Just wondering if anyone has noticed that when the machine is under load the power supply gets very very hot. I am exporting a 720p film in iMovie [taking about an hour for a 35 minute film] touching the MacBooks power supply I found it was almost too hot to touch. The room I am in is 24 degrees Celsius and the power supply has plenty of room around it for ventilation. Now I know iMovie is still not optimised for 64bit neither is Final Cut Pro, I've observed that both are only using about 25% of available CPU. I'm a bit concerned that the power supply will explode into a million pieces when trying to use future 64bit versions of FCP and iMovie, as i primarily bought this laptop as a video editing machine [and please don't tell me to buy a Mac Pro, I need portability]
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2011 MacBook Pro - Very Hot Power Supply...
- Thread starter mrwonkers
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yeah those get hot 
nothing to worry about, i've had mine be so hot i thought the carpet was gonna catch on fire, couldn't touch it
nothing to worry about, i've had mine be so hot i thought the carpet was gonna catch on fire, couldn't touch it 
I also have the new mbp, 15" I7-2.2 model, and it is really hot to. So hot I can't rest it on my leg when I have shorts on.
That being said I would say that there is a very good chance your power supply will explode... Just kidding.
As everyone else says, pretty normal.
That being said I would say that there is a very good chance your power supply will explode...
Just kidding.As everyone else says, pretty normal.
It's not nuts, it's how they where designed. Every laptop's powerbrick gets hot when the laptop is charging or under load.
I had the 2009 13" before my current 2011 15", and they were both pretty hot. I put a 7200 drive in my 13", and with that in there, it was as hot as my current 15". The heat does make me hesitant to put a 7200 in my 15" tough.
Let's all just hope quad for the best. I'm an over heated Mac as well. My new 2011 is another dud. If your looking to buy a new apple Pro, I would wait til these issues R resolved. It's quite strange to see these problems from Apple Inc.
MBPs run hot, but that doesn't mean they're "overheating". They're working as designed. It's not a flaw or problem if it runs hot. MBPs are designed to shut down if it really overheats.
Also, some people are replying about computer temperature, and the OP specifically mentioned the power brick. There's gonna be more heat when the brick is having to supply more power.
The laptop power bricks always get hot for macbook pros and macbooks. It is normal.
One thing to not do is stuff the brick in a couch or under blankets etc while using. They can overheat. They have a built in overtemp sensor and will shut off if they get too hot. No worries as they will reset themselves after they get cool. I constantly have to remind the wife to not put stuff on her brick.
One thing to not do is stuff the brick in a couch or under blankets etc while using. They can overheat. They have a built in overtemp sensor and will shut off if they get too hot. No worries as they will reset themselves after they get cool. I constantly have to remind the wife to not put stuff on her brick.
speaking of power supplies.... im looking for a DC charger for the new MBP and was curious if the new quads have any difference in the PSU? it says 85w but just wanted to make sure before i made a purchase
thanks
thanks
mine has been so hot i could barely keep hold of it before and never had any problems with it, and it seems as if it's pretty normal from all the similar replies!
Watching MLB.tv on mine SMC fan control had mine close to 200 degrees F... crazy hot.
I stopped by the apple store and they reset the smc config and had me download an update... it hasnt been that hot, but still very hot at around 165 F when I watch baseball.
I stopped by the apple store and they reset the smc config and had me download an update... it hasnt been that hot, but still very hot at around 165 F when I watch baseball.
Sorry to necro this old thread, but it's the only really relevant thread to this issue I've seen. Last month my girlfriend got a new 15" MacBook Pro with 4GB ram, 7200 rpm. She finds that when she charges her iPad 2 over USB from the MacBook, the MacBook's power adapter gets so hot that the computer repeatedly comes on and off AC power. The adapter is burning to the touch.
Based on this thread, it sounds like the adapter gets so hot it repeatedly trips the temperature sensor and shuts off, turns on again when it cools, and repeats. This happens even when the adapter is standing on its edge on a hard smooth surface.
Do you think this is a defect, or is it too much to ask for the MacBook to charge the iPad?
The iPad demands quite a bit of extra power from the uprated USB ports over the standard ones. I would definitely get that looked it. It might be the USB ports or the charger. Coming off of AC power without a high CPU/GPU workload is rather unsettling.
Thanks, thundersteele and Eidorian. I'll suggest she take it the Mac store.
There is normal hot, and not normal hot
I get a bit annoyed with everyone saying it's completely normal for the power adapter to get hot because there are degrees of hot that are normal, and degrees of hot that are not. I've just had to spend $80 replacing my power adaptor because on Wednesday it got so hot that the cord CAUGHT ON FIRE and singed through the wire destroying the cable. That was NOT a normal degree of hot. My new cord arrived today and I plugged it in and it's getting very, very hot as well which sends me in search of finding out what degree of hot is ok, how hot is too hot, and the possible causes of the power adapter getting so hot. Since this is the second cord experiencing problems I am starting to think it might be a fault inside my Mac not in the power cord.
Apparently there are a number of factors to consider. One, is that a low watt power adapter on a computer that uses more power will get hotter than a higher watt adapter. So if your adapter is getting hot, consider upgrading to the 85 watt adapter. Mine is the 85 watt so that's not the issue in my case.
Another is that the magnetic connection to the Mac can attract other magnetic things so it is important to keep it clean to prevent stuff clogging up the conduction. This could definitely be a factor with my Mac.
Does anyone else have any other ideas?
Also, how hot do you think would be acceptable for the adapter to get? I'm gauging mine with a thermometer and it's currently at 51C which is uncomfortable to touch and burning to hold. I'm worried about leaving it on the carpet at that temperature. But the power is doing a hard charge after the battery was completely flat and still has a while to go before it's fully charged so it's working harder than normal. I'm keeping an eye on the temperature to see if it cools down after it's fully charged.
For right now, I'm going to shut down and let it finish charging while I'm not using the machine. That should help it do so at a cooler temperature and faster. Let me know if you have any ideas. Next step might be to take my Macbook and charger in to the Apple Store for the Genius Bar to check out.
I get a bit annoyed with everyone saying it's completely normal for the power adapter to get hot because there are degrees of hot that are normal, and degrees of hot that are not. I've just had to spend $80 replacing my power adaptor because on Wednesday it got so hot that the cord CAUGHT ON FIRE and singed through the wire destroying the cable. That was NOT a normal degree of hot. My new cord arrived today and I plugged it in and it's getting very, very hot as well which sends me in search of finding out what degree of hot is ok, how hot is too hot, and the possible causes of the power adapter getting so hot. Since this is the second cord experiencing problems I am starting to think it might be a fault inside my Mac not in the power cord.
Apparently there are a number of factors to consider. One, is that a low watt power adapter on a computer that uses more power will get hotter than a higher watt adapter. So if your adapter is getting hot, consider upgrading to the 85 watt adapter. Mine is the 85 watt so that's not the issue in my case.
Another is that the magnetic connection to the Mac can attract other magnetic things so it is important to keep it clean to prevent stuff clogging up the conduction. This could definitely be a factor with my Mac.
Does anyone else have any other ideas?
Also, how hot do you think would be acceptable for the adapter to get? I'm gauging mine with a thermometer and it's currently at 51C which is uncomfortable to touch and burning to hold. I'm worried about leaving it on the carpet at that temperature. But the power is doing a hard charge after the battery was completely flat and still has a while to go before it's fully charged so it's working harder than normal. I'm keeping an eye on the temperature to see if it cools down after it's fully charged.
For right now, I'm going to shut down and let it finish charging while I'm not using the machine. That should help it do so at a cooler temperature and faster. Let me know if you have any ideas. Next step might be to take my Macbook and charger in to the Apple Store for the Genius Bar to check out.
Make sure you have the right power supply for your MBP. My wife has a 13" MBP that uses a 65W power supply, while my 2011 15" has an 85W one. Sometimes when mine isn't available I will use hers, which works, but the white brick will heat up tremendously.
I learned this the hard way while playing Portal 2 using the 65W, and the brick burned my leg. That kind of heat can't be good for the power supply, so make sure yours is 85W. A lot of the el cheapo ones on eBay and Amazon may not be truly 85W.
I learned this the hard way while playing Portal 2 using the 65W, and the brick burned my leg. That kind of heat can't be good for the power supply, so make sure yours is 85W. A lot of the el cheapo ones on eBay and Amazon may not be truly 85W.