Anyone else with a new 2015 MBP notice the fans running much more often than previous models (2013)? I've reset the NVRAM and SMC, and it's still kicking on all the time.
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2015 15" MBP - Fans often on
- Thread starter MallardDuck
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Don't have experience with the previous generation so I can't compare, but I will say that they've come on more than I'd expect them to (and seemingly without cause).
Yes, I'm seeing the same thing. I have an early 2013 13" rMBP and that one's fans only ran high when I was really doing something intensive like gaming. Otherwise the fan and fan noise weren't too obtrusive.
With this one the fans start going crazy when I'm streaming video through Chrome (not as bad in Safari) or changing screen savers and Preferences is building up the previews. i.e. Activities that I don't think should be taxing the system. Based on iStatMenu the temperatures of the components haven't shot up drastically -- CPU and GPU are around 120-130 F when idle and go up to around 140-150 when doing these actions.
I've also done the SMC reset and it didn't help.
Overall I'm enjoying my new 2015 and it blows away my 2013. But this fan thing is giving me pause. The noise is distracting which unfortunately takes a little away from the enjoyment.
With this one the fans start going crazy when I'm streaming video through Chrome (not as bad in Safari) or changing screen savers and Preferences is building up the previews. i.e. Activities that I don't think should be taxing the system. Based on iStatMenu the temperatures of the components haven't shot up drastically -- CPU and GPU are around 120-130 F when idle and go up to around 140-150 when doing these actions.
I've also done the SMC reset and it didn't help.
Overall I'm enjoying my new 2015 and it blows away my 2013. But this fan thing is giving me pause. The noise is distracting which unfortunately takes a little away from the enjoyment.
I saw on the Apple discussion forum that it seems to occur when using an external monitor.
I'm hoping that's the only case as I've ordered the 15" MBP 2015 and should be getting it next week.
I'm hoping that's the only case as I've ordered the 15" MBP 2015 and should be getting it next week.
Happens with the screensaver thing on my end, too. It's odd.
Not that I don't love the thing -- everything else is fantastic, but the fan thing is curious.
Nope, haven't hooked mine up to external monitors. My fans kick up when doing things that I don't think should be heating up the system and didn't cause my early 2013 rMBP's fans to go into overdrive.
To put more details on those activities that caused the fans to speed up (5000+ MPH according to istat and very loud): I set up Mail for the first time and it was downloading messages from the server, streaming video on Chrome, importing photos into Aperture, and setting up the screen saver and Preferences was building up the preview.
It also goes up when I'm playing games (Civ V) but that I'd expect.
Interestingly, it held up well playing a video on VLC. It went up a little bit, around 3k MPH, but for playing videos I'm okay with that as the noise at that speed isn't so loud as to get in the way. This is around the same speeds as playing videos on Safari.
Yes, fans don't speed up as much as Safari. I'm in the process of weaning myself off Chrome and primarily using Safari but haven't gotten there yet. Plus the other times the fans have gotten loud weren't when I was using Chrome.
I have the one with a 2.8 ghz CPU and AMD dGPU.
Never noticed it, really. The left fan, which is closer to the CPU always spins up a bit more than the one cooling the dGPU. In games, the left one gets to about 5500 rpm while the right one never goes above 4000.
The 13" has a 28 watt TDP CPU, the 15" has a 47 watt TDP CPU. May not seem much, but that's a big difference for a laptop. The dGPU add another 30-40+ watts to that. My guess is the AMD GPU generates more heat. Not surprising as it's old 28nm tech with no power reduction mods like Maxwell...
Yup, mine kicks in when I connect an external monitor (its a dell 23") via HDMI to it. Its really annoying, I don't experience this with my PC laptops. I've read that OS X automatically switches to the dGPU immediately when an external monitor is plugged in. I'm using the 2015 15" MBP with the AMD dGPU btw. Other times when the fan ran really crazily was when I was downloading (just downloading) Mathlab. Seriously? Also when I was running a random forest model in R.
I'm a first-time mac user and I really like the feel of the laptop though. I'll probably return this and get the 13" or the 15" without the dGPU.
It does seem that the system has more aggressive fan control. The dGPU and heavy SSD activity both seem to trigger it.
In the back of my mind though, I wonder if this is a first-of-kind thermal paste issue like we had a few years back...and on a non-openable machine, that'd be ugly if true.
Before returning it for models that don't have a dGPU, keep in mind the use of the dGPU isn't by itself what automatically kicks the fans into overdrive.
Mine is currently on its dGPU, running a Citrix session connected to my office Windows desktop, has a video playing on VLC, music is streaming on Chrome, and reading and writing emails on the Mail app and my fans are calm (humming along at around 2k MPH).
It seems to be more about the activity than how intense that activity is.
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I don't notice this at all. Mine runs cool. Idle temps (just safari, mailbox, twitter, imessage, tweetbot open) with it on my lap show CPU temps of ~102F and baseline fan speeds (2160, 2000)
I had to do the same, I reset SMC and whatnot. My MBP actually got so hot the keyboard felt like an oven when I hovered my hands over it. I called Apple and did what I could but ultimately the fans kept whirling on and the system got super hot way fast so I am exchanging it. If the next one does the same I'll be returning it for good and waiting for the next MBP to hopefully have this issue fixed. It's one thing to have the fans turned on when necessary, but they whizzed on just from watching some YouTube and then surfing safari. Other times they whirled up like crazy just because I resized a large image. I closed out of the program and it still was going super loud and warm.
I still think this MBP is a good update in general terms, but the fans definitely are making me ticked that Apple didn't get this sorted out before mass production of these.
I am not going to be happy if the replacement does the same thing, I don't want to have to wait for the next MBP and take the chance that they remove the I/O ports or change the keyboard size (I doubt they will) but Apple never does things one would expect. :/
Kal.
If you've been using the laptop since 2012 then it's possible that by now there's an appreciable amount of dust collected inside the airflow system, meaning your fans have to work harder to achieve the same amount of cooling. I know I've noticed my 2012 rMBP is running slightly warmer than usual these days. I'm considering opening her up and having a go with the compressed air...
For me the heat's not the problem, the battery is. I'm seeing 10-15% drops in a half hour even if I'm not doing heavyweight tasks. Just surfing the web on Safari and keeping Mail on and reading and writing emails. Can't say for sure if it's related to the overactive fans, but seems like there's something funky with this unit. I've also done the SMC reset and no difference. I have a Genius Bar appointment this week and will keep an eye on the battery and fans until then. If things don't get better I'm bringing it in and if they say they don't see any problems I'll decide then if I'll ask for a replacement or just return it.
Been a owner & user of the 15" MacBook Pro forever; Over the years the 15" has frequently struggled with it`s thermals, especially when an external display is connected as the dGPU switches on as default, internal temperatures soar;
For the most part your MBP runs hot as that`s how Apple designed it, the trade of for form over, function, thin & light...
The old adage still applies; it`s easier to keep a system cool, than cool-down an already hot machine. This being said it`s not strictly necessary, equally it`s nice to know that there are options for reducing temperature out there
More on cooling
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/cooling-pad-for-rmpb.1493580/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/cooling-pad-for-rmpb.1493580/
Q-6
- Elevate the rear, aluminium passive coolers generally work best (I use RainDesign`s mStand & iLap)
- Increase base fan RPM to 3K or as much as you are comfortable with (MacsFanControl or SMC Fan Control)
- Limit the dGPU`s usage with gfxCardStatus
- Swap out Chrome for Chrome Canary as it`s way more optimised for OS X and will extend battery run time, reduce thermals
- Swap out VLC for Movist as again it`s a reduced load on CPU/GPU
- Uninstall or block Flash
- Powered coolers are very much a "mixed bag" when it comes to Mac portables, you need one that has a high capacity (100 CFM minimum) and preferably a large single fan, this can help to keep the 15" internal fans below 4K which for many is good enough as often it`s this point and beyond where the fans become intrusive. Don't expect a powered cooler impact internal temperatures, beyond a couple of degrees
- Replacing the thermal paste has been hit & miss, some with very positive results, some with no improvement over stock. Personally I would only do this on a Mac Portable that was either very old, or one that I can confirm was definitely running hotter than stock.
For the most part your MBP runs hot as that`s how Apple designed it, the trade of for form over, function, thin & light...The old adage still applies; it`s easier to keep a system cool, than cool-down an already hot machine. This being said it`s not strictly necessary, equally it`s nice to know that there are options for reducing temperature out there
More on cooling
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/cooling-pad-for-rmpb.1493580/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/cooling-pad-for-rmpb.1493580/
Q-6