whats your take on keyboard covers & hard cases

[happle]

so i know that macbooks exhaust out near the hinge, but they must intake through the keyboard. with that being said, keyboard covers must obstruct some airflow, which may not be a problem for light use, but when under a heavy load i bet it does have an effect. now i have a keyboard cover and a hard case on my current macbook. but im buying a new MBP soon so im just trying to make the right choice.

does anyone know of any keyboard covers with ventilation holes in them? i like to use a keyboard cover just for when i go to sell my mac it looks new and theres no black shiny spots.

also since the mbp is metal it has pretty good heat transfer out of the case. by covering this with a plastic case, wouldn't this also allow for the computer to heat up a bit more than normal? id like to use a hard case but if it causes more heat i think ill stay away.

maybe i should look at that mesh looking incase case? i dont think that would hold too much heat in, what do you guys think?

 

[GGJstudios]

... they must intake through the keyboard.

No, they don't. Both intake and exhaust are in the rear, near the hinge. There is a solid sheet under the keyboard, preventing any meaningful airflow. That's why it's perfectly safe to operate in clamshell mode, and why keyboard covers are safe to use.

 

[Itzamna]

I think that the hot air comes out at the left side and middle of the hinge, and the "fresh" air enters in the right side of the hinge.

 

[happle]

No, they don't. Both intake and exhaust are in the rear, near the hinge. There is a solid sheet under the keyboard, preventing any meaningful airflow. That's why it's perfectly safe to operate in clamshell mode, and why keyboard covers are safe to use.

oh i see. so your sure no airflow comes through the keyboard? in the apple manual it does say not to place anything over the keyboard. do you know if there are any with ventilation holes?

I think that the hot air comes out at the left side and middle of the hinge, and the "fresh" air enters in the right side of the hinge.

yeah i thought about that too, but it just didnt make as much sense to me since the air is already hot over there.

 

[GGJstudios]

oh i see. so your sure no airflow comes through the keyboard? in the apple manual it does say not to place anything over the keyboard.

That's not because of ventilation, which doesn't occur through the keyboard. No airflow travels though the keyboard, so it's not necessary to find a cover with holes.

 

[Itzamna]

yeah i thought about that too, but it just didnt make as much sense to me since the air is already hot over there.

And if the "fresh" air came from the keyboard it would be hot aswell, because the 2 hottest places in the macbook pro (GPU and CPU) are right below half of the keyboard.
Plus the air it would have to cross all logic board to get to the fans, it wouldn't be very functional.

 

[happle]

That's not because of ventilation, which doesn't occur through the keyboard. No airflow travels though the keyboard, so it's not necessary to find a cover with holes.

alright ill take your word for it. another thing is the macbook seems quieter when the keyboard cover is on. which makes me think there is some airflow. but then again i guess noise isnt necessarily airflow, although it does sound that way.

so whats your take on hard cases?

more specifically that incase perforated case with the holes in it. think that would hold any heat in?

 

[thundersteele]

Heat dissipation will be _slightly_ worse. As GGJstudios explained, the main cooling system will not be affected.

Does anyone know why apple says not to cover the keyboard? Maybe it's not because of heat, but because whatever is on the keyboard might touch and damage the screen?

 

[happle]

Heat dissipation will be _slightly_ worse. As GGJstudios explained, the main cooling system will not be affected.

Does anyone know why apple says not to cover the keyboard? Maybe it's not because of heat, but because whatever is on the keyboard might touch and damage the screen?

even with the case thats covered in holes?

 

[GGJstudios]

alright ill take your word for it. another thing is the macbook seems quieter when the keyboard cover is on. which makes me think there is some airflow.

Here is the sheet that's under the keyboard:

 

[happle]

Here is the sheet that's under the keyboard:

i believed you but thx

 

[thundersteele]

even with the case thats covered in holes?

Well, it certainly won't improve the airflow, or will it? I'm not claiming that it will have a notable or even measurable effect on the laptops temperature.

 

[happle]

Well, it certainly won't improve the airflow, or will it? I'm not claiming that it will have a notable or even measurable effect on the laptops temperature.

yeah thats true. i guess ill think of it like wearing a jersey or something. it does hold in just a tiny bit of heat. so i think i might get one just to keep my mbp looking new from the day i buy it. and if i run into heat problems ill try taking it off.

 

[Freddy1765]

What's the idea behind the keyboard cover anyway? The ones I've seen make the MBP/MBA look like ****.. There's a reason Apple opted for aluminum and not plastic.
Aluminum is also incredibly durable, so unless you're a retard who tosses it around or spills drinks all over it, there's no idea in slapping a fat piece of plastic on it.

Or am I missing something?

 

[miker2209]

I'm always abit worried about the bottom of the MBP every time i set it down. Other than that make sure u don't have too much jewelry when handling your MBP.