2012 11" 2.0GHz - any issues, overheating etc?

[xchaotic]

Hi.

After some deliberation, I'll probably end up with the ultimate BTO 11" MBA.
A few questions then:
Any problems w/ overheating?
Does the faster CPU affect battery life significantly?

Can you point me to some minimalists apps for text/html editing in the mac app store? I hope to use full screen mode whenever possible...

I also expect that the MBA will spend most of its time plugged to a 27" 1920x1200 screen, is there any workflow that would save me from resizing windows all the time?

Finally this is more of a question to Apple, if I BTO, can I still collect in a retail store?

 

[Zzari]

Hi.

Finally this is more of a question to Apple, if I BTO, can I still collect in a retail store?

You can have them ship a BTO to store and then go pick it up. You just need to bring your ID to the store and they'll give it to you.

If you're going for the 11" i7/8GB/256GB SSD, most of the stores carry them already. However, I haven't seen/heard of a store that is carrying the 11" i7/8GB/512GB - this configuration needs to be ordered online and then shipped to you or your store of choice.

 

[xchaotic]

If you're going for the 11" i7/8GB/256GB SSD, most of the stores carry them already.

Thanks, that's really handy.
Now I've found on Apple forums that 80°C is considered 'normal' for this little machine under load and then at 90C thermal throttling will kick in and decrease the performance, so I guess that thermals do come into play after all.. it would be really good if someone tested if the 13" version is any better in that regard.

 

[Zzari]

Thanks, that's really handy.
Now I've found on Apple forums that 80°C is considered 'normal' for this little machine under load and then at 90C thermal throttling will kick in and decrease the performance, so I guess that thermals do come into play after all.. it would be really good if someone tested if the 13" version is any better in that regard.

I don't think throttling kicks in at 90c - if it did, gamers would be SOL with the MBA. I know that at 105c, the processor automatically turns the computer off to prevent damage. From what's been mentioned in multiple posts, the i7 regularly hits ~100c under sustained full load (gaming, encoding, etc.)

 

[rookpsu]

I also expect that the MBA will spend most of its time plugged to a 27" 1920x1200 screen, is there any workflow that would save me from resizing windows all the time?

I'm not sure if this is what you had in mind, but when i need to quickly orient a few windows I use Divvy. It's in the AppStore.

 

[xchaotic]

I'm not sure if this is what you had in mind, but when i need to quickly orient a few windows I use Divvy. It's in the AppStore.

I meant that when I unplug, the size goes back to 1380 x 786 - I'm not sure what's the best method to have window layout presets for the two resolutions - I don't plan on using two screens at any point...

 

[redfarsi]

I have the 2012 i7/8gb/128gb 11". I notice that when I run chrome with like 6+ tabs it gets uncomfortably hot to the point where fans turn on full speed and this causes like 1% per minute in battery drop but if I switch to safari with like 4 tabs it gets very warm but doesn't get hot enough for fans to go full speed and battery life hasn't really been an issue for me yet. I get 4-6 hours it really does depend on how you use it.

But once you open like 5+ tabs your battery life will just get drained. The ivy bridge i7 2.0 is quick. If it matters it takes about 2 seconds for Photoshop to open and another two seconds to load. On battery it takes only a couple seconds longer.

 

[InfiniteDeath]

11' i7 8Gb 2012 here. This is my first Mac so I have no idea what to expect. Usually running about 20~25 tabs in Chrome and Safari with 1080p Youtube in about 10 tabs and Steam downloading in the background. My CPU sits at 60 degrees and the fan is at ~2400rpm. No overheating here at all... Idling is usually 40 degrees and fan at ~2000rpm.

I was expecting much worse heat and noise when reading these forums before buying. Except I'm coming from a much bigger, hotter and far more powerful laptop (M18x w/ Sli 580's) so my viewpoint may be a little skewed.