Hitting 101c While Gaming..

jgo78 said:

hasn't shut down or anything but kinda scary. Was playing the walking dead... I know it's not made for gaming so don't plan on doing much of it but 100c+ kinda hits my discomfort level. Anyone getting the same temps?

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It's normal. The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat. CPU Tjmax = 105C, GPU Tjmax = 100C on i3, i5, i7 processors. (Source: Intel) If you're not already using it, iStat Pro will give you accurate readings of your temps and fan speeds, among other things.

Unless there is a rare defect in a Mac, most temps are well within the normal operating range, considering the workload being put on it. Websites with Flash content, games and other multimedia apps will put higher demand on the CPU/GPU, generating more heat. This is normal. If you're constantly putting high demands on your system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just your Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.

It is also quite normal for your Mac to become extremely hot to the touch during intensive operations. The aluminum body transfers heat more effectively than other materials used in computer casings, so you will feel the heat more. This doesn't indicate that it's overheating and will not harm the computer to be hot to the touch.

Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis). iMacs have 3 fans with minimum speeds in the 800-1200 range. They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level. If they're spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC. (PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help.)

The intake and exhaust vents are in the back of the computer near the hinge on all Mac notebooks (except the new MBP with retina display, which has intake vents along the sides at the bottom). The iMac vent is a slot on the back near the top of the computer. Make sure the vents remain unblocked to allow your computer to perform at its best.

Learn about the fans in your Mac
Apple Portables: Operating temperature

For Flash-related issues:

• Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available.
• Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
• Use the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.)

I get 103 - 105 degrees celsius when playing Left 4 Dead 2 on low settings.

It works just fine. My MBA hasn't exploded or melted.

Edit: I'm using 2012 Macbook Air 13'' i7/8GB/512GB

jgo78 said:

hasn't shut down or anything but kinda scary. Was playing the walking dead... I know it's not made for gaming so don't plan on doing much of it but 100c+ kinda hits my discomfort level.

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It is understandable you being scared of 101c. It will most definitely be in your discomfort level. Water boils at that temperature, so it is very uncomfortable what it would do to the average human.

Your MacBook Air, on the other hand, will be just fine.

jgo78 said:

Was playing the walking dead...

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How is it, both in performance on your MBA and as a game? I'm thinking about getting that one.

I get to 214f/101c in minecraft, before the fans kick in really high and bring it down to like 175f.

Kyllle said:

I get to 214f/101c in minecraft, before the fans kick in really high and bring it down to like 175f.

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Same here, I find that the fans kick in pretty late. The last couple times I played minecraft the CPU reached 106 C (that is assuming that the iStat Pro readings accurate) before the fan really kicked in and brought it back down quite quickly to around 50-90 C.

if i was running my machine that hard, i would most definitely make sure i had apple care

fuzetsu said:

Same here, I find that the fans kick in pretty late. The last couple times I played minecraft the CPU reached 106 C (that is assuming that the iStat Pro readings accurate) before the fan really kicked in and brought it back down quite quickly to around 50-90 C.

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That's interesting, I heard that Ivy Bridge's max was at 105 before it would shut off the computer, and I thought it would throttle the speed before that to prevent it from getting to 105, but perhaps it starts throttling at 105 and shuts off at a higher temperature.

Kyllle said:

That's interesting, I heard that Ivy Bridge's max was at 105 before it would shut off the computer, and I thought it would throttle the speed before that to prevent it from getting to 105, but perhaps it starts throttling at 105 and shuts off at a higher temperature.

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The highest I've hit was 106c.

Kyllle said:

That's interesting, I heard that Ivy Bridge's max was at 105 before it would shut off the computer, and I thought it would throttle the speed before that to prevent it from getting to 105, but perhaps it starts throttling at 105 and shuts off at a higher temperature.

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The throttle comes around 100C and shut down at 105C. However, it may not do that if temps temporarily spike to those temps. They need to be sustained for a period of time before throttling or shut down occurs.

Wow 101C, that seems quite high. I don't plan to use my MBA for gaming, have my main PC for that. On my old laptop, I have a desk fan to circulate air under and around it, maybe I would suggest that to cool it down.

Are you running clamshell mode? Just wondering...I've ran clamshell on my bookarc air for movies and portal 2 before and seen temps around 185F-195F, fans around 4500-6500. I had a USB fan pointing towards the magsafe and the CPU temps went down to 155F steady for 2 hours and the fans returned to 2000RPM.

Using an Arctic breeze usb fan.

Yes i mean closed, i was assuming you were playing on a monitor.

If found this advice from Apple Support website to be particularly informative.

If the computer is on your lap and gets uncomfortably warm, remove it from your lap and place it on a stable surface.

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In a quiet environment, increased airflow from the fans may produce an audible noise that sounds like rushing air.

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