Fan issues

[Kurrosh]

Hey,

I have a rMBP (first model, 15", i7, SSD, nVidia 650m) which I used to game on. Recently though, I would start up the game and it would be fine but the performance dropped very rapidly - I can't get a full game of DotA 2 out of it before it runs too choppy to enjoy.

Sounds like a heating issue. So I downloaded temperature monitor and SMC fan control. First issue: SMC fan control seems to indicate that my right fan is operating at 0 rpm and I can't get this to change. My temperature monitor seems fine (average 70-80 degrees) but then I looked more in-depth and it seems core 8 is 95 degrees. In addition, it sounds and feels like only the left fan is working.

So my question: there ARE 2 fans right? Any recommendations on potential fixes? It's bang in the middle of exam zone, so I can't take my laptop to the shop and lose access to it for a few days. And since other recreational activities after a long day - such as the pub - are out of the question so I do miss playing games.

I have got the screws needed to open up my laptop but I don't want to attempt this yet for fear of voiding the warranty.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[snaky69]

Hey,

I have a rMBP (first model, 15", i7, SSD, nVidia 650m) which I used to game on. Recently though, I would start up the game and it would be fine but the performance dropped very rapidly - I can't get a full game of DotA 2 out of it before it runs too choppy to enjoy.

Sounds like a heating issue. So I downloaded temperature monitor and SMC fan control. First issue: SMC fan control seems to indicate that my right fan is operating at 0 rpm and I can't get this to change. My temperature monitor seems fine (average 70-80 degrees) but then I looked more in-depth and it seems core 8 is 95 degrees. In addition, it sounds and feels like only the left fan is working.

So my question: there ARE 2 fans right? Any recommendations on potential fixes? It's bang in the middle of exam zone, so I can't take my laptop to the shop and lose access to it for a few days. And since other recreational activities after a long day - such as the pub - are out of the question so I do miss playing games.

I have got the screws needed to open up my laptop but I don't want to attempt this yet for fear of voiding the warranty.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

The 15'' does have two fans, yes.

 

[Cmd-the-World]

So my question: there ARE 2 fans right? Any recommendations on potential fixes? It's bang in the middle of exam zone, so I can't take my laptop to the shop and lose access to it for a few days. And since other recreational activities after a long day - such as the pub - are out of the question so I do miss playing games.

I have got the screws needed to open up my laptop but I don't want to attempt this yet for fear of voiding the warranty.

You can double check and download another app to see if the fan is working. Istat Pro is a neat app that allows you to monitor your temperatures, CPU load and memory usage from the Menu bar. On the 2013 rMBP it shows quite a list of temperature sensors. It also has a built in fan control though I never used it so I can't say how good it is.

Another thing you could do is PRAM and SMC Reset.

Having said that from your description it seems likely that the fan has stopped working. Ideally I would send it in for repair however if you really can't and want to decide to do it yourself there is this helpful guid to help you along. http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Retina+Display+Mid+2012+Right+Fan+Replacement/9709