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Power adapter heat

cool11

cool11

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Sep 3, 2006
1,777
220
My rmbp power adapter gets always too hot when I am working with my mac.
I don't wanna wake up one day to find out that the power adapter is 'burned' and stopped working.
Can I do something about it?
Maybe put it on a cooler? Or anything else?
I 've seen many power adapters of other netbooks but I think this is one of the hottest and I am a little but anxious about it, because replacing it maybe means for me lost working days with my mac.
I want your opinions and possible solutions about it.
 
Intell

Intell

macrumors P6
Jan 24, 2010
18,955
509
Inside
It is very normal for it to get very hot. If it does get to hot, it will turn itself off via a thermal switch.
 
simon48

simon48

macrumors 65816
Sep 1, 2010
1,315
88
They just got hot, that's how they are.

You can always pull some of the heat into your feet and keep nice and warm. ;)

Intell said:
It is very normal for it to get very hot. If it does get to hot, it will turn itself off via a thermal switch.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's a good point. They will turn off if they get too hot, I've triggered it before by having it tucked under a blanket.
 
Commy1

Commy1

macrumors 6502a
Feb 25, 2013
728
73
simon48 said:
They just got hot, that's how they are.

You can always pull some of the heat into your feet and keep nice and warm. ;)



Yep, that's a good point. They will turn off if they get too hot, I've triggered it before by having it tucked under a blanket.
Click to expand...

I thought I was weird for doing this but I see I'm not alone :D
 
cool11

cool11

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Sep 3, 2006
1,777
220
So, is it a normal state?
I should be happy to see it so hot?
No danger to turn useless because of heat?
 
simon48

simon48

macrumors 65816
Sep 1, 2010
1,315
88
The adapters come in different wattages so they don't all heat up the same.
 
Altemose

Altemose

macrumors G3
Mar 26, 2013
9,189
487
Elkton, Maryland
cool11 said:
So, is it a normal state?
I should be happy to see it so hot?
No danger to turn useless because of heat?
Click to expand...

It depends upon what surface it is on. When I use my MacBook Pro for encoding sessions for HD video, the Mac itself and the power cord get hot...

Please keep it under good authority not to place it on carpet or on a blanket or cloth. A hard surface like a table or hard floor will keep your adapter cool. Another thing to note, is to ensure that you are using the appropriate wattage adapter.
 
J

joe-h2o

macrumors 6502a
Jun 24, 2012
997
445
Altemose said:
It depends upon what surface it is on. When I use my MacBook Pro for encoding sessions for HD video, the Mac itself and the power cord get hot...

Please keep it under good authority not to place it on carpet or on a blanket or cloth. A hard surface like a table or hard floor will keep your adapter cool. Another thing to note, is to ensure that you are using the appropriate wattage adapter.
Click to expand...

The Macbook Pro knows what adapter is connected, so if you use one that is lower spec (e.g., connect a 60W one to a 15" MBP) then the charging system will adjust accordingly. I'm not sure if it will warn you that you are under powering, but all that will happen is that if you are under sustained high load for a long time with the lower-power charger on a 15" is that the battery may slowly drain to supplement the power.

If you're consistently using a lower-power charger with a 15" then there is a possibility that it will be warmer under more 'idle' circumstances (generally when not charging the battery the adapter stays cool), but it will not damage it or the laptop.
 
Altemose

Altemose

macrumors G3
Mar 26, 2013
9,189
487
Elkton, Maryland
joe-h2o said:
The Macbook Pro knows what adapter is connected, so if you use one that is lower spec (e.g., connect a 60W one to a 15" MBP) then the charging system will adjust accordingly. I'm not sure if it will warn you that you are under powering, but all that will happen is that if you are under sustained high load for a long time with the lower-power charger on a 15" is that the battery may slowly drain to supplement the power.

If you're consistently using a lower-power charger with a 15" then there is a possibility that it will be warmer under more 'idle' circumstances (generally when not charging the battery the adapter stays cool), but it will not damage it or the laptop.
Click to expand...

You're right. It won't damage it but I brought it up because it does make the adapter hotter, especially under load.
 
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