fan on macbook on with one browser

[bob2131]

hi
i have a black macbook, coupla years old.
when i open a web browser open, with about 2 tabs, especially youtube or vid streams, the fan starts blaring.

And opera typing is really sluggish too.

my pc was same, i opened it up, and the fan was covered in dust, i blew it away and cleaned it. And the pc noise has stopped.

Could macbook be suffering from dust buildup inside too? or could it be something else?

thankyou

 

[spinnerlys]

As many video streaming sites use Flash for displaying video, the CPU usage will spike during Flash use, thus the fan will speed up its RPM.

You could try an SMC reset and see if that helps.

 

[r.j.s]

It's Flash ... from the web videos ... causes the CPU to go wild and the fans to take off.

 

[bobr1952]

Oh yeah--I just go near a Flash page and the temps start a rising.

 

[bob2131]

thanks

SMC reset? how??

but i used to use 2 to 3 browsers with so many tabs and flash sites with no fans on,
but now it cant even handle one/two sites, this is not normal.

 

[spinnerlys]

thanks

SMC reset? how??

Intel-basedMacs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) found via "smc reset" using a search engine for the world wide web, AltaVista is an often not mentioned candidate for such engine.

but i used to use 2 to 3 browsers with so many tabs and flash sites with no fans on,
but now it cant even handle one/two sites, this is not normal.

Have a look at Activity Monitor ( Applications / Utilities / ) and select All Processes and sort by CPU to see what the culprit may be.

image below uses sorting by CPU as an example

 

[bob2131]

so i should open up the macbook, take out the battery,
press power for 5 secs, then put battery back in...... ?

 

[spinnerlys]

so i should open up the macbook, take out the battery,
press power for 5 secs, then put battery back in...... ?

As that is the procedure Apple has listed in the document I linked to, yes. Taking the battery out of a white/black pre-unibody MacBook is a piece of cake and can be done in a second or two.