Clean MBP fans?

[El Awesome]

Hey guys,

I have a 2008 2.8Ghz C2D MacBook Pro that I haven't used for quite a while.
Compared to my Mac Pro that thing runs really hot, but I know, I can't compare a MacBook to any tower in terms of heat.
For example, in idle, I have about 60°C, when wathing Youtube videos about 80°C.

Yesterday, I was skyping with a friend, when I noticed that my CPU had 104°C without making any noise from the fans (I mean WTF - 104°C while having 50% CPU use?).
I opened my Fan Control in the system controls, and it told me the fans weren't running at all. So I set them to run full speed, and opened the Fan control again. They we're running at minus 1703 RPM?
Repeated this procedure and ended up with minus 94'000 RPM for both fans, while 95°C for the CPU.

Today, I made a SMC and PRAM reset, and that helped with the fans, they are working now.
But still I have 60°C in idle - I find that quite a lot?
I wanted to ask if this is rather normal or if I should go and clean my fans, which is quite a bit of work to do.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[snaky69]

Hey guys,

I have a 2008 2.8Ghz C2D MacBook Pro that I haven't used for quite a while.
Compared to my Mac Pro that thing runs really hot, but I know, I can't compare a MacBook to any tower in terms of heat.
For example, in idle, I have about 60°C, when wathing Youtube videos about 80°C.

Yesterday, I was skyping with a friend, when I noticed that my CPU had 104°C without making any noise from the fans (I mean WTF - 104°C while having 50% CPU use?).
I opened my Fan Control in the system controls, and it told me the fans weren't running at all. So I set them to run full speed, and opened the Fan control again. They we're running at minus 1703 RPM?
Repeated this procedure and ended up with minus 94'000 RPM for both fans, while 95°C for the CPU.

Today, I made a SMC and PRAM reset, and that helped with the fans, they are working now.
But still I have 60°C in idle - I find that quite a lot?
I wanted to ask if this is rather normal or if I should go and clean my fans, which is quite a bit of work to do.

Thanks for the replies!

Those are normal temps for a machine of that sort.

You can crack it open if you like, but honestly, I doubt you'll find much if any dust on the fans. I've opened up my 2008 machine a few times and check the fans each time, no dust at all was on them.

Mobile silicon runs right around twice as hot as desktop does.

 

[El Awesome]

Those are normal temps for a machine of that sort.

You can crack it open if you like, but honestly, I doubt you'll find much if any dust on the fans. I've opened up my 2008 machine a few times and check the fans each time, no dust at all was on them.

Mobile silicon runs right around twice as hot as desktop does.

Great, thanks. That was the answer I was looking for.
As longs as it's running, I'll leave it as that.

 

[Queen6]

Totally depends on your environment, my own Early 2008 15" 2.4 Penryn MBP had a lot of dust etc in it and both fans failed at around the four year point, equally it has spent it`s life working continuously in Middle East and for the last two year the Tropics, so my experience is not typical, equally if the environment you use your Mac in is dusty then it`s highly likely so is the computer, blocked heat-sync`s are the prime culprit.

As for your temps they are a little high, nothing to worry about my Early 2008 idles around 40C - 45C bear in mind it has new fans and has recently been cleaned up internally. Right now with a 15% CPU load it`s running at 48C with ambient of 26C.

 

[El Awesome]

Well, my MBP is in my room in Switzerland which is a bit dusty, but fine.
Over the time I when didn't use it I put it in a neopren case, in there, there shouldn't have been dust.

 

[Essenar]

A few things come to mind:
First, over time, things like Thermal Paste don't conduct heat as they did from the factory. Buying a tube of Arctic Silver or some high end thermal compound for your CPU/GPU combo would be advisable if you're keen to doing this yourself.

This brings me to my second point: The MacBooks from around that time, used the infamous Nvidia mobile chips. I would look into finding out if your motherboard is affected. It's too late to get it repaired with Nvidia's extended warranty, but there may be a DIY solution to the "uneven" heatsink issue.

 

[El Awesome]

A few things come to mind:
First, over time, things like Thermal Paste don't conduct heat as they did from the factory. Buying a tube of Arctic Silver or some high end thermal compound for your CPU/GPU combo would be advisable if you're keen to doing this yourself.

This brings me to my second point: The MacBooks from around that time, used the infamous Nvidia mobile chips. I would look into finding out if your motherboard is affected. It's too late to get it repaired with Nvidia's extended warranty, but there may be a DIY solution to the "uneven" heatsink issue.

First point: True. Didn't take that into account.
Second point: I have both Nvidia 9400M and 9600GT in my MacBook, both of them work fine. I even play Battlefield on lowest settings without overheating, in idle the 9600GT has 68°C... okay for driving the 15" MBP and the 24" ACD at the same time.

 

[snaky69]

A few things come to mind:
First, over time, things like Thermal Paste don't conduct heat as they did from the factory. Buying a tube of Arctic Silver or some high end thermal compound for your CPU/GPU combo would be advisable if you're keen to doing this yourself.

This brings me to my second point: The MacBooks from around that time, used the infamous Nvidia mobile chips. I would look into finding out if your motherboard is affected. It's too late to get it repaired with Nvidia's extended warranty, but there may be a DIY solution to the "uneven" heatsink issue.

The late 2007 and early 2008 are the only ones affected, the OP's mac is fine with its 9600gt