ATI 6750M & Heat

[wikus]

Would the use of gfxCardStatus to select the Intel onboard graphics help reduce the amount of heat produced in total? I don't always require the 6750M to be in use, for example, when I'm coding for web or reading stuff via firefox.

I use iStatMenus 3 to set my fan speeds. I've got them raised slightly at 2,400 RPM both left and right. Is this safe to have this speed the default minimum? Which fan is also responsible for the CPU and GPU?

Thanks!

 

[Gurutech]

Yes using the integrated graphic while doing non 3d intensive work really helps.
It's way cooler, and battery last longer which implies less heat.

I always use gfxcardstatus when coding, running on the battery, etc.
If you are already running CPU intensive task utilizing as much as all 8 threads, it will get hot no matter which graphic you are running on.

 

[wikus]

Yes using the integrated graphic while doing non 3d intensive work really helps.
It's way cooler, and battery last longer which implies less heat.

I always use gfxcardstatus when coding, running on the battery, etc.
If you are already running CPU intensive task utilizing as much as all 8 threads, it will get hot no matter which graphic you are running on.

I think I'll install the application. I had it on my other macbook pro but havent dont too much tweaking with the new one.

Its odd though, right now I've got 8 tabs in Firefox open, which is using 420mb of RAM. I got photoshop running in the background (but no documents open, its just idle @ 132mb RAM usage), Font Explorer and Adium. I've also got an external USB drive connected to my laptop and copying 160gb from it to my 1TB internal drive in the MacBook pro. Total RAM usage is 2.01gb. Its in closed lid using an external display @ 1920x1200.

My temps:
64-68 Celsius
Fan Speeds: 4,000rpm (and rising, now at 4,400rpm.... now 5,400rpm)

Is this heat temp and fan speed normal? I haven't done much in terms of processing, I'm still only in firefox and the fan speeds keep rising (while my overall temperature seems to be dropping a little, down to 61-63 and randomly shooting back up to 67)

 

[Gurutech]

I think I'll install the application. I had it on my other macbook pro but havent dont too much tweaking with the new one.

Its odd though, right now I've got 8 tabs in Firefox open, which is using 420mb of RAM. I got photoshop running in the background (but no documents open, its just idle @ 132mb RAM usage), Font Explorer and Adium. I've also got an external USB drive connected to my laptop and copying 160gb from it to my 1TB internal drive in the MacBook pro. Total RAM usage is 2.01gb. Its in closed lid using an external display @ 1920x1200.

My temps:
64-68 Celsius
Fan Speeds: 4,000 (Both left and right)

Is this heat temp and fan speed normal?

If your photoshop is just idling, it shouldn't hog resources. All other programs don't need that much processing power but firefox. Check out the activity monitor and see which processes are significantly more active.
Believe or not, flash heavy webpages can cause higher cpu usage which in turn results in higher temperature. And even Macrumors has flash based ads. If you are using Firefox, have you tried Flashblock addon? You get to block all the flashes, and if you need to see a certain content, just click to enable that specific content.
Other than that, I don't know.

Browsing using Safari(click to flash for Safari flash block) and Firefox(Flashblock) with atleast 5 taps opened for each, running Mail and Outlook and xcode don't push my mbp to go past 40 degree C (usually between 37~38). It goes higher only when I try to build, compile, or encode something.
Other than that, I don't have any clue on what might help to reduce the temp as low as possible.

 

[wikus]

If your photoshop is just idling, it shouldn't hog resources. All other programs don't need that much processing power but firefox. Check out the activity monitor and see which processes are significantly more active.
Believe or not, flash heavy webpages can cause higher cpu usage which in turn results in higher temperature. And even Macrumors has flash based ads. If you are using Firefox, have you tried Flashblock addon? You get to block all the flashes, and if you need to see a certain content, just click to enable that specific content.
Other than that, I don't know.

Browsing using Safari(click to flash for Safari flash block) and Firefox(Flashblock) with atleast 5 taps opened for each, running Mail and Outlook and xcode don't push my mbp to go past 40 degree C (usually between 37~38). It goes higher only when I try to build, compile, or encode something.
Other than that, I don't have any clue on what might help to reduce the temp as low as possible.

I knew about Click2Flash for Safari, but didn't know about FlashBlock for firefox. Should have known, theres so many addons for Firefox.

I have it installed now, but I did have AdBlock running as well so that would block most flash based content anyway. I've restarted Firefox, quit adium and photoshop. My memory usage is now at 1.7gb and temp is at 62 celsius, but the fans are going wild; 6,200rpm, which is the maximum speed they can handle.

How are you able to get idle temps to be so low at 38 celsius? My macbook pro is typically between 40-60 when basically just browsing via firefox, and more or less at around 45-50 when in idle.

I only have istatmenus, rightzoom, totalfinder and usb overdrive and font explorer running in the background, none of which are a significant burden on the CPU or memory, ive even disabled dashboard.

 

[Gurutech]

I knew about Click2Flash for Safari, but didn't know about FlashBlock for firefox. Should have known, theres so many addons for Firefox.

I have it installed now, but I did have AdBlock running as well so that would block most flash based content anyway. I've restarted Firefox, quit adium and photoshop. My memory usage is now at 1.7gb and temp is at 62 celsius, but the fans are going wild; 6,200rpm, which is the maximum speed they can handle.

Memory usage doesn't translate to higher temp.
Check out the cpu section of activity monitor and see if there's any application utilizing high cpu usage %.

 

[wikus]

Memory usage doesn't translate to higher temp.
Check out the cpu section of activity monitor and see if there's any application utilizing high cpu usage %.

Heres whats going on:

http://www.ungraphic.com/stuff/desktops/cpu.jpg
http://www.ungraphic.com/stuff/desktops/memory.jpg

Not much is taking up processor power. Unless it has something to do with me having an external drive connected to it and copying the data. Though that isnt really a processor intensive task and the figures in istatmenus and activity monitor show for it.

 

[yusukeaoki]

6750M would run hotter for intensive work.

use the Intel HD 3000 or integrated GPU.
Its 384MB for 4GB RAM and can be raised to 512MB for 8GB RAM, and I think 1024MB for 16GB so same as a GB.

 

[Gurutech]

Heres whats going on:

http://www.ungraphic.com/stuff/desktops/cpu.jpg
http://www.ungraphic.com/stuff/desktops/memory.jpg

Not much is taking up processor power. Unless it has something to do with me having an external drive connected to it and copying the data. Though that isnt really a processor intensive task and the figures in istatmenus and activity monitor show for it.

That's strange. CPU is idling at 98%, but your CPU is at 67 degree C and the fans running at 4500 rpm ish?
Hmmm.
And based on the image resolution, I assume you have 17" mbp so we basically have the same mbp but yours run hotter.
Right now, my mbp is idling at around 98%, but my fans are running 2000rpm, and cpu temp is 38.
Strange.

 

[wikus]

That's strange. CPU is idling at 98%, but your CPU is at 67 degree C and the fans running at 4500 rpm ish?
Hmmm.
And based on the image resolution, I assume you have 17" mbp so we basically have the same mbp but yours run hotter.
Right now, my mbp is idling at around 98%, but my fans are running 2000rpm, and cpu temp is 38.
Strange.

I've actually got the 15" 2.3ghz with high res screen but the lid is closed and I'm running it with a 24" external display via thunderbolt-hdmi @ 1920x1200 pixels.

I've read reports where some people cleaned off the stock thermal paste and reapplied arctic silver 5 cooling onto the cpu and gpu. I've been thinking of doing that to my macbook pro as well. Would probably do a much better job of transferring heat.

 

[Gurutech]

I've actually got the 15" 2.3ghz with high res screen but the lid is closed and I'm running it with a 24" external display via thunderbolt-hdmi @ 1920x1200 pixels.

I've read reports where some people cleaned off the stock thermal paste and reapplied arctic silver 5 cooling onto the cpu and gpu. I've been thinking of doing that to my macbook pro as well. Would probably do a much better job of transferring heat.

Oh I didn't catch the monitor setup.
You have 15" which is bit less effective in thermal management mainly due to its size being smaller. 2.3 is obviously going to be hotter than my 2.2. Closing down the lid while operating is also going to hamper the thermal management.
But still, the cpu is only 2% active and at 60+ ?

 

[wikus]

Oh I didn't catch the monitor setup.
You have 15" which is bit less effective in thermal management mainly due to its size being smaller. 2.3 is obviously going to be hotter than my 2.2. Closing down the lid while operating is also going to hamper the thermal management.
But still, the cpu is only 2% active and at 60+ ?

My 160gb file transfer via usb finished. As soon as it did, my fan speeds decreased and so did my temps (only by a few degrees though). Looks like USB devices like external 2.5" drives suck up a lot of juice and create heat as well.

I've restarted the macbook pro and have the fan speeds set to stock. Its now at 49 degrees doing absolutely nothing (cold boot).... *15 minutes later* The Macbook has now been at idle for a while, mem usage at 905mb, nothing running in background other than istats, totalfinder and usb overdrive, my temperature now idles between 41-44 degrees.

I'm seriously thinking of reapplying the thermal paste, these temps are too high for idle cpu.

 

[gullySn0wCat]

Open the lid

That is your problem. All that heat has no where to go so it just keeps building up and making your MBP hot.

 

[polbit]

I have to ask, why do you care what temp does it idle at? Since you are using it closed connected to a display, it's not sitting on your lap burning your legs. That fan noise can be a bit annoying, I agree, but other that that, why bother? I can't imagine using my computer and constantly worrying about temperature, fan speed, etc., etc. Unless the fans are constantly going at 6,200rpm for no reason, or the computer is shutting down due to thermal failure, let it go, and you will be happier.

 

[wikus]

I have to ask, why do you care what temp does it idle at? Since you are using it closed connected to a display, it's not sitting on your lap burning your legs. That fan noise can be a bit annoying, I agree, but other that that, why bother? I can't imagine using my computer and constantly worrying about temperature, fan speed, etc., etc. Unless the fans are constantly going at 6,200rpm for no reason, or the computer is shutting down due to thermal failure, let it go, and you will be happier.

I come from being a power user on a desktop, which also makes me very anal about certain things. I have two ATI 3870s for my Mac Pro, currently only using one (dont game much so no need for two being installed). It only took me a few months to rip out the stock fan and heatsink and replace it with an Accelero S1 heat sink and no fan. My temps went down both during idle and load and the video card produces no noise at all (fanless).

This same thing bugs me with the macbook;
I want all the internals running as cool as possible (prolonging the life of the laptop) and lowering the fan speeds at the same time. Youre right that I don't have it on my lap much, but I want it running as quiet as possible.

Last night I was copying 160gb of files from an external 2.5" usb, and my fans were spinning between 5,000rpm and 6,200rpm, which is the highest speed possible and my temps went soaring up to 70 degrees (but mostly between 61-66). I had only a few low memory and light on processor applications running, and only firefox was being used with flash being blocked. For the laptop to run THAT hot by running only two tasks is unacceptable. I know the thunderbolt port also has to transfer heat and ive seen members on this forum reapply thermal compound which brings down the temps. I have a feeling the thunderbolt port on my macbook has huge gobs of it considering the temps as whilst using my laptop connected to an external display.

Basically: I want the laptop running as best as possible. To pay a premium price for it and have a pedestrian job done on the thermal compound on the MOTHERBOARD, the most important part of the laptop, is a mockery of the consumer.

If I pay top dollar, I expect the quality of a product to reflect that price. The temps, noise and assembly do not relfect $3,000 for a macbook pro.

 

[GuitarG20]

I've restarted the macbook pro and have the fan speeds set to stock. Its now at 49 degrees doing absolutely nothing (cold boot).... *15 minutes later* The Macbook has now been at idle for a while, mem usage at 905mb, nothing running in background other than istats, totalfinder and usb overdrive, my temperature now idles between 41-44 degrees.

I'm seriously thinking of reapplying the thermal paste, these temps are too high for idle cpu.

are you serious? think about how powerful your computer is, the fact that it's a laptop, and compare it to older CPU's. it's phenomenal.

 

[wikus]

are you serious? think about how powerful your computer is, the fact that it's a laptop, and compare it to older CPU's. it's phenomenal.

The macbooks score in geekbench is about 10,000. Mac Pros score up to about 25,000. Its not THAT powerful. Relative to other laptops, it is a beast (especially compared to my 2006 Mac Pro).

But thats not the point. I want the laptop running cool and quiet, which in turn will make it last longer and lessen the chances of overheating.

 

[TheRdungeon]

The macbooks score in geekbench is about 10,000. Mac Pros score up to about 25,000. Its not THAT powerful. Relative to other laptops, it is a beast (especially compared to my 2006 Mac Pro).

But thats not the point. I want the laptop running cool and quiet, which in turn will make it last longer and lessen the chances of overheating.

I've got a quad 2.2 and yeah it runs hot on the ATI but gfxcardstatus forces it into integrated on battery which helps battery life too etc.

Sandy bridge runs pretty hot and is very powerful, yeah sure a Mac Pro can benchmark 25,000 but how much does it cost to spec it to that level + look how much space and fans it has

 

[polbit]

wikus, I understand your frustration, but a Sandy Bridge, thin, aluminum casing laptop will tend to run hot no matter what. I knew that going in, and looking at other top-of-the-line laptops, there is nothing that is quieter AND cooler-running. I've played with Lenovo W-series laptops, and they sound like a freight train, but run cooler. I've played with Dell Precision laptops, and they run hotter AND are louder. My old Sony Vaio was much cooler/quieter, but it was a simple i5 dual-core. Not a fair comparison.

I've built enough custom gaming desktops over the years to realize that as long as you are within the operating temperature range of the hardware, you don't shorten the life expectancy THAT much. In fact the only major failure I've ever had was my nvidia 8800GTX melting down in a high-end, well-cooled rig. Since then I've ran many SLI setups for a lot less money than that stupid purchase, in cheaper cases, with simple cooling, and they never failed.

Noise on the other hand is why I use a tablet when I want complete quiet My MBP is certainly not a machine to bring to bed if my wife wants to sleep. I do hope that Ivy Bridge or Haswell-based MBPs will get quieter, but we will see.

 

[shardey]

The macbooks score in geekbench is about 10,000. Mac Pros score up to about 25,000. Its not THAT powerful. Relative to other laptops, it is a beast (especially compared to my 2006 Mac Pro).

But thats not the point. I want the laptop running cool and quiet, which in turn will make it last longer and lessen the chances of overheating.

Actually if you do compare the 2.3 i7 to the mac pros, you will see the difference of the cores, and not one mac pro that has 4 cores is remotely close in comparison of score. Also the MBP 2.3 beats many octo core MPs, making the cpu performance about 2600~ a core, whereas the top end MP has 12 cores with about an average of 1800 a core.

These are very powerful CPU's and when you kick them up you have to understand that the turbo boost will go up to 3.4ghz on a single core which will generate quite a bit of heat. But in your case, the external monitor is running off the dedicated card I believe, and with your laptop closed there is a lot of heat being trapped.

Have you tried running if off the intel 3000 only? Also you should try this exact situation with the 2 following conditions: 1. Copy the same thing but without the laptop shut 2. Try doing this without the external monitor hooked up.

I am beginning to wonder about these i7 2.3 MBP, as I have an intermittent problem with my screen having the display sleep set on 5 minutes, and sometimes the screen won't come back on unless I shut the lid and let it sleep, or turn it off.

 

[dusk007]

Just copying files from an external drive shouldn't ramp up the heat this much.
As you have MacPros and stuff I guess you aren't transferring to NTFS with a crap driver like NTFS-3G. I had that problem once.
If I transfer a bit of stuff it won't go to 4000 rpm. Actually I need to do some demuxing inside a VM on a hot day to get to 4600 rpm.
I still have a 2010 MBP which is a lot cooler but for low usage the Sandy Bridge should be very efficient and not that hot either.

Like you I like my notebook very silent. I prefer my HDD sleeping most of the time and only using the SSD because the rest is really quite at its 2000rpm. 2500rpm is quite noise comparable.
Running 8 apps (non really taxing) typing mostly stuff I stay at 2000rpm all the time, with an external 1080p monitor plugged in and naturally the 330M active in my 15" MBP. Putting a bit more load on it like a watching a movie or stuff means more noise immediately while on the Intel HD it runs about 20C cooler and it takes more load for the fans to make noise.
I think reapplying thermal paste would make sense for me to extend that kicking in fan threshold somewhat. I didn't do it yet because I never had any decent paste by hand and now that winter is near I think there will be less situations where I really feel like I need to.