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Does the 13" ultimate get hot?

U

UKmacman

macrumors 6502
Original poster
After much debating I am finally going to go for the 13" MBA ultimate. I have heard some reports that the 11 can get warm - is this the same for the 13"?

I am using a black macbook now and after an hour my legs feel like they have been cooked!
 
All Apple notebooks get hot under heavy workloads. It's quite normal. The aluminum transfers heat quite well, so you feel the heat more than you would with notebooks made from other materials. If it's too uncomfortable on your lap, move it to a table or desk, as Apple recommends.
 
Under heavy load, yes. If your watching a film/playing a game (to the best of the MBAs ability 🙄 )/etc, then its going to get hot. Under normal workload (browsing/word processing), the machine is fine.

Its a 'problem' that all Apple laptops suffer from, and always will do if they continue to use aluminium for their chassis.
 
On my 13" MBA 1.8GHz i7, under heavy load, the enclosure sensors don't ever go over 35 degrees C, and it doesn't feel very hot either.

The CPU gets up to 90 degrees C sometimes, and the fan runs at around 6000 RPM; the sound is noticeable, but the temperature on the surface isn't.
 
I don't play games but 720p internet video get my Air to get a little hot but not that hot.. Aside of this, my fan almost never kicks in.
 
Xikum said:
Its a 'problem' that all Apple laptops suffer from, and always will do if they continue to use aluminium for their chassis.
Click to expand...

It has nothing to do with the aluminium, it has everything to do with design choices:
• Only one ventinghole
• thinness
-> Lack of airflow
-> small heatsinks and ventilators
• Noise reduction
-> Spinning the ventilators at lower rpm then factory recommended.

Intel gave the mobile ix's a recommended max temp of about 75°C (167°F). The MBP easily get all the way up to 90°-95°.
 
Had my 13" a few weeks now and have not noticed any heat issues
I have ripped a number of videos and done my normal work
 
I have never experienced mine getting particularily hot either. I do have one of the Incase perforated shells on it, so that may buffer some of the heat, but heat has never been an issue.
 
UKmacman said:
After much debating I am finally going to go for the 13" MBA ultimate. I have heard some reports that the 11 can get warm - is this the same for the 13"?

I am using a black macbook now and after an hour my legs feel like they have been cooked!
Click to expand...

No.

I've had the 13" Ultimate for months now (good choice btw) and have never had a heat issue. I had a HP Netbook before this that was quite nice to set on my lap on really cold nights, but the MBA just does not kick out the heat.
 
yes

13" i7 4gb 2011 mba model

Yes for very intense apps - using 100% of your cpu, such as running vmfusion and windows 8, the laptop does get hot near the hinge. i use a pillow when i need to use it as a "laptop" during those times. my very unscientific estimate.

Mostly the i7 is very fast. so for 95% of your usage, even running office 2011, multiple browsers, watching divx, at the same time, heat is not an issue.

its an imperfect answer, it depends on what you do.

gluck
 
ecib said:
No.

I've had the 13" Ultimate for months now (good choice btw) and have never had a heat issue. I had a HP Netbook before this that was quite nice to set on my lap on really cold nights, but the MBA just does not kick out the heat.
Click to expand...

if you watch any flash streams online and use it in bed, the fan will blast and it'll get warm (this is with the base 13" 2011). I suppose this is good in the winter but it could be annoying when its warmer.
 
Many thanks for all your replies. Basically just wanted to see as when I has my black macbook on my lap for about an hour last night just printing docs and the web etc it got very hot. So sounds like the 13" MBA is a winner!
 
jterp7 said:
if you watch any flash streams online and use it in bed, the fan will blast and it'll get warm (this is with the base 13" 2011). I suppose this is good in the winter but it could be annoying when its warmer.
Click to expand...

Every laptop will generate heat if your are working the processor, but the MBA is comparatively cool compared to every other laptop I've owned. I actually missed the heat that my old HP kicked out when I switched to my MBA. That's Michigan winters for you 🙂
 
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