Why is my Macbook Pro so HOT HOT HOT?!

[merbel]

I guess it will be a nice heating pad in the winter but whew, does this thing get HOT!

[iBookG4user]

You might want to install smcfancontrol, I have it set to 4000RPM and it keeps it at a reasonable temperature.

[pianos101]

Originally Posted by merbel

I guess it will be a nice heating pad in the winter but whew, does this thing get HOT!

merbel-
just out of curiosity, what model do you have (and when did you get it...). I got my 17" the week they came out last May and have been wondering what newer machines have been doing with their heat problems...

thanks!

[jayveejvut]

i downloaded smcsmartfan and it keeps giving me alert saying close all other fan control or battery control applications and all i have is istat how do i getpast the alert i have restarted already and that does nothing i got rid of istat and that doesn't work either please help thanks

[merbel]

Pianos 101
I got my 15 inch macbook pro about 6 weeks ago.

[Jiddick ExRex]

www.coolbook.se

Haven't tried it but my brother says his MB is 20 degrees (C) cooler than before.

[BrianMR]

Overriding the voltage settings on my CPU? Really? I'll pass, but read with interest what others have to say from their experiences.

I use smcFanControl and keep things at default most of the time but bump up the fans if its getting warm.

[synth3tik]

Originally Posted by jayveejvut

i downloaded smcsmartfan and it keeps giving me alert saying close all other fan control or battery control applications and all i have is istat how do i getpast the alert i have restarted already and that does nothing i got rid of istat and that doesn't work either please help thanks

It will be necessary to not have iStat load. either disable it in the widget manager or uninstall it. I think you can get by if you don't start up the dashboard widgets, but that might cause some issues.

I have a 2.16 C2D MBP carrying 2g RAM and although sometimes it gets a little hot, it never gets really HOT. only on really hot days does it suck to have it on my lap. My MBP was manufactured 5 months ago.

[Avaritia]

It should also be noted, that MacBooks, and MacBook Pro's are not designed to sit in your lap, or on a soft surface. Whenever you are using the computer, you should make sure to sit it on a hard smooth surface so as to allow complete airflow around and under the computer. If it's still to hot try using the fan updates from Apple, as well as smcFanControl, if that doesn't work then I would suggest having it looked at one of the ARS.

[documental79]

Bit late on this one, but are there any suggestions what a "healthy" temp for a MacBook Pro might be? I have a 15'' from the year before they did the re-designed glossy screened ones.

I guess if it feels like it might scald me while I'm typing that's s a bad thing, but are there any guidelines?

I downloaded the latest SMCFanControl (2.3.2) and it was showing 63 C while spinning at 2000 RPM. I bumped it up to 4000 and am now down to a more comfy 53 C -- still seems on the high end though, and I am not doing anything that would cause a lot of CPU use at the moment!

[GGJstudios]

Originally Posted by documental79

Bit late on this one, but are there any suggestions what a "healthy" temp for a MacBook Pro might be? I have a 15'' from the year before they did the re-designed glossy screened ones.

I guess if it feels like it might scald me while I'm typing that's s a bad thing, but are there any guidelines?

I downloaded the latest SMCFanControl (2.3.2) and it was showing 63 C while spinning at 2000 RPM. I bumped it up to 4000 and am now down to a more comfy 53 C -- still seems on the high end though, and I am not doing anything that would cause a lot of CPU use at the moment!

Even 63C is not that high for a MBP. 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). As long as that's not happening, you don't need to worry about temps.

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) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs and MBs). 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.

[waynep]

I bought a 2010 17in MBP in Jan. It seemed to run hotter than my wife's 13in MBP and the battery life was about 25% less than the 13in MBP. I did a SMC reset and noticed that I got more battery life and it runs cooler.

[zdobson]

I have a MBP 15" 2.2 i7 I got about 3 weeks ago. It has been running 80-90C for when I do anything more than minimal tasks. Just a minute ago, I was exporting photos in Lightroom and using Safari and the temp peaked at 91C.

Is this a problem? Shouldn't it be running cooler than this? I'm not doing anything more than photo editing on here. No video encoding or playback.

Once Lightroom stopped, temps dropped to 55C. Is that really a big enough program to cause such a rise in temps? CPU usage was between 40-60%.

[GGJstudios]

Originally Posted by zdobson

I have a MBP 15" 2.2 i7 I got about 3 weeks ago. It has been running 80-90C for when I do anything more than minimal tasks. Just a minute ago, I was exporting photos in Lightroom and using Safari and the temp peaked at 91C.

Is this a problem? Shouldn't it be running cooler than this? I'm not doing anything more than photo editing on here. No video encoding or playback.

Once Lightroom stopped, temps dropped to 55C. Is that really a big enough program to cause such a rise in temps? CPU usage was between 40-60%.

Read my post, 2 before yours. It applies to your situation, as well.

[Jete]

This probably doesn't apply to you, but I have two cats that allow me to live with them, and about twice a year I have to take the fans out and clean the grill or I start running at about 80 degrees baseline. Just wanted to mention for those living in dusty environments.

J

[blackghost]

hey guys,

my macbook pro is running at about 4000 rpm but the temperature hovers around 70 degrees. is this normal?

[waynep]

Originally Posted by blackghost

hey guys,

my macbook pro is running at about 4000 rpm but the temperature hovers around 70 degrees. is this normal?

It depends on what it's doing. Just browsing simple web pages with nothing else open/running, that sounds high. Playing video, doing things that require more CPU/Graphics then it might be normal. It depends on the load.

[dusk007]

Not if it is idle but with some load it is quite normal yes.

[Tsuchiya]

Mine really starts to heat up when the battery is charging. I've just installed smcFanControl and it's started to cool down quite a bit now that I've bumped the fans up to 4000rpm (I'll leave it like this when charging)

Good suggestion

[JamesCCook]

Originally Posted by iBookG4user

You might want to install smcfancontrol, I have it set to 4000RPM and it keeps it at a reasonable temperature.

This has been a real concern and your recommendation was perfect. I was running around 74° (I understand that the chip will shutdown at 100°- but my feeling is that if it feels too hot it probably is). I think it is a battery issue, but I cannot afford a new one.
I installed the software, got the temp (74°), bumped it up from 2000 rpm to 3000 rpm and it knocked the temp down by 8° to 66°!
Sincere thanks,
James

[miles01110]

Unless your computer is shutting down due to overheating, Macbook Pro owners experiencing high temperatures don't have anything to worry about. The myths perpetuated on this forum about "heating problems" have no basis in reality.

[EthosX]

Originally Posted by GGJstudios

Even 63C is not that high for a MBP. 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). As long as that's not happening, you don't need to worry about temps.

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) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs and MBs). 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.

Even 63C is not that high for a MBP
That is crap ..
So why miions of mac owners complaining about gpu fail ??
mac pros has ********* cooling system !!! Very low effect !
The shaft is so small the fans are too small.

[GGJstudios]

Originally Posted by EthosX

So why miions of mac owners complaining about gpu fail ??

Please post proof of that claim. You should spend some time educating yourself, as 63C is well within the normal safe operating range for Mac notebooks, and will not cause CPUs or GPUs to fail.

[EthosX]

Originally Posted by GGJstudios

Please post proof of that claim. You should spend some time educating yourself, as 63C is well within the normal safe operating range for Mac notebooks, and will not cause CPUs or GPUs to fail.

Jeeez i been through all of them on sale on ebay!! Logic bord replaced logic board replced ..
Just ask apple how many warranties about hardware fail they had to proceed with mac pros..

[mrsir2009]

Originally Posted by EthosX

Jeeez i been through all of them on sale on ebay!! Logic bord replaced logic board replced ..
Just ask apple how many warranties about hardware fail they had to proceed with mac pros..

I think you'll find the number of Macs with failed GPUs are very small if you put it into perspective