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Does 17" run cooler than 15" Macbook Pro?

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whitedragon101

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 11, 2008
1,349
339
Given the same components is the cooling better with the 17" Macbook Pro compared to the 15"?
 
The internals won't run cooler. But with more surface area to dissipate the heat, the machine may be cooler overall.

(I've never used a 17"... this is just a guess)
 
The only way to really tell is to have both a 15 and 17 side by side running the same programs to really tell. Otherwise, it's all subjective.
 
They will run nearly the same.

The real difference is the i5 vs. i7 (the latter runs a touch hotter).
 
Major Reeves said:
Nah, they run about the same.
The current unibody design no longer makes an effective use of the aluminum casing for heat dissipation.

Long live the GrillBook pro.
Click to expand...

Its crazy they missed a trick like that. It seems almost a universal rule that the 17" in a manufacturers line up has more space for larger fans and bigger heat-sinks. Usually not only does this mean a 17" runs cooler but that there is a significant amount more thermal headroom, so they install a faster GPU.

I am hoping at some point they make the most of the space in the 17" and have the option for a higher end gpu.



(Like you say, you'd think they'd design it so at least the extra aluminium would dissipate a bit of heat.)
 
whitedragon101 said:
Its crazy they missed a trick like that. It seems almost a universal rule that the 17" in a manufacturers line up has more space for larger fans and bigger heat-sinks. Usually not only does this mean a 17" runs cooler but that there is a significant amount more thermal headroom, so they install a faster GPU.

I am hoping at some point they make the most of the space in the 17" and have the option for a higher end gpu.



(Like you say, you'd think they'd design it so at least the extra aluminium would dissipate a bit of heat.)
Click to expand...

Apple has never been a huge fan of nice GPUs... hopefully with Steam now on the Mac, things will change.

Until Apple puts a discrete card in their PRO 13" I'll be sticking with the O.G. unibody.
 
I ran SCII on my MBP17 i7 which I bought a week ago, everything high, with Max res, and the fans don't even kick in (and if they do, they do not max out)... so imagine if it runs cool :)
 
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