Always on M1 iMac

#1

I’m going to get an M1 iMac, anticipating that the next release could be a way off, will see minimal improvements, and will see a price bump.

Anyway, my question is for those of you who run Hazel in the background etc on an M1 iMac:

  • Does an iMac behave well to be always on with the screen off?

Basically, I want it always on, running Hazel, and using little power.

#2

We have 2 M1 iMacs and an Eero on a UPS. They stay on all the time and even with the screens on the total draw according to the UPS is less than 1 amp.

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#3

When I was working I always had one or two Macs that ran 24x7x365. Now that I’m retired I use an iPad as my primary computer and an M1 MBA as a home server.

I can’t speak to power consumption but Macs, like most computers of reasonable quality, can reliably run constantly.

#4

Sounds more like a use case for a Mac mini, but I’ve had iMacs for years that are on 24x7 (often with the screen off) and haven’t had any issues.

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#5

tangential tip:

control + shift + power button → screen off

#6

Thanks for the feedback.

I’m replacing an old Mac Mini that is running headless in a closet; this iMac will look much nicer in my living room than my current desktop setup, I was just a bit worried it would keep springing to life when something happens.

Going forward, this iMac will be my main desktop computer and I decided to go with an iMac to get the nice screen, speakers and webcam. I’ll be doing my hobbyist video and audio work on this, but I’ll also be using my lovely MBA around the house and outside, so I want something always on to handle Hazel and backups.

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