New Mac owner, getting very hot!

[ScottC2105]

Hey everyone. My new Macbook Pro arrived today and I am a first time Mac user. The Macbook has been on for about an hour and has gotten very hot on the bottom, so hot I can't have it on my lap and all I have done is set it up and install things from the DVD drive.

Is this normal or is there some kind of packaging I may of missed?

Thanks.

[mike21190]

I think it is normal. I got a MBP 2 weeks ago and mine is a little hot. Download istat pro to monitor your temperature and fan speed.

[ryanrul]

The MBP is known to run very hot. There are lots of threads here about it.

Get the iStat Pro dashboard widget (http://www.islayer.com/index.php?op=item&id=7) and see what the average CPU temp is during normal use. Mine runs at 46-50 degrees while surfing etc. but it's not uncommon for people to report temps as high as 60 degrees during routine tasks.

Also, the latest updates to os x seem to cause the temperature to run higher:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=508624

[lordthistle]

Once upon a time Apple used to call "LAPTOPS" its MBPs and MBs.

There were mac-zealots who bought fire fighting suits since according to the mighty producer :apple: their computers were LAP-tops :eek:... others, the non-zealots, started reporting heat issues. :cool:

After a while MBPs and MBs were no longer laptops but NOTEBOOKS because their bottoms are usually too hot for the lap. :o

My MBP almost reached 90C when performing heavy computations. I think you are worried about the temp due the aluminum casing: MBPs' temps are not that different from other notebooks. May be just a little hotter due their thickness.

thistle

[ScottC2105]

Haha! Thanks for all the info everyone. I have purchased several bits of software including Pixelmator which I really like, it is like Photoshop except it doesn't make you bankrupt.

Loving OS X so far, I have used Windows for years and I am ever going back... NEVER!

[ScottC2105]

Haha! Thanks for all the info everyone. I have purchased several bits of software including Pixelmator which I really like, it is like Photoshop except it doesn't make you bankrupt.

Loving OS X so far, I have used Windows for years and I am ever going back... NEVER!

Thought I would reply with my findings. I am loving OS X and the Macbook Pro gets hot when playing WoW, around 70c - 80c. BUT I solved the problem using a great program called smcFanControl 2 (http://homepage.mac.com/holtmann/eidac/software/smcfancontrol2/index.html). I have my fans set to 5350RPM when playing games and my Macbook never goes over 60c and it is nice and comfortable on my lap.

I have it on 2700RPM when running on battery and it never goes over 46c and you cannot even feel it.

So, if your having heating issues make sure to try that program out.

[lordthistle]

Don't you think that having the fans always spinning quite fast could reduce their life? May be there is a reason for apple to allow higher temps.

thistle

[cattledog]

I have a macbook and now a new macbook pro. They do get rather warm for the lap. I purchased ilap for both of them. It is very comfortable and keeps the heat off my lap. http://www.raindesigninc.com/ilap.html

[KingYaba]

Spotlight is indexing. That is why your notebook is so hot out of the box. Stay away from hardware control apps.

[MacDawg]

Don't you think that having the fans always spinning quite fast could reduce their life? May be there is a reason for apple to allow higher temps.

thistle

Most only rev their fans up when they are gaming our doing intensive work
The settings are much lower for normal use (or should be)

A few people have posted their custom settings in other threads

Woof, Woof - Dawg http://homepage.mac.com/k.j.vinson/pawprint.gif

[mathewr]

i downloaded istat pro and it says my cpu a is 70 degrees. is there something wrong with my comp. i turn my comp off before i go to sleep every night.

[Kilamite]

i downloaded istat pro and it says my cpu a is 70 degrees. is there something wrong with my comp. i turn my comp off before i go to sleep every night.

My cooker burns my food.

Quite a vague description of a problem eh? How about telling us what you are doing at that moment of time and what your CPU usage is.

[garyoke]

I've had my MBP for awhile now - use it everyday, but no gaming. MS Office, iLife, iWork, iDVD, iMovie apps and lots of internet. And it runs very very cool - my Powerbook used to run hot; fan on almost constantly. I don't think I've heard the fan on the Macbook Pro. Regardless - it's not even warm. So - don't know what's up with the other posts about heat.

[mathewr]

My cooker burns my food.

Quite a vague description of a problem eh? How about telling us what you are doing at that moment of time and what your CPU usage is.

just using internet and aim.


CPU
user 35%
system 29%
nice 0%
idle 48%

thanks u for ur help

[Sweetfeld28]

Anyone ever use the terminal to see what other processes are hogging the Processor?

Terminal> top> enter