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MBP'11 vs MBA'11: should I replace this hot and noisy PRO helicopter?

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hudja

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 9, 2011
5
0
Hi! I have the following problem. I own MBP 15’’ 2011 ultimate. This is my first mac and with all my respect I just cannot understand how can apple call this LAPtop. This thing is so hot and noisy sometimes, that I just cannot use it on my laps. Even some minimal youtube or other 10-20% CPU intensive task drives it crazy and extremely hot to the touch. The vents are very noisy at >5000 RPM. I just cannot use it sitting on sofa or laying in bed surfing internet, email and watching videos, text editing, excel, because it is very hot and noisy. I took it to apple, and they told that temperatures are normal etc etc. I also had different models of HP dv laptop series before (all perfect with noise and thermal management!) and perfectly understand that CPU damage will not occur at 90-100C, so technically speaking my MBP is OK. I can easily change thermal interface by myself, but this does not change things drastically - as far as I understand from MBP thread my temps are quite normal and won’t improve after changing thermal paste. So, the essence is: I want maximally quite and cool LAPtop and do not really care about CPU horse-power.

Now I can change my MBP for MBA 2011 13’’. After reading this forum for a while, I understand that i5 is cooler than i7, but I want to know is it cooler and more silent than my MBP also? Can I comfortably use it on my laps and without earplugs:) during more intensive CPU usage, e.g. lighroom import?

I do not really care about CPU temperature itself, I just care about holding it on my laps and not being as noisy as helicopter during normal, less than 20-30% cpu usage. The most intensive tasks I’ll be doing are lightroom, 720p youtube and 720p and 1080p mkv videos from external storage.

Thank you in advance!

ps. Do not ask why did I choose MBP before :), I got it from my employer for free.
 
U

UCF Sam

macrumors regular
Mar 4, 2010
172
-4
Like most manufactures, Apple doesn't call it a "LAPtop", they call it a notebook. This is common in the industry because many notebooks have the same issues (heat), and manufacturers do not want to imply that you can use it on your lap.

Just giving ya a hard time... We use to tell that to people all the time when I worked at best buy back in the day. Anyway, you might want to try using "ClickToFlash" extension for safari. This will let youtube play using h.264, rather than flash, should be a lot less CPU intensive.
 
H

hudja

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 9, 2011
5
0
UCF Sam

Thank you! I am using some flash-disabling app, but still this notebook is not good for me ))) Can you compare mbp 2011 i7 15" and mba 2011 i5 13" heat and noise issues under similar cpu load?
 
J

jsolares

macrumors 6502a
Aug 8, 2011
844
2
Land of eternal Spring
hudja said:
UCF Sam

Thank you! I am using some flash-disabling app, but still this notebook is not good for me ))) Can you compare mbp 2011 i7 15" and mba 2011 i5 13" heat and noise issues under similar cpu load?
Click to expand...

In similar cpu load it's probably going to be similar, at full load the MBA also gets hot and noisy, you should probably go to an apple store and run something on an air that pegs the cpu so you can see for yourself if it'll be tolerable or not
 
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technopimp

macrumors 6502a
Aug 12, 2009
645
219
No offense, but it sounds like you're really just trying to stir something up. The 15" Pro and 13" Air are very different machines, albeit with similar specs in many ways. Moving all those components into an enclosure 1/3 of the size is not going to make it run cooler, however it's pretty impressive how cool (and quiet) the MBA is under normal conditions. That said, I have a 2011 13" Pro and a 2011 13" Air, and in general the fans on the Air blow more often and more loudly than they do on the Pro (again, similar amount of heat in a smaller package) so I think you should look elsewhere for something that will fit your needs. Maybe look at a previous generation Pro with the Core2Duo which should be cooler overall.
 
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jackyyeow

macrumors 6502
Jul 5, 2011
262
0
Tried my friend's 13" MBA i7. If you fancy handbrake while on your lap, prepare to start a whining thread here. Other than that, it's perfectly fine on the lap on doing what you'll be doing when it's on the lap. Youtube on it is only about 60C or lower if you're streaming just 360p - even 1080p will be around 65C~70C and with minor fan noise (that's with south east asia region's weather, all year summer here). Fan will not ramp up until it reachers 80C, still even at that temperature, nothing really uncomfortable on the naked lap maybe a little warm and cause some sweating. With jeans on, you wouldn't expect it to get so warm that you want to take it off.
 
H

hudja

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 9, 2011
5
0
technopimp
not quite the same amount of heat, it is very different amount of heat. 17W vs 45W CPU TDP + separate video in 15'' + moving parts in HDD. plus thermal design is different, so even the same amount of heat could dissipate with different effectiveness.

I was just hoping/asking, that new AIR is cooler that MBP... Unfortunately, I cannot try it yet by myself, but I will definitely do this.
 
T

technopimp

macrumors 6502a
Aug 12, 2009
645
219
hudja said:
technopimp
not quite the same amount of heat, it is very different amount of heat. 17W vs 45W CPU TDP + separate video in 15'' + moving parts in HDD. plus thermal design is different, so even the same amount of heat could dissipate with different effectiveness.

I was just hoping/asking, that new AIR is cooler that MBP... Unfortunately, I cannot try it yet by myself, but I will definitely do this.
Click to expand...

It sounds like you know a lot about both models then, so you should be able to make an educated decision.

And as I said, I do not have a 15" Pro but I do have a 2011 13", and the Air runs about the same temperature but at times is a bit noisier. Other than that, not sure how you'll be able to reach a verdict without actually trying one for yourself.
 
Z

zzz99

macrumors regular
May 31, 2010
114
0
I just want to share my experience with 2010 MBA 11 and 2011 MBA 11.

The 2011 model fan make much more noise... the speed fan is always ~5000(in an AC office, with just chrome(5 tabs, no flash website) open currently) rpm... but it is faster than 2010 mba.


technopimp said:
It sounds like you know a lot about both models then, so you should be able to make an educated decision.

And as I said, I do not have a 15" Pro but I do have a 2011 13", and the Air runs about the same temperature but at times is a bit noisier. Other than that, not sure how you'll be able to reach a verdict without actually trying one for yourself.
Click to expand...
 
I

iphonsteve4ajob

macrumors regular
Aug 6, 2011
186
0
zzz99 said:
I just want to share my experience with 2010 MBA 11 and 2011 MBA 11.

The 2011 model fan make much more noise... the speed fan is always ~5000(in an AC office, with just chrome(5 tabs, no flash website) open currently) rpm... but it is faster than 2010 mba.
Click to expand...

Wow that seems a bit high. 5K rpms in an AC environment? Should be easily around 2-3K. How long have you had your computer? I have yet to hear my 13" i5's fans turn on. This is with iTunes, 3 browsers open with multiple tabs open. Shopping in the app store...uh, also mail and calendar.

I'm very pleased with how quiet the laptop is. My previous Dell was way too loud and hot!
 
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