Blocking M1 MacBook Fan Exhaust

[cheezypuffs]

I'm currently bouncing back and forth between getting the M1 Air and M1 Pro. The fan-less design turns me onto the Air because on my older 2016 MacBook Pro, if I ever used it on the couch laying down etc- the exhaust would get blocked a bit and it'd get hot etc.
I know the M1 stays cooler mostly anyway, but wondering if this could still (especially as it ages) be a problem worth considering?

If I plan to spend a lot of time using this as a true laptop, on the couch, in bed etc- should I be considering the Air?

 

[iMacDragon]

From all I've read, the fans basically don't seem to turn on till start doing serious work anyway.

 

[cheezypuffs]

From all I've read, the fans basically don't seem to turn on till start doing serious work anyway.

I've read that as well, but wondering if when using on a couch on lap, maybe on top of a blanket or something, if the fans would be blocked and therefore begin to heat up as a result.

 

[chrfr]

I've read that as well, but wondering if when using on a couch on lap, maybe on top of a blanket or something, if the fans would be blocked and therefore begin to heat up as a result.

A MacBook Air won't be able to cool itself effectively on a blanket either. The internal hardware in the Pro and Air is essentially identical with the exception of the Air not having a fan. That heat needs to radiate out of the case somehow, even if it's not generating as much heat as an Intel Mac did. The Air just throttles itself slower while the Pro would normally be able to sustain higher speeds for longer because of the fan.

 

[chabig]

I've read that as well, but wondering if when using on a couch on lap, maybe on top of a blanket or something, if the fans would be blocked and therefore begin to heat up as a result.

Writing from my MacBook Pro, sitting in bed with the machine in front of me on a pillow–no. There is not a hint of heat.

 

[cheezypuffs]

Writing from my MacBook Pro, sitting in bed with the machine in front of me on a pillow–no. There is not a hint of heat.

Nice. Where are the exhaust vents anyway? On my old 2016 15" model they were on the bottom sides which I didn't like.

 

[chabig]

Nice. Where are the exhaust vents anyway? On my old 2016 15" model they were on the bottom sides which I didn't like.

There are no longer any vents on the bottom. I think warm air, if exhausted at all, exits up through the keyboard. But I've had this machine for a month and I am not aware of the fan ever running.

 

[Shadowbech]

There are no longer any vents on the bottom. I think warm air, if exhausted at all, exits up through the keyboard. But I've had this machine for a month and I am not aware of the fan ever running.

I had the 2020 MBP Intel model and when I'm doing Zoom it for sure gets really hot and keyboard is very warm to the touch and fan running, but now that i have the MBP M1 and running Zoom it stays really cool to the touch and no hint of any heat at all. I'm glad I traded in my 2020 MBP for the M1. Also battery life sucked on mbp intel model with zoom running but for the M1 only lost 1% for a 30 minute zoom.