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Buying a 13" Pro. How to sort out problems?

S

spider-mac

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 13, 2010
12
0
Im buying a new 13" Pro within the next week, and I have been reading on the heating issue. We have a 30day return period where you can return the device if you dont like it.

Im wondering, how can I test if the Mac I`m getting is not one of those that are prone to overheating?

My use is dominantly web surfing (10-15 pages at once), watching movies that are streamed, youtube, spotify, dvds from the library.. perhaps some old games. Half-life 2 etc..

Can I stress test it in some ways to find out if its easily overheated?
 
you can use geekbench or some other burning sofware, my temps never reached 90c, even while I was playing ome games on it, and I have the mbp 13 2011 base model
 
ReddDraggon said:
I've not heard of any overheating issues, they do get hot, but I've never heard of them actually overheating.
Click to expand...

In windows they can overheat band go into shut down but that's because of the poor fan management in windows.

Just use a fan control app if you need windows but other than that, don't worry.

You can't check before hand. You can only unseal a Mac you've purchased.
 
I don't think the issue is so much that the MBPs are "overheating".

I think it's more the fact that some people are overly sensitive to the heat produced which falls within the normal operating parameters of the machine.

In summary: don't expect to have to deal with an "overheating problem" with your upcoming MBP purchase.
 
Im used to a Ibook G4, where the fans seemingly never reved up. Just a cool quiet machine.

Im just hoping this will be the same.. without burning my lap or sounding like a jet taking off.
 
I bought my Macbook Pro 13" open box. I'm returning it today to try a new one. There are some concerns about the temperature that I am seeing.

While just browsing, I'm having my mbp get to 74-75deg Celsius. At one point last night while scanning/fixing permissions, it was reaching 88 degrees.

I don't think that this is a normal temperature range.
 
Smork said:
I bought my Macbook Pro 13" open box. I'm returning it today to try a new one. There are some concerns about the temperature that I am seeing.

While just browsing, I'm having my mbp get to 74-75deg Celsius. At one point last night while scanning/fixing permissions, it was reaching 88 degrees.

I don't think that this is a normal temperature range.
Click to expand...

What do you think a normal temperature range is? And based on what? Not trying to be argumentative but just because MBPs run hot doesn't mean there is anything defective with the machine. It's just a function of the design.
 
nwbusa said:
What do you think a normal temperature range is? And based on what? Not trying to be argumentative but just because MBPs run hot doesn't mean there is anything defective with the machine. It's just a function of the design.
Click to expand...

well, this is my first apple/mac computer since an apple II. I've always used windows/pc machines. I have a i3 laptop right now, and it's at a constant 46-55. Never hotter than 60. These are where my temperature range ideas come from.

I'm a bit nervous as this is my first mac laptop and I'm just being over paranoid especially since I've read that the max temp for the i5 is 104 and I've seen the temperature reach a max of 94. I'm just trying to be overly cautious with this and have seen others with 'temperature issues'.

Are these normal then? 65-75+ Celsius are regular operating temperatures for the 13" mbp i5?
 
spider-mac said:
Im buying a new 13" Pro within the next week, and I have been reading on the heating issue. We have a 30day return period where you can return the device if you dont like it.

Im wondering, how can I test if the Mac I`m getting is not one of those that are prone to overheating?

My use is dominantly web surfing (10-15 pages at once), watching movies that are streamed, youtube, spotify, dvds from the library.. perhaps some old games. Half-life 2 etc..

Can I stress test it in some ways to find out if its easily overheated?
Click to expand...

It's all over the Apple support forums, they just seem to run too hot..This is one of the ways I talked myself out of an i7 13" that and no discrete graphics
 
GermanyChris said:
It's all over the Apple support forums, they just seem to run too hot..This is one of the ways I talked myself out of an i7 13" that and no discrete graphics
Click to expand...

Does the 15" cure this issue since it is larger (perhaps there's more space?), and dedicated graphics so it removes the extra heat from the processor?
 
GermanyChris said:
It's all over the Apple support forums, they just seem to run too hot..This is one of the ways I talked myself out of an i7 13" that and no discrete graphics
Click to expand...
By that logic, none of the new models are any good. They all run relatively warm, but within Apple's (and Intel's) thermal specs for the machines. The amount of FUD spread about this issue has gotten ridiculous. I've gamed on my 2011 base 13'' for many, many hours (mainly Starcraft 2 and Minecraft), and not only have I had zero issues, the games have performed pretty darn well considering it's "only" an integrated GPU. Bottom line, don't let these so called "issues" stop you from getting the machine. After all, if you ever did actually have a problem your warranty (1 year, or 3 with AppleCare) would cover it. But under normal conditions, the unit actually runs quite cool/cold. During gaming, the unit does heat up, but that's only natural and is nothing I've ever had any concerns over.

Smork said:
Does the 15" cure this issue since it is larger (perhaps there's more space?), and dedicated graphics so it removes the extra heat from the processor?
Click to expand...
The 15'' also features the integrated chip, but does switch to the discreet GPU for gaming. Remember, though, that more heat will be generated from this higher powered GPU, and the fact that the 15s have quad cores vs. dual cores for the 13. However, the 15 inch model also has two fans, so in general it all evens out.

OP: Enjoy your new MBP!! And don't worry. You're gonna love it. :)
 
Smork said:
well, this is my first apple/mac computer since an apple II. I've always used windows/pc machines. I have a i3 laptop right now, and it's at a constant 46-55. Never hotter than 60. These are where my temperature range ideas come from.

I'm a bit nervous as this is my first mac laptop and I'm just being over paranoid especially since I've read that the max temp for the i5 is 104 and I've seen the temperature reach a max of 94. I'm just trying to be overly cautious with this and have seen others with 'temperature issues'.

Are these normal then? 65-75+ Celsius are regular operating temperatures for the 13" mbp i5?
Click to expand...

I can understand your concern but I really think it's unfounded. Your other i3 laptop isn't a good basis of comparison because it's a different machine with a different design. These MBPs pack a considerable amount of power (and hence heat) in a small, metal design. There are going to run warm, maybe even hot, but they are designed to do so.

I've had my 13" C2D for two years now, done hundreds of Handbrake rips where the CPU runs in the mid to high 90s, and played lots of games including hundreds of hours of Fallout 3, New Vegas, etc... and the machine has never failed. In fact, it's running as good as new. Do I keep it on my lap all the time when it gets hot? Nope, that's what I have a desk for :)
 
spider-mac said:
Im buying a new 13" Pro within the next week, and I have been reading on the heating issue. We have a 30day return period where you can return the device if you dont like it.

Im wondering, how can I test if the Mac I`m getting is not one of those that are prone to overheating?

My use is dominantly web surfing (10-15 pages at once), watching movies that are streamed, youtube, spotify, dvds from the library.. perhaps some old games. Half-life 2 etc..

Can I stress test it in some ways to find out if its easily overheated?
Click to expand...

There are not any overheating problems with the current 13" MBPs. What you may have meant is the fact that they do get sort of hot. That is because it's a powerful machine in a small amount of space.

Laptops are meant to get hot. I hate when people (not the OP just for clarification) who complain about the MBp getting hot. It's physically impossible to have a laptop run heavy apps and not have some sort of compensation to combat heat (fans spinning a zillion rpm, heat dispersion through the metal body etc). If you want a cool machine that's not heating up yourlap then buy a desktop.
 
I was all worried about the "heat" issues and almost didn't get one. So far my 2011 13 mbp hasn't reaching over 43 degrees. It's probably going to go up when doing some intensive apps, but for web browsing it doesn't even get warm. The 2010 MBP 15 felt slightly warmer in the top left corner but it too ran cool.

I use a peace of ply wood as a cool pad for my lap because any lap top will start warming up if it's on your lap.

I also can't hear the fans at all. I can hear the HDD.

It's a great machine. I'd suggest a cool pad or peace of wood for a flat surface if you feel it warming up.
 
Sandy Bridge just sucks. I am waiting for Ivy Bridge. I just hate intel HD 3000 and I just hate this heating issue.
 
All laptops get warm/hot. I had an old HP that would get so hot that I couldn't have it on my lap even if I was wearing jeans, it hurt. Right now, I'm wearing a night shirt and my new 13" MBP is sitting on my bare lap. Yes, it is warm, but not hot by any stretch of the imagination unless you're just a wimp! LOL! I have about 21 windows open right now, several Safari windows, Mail, iTunes, Word, the Mac App Store, and I think I just saw a game in there somewhere. This machine handles this many windows flawlessly, my old PC would have choked on half of these programs running at one time!
 
Agreed.

I have the 15" macbook pro. It does run hot when I'm watching youtube and i have a keyboard coer so it's even hotter. It's normal for macbook pros to run a bit hot or "overheat" cos of the way it was made. you can be sensitive to it. wouldn't worry about it.
 
spider-mac said:
But running 70-80c for 3-4 years... better or worse then 50-60c?
Click to expand...

Neither.

Macs don't overheat, they in fact generate the same amount of heat another laptop with similar specs would. The thin form factor and aluminum casing has two effects: heat gets dissipated a bit less efficiently as there is less air inside the case to move around over the components, and the fact that it is aluminum transfers heat to the case, where the user can feel it.

It makes for a "perceived" overheating problem, where in reality, the behaviour is 100% normal and will not get better if Apple keeps going with the combination of thin and metal cased.
 
just chiming in with everybody else, I've had the base 13" model for a little over a month now with no heat issues. I use it in my lap on the couch all the time. It gets slightly warmer then room temperature but never anywhere near too hot, and I've had PC laptops that definitely got too hot so I know how that feels. :eek:
 
Some electronics are designed to get hot. A radar detector sits on your dash board in a car. Like I said my MBP 13 hasn't gone over 45c. I haven't noticed any heat at all, not even warm. I expect more heat when video editing and for the fans to ramp up to 6000 rpm but that's what they are designed for. Best of both worlds, nice and cool for normal use and power for some apps.

I would suggest testing it out and return it if you aren't satisfied. Don't listen to all they hype here. I don't think these post are accurate or based on experience.
 
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