Another heat concern rMBP 2013

[Canious]

Hey guys. First time Mac owner here. I really want to love and appreciate my new rMBP. After trying 3 different laptops I finally got the 2013 rMBP 256GB SSD, 8GM ram 13'inch and immediately fell in love with it.

My biggest concern however is the heat on this device. I've been monitoring the heat ever since I got it and it constantly idles at 60C. When I surf the web or just to simple tasks its in the low 60's. The only game I want to play Hearthstone, which i was lucky enough to get a beta invite spikes the temp up to 98C. The fan gets really loud at that point and the laptop feels uncomfortable.

I am a little disappointed by the heating issue as this will definitely affect the life cycle of the laptop and wondering if this is common problem in the 13' rMBP or if the 15' has better cooling. Like i've said i really wanted to love this laptop and don't want to return it - the display is gorgeous, the os x experience has been fluid and simple, and the trackpad is just amazing.

One last thing is the keyboard. I bought this laptop because i heard raving stories about how it has the best keyboard out of all laptops. I'm really not impressed with the keyboard, i feel like the keys are a shallow and I seem to be making frequent typos. I usually type 120 WPM (touch type) on my mechanical keyboard but only getting about 90 WPM. I was just wondering what all the hype was about because I'm not really too impressed with the keyboard.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Cheers

 

[monkeybagel]

Yes, they all get warm to the touch if doing something processor intensive. That is the way they are designed. The alumininum assists in dissipating heat. For it to perform optimally be sure to use it on a flat surface.

The keyboard is decent similar to all of the other island-style keyboards that have taken over the industry. The ThinkPad still has the best keyboard IMO even after they went island-style.

 

[ggn1971]

13' rMBP 2.6/16/512 here, idles at a constant 39°C, in a very hot environment (half my time is spent in Africa). Games like Bioshock Infinite kick the temperature up to 65°C, never above. You should probably take your retina to a genius or claim for a return.

 

[Zuxor]

Well, i think there's something wrong with your rMBP. Mine idles at 33ºC now and playing Hearthstone it reaches 55º or so..

 

[Gpro]

I got the new 15" Macbook pro and it never gets hot unless doing cpu or graphics intensive tasks. (Never had any heating issues yet)

 

[Chatran]

My haswell rmbp can reach over 90c while playing some games in bootcamp.

 

[GGJstudios]

If you're not already doing so, use iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) to get accurate readings of your temps, fan speeds, etc., rather than relying on your sense of touch or sound. A forum member has posted a copy of iStat Pro that has been "tweaked" to enhance compatibility with Mountain Lion. You can download it here.

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The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat. CPU Tjmax = 105C (221F), GPU Tjmax = 100C (212F) on i3, i5, i7 processors. (Source: Intel)

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Unless there is a rare defect in a Mac, most temps are well within the normal operating range, considering the workload being put on it. Websites with Flash content, games and other multimedia apps will put higher demand on the CPU/GPU, generating more heat. This is normal. If you're constantly putting high demands on your system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just your Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.

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It is also quite normal for your Mac to become extremely hot to the touch during intensive operations. The aluminum body transfers heat more effectively than other materials used in computer casings, so you will feel the heat more. This doesn't indicate that it's overheating and will not harm the computer to be hot to the touch.

The bottom of your Mac notebook may become very warm during normal use. If your notebook is on your lap and gets uncomfortably warm, move it to a stable work surface that allows for good ventilation.

Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis), or 1200 for the newest MBAs. Older iMacs have 3 fans with minimum speeds in the 800-1200 range, while the newest iMacs have a single fan, spinning at a minimum of about 1400 rpm. They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level. If your fans are spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC. (PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help.)

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The intake and exhaust vents are in the back of the computer near the hinge on all notebooks in the MacBook line (except the new MBP with retina display, which has intake vents along the sides at the bottom). The iMac vent is a slot on the back near the top of the computer. Make sure the vents remain unblocked to allow your computer to perform at its best.

Learn about the fans in your Mac

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Mac Portables: Operating temperature​

For Flash-related issues:

• Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available.
• Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
• Use the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.)

 

[Doward]

I am a little disappointed by the heating issue as this will definitely affect the life cycle of the laptop and wondering if this is common problem in the 13' rMBP or if the 15' has better cooling. Like i've said i really wanted to love this laptop and don't want to return it - the display is gorgeous, the os x experience has been fluid and simple, and the trackpad is just amazing.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Cheers

Apple's thermal profile is designed to keep the CPU under 95C regardless of the load.

Idle temperatures will depend on what is running in the background. Ideally, after indexing and such, you should idle in the 30-35C area. You can check Activity Monitor to see if something is running in the background.

Under heavy load, you should not exceed 95C. If you do, you have less than optimal thermal issues. If you exceed 100C, you have more serious issues.

 

[qawsed]

Mine idles in the 30s, I actually find it remarkably cool. Even when using flash online and have a good few things open.