to a screen. Or to another computer. Then your computer could be portable.

Protect Yourself from Cops Using Biometrics to Search Your Phone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBnOXSgMWJI&t=537s

Origin of Hitler and the Nazi Party | Rick Spence and Lex Fridman

https://youtu.be/IGFk2YFD-NE?t=98&si=9FWLYhDWL0StFubf


Best wishes,

John Coffey

The time Steve Jobs got it wrong

https://youtube.com/shorts/EjMEPLe1NC8?si=GZi9LWmZBV-T3-HM

Samsung's 'Butt Test' for Smartphones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9VPixFgT6Y&t=72s

Flow claims it can 100x any CPU's power with its companion chip and some elbow grease | TechCrunch

https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/11/flow-claims-it-can-100x-any-cpus-power-with-its-companion-chip-and-some-elbow-grease/

Reaction to Mind-Blowing New Version of ChatGPT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PryK2AYfC5c

Why people aren’t buying Apple Computers



This Is Why People Aren't Buying New Macs youtu.be

Apple's Silicon Magic Is Over!

https://youtu.be/AOlXmv9EiPo?si=j_EAv_ahdgcmzEvI

Chips are reaching the physical limits of what is possible. According to a video I watched today, an experimental 1 nm process only has 1 atom per transistor. That doesn't sound right to me, but if true, then you can't go smaller than that.

There might still be some room for improvement, but smaller circuits tend to fail because quantum effects cause electrons to jump between circuits.

Someday computers might have circuits that use light instead of electricity, but right now the technology is not even close.

What would it mean if computers can't get much faster? If you need more computing power then you would need more chips, or bigger ones, that either way consume more energy.

However, it feels like computers are plenty powerful right now. It is not like the general public has a strong need for more powerful chips.

Apple already has good competition from AMD. My mini computer is twice as powerful as the Apple M2 chip.

A Look Inside Apple's $130 USB-C Cable

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD5aAd8Oy84

Apple sells things at a higher margin than other companies.  Although this is a superior cable for data transmission, maybe competitors will offer comparable products.

Your Internet is Too Fast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwdDAZruMKk

It was costing me around $90 a month for gigabit Internet service.  So I downgraded to 200 Mbit, for about $35 per month, and it is plenty fast for me.

Apple's desperate struggle to break free from Qualcomm's clutches

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VPLahZJRy5Y

Exciting Decade for Computer Chips

In the 2010s computers advanced at a snail's pace. Sometimes people got excited when chips were 10% faster from one year to the next.

However, this decade has been dramatically different and it has everything to do with the circuit sizes on those chips. My 2009 iMac that died had a 42-nanometer chip. My 2017 iMac has a 14-nanometer chip. My new mini-computer has a 4-nanometer chip and it is very powerful for something not much bigger than a Whopper sandwich.

In late 2019 both Microsoft and Sony released their latest generation of video game consoles using 7-nanometer chips. Since these have APUs with the graphics "card" built into the main processor, I wanted something like this in a computer.  I waited almost 4 years to be able to get something similar in a mini-desktop PC.

These smaller circuits are not cheap to make The equipment to make them can cost billions. This is why Taiwan Semiconductor, which made the investment, is the number one manufacturer of these chips.

But it has resulted in a paradigm shift where people realize that they don't have to spend a fortune on graphics cards to play games. The APUs are not as good as a $1200 gaming PC, but they are good enough.

This also has resulted in hand-held gaming systems that are as powerful as a computer and can also be used as a computer when hooked up to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Even the most recent iPhone can double as a gaming system.

Reportedly, Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are all coming out with more powerful gaming systems in the coming year. This has been an exciting decade for computer chips.

--
Best wishes,

John Coffey