Everything is written down, somewhere deep in the guts of Apple. Is there a design document somewhere saying: We're going put an intentionally ineffective cooling in this thing, and here's why.
Seems a bizarre concept.
Seems a bizarre concept.
No, there's a design document that says "let's see how many geeks who can't see the forest for the trees we can infuriate after we've determined that a case cooling fan is adequate for this model's intended target audience's usage."
I think Apple has done an admirable job with the MacBook Air 2020.
fair enough, i think the one nuances the majority of us have here is the previous air model had a heatpipe, but yet apple decided to ditch it. if the previous air model started with passive cooling solution and the air never saw introduction of a heatpipe. this wouldn't be as big of a talking point. therefore in the eyes of many, this passive cooling seen like a step back from innovation.It's not Apple's goal to design the highest performance MBA they can. They don't want to convert higher paying MBP users to the MBA. They want differentiation between those products. Their margins and revenue are both hurt if MBP users can convert to an MBA and be satisfied with performance demanding apps. And more performance would do virtually nothing to increase MBA sales versus PC notebooks. MBA's are sold vs PC alternatives based on Mac OS being available at the right price premium. Not based on out-performing a similar priced PC notebook.
So the thermal throttling issue works to Apple's advantage. The MBA MacOS UI is generally as responsive as a similar clock rate MBP, which is a key for its users, and for PC competitive reasons. But throttling protects MBP sales. i.e. they ain't fixing it because it isn't broke, it's what they want.
You're the only poster here who seems to have noticed it is a case fan and understands how it is supposed to work.It's a case fan, not a CPU fan. It's in between the discontinued fanless MacBook and the MacBook Pro.
It appears that the system management chip is programmed to keep the system below 100 °C. It will simultaneously run the fan at the maximum speed while monitoring the CPU frequency so it stays below this temperature ceiling, presumably the thermal design maximum for this particular model.
You guys do know that Apple doesn't let random schmucks walking by verify the thermal designs? And they aren't snot nosed 22-year-olds with a B.A. in Communications either.
The people who do this mostly have Ph.D.s in Mechanical Engineering specializing in Computational Fluid Dynamics. I bet the average age of the senior engineers who do this sort of work is 50.
Moreover, Apple tests many prototype designs before selecting on a particular one for production. Yes, they probably tested a few designs that were fanless, a few with heat pipes, maybe even a few with CPU fans. There are probably units with AMD CPUs, ones with ARM CPUs too.
Every design choice is a compromise: power, weight, bulk, cost, noise, convenience, battery life, etc.
The point of a MacBook Air isn't to harness the maximum capability of the CPU 100% 24x7. Maybe they could add a heat pipe and a CPU fan but that would force an increase in the case thickness. Maybe you need a bigger battery to handle the power needs. All of sudden you end up with a MacBook Pro.
It's not like Tim Cook said one day, "Hey, let's hold a design contest for the interns and ship the one that gets the most employee votes!"
Yeah, I was actually going to point to that Appleinsider video. According to it, the new MacBook Air doesn’t experience a temperature drop even with the fans at maximum speed (8.000 rpm), so that’s all indicative of a lack of heatpipe.
I’d like to be wrong but, looking at the throttling at temperatures (Constant 100ºC), most probably it is passively cooled.
It's not Apple's goal to design the highest performance MBA they can. They don't want to convert higher paying MBP users to the MBA. They want differentiation between those products. Their margins and revenue are both hurt if MBP users can convert to an MBA and be satisfied with performance demanding apps. And more performance would do virtually nothing to increase MBA sales versus PC notebooks. MBA's are sold vs PC alternatives based on Mac OS being available at the right price premium. Not based on out-performing a similar priced PC notebook.
So the thermal throttling issue works to Apple's advantage. The MBA MacOS UI is generally as responsive as a similar clock rate MBP, which is a key for its users, and for PC competitive reasons. But throttling protects MBP sales. i.e. they ain't fixing it because it isn't broke, it's what they want.
- Nice post and analysis. I'm with you about the fan blowing air out on the left, but I don't quite see the mechanics of how it also sucks air in on the right. The fan has an opening towards the rear of the machine that allows air to be blown out but it doesn't have a second opening that I can see on its right side that would allow it to suck in air. Can you explain?Have you guys actually looked at the way the airflow works in a MacBook Air? Have a look at these two photos.
- Nice post and analysis. I'm with you about the fan blowing air out on the left, but I don't quite see the mechanics of how it also sucks air in on the right. The fan has an opening towards the rear of the machine that allows air to be blown out but it doesn't have a second opening that I can see on its right side that would allow it to suck in air. Can you explain?
View attachment 900406
- Thank you. I get how it works with respect to the case and the air channel across from the right to the left.See below. That's the air intake bottom left, with the five open squares.
- Thank you. I get how it works with respect to the case and the air channel across from the right to the left.
What I don't get is how the fan sucks air in through that channel if it doesn't have an opening besides the one towards the rear that allows it to blow the air out.
Is the air supposed to be sucked in through the top of the fan where the fins are visible?
- What you're sketching can't happen as far as I can see. For suction to occur, air must pass through the fan. Your sketch shows it bypassing the fan (perhaps the sketch is just inaccurate on that point).Theoretically this should be the air flow that this little fan enables:
See below. That's the air intake bottom left, with the five open squares.
View attachment 900440
Here's a close-up. You can see the five intake squares bottom right, next to the hinge, which are fed by the intake slot that runs along the bottom of the hinged screen.
View attachment 900441
And here's what the exhaust (left) and intake (right) vents look like when you remove them as one piece.
View attachment 900442
The air is sucked in from the right and blown out through the left of the hinge slots along the rear bottom of the chassis. It gets drawn straight across the finned heatsink, making it an active air-cooled system.
View attachment 900444
Theoretically this should be the air flow that this little fan enables:
View attachment 900464
However, and as seen on the Appleinsider stress test, this fan even at its max speed (8.000 Rpms) isn’t capable of lowering the temperature from those 100ºC, proving to be an extremely inefficient cooling solution, compared with a proper heatpip—driven refrigeration. At least from my point of view.
This is the direction of airflow. However the air gets sucked inside the centrifugal fan from the top (as seen in this photo), as there is a gap between the top of the fan and the floorplate.Theoretically this should be the air flow that this little fan enables:
View attachment 900464
However, and as seen on the Appleinsider stress test, this fan even at its max speed (8.000 Rpms) isn’t capable of lowering the temperature from those 100ºC, proving to be an extremely inefficient cooling solution, compared with a proper heatpip—driven refrigeration. At least from my point of view.
Yes, that is where the exhaust air enters. Again, note the air dam between the fan and the battery. The fan is recessed in relation to the floorplate, so there is a gap to pull the air through.Does the air go in through the top of the fan where the fins are visible and then out through the back?
I think you need to study the tear-down before you reach a conclusion, as your understanding is incorrect. For example, you don't appear to know how a centrifugal fan works. Also, there are vents located at each end of the rear of the case for intake and exhaust air that are clearly visible. It is a very simple design.What you are saying is already a stupid idea and it's not efficient enough to cool down MBA's CPU. It's not a sever and base on your theory, it has to be the opposite. Just imagine if your desktop has no CPU fans and case fans except for the rear fan. If there is a front fan, then it might work but MBA isn't even near that. Idk how does MBA even suck airs inside with a small fan and it's not even proven yet.
Also, the gap for the cooler is not even wide enough. It's very narrow and I don't think MBA's air can suck airs from right to left. Furthermore, a fan does not have a space to suck air from the right. How does it even bring airs from the right side if it doesn't have a gap?
Adding one heat pipe would be better like 13 in MBP.
View attachment 900468
When I searching the forum, I found this. It seems several people believe the current MBA's cooling solution is efficient enough... which is not.MacBook Air's cooling system is... terrible...
This is an absolute statement, which is incorrect. As others have already suggested, this can be verified empirically. This is a comparative statement, which is probably correct. Given the same design (space, load, weight) requirements, I personally am not convinced that a heatpipe would...forums.macrumors.com
He already explained why MBA's cooling system is such a failure.
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View attachment 900470
Theoretically, that's a bad cooling solution.
1. The red area is blocked. It seems, it sucks air from the top side but it's already less efficient.
2. There has to be another fan for better performance but an MBA does not.
I think you need to study the tear-down before you reach a conclusion, as your understanding is incorrect. For example, you don't appear to know how a centrifugal fan works. Also, there are vents located at each end of the rear of the case for intake and exhaust air that are clearly visible. It is a very simple design.
The red area is not blocked."1. The red area is blocked. It seems, it sucks air from the top side but it's already less efficient.
2. There has to be another fan for better performance but an MBA does not."
Oh, I do know how it works and I already explained it. Clearly, you are the one who didn't understand.
But still, what you are explaining is WAY less efficient than what previous MacBook Air has. Most CPU coolers are directly connected to CPU itself, unlike MBA. It just moves hot air out, not the heat from the CPU itself. Do you get what I'm saying?
View attachment 900482
As you can see, the previous-gen MBA has a cooler directly connected to the CPU with a heat pipe that can transfer heats from CPU to fan efficiently.
Clearly, MBA after 2018 is a mess in terms of the cooling design.
The red area is not blocked.
Hot air is only hot because it is transferring heat from the CPU.
In any case, it is pointless to argue with someone who doesn't appear to understand the basic concepts of thermodynamics.
- Very good. That’s what I wanted to know.Yes, that is where the exhaust air enters. Again, note the air dam between the fan and the battery. The fan is recessed in relation to the floorplate, so there is a gap to pull the air through.
You are both wrong. There is a clear heat-exchange path from one side of the case to the other – over the motherboard and CPU heatsink – once the floorplate is in place. If you can't see it, what can I say?Like I said, It's not even efficient enough to transfer heat. Do you even know how the cooling system works? I already doubt it can suck airs from the right side cause there is no additional fan to pull cool airs from outside.
He already explained this issue.
You are both wrong. There is a clear heat-exchange path from one side of the case to the other – over the motherboard and CPU heatsink – once the floorplate is in place. If you can't see it, what can I say?