How does the Macbook cool?

[Waffle Stomping]

How does the unibody Macbook release heat? I would like to have it sit on my desk 75% of the time and hooked up to a monitor. Would heating be a issue?

Thanks!

[chrmjenkins]

It has a fan and vents in the back. As long as you don't block the back directly, you can run it open or closed however you like.

[alphaod]

There is a cooling fan. It won't be cool as well as if it was open, but it won't overheat as long as you adequate clearance behind the computer.

[fedup flyer]

I would also suggest elevating the laptop slightly so air can more freely circulate under the bottom of the unit. I purchased a cheapo riser just to get it off of the table top. It made the wood very, very warm.

[Cave Man]

It uses your legs as a heat sink.

[NewMacbookPlz]

It uses your legs as a heat sink.

Been there, felt that! :eek::eek:

[jimboutilier]

Like most machines a combination of convection and radiation.

The fan exhausts air through the rear of the machine and convection wise it cools just as well open or closed. Keep the rear of the machine clear of obstruction and it will be fine.

Because of the metal body and chassis it also releases a fair bit of heat through radiation. You loose some radiation surface area when its closed but the display is off then as well so again it will be fine closed if on a hard surface that allows its "legs" to keep a bit if air space between most if its bottom and the surface its on.

While not required it will benefit from a simple inexpensive "cooling pad" that raises it and has holes that allows more air to circulate underneath it than its little "legs" (bumps?) would.

[Skeletal-dæmon]

It uses your legs as a heat sink.

Do you reckon the salmon pink "MacBook Tan Line" will ever come into fashion?

Seriously, this baby could heat my house if I ever found the off button for the boiler *grumble* N-Power indeed.

[gibbz]

Like most machines a combination of convection and radiation.

The fan exhausts air through the rear of the machine and convection wise it cools just as well open or closed. Keep the rear of the machine clear of obstruction and it will be fine.

Because of the metal body and chassis it also releases a fair bit of heat through radiation. .

Not to be picky, but wouldn't that be convection and conduction? Radiation is EM waves that directly transports energy through space. There can be no medium between the source and receiver (like the Sun and the Earth). :)

[chrmjenkins]

Not to be picky, but wouldn't that be convection and conduction? Radiation is EM waves that directly transports energy through space. There can be no medium between the source and receiver (like the Sun and the Earth). :)

Then why do we call that finned heating contraption a radiator?

[Skeletal-dæmon]

Then why do we call that finned heating contraption a radiator?

It radiates the heat that is convected. So yes, the aluminium case does indeed radiate heat.