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Am I exaggerating this or Is this normal?

Zwikker

Zwikker

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 28, 2012
129
0
Morgantown, WV
Hi guys, I recently bought this early 2011 MBP 2.2 quad core i7 http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC723LL/A and suspected that it got pretty hot when I was updating the softwares when I first opened the computer.

After I finished downloading my recommended updates, my CPU temprature went down to 43-53 Celcius. However, when I try to watch a movie on netflix it goes up to high 70's.

Fan speeds are mostly around 2000rpms

So I was wondering if these are normal numbers for a macbook pro or am I exaggerating this?

*It was over 95F in my room yesterday when I first got to my room. I turned on my AC later on but it took a while to get my room cool.
 
I have smcFanControl on my MBP from 2009... as the temp used to go through the roof on the factory RPM for the fans.

I'd set this up so I would set the fans to 5000 rpm is I was doing anything particularly intensive which would allow the laptop to become very hot.

However, it does turn the beast into a noisy one!
 
Well, this is a know issue. Some claim that it has link with a poor application of the thermal paste on the CPU. If it is problematic to you, it is possible to ask a professional de redo the thermal paste application. I have heard reports that it brings down the temperature by approx. 13 degree celcius. If you do not want to do such "repairs" you could alway buy the Tilt, its a cooling pad specialy designed for the MBP.
 
Wow! This is annoying. I mean if it can reach up to high 70's I wonder what the temperature will be when I run Autocad haha

That being said I used late 2011 with same specs except with a lower GPU, I didn't suspect heating on that one. Or maybe I didn't pay that much attention since I didn't even downloaded istats on that one :)

We will see how that goes.
zurichuk said:
I've actually reached the theoretical shut-down point 105° C on a 2009 MBP, it's still going strong over a year on and hasn't yet shut down.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/12850950/
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Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. So, Is this a common issue for every MBP or just for early 2011 models?
Inopia-Vi said:
Well, this is a know issue. Some claim that it has link with a poor application of the thermal paste on the CPU. If it is problematic to you, it is possible to ask a professional de redo the thermal paste application. I have heard reports that it brings down the temperature by approx. 13 degree celcius. If you do not want to do such "repairs" you could alway buy the Tilt, its a cooling pad specialy designed for the MBP.
Click to expand...
 
Dont worry Mac`s have always run hotter than PC`s mid 70C is fine, under heavy load my Late 2011 15" MBP (2.4 i7) can easily peak in the mid 90`s C, dropping to high 80`s C.

If you are concerned elevation of the rear of the machine helps, as sitting flat on the desk only reflects the head back to the base of teh Mac. You can buy passive aluminium coolers like Rain Designs Mstand or iLap. Most powered coolers are designed for PC notebooks and dont work overly well with Mac`s one cooler that does work relatively efficiently is the Moshi Zefyr 2, as it`s principle of cooling is specifically designed for Apple portables
zefyr2_1.jpg
zefyr2_2.jpg

As also stated you can use software to manually override Apple`s own cooling algorithm by manually taking control of fan RPM and setting up power profile presets with SMC Fan Control, or you can look at UltraFan which allows you stipulate a preset temperature and the software will automatically raise and lower fan RPM`s to keep the system at the predefined temp.

Why, well if you want this level of performance in such a small chassis this is one of the trade offs, just wait until you try video transcoding with Handbrake ;)
 
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Very well explained thank you. I guess you're right about" level of performance-Trade off".

That being said, I just came from Apple store and ran youtube videos on 1080HD resolution opened some tabs applications and stuff and it's CPU heatsink didn't go over 40-41 Celcius. I guess they figured that one out on newer models.

Queen6 said:
Dont worry Mac`s have always run hotter than PC`s mid 70C is fine, under heavy load my Late 2011 15" MBP (2.4 i7) can easily peak in the mid 90`s C, dropping to high 80`s C.

If you are concerned elevation of the rear of the machine helps, as sitting flat on the desk only reflects the head back to the base of teh Mac. You can buy passive aluminium coolers like Rain Designs Mstand or iLap. Most powered coolers are designed for PC notebooks and dont work overly well with Mac`s one cooler that does work relatively efficiently is the Moshi Zefyr 2, as it`s principle of cooling is specifically designed for Apple portables.

As also stated you can use software to manually override Apple`s own cooling algorithm by manually taking control of fan RPM and setting up power profile presets with SMC Fan Control, or you can look at UltraFan which allows you stipulate a preset temperature and the software will automatically raise and lower fan RPM`s to keep the system at the predefined temp.

Why, well if you want this level of performance in such a small chassis this is one of the trade offs, just wait until you try video transcoding with Handbrake ;)
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I'm actually pretty happy with my computer. I just wanted to make sure that mine wasn't running hotter than the average and it turns out it's just running at the average:)

Thanks for the reply!
iisforiphone said:
you should have no trouble returning it even without out a reason, i would not keep something im not happy with

that said mine gets atleast that hot on average
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Zwikker said:
Very well explained thank you. I guess you're right about" level of performance-Trade off".

That being said, I just came from Apple store and ran youtube videos on 1080HD resolution opened some tabs applications and stuff and it's CPU heatsink didn't go over 40-41 Celcius. I guess they figured that one out on newer models.
Click to expand...

You have to really test the same media on a machine with exactly the same software in similar conditions to really get a good indication of thermal performance. The very latest Mac`s will definitely run cooler than the Early/Late 2011`s

How are you playing back on your machine? Safari & Flash or Chrome, the latest versions of Flash work far better with OS X than previous iterations, I am not sure if Chrome is utilising the latest version with it`s buit in package.
 
Actually I only used Safari as I opened the box. I updated my software, applications and the flash to the latest version.

I mean the only time fans started to work fast was when I was upgrading it's software and it got real hot then. istats was not installed that time so I couldn't keep up with the temperature of it but other than that I didn't see my computer going over 80 Celcius.

That being said my room was extremely hot yesterday. It took time to cool it off even with the ac on. Comparing Apple store's 65F stores my room wasn't as nearly that cool :)
Queen6 said:
You have to really test the same media on a machine with exactly the same software in similar conditions to really get a good indication of thermal performance. The very latest Mac`s will definitely run cooler than the Early/Late 2011`s

How are you playing back on your machine? Safari & Flash or Chrome, the latest versions of Flash work far better with OS X than previous iterations, I am not sure if Chrome is utilising the latest version with it`s buit in package.
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The software that you use does play a significant part in your machines thermal performance, A good example from my system is, when I play back a HD video file (mkv) through VLC, in general it pushes temperatures 10C greater than Movist.

Look at what your GPU is up to as well, you may well be surprised at what software is calling for the discrete GPU which pushes temperatures ever upward, try gfxCardStatus, not only will this give you full control over the switching of the integrated & discrete GPUs it will also show any dependencies, i was surprised that some seemingly none graphically demanding apps were calling for the discrete GPU driving up temperatures and consuming more battery life.
 
I will definitely dig into it when I get home. I will also try to move my computer somewhere near the ac so I can get better results! Also I was going through old threads and saw people recommending smc reset. I might try it if I experience real big heat issue.
Thanks for clearing up my questions:)
Queen6 said:
The software that you use does play a significant part in your machines thermal performance, A good example from my system is, when I play back a HD video file (mkv) through VLC, in general it pushes temperatures 10C greater than Movist.

Look at what your GPU is up to as well, you may well be surprised at what software is calling for the discrete GPU which pushes temperatures ever upward, try gfxCardStatus, not only will this give you full control over the switching of the integrated & discrete GPUs it will also show any dependencies, i was surprised that some seemingly none graphically demanding apps were calling for the discrete GPU driving up temperatures and consuming more battery life.
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Download the app called istat, It'll tell you more than you want to know about your fans' speed, GPU and CPU temperatures etc.

Or don't download it and go as it is. It got me paranoid already :D
Brad9753 said:
How do you find out the temperature? :S
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Zwikker said:
Actually I only used Safari as I opened the box. I updated my software, applications and the flash to the latest version.

I mean the only time fans started to work fast was when I was upgrading it's software and it got real hot then. istats was not installed that time so I couldn't keep up with the temperature of it but other than that I didn't see my computer going over 80 Celcius.

That being said my room was extremely hot yesterday. It took time to cool it off even with the ac on. Comparing Apple store's 65F stores my room wasn't as nearly that cool :)
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Fans dont typically spool up till 80C, it`s also likely being a new system, the machine was indexing & updating simultaneously which will definitely drive up temps. Here in the tropics ambient temp is always on the high side even with AC 26C -28C and my 2011 machine generally idles in the mid 30`s C, I use a Rain Design Mstand, fans at default values for AC & battery, 3K for charging via SMC Fan Control.

I have a Late 2011 Air and the picture is much the same, only I use UtraFan to hold the temperature at 60C, there can be a trade off with noise, however i infrequently use the Air for any "heavy lifting" and when I do I increase the threshold.

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iisforiphone said:
iStatPro adds a small widget that will give all kinds of info, temps, fan spead, etc
Click to expand...

IstatPro is great, if you really want the real detail Temperature Monitor will give an extremely thorough overview of your machines thermal performance, probably more than most need, however it`s very useful for trouble shooting and free :cool:

Overview.jpg


History.jpg


History2.jpg
 
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Okay so I ran some tests with netflix, apps, youtube and 5 tabs on&off and here are the numbers.

With Netflix on by itself;

HD Macintosh: 34C
CPU: 69-73C
CPU Heatsink: 59C
Enclousure Base: 35C
Enclousure Base 2: 35C
Enclousure Base 3: 31C
GPU: 64C
Heatsink B: 61C

Right fan: 3635rpm
Left fan: 3635rpm

With Netflix, Safari(5 tabs on), iMail, Facetime, Calender, App Store, Itunes, Photobooth, iphoto, Twitter on;

HD Macintosh: 34C
CPU: 75C
CPU Heatsink: 61C
Enclousure Base: 35C
Enclousure Base 2: 35C
Enclousure Base 3: 32C
GPU: 68C
Heatsink B: 62C

Right fan: 4108rpm
Left fan: 4108rpm

About 3 minutes later I wanted to write the same numbers in Fahrenheit when all above on and here are the results;

HD Macintosh: 94F
CPU: 166F
CPU Heatsink: 140F
Enclousure Base: 95F
Enclousure Base 2: 95F
Enclousure Base 3: 90F
GPU: 149F
Heatsink B: 142F

Right fan: 4244rpm
Left fan: 4238rpm

So what do you guys think, is this normal or a little high?
 
I use iStat Pro and when I watch Netflix on my MBP my temp is up in the 70C range (158F). MBP are constructed with an aluminum housing (good conductor of heat) which makes it seem like they run a little hotter.

If you have the computer on your lap while watching Netflix, I would recommend putting a book underneath. That will keep the computer off your lap, preventing the fan exhaust from being blocked and will help dissipate heat better.
 
Thanks for your answer. Seems like there's nothing abnormal heating issue going on with my computer. That being said I wonder if the same numbers are talking for the new mid 2012 MBP's while watchin a netflix movie.

By the way my computer is an early 2012 2.2 quad core i7 with 1 gb GPU in it. What MBP are you using if you don't mind me to ask.
TurnTronics said:
I use iStat Pro and when I watch Netflix on my MBP my temp is up in the 70C range (158F). MBP are constructed with an aluminum housing (good conductor of heat) which makes it seem like they run a little hotter.

If you have the computer on your lap while watching Netflix, I would recommend putting a book underneath. That will keep the computer off your lap, preventing the fan exhaust from being blocked and will help dissipate heat better.
Click to expand...
 
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Yes, I would agree that it is not abnormal. This is running on a 2011 2.3GHz i5 MC700LL/A w/ 384MB VRAM.

Zwikker said:
Thanks for your answer. Seems like there's nothing abnormal heating issue going on with my computer. That being said I wonder if the same numbers are talking for the new mid 2012 MBP's while watchin a netflix movie.

By the way my computer is an early 2012 2.2 quad core i7 with 1 gb GPU in it. What MBP are you using if you don't mind me to ask.
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