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07 Macbook Pro - Overheating/Hard Drive

F

FletcherMac

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 27, 2013
2
0
Basically, got a used MacBook Pro, and it's overheating when I use almost any software at all. It was overheating a bit at idle, and I got smcFancontrol, which fixed most of the problems.
Thing is, when I use any intensive program at all, specifically games or PhotoShop/Illustrator, temp spikes and it goes all flickery and overheats, eventually causing me to force shutdown. Afterward, it has to completely cool to avoid the endless gray screen of restart circle.

Specs:
2007 MBP
Mt. Lion 10.8.5
2.4 GHz
4 GB RAM
GeForce 8600 GT

Idle without the fan control runs about 60-65C
With fan control (ramped to 5K-5.5K RPM) it'll run solid around 40-45C.

When apps are launched (tried WoW, DDO, and The Sims 3 since I had access, though oddly, no problem with Torchlight or some virtual box apps) it'll run 65+C and hotter, even with the fans ramped to 6k rpm.

I have istat, and I'll post what's going on when I get it fired up (no pun intended). Posting this from my phone right now.

Edit: There's also some lag going on in the hard drive. It takes forever to write, and it's slow on startup. Couple minutes to fully launch.
I'm planning on replacing the HD regardless. I was wondering if that may have something to do with the heat, if something was wrong with it (it makes the grinding noise when it starts. My old regular MB did that after having some HD damage, FWIW)

Thanks party people.
 
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Based on the temps you reported, your Mac isn't anywhere near overheating. Your temps are well within the normal operating range. If you're not already doing so, use iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) to get accurate readings of your temps, fan speeds, etc., rather than relying on your sense of touch or sound. A forum member has posted a copy of iStat Pro that has been "tweaked" to enhance compatibility with Mountain Lion. You can download it here.
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The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat. CPU Tjmax = 105C (221F), GPU Tjmax = 100C (212F) on i3, i5, i7 processors. (Source: Intel)
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Unless there is a rare defect in a Mac, most temps are well within the normal operating range, considering the workload being put 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.
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It is also quite normal for your Mac to become extremely hot to the touch during intensive operations. The aluminum body transfers heat more effectively than other materials used in computer casings, so you will feel the heat more. This doesn't indicate that it's overheating and will not harm the computer to be hot to the touch.
The bottom of your Mac notebook may become very warm during normal use. If your notebook is on your lap and gets uncomfortably warm, move it to a stable work surface that allows for good ventilation.
Click to expand...
Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis), or 1200 for the newest MBAs. Older iMacs have 3 fans with minimum speeds in the 800-1200 range, while the newest iMacs have a single fan, spinning at a minimum of about 1400 rpm. They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level. If your fans are spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC. (PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help.)
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The intake and exhaust vents are in the back of the computer near the hinge on all notebooks in the MacBook line (except the new MBP with retina display, which has intake vents along the sides at the bottom). The iMac vent is a slot on the back near the top of the computer. Make sure the vents remain unblocked to allow your computer to perform at its best. For Flash-related issues:
 
I'll grab the update to istat. Thanks for that.

So given the temps are normal for load, why would it freeze and crash? I'm getting IO errors when I boot to verbose, thus realizing I needed a new drive.

Question is then, would the crashing result from a read error?

Edit: tried resetting SMC, I've flashed the ram so far, and neither diskutil or fsck are detecting errors in the drive.
 
FletcherMac said:
I'll grab the update to istat. Thanks for that.

So given the temps are normal for load, why would it freeze and crash? I'm getting IO errors when I boot to verbose, thus realizing I needed a new drive.

Question is then, would the crashing result from a read error?
Click to expand...
If your drive is crashing, it's not likely due to temps. The drive may be failing. Use Disk Utility to verify and/or repair the disk. Make sure you have a current backup, in case it does fail.
 
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