Fans spinning up at Boot, why??

[The-Pro]

Sup Guys,

So about a 1-1.5 months ago it started, when I start up my 2010 2.66Ghz i7, 15" MBP, the fans spin up to (it sounds like, and i know what it sounds like as my fans are mostly at the max, because of renderings) 6000rpm. Once I log in and my istat menus shows up at the top, the temperatures are always at 80-95°C. Since when does starting up a computer require that amount of CPU load in order for mine to reach an average of 85°C??? Logged in, no processes hogging the CPU, nothing, completely normal and the fans spin down steadily within 10-15 secs. fans are at max for maybe 5 secs. So something is definitely hogging the CPU at startup (during the spinning well period), and then stops once past it.
I turn my MBP off every night, when turning it back on in the morning its seriously annoying that it sounds like it will lift off any minute.

The temperature definitely builds up during the time in the boot where the apple logo is displayed and the wheel is spinning because the fans kick in once its past that stage, at the log in window. So application opening at startup is not the problem. Doubt its a bad heat sensor as the temps are reported as being extremely high, although i don't know. I reset the PRAM like 2 weeks ago and that didn't change anything, i followed the instructions for the SMC reset, but I don't know if it actually did it or not, how can I tell??

I searched google, this forum and other forums, as i seem to recall me reading a post about something similar with fans spinning up at the boot, well i couldn't find it

BTW: incase people need this info, it has the Hi-Res AG screen, 7200rpm HDD (BTO), 4Gb RAM. I did not exchange anything in it myself, it was BTO and thats it. Apple exchanged: my RAM about 11 months ago, and my logic board about 9 months ago.

Id appreciate it if anyone knew a possible reason for this!!
sorry for the long post
Cheers

 

[kfergiez]

I always assumed that the fans spun up to test their full range of RPMs in order to make sure they are running correctly... Maybe not. I don't know.

I have no doubt that the CPU warms up very quickly during startup, it is working to get your computer booted as fast as possible.

The real question that I want to ask is why are you shutting it down every night? Why not just close the lid, or put it to sleep? They are made to do that.

 

[The-Pro]

I always assumed that the fans spun up to test their full range of RPMs in order to make sure they are running correctly... Maybe not. I don't know.

Well none of my macs have ever done that, especially this one hasn't, not once since I bought it in April 2010. None of my friends Macbooks/pros/airs have done that, I help them with tech problems a fair amount. Its possible of what your saying is correct, but i've never experienced it before and never heard of that before. Plus the temperatures are, like I stated, at at least 80°C when the desktop appears. So the fans are spinning up to cool the components.

I have no doubt that the CPU warms up very quickly during startup, it is working to get your computer booted as fast as possible.

Well thats what I thought, but does't the startup rely on the HDD?? I mean, boot up is never significantly shorter when u have a quicker CPU, heck my 8 core MP and 2.8 GHz quad MP have slower boot up times than my i7 MBP.

The real question that I want to ask is why are you shutting it down every night? Why not just close the lid, or put it to sleep? They are made to do that.

Well I have a pretty big studio, and a large array of systems, all of the machines in my signature excluding the imac g4's, g3 imac and old macintoshes are in use everyday, all day. Also I have servers, and security systems (camera's, etc, on 24/7). Now the electricity bill gets rather high at times, so all my computers are turned off at night and not on standby.
I do use my MBP's outside working hours and i sometimes leave it on for max 4-7 days.

 

[kfergiez]

Well then.... I'm just a lowly student who hasn't shut off the computer in a few months.

I'm wondering if you noticed the fans spinning up after a software update. That's the only other thing that I can think of.

 

[craighton]

Have you installed anything on your computer that runs at start?

Is the environment that you use a very warm one?

 

[The-Pro]

Have you installed anything on your computer that runs at start?

Well at start up the following application open: gfxCardStatus, Stickies, istat menues. iTunesHelper, GrowlHelperApp, and a SpeechSynthesisServer (no idea what that is ????)
But these applications dont load up when the apple and the spinning wheel is dislpayed, right? because thats when the heat builds up, as soon as im at the login screen the CPU load seems to drop as the fans start to slowly spin down.

Is the environment that you use a very warm one?

Im in Germany, usually use my MBP at room temperature (18-22°C, usually around 18-19 though ). doubt than can cause my MBP to reach such high temperature.

Just now when I turned it on, as soon as istat menues was loaded it reported a staggering 101°C Im not worried that its too warm, i know CPU's have all that safety stuff, an can handle something up to 140°C. Im just wondering what the Hell is putting that much load on the CPU for it to reach those temperatures. I say my temperature at 104°C once, that was when I was doing a 3D rendering, occupying all 4 virtual cores, the fans didnt kick in for some time, so the temps went up to 104°C. So in my opinion something must be occupying all 4 virtual cores during the apple logo and spinning wheel phase, otherwise those temps cant be reached.

 

[The-Pro]

Well then.... I'm just a lowly student who hasn't shut off the computer in a few months.

haha yeh I feel ya, good friend of mine hasn't turned of her 13" MBP since she got it, back in October

I'm wondering if you noticed the fans spinning up after a software update. That's the only other thing that I can think of.

Now that you say it, not sure when I updated to 10.6.8, but I think it was a month ago (when was it released??). Thats the only thing I updated in the last months or 1.5 months.

 

[jcampbell1070]

i've noticed if i shut it down when its hot from playing games or whatever and when i start it backup later the fans spinup at startup. i guess it thank it's still hot.

 

[The-Pro]

Yeh I had that once aswell. I just tried it now again. it was idle at 50°C, I shut it down, turned it on, fans go bonkers when reaching log in screen, istat reporting 83°C as soon as it popped up. GRRRRR

I've had so many problems with this machine, and now that im out of warranty I really don't want it to have another problem.

 

[The-Pro]

Okayyyyyy
this was really awkward. I heard that the MBO was pretty loud, just sitting there. So i looked what its doing. Well weird thing is that some System process was using 200%, ONE fan was doing 6000rpm whilst the other was at 230rpm. I thought one of the fans has died on me.
Well i restarted and the fan worked again. So now im thinking, could one of the fans be slightly defective, and therefore the system is checking it differently at startup??

Well I restarted a couple of times, where I set activity monitor to open at startup. And I think I found that devil of an application!!! I spotted a Process named "Java" using up 180%. It was only displayed for roughly a second. So, whats Java doing, hogging my CPU at start up???

 

[jcampbell1070]

if your fans are messing up and spinning at different rpm, try resetting the smc and/or pram. that might help with the fans.

 

[The-Pro]

Thanks ill give that another shot.
how can i tell if the SMC is reset??? because if i've always been following the instructions but never have any confirmation of it did it.

 

[jcampbell1070]

i dont know if there is a way to tell if u did it right of not. i never done it, i just heard it might fix things like that.

 

[The-Pro]

ah ok, thanks anyway.
do you have any idea why java is using 180% CPU at start up??

 

[jcampbell1070]

sorry no i don't. hopefully someone else may know something.

 

[The-Pro]

I hope so too
Cheers

 

[The-Pro]

so does anybody else know anything??