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lgfaver

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 6, 2011
68
0
so i just bought this refurb 2.4ghz from the apple store, it arrived yesterday. I am loving the look of it and the OS but i feel the thing is getting rather hot on the left side of the laptop. sometimes i can feel the surface(right next to the trackpad) get warm, but not "hot" by any means. The bottom of the notebook however, is a different story. It gets hot, very hot. the computer however is super quiet. please let me know if this is normal or if perhaps i need to return it.
 

GGJstudios

macrumors Westmere
May 16, 2008
44,545
943
Your Mac is not overheating. The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat (around 100C/212F - 105C/221F, depending on your processor). iStat Pro will give you accurate readings of your temps, among other things.

Unless there is a rare defect in your Mac, your temps are well within the normal operating range, considering the workload you're putting 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.

Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs). 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. Also, make sure you don't block the vents, which are located at the rear, near the hinge.

There is not an overheating problem with Mac portables. There is only a perceived overheating problem. That's partly due to the fact that the aluminum casing transfers heat better than some other notebook materials, so they may feel hotter to the touch than notebooks made of other materials. It may even become hot enough to be uncomfortable to rest on your lap. This, too, is normal. Because a user is unfamiliar with the heat normally generated by a Mac portable doesn't mean there's a problem with the Mac. Only on rare occasions is there a defect that causes true overheating.
 

gorskiegangsta

macrumors 65816
Mar 13, 2011
1,281
87
Brooklyn, NY
download iStatPRO Widget for the Dashboard and install it. It should show you the temperatures in your laptop.

Here are mine (13" 2011 MBP model)

these are considered normal under regular use.
 

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lgfaver

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 6, 2011
68
0
ok well... i downloaded that widget, my temps seem awfully similar to yours but the cpu one kicks all the way to 50 and up when im watching youtube videos....
well, hopefully it's ok. If something goes wrong, i have a 1 year warranty on this.
 

GGJstudios

macrumors Westmere
May 16, 2008
44,545
943
ok well... i downloaded that widget, my temps seem awfully similar to yours but the cpu one kicks all the way to 50 and up when im watching youtube videos....
well, hopefully it's ok. If something goes wrong, i have a 1 year warranty on this.
As already stated, your temps are normal, and Flash or multimedia content will put more demand on your CPU/GPU, increasing temps.
 

-aggie-

macrumors P6
Jun 19, 2009
16,793
51
Where bunnies are welcome.
ok well... i downloaded that widget, my temps seem awfully similar to yours but the cpu one kicks all the way to 50 and up when im watching youtube videos....
well, hopefully it's ok. If something goes wrong, i have a 1 year warranty on this.

You’re fine, just in case you wanted another opinion.
 

dagamer34

macrumors 65816
May 1, 2007
1,359
101
Houston, TX
This is why you'll never see portable computers referred to as "laptops" but notebooks, because sticking a warm object on your lap for extended periods of time is bad for obvious (but apparently not too obvious) reasons.

I also feel that people need to learn the definition of "overheating" which is system temperatures that are above and beyond what is expected for the product and leads to an adverse decrease in performance or self-shutdown in an attempt to cool the system down. In other words, only when the computer shuts itself off is it "overheating", anything else is just a warm, perfectly fine notebook.
 

cluthz

macrumors 68040
Jun 15, 2004
3,118
4
Norway
I've had a 2010 Core i5 Macbook Pro for a little over a year now, and yes it can get hot. Running two screens and gaming can push the CPU/GPU to over 90°C and after some time with fans at full blast it's stabilizing at around 85°C.
 

Dave Felix

macrumors 6502a
Apr 9, 2011
964
17
Scranton, Pennsylvania
ok well... i downloaded that widget, my temps seem awfully similar to yours but the cpu one kicks all the way to 50 and up when im watching youtube videos....
well, hopefully it's ok. If something goes wrong, i have a 1 year warranty on this.

dont worry though mine is a new i7 2.66GHz and it heats up to about 55-60C when using youtube. If anything you could look into Fan Temperature apps that speed up fans according to your CPU temp but its not necessary.. just keep it off your lap! :D
 

lgfaver

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 6, 2011
68
0
again, thanks a lot guys for all the quick responses.
I really don't need to worry about blocking the vents/fans or putting it on my lap because i have a logitech cooling pad, which i bought with for my vaio but it fits perfectly for this computer as well.
so yeah... i was just feeling it get hot because when i made this thread i had it on my lap without the cooling pad.
it should be fine.

one last thing, is it the same kind of temps with the 13inch model, or does that one run a bit cooler?

just wondering...
 

lgfaver

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 6, 2011
68
0
just noticed another thing... the freakin' powerbrick is out-of-this-world-hot! like, im talking about not being able to hold it in my hand kind of hot. i don't know why this is happening and i doubt that this is normal.
im seriously considering returning this computer. as i stated in a previous post, i got this(15inch core i5, 2.4ghz, 4gb, April 2010) from the refurb apple store just a fe days ago. I now fear i got a faulty computer or that something was wrong with it from the start and that's why it was returned in the first place.
if i was to return it i wouldn't be able to get a new 15inch, so i'd have to go for a 13inch.
 

GGJstudios

macrumors Westmere
May 16, 2008
44,545
943
just noticed another thing... the freakin' powerbrick is out-of-this-world-hot! like, im talking about not being able to hold it in my hand kind of hot.
That is definitely normal. There's nothing wrong with your computer. You're just not used to the heat that it normally generates. Relax and enjoy your Mac. By the way, it's normal for all Apple notebooks to generate heat. It would be no different with the 13".
 

xxBURT0Nxx

macrumors 68020
Jul 9, 2009
2,189
2
settle down man, as everyone has told you, your temps are fine. If your CPU is reading 50* C, it's still got another 50* to go before it will auto shut down to save your computer. It's not overheating, it's just a hot computer. I don't know why people think there is an overheating problem with macs.... they don't OVERheat, they just are hot machines. If it was constantly shutting down on you due to high temps you could say it's OVERheating.
 

arcite

macrumors 6502a
just noticed another thing... the freakin' powerbrick is out-of-this-world-hot! like, im talking about not being able to hold it in my hand kind of hot. i don't know why this is happening and i doubt that this is normal.
im seriously considering returning this computer. as i stated in a previous post, i got this(15inch core i5, 2.4ghz, 4gb, April 2010) from the refurb apple store just a fe days ago. I now fear i got a faulty computer or that something was wrong with it from the start and that's why it was returned in the first place.
if i was to return it i wouldn't be able to get a new 15inch, so i'd have to go for a 13inch.

How is the electrical voltage where you live? The power brick could be compensating for poor quality electricity. I have had more than a few power bricks get fried on me while living in Africa (electrical storms, power surges, power outages ect...). Just an idea.
 

lgfaver

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 6, 2011
68
0
hmm... well, i live in Dallas. lol
something weird happened las night though, after i posted again in this thread(about the power bring being super hot), the computer started to cool off and it wasn't so hot anymore, especially on left side(surface), next to the trackpad. It was still warm, but not hot anymore. weird, because i was still watching veetle and doing some other stuff online. then i checked the power brick, an also, it was as hot(though you could say it was still hot).

i don't know, i already made this purchase and while i am concerned about some things, i think it is to be expected when you try something completely new.
 

xxBURT0Nxx

macrumors 68020
Jul 9, 2009
2,189
2
If you read the FAQ on batteries or the info that GGJstudios has posted for you, then you would see that MBP's don't overheat until they reach around 100C/212F - 105C/221F, depending on your processor.

Based on your posts, your MBP is running around 50C, not even close to overheating. I realize your MBP may be hot, but it's nothing to worry about. Just use your computer and enjoy it, people who are always looking at their computer trying to make sure every little thing is perfect and worrying about if it's going to break never truly enjoy what they are paying for. After all, laptops or any computer for that matter, aren't really devices that you keep around forever. You use them, and in time dispose of them and replace them with newer, better, and faster models.

Unless your computer is shutting off all of the time due to high temps, don't worry about overheating.
 

lgfaver

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 6, 2011
68
0
no my temps are around 50, it's more like in 70s(when watching videos) but whatever...
I never said i thought my computer was overheating, i just said it was getting very hot to the touch. Now that i've been told "this is normal" , i know that's just the way it is and there's not much i can do.

anyways, thanks for the help guys, i appreciate it. :)
 

babyt

macrumors regular
Jul 28, 2009
154
0
texas
i didnt feel like starting a new topic on a heated discussion.
so
i was just using my 2011 base 15 mbp when it started to beachball on everything, take FOREVER to load and freeze up.
i was downloading a few files, using calibre and browsing reddit and charging it, Nothing top intense really.. i couldnt figure out why it was slowing up and beach balling when i looked at my istat temp it was 185 degrees Fahrenheit ~ 85 celsius
ive used my mac before in the upper 170's [heavy photoshop, illustrator and indesign user]
i wouldnt be posting here about the temperature IF NOT for the beachballing and freezing up... i had a speck case on my mbp and promptly removed it. sped the fans up all the way and got it down too 100 fahrenheit ~38 celsius
since it was freezing up should i be worried? [i pretty much had this same thing happen on my iphone four and it crashed.. had to go to apple and get a replacement]..also just throwing this in..
should a 500gb 5400 rpm harddrive to be vibrating so bad i feel it all over the laptop? its like getting a wrist massage


thanks guys

edit: it went besrk and froze up on everything got choppy and slow..i couldnt use my mail app as it kept beachballing
i unistalled a pop up block extension i had downloaded.
im about to reset the pram and stuff..idk whats wrong :(
 
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Just "Vinnie"

macrumors member
May 5, 2011
78
0
one last thing, is it the same kind of temps with the 13inch model, or does that one run a bit cooler?

just wondering...

Mine idles at about 50 with casual web use and the fans are spinning at 1900-2000 rpm. It's quite as a church mouse.

As already pointed out... it depends on what your CPU is being asked to do.
 
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