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mbpistop

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 12, 2019
26
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I had purchased the June 15" MacBook Pro in Aug 2019. It's fans would always run at full speed and it had a lot of overheating and throttling problems throughout its life to the point of being unusably slow sometimes, when it was connected to my 2 external monitors via HDMI (never faced this on 13" which I had right before). One of the reason I think this happens is that when you connect to external monitors, the 15" and 16" models switch over to the dGPU and the measly 2-fan cooling system is not good enough to cool a powerful CPU + dGPU all at once. Anyway, it climaxed with the battery exploding and going into flames around 2 months ago. Luckily, all I suffered was a small burn on my finger. I spoke to Apple and they are in the process of giving me a full refund for it.

I want to purchase the new 16" one but I am afraid it might have the same overheating and throttling problems because in essence the design is the same as the 15" one. My workflow involves always being connected to 2 external monitors 24x7, so I have to take that into consideration.

Would love to know from other 16" MBP users if they face overheating problems when connected to external monitors for extended periods of time. If yes, I'll probably go for the 13" this time since it does not have a dGPU and will likely not end up blowing up in my face like the previous one did.

Cheers and thanks for the replies!
 
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Yes, the 16" models have become notoriously noisy and hot while used with external monitors. It honestly seems like a seriously flawed design issue. Driving external monitors should NOT be so stressful for a laptop. This is easily proven by taking a look at a plethora of other laptops and previous macbook models (including 13 inch ones) that have not had such issues. I also get additional thermal stress when using an external monitor with my MBP 13" 2020 but it's nowhere near as bad since it's using the integrated graphics. It would have made way more sense if the bigger models did the same and only switched to the AMD graphics when they are actually truly needed versus increasing wattage draw by 18W passively just for a couple of monitors that a 13" can drive with Intel graphics.
 
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Yes, the 16" models have become notoriously noisy and hot while used with external monitors. It honestly seems like a seriously flawed design issue. Driving external monitors should NOT be so stressful for a laptop. This is easily proven by taking a look at a plethora of other laptops and previous macbook models (including 13 inch ones) that have not had such issues. I also get additional thermal stress when using an external monitor with my MBP 13" 2020 but it's nowhere near as bad since it's using the integrated graphics. It would have made way more sense if the bigger models did the same and only switched to the AMD graphics when they are actually truly needed versus increasing wattage draw by 18W passively just for a couple of monitors that a 13" can drive with Intel graphics.
Yes 100% agreed. They should not even be fitting such powerful hardware in the laptop if it cannot be adequately cooled because then users are basically paying for upgrades that cannot even be used, which imo is VERY UNETHICAL on Apple's part!

So, anyway bottom line seems like I am going to have to go for a laptop with integrated graphics i.e. 13" 2020 MBP. The only reason I wanted the 16" was so that I could get the 64 GB RAM upgrade but no point of getting that if its still having the same heating issues at my 15" since that would mean it would never get to the point of being able to utilize that extra RAM.

In your case, since you have a 16", when its connected to external monitors, do you experience thermal throttling (computers slows down to a crawl) on extended usage?
 
To add, the 16” running fans at full blast when connecting an external monitor may not be the same issue as you experienced on the 15”. This is somewhat evidenced by the fact that when you spec the 16” with the new high end GPU the issue does not seem to occur to the same degree. If it were a cooling issue then adding a beefier GPU would surely make the issue worse?

The 16” can be a loud laptop but it’s oodles better than the 15” in terms of cooling. It also does not throttle nearly as bad as the 15”. You could always buy one and return it within the returns window if it does not meet your needs.

Edit: To add, my friend has the 16” with the 5300m and he says that the fans only spin up sometimes when connected to an external display, usually during periods of high or at least moderate use (he’s a developer). So I don’t think the issue is as widespread as MacRumors might have you believe. People only tend to post on forums like these when they have an issue.
 
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To add, the 16” running fans at full blast when connecting an external monitor may not be the same issue as you experienced on the 15”. This is somewhat evidenced by the fact that when you spec the 16” with the new high end GPU the issue does not seem to occur to the same degree. If it were a cooling issue then adding a beefier GPU would surely make the issue worse?

The 16” can be a loud laptop but it’s oodles better than the 15” in terms of cooling. It also does not throttle nearly as bad as the 15”. You could always buy one and return it within the returns window if it does not meet your needs.
I have no issue if the only problem with the 16" is that it is loud and has fans running at high speeds. The thermal throttling is when the issues start because it slows down to a crawl preventing me from getting anything done. So, are you saying that the 16" still has the noisy fans problem, but does not have the throttling problem anymore?

You said "it doesn't throttle nearly as bad". A machine this powerful SHOULD NOT throttle AT ALL just by connecting to external monitors. Even a little bit of throttling just due to connecting external monitors is an immediate red flag to me because that would mean if I crank up the load with external monitors connected, it's going to get smoked.
 
I had purchased the June 15" MacBook Pro in Aug 2019. It's fans would always run at full speed and it had a lot of overheating and throttling problems throughout its life to the point of being unusably slow sometimes, when it was connected to my 2 external monitors via HDMI (never faced this on 13" which I had right before). One of the reason I think this happens is that when you connect to external monitors, the 15" and 16" models switch over to the dGPU and the measly 2-fan cooling system is not good enough to cool a powerful CPU + dGPU all at once. Anyway, it climaxed with the battery exploding and going into flames around 2 months ago. Luckily, all I suffered was a small burn on my finger. I spoke to Apple and they are in the process of giving me a full refund for it.

I want to purchase the new 16" one but I am afraid it might have the same overheating and throttling problems because in essence the design is the same as the 15" one. My workflow involves always being connected to 2 external monitors 24x7, so I have to take that into consideration.

Would love to know from other 16" MBP users if they face overheating problems when connected to external monitors for extended periods of time. If yes, I'll probably go for the 13" this time since it does not have a dGPU and will likely not end up blowing up in my face like the previous one did.

Cheers and thanks for the replies!

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/16-is-hot-noisy-with-an-external-monitor.2211747/
 
I have no issue if the only problem with the 16" is that it is loud and has fans running at high speeds. The thermal throttling is when the issues start because it slows down to a crawl preventing me from getting anything done. So, are you saying that the 16" still has the noisy fans problem, but does not have the throttling problem anymore?

You said "it doesn't throttle nearly as bad". A machine this powerful SHOULD NOT throttle AT ALL just by connecting to external monitors. Even a little bit of throttling just due to connecting external monitors is an immediate red flag to me because that would mean if I crank up the load with external monitors connected, it's going to get smoked.

Ultimately any laptop, Mac or PC, may need to throttle at some point to protect itself. If you need a machine that can run unconstrained, all the time, then you’re really looking for a workstation. I appreciate that this isn’t ideal advice to hear when you’re looking to purchase a laptop.

All I can say is consider a purchase and return it if the machine isn’t suitable. Apple will take the machine back within the return window, no questions asked. Also there’s plenty of good credible Youtubers that have reviewed the machine. People like Max Tech and Marques Brownlee have put the machine through it’s paces, Max Tech especially I would recommend for stress test benchmarks.
 
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Ultimately any laptop, Mac or PC, may need to throttle at some point to protect itself. If you need a machine that can run unconstrained, all the time, then you’re really looking for a workstation. I appreciate that this isn’t ideal advice to hear when you’re looking to purchase a laptop.

All I can say is consider a purchase and return it if the machine isn’t suitable. Apple will take the machine back within the return window, no questions asked. Also there’s plenty of good credible Youtubers that have reviewed the machine. People like Max Tech and Marques Brownlee have put the machine through it’s paces, Max Tech especially I would recommend for stress test benchmarks.
I agree with you on all points except, even my 13" 8GB RAM LESS powerful would run smoothly with 2 external monitors attached so you can see why I was frustrated that the 15" 32GB RAM MUCH MORE powerful one couldn't handle the same. Of course, the heating issue was confirmed by the fact that the battery literally exploded.

The "may need to throttle at some point to protect itself" needs to be much further with such a high performance machine. When it throttles just on attaching 2 external monitors, it is a clear design flaw.

Anyway, from your tone it seems like you are not having much issues in terms of your MBP slowing down so that's a good sign. You would definitely swear off MBPs for life if you were having the same issues I experienced. Do you always attach 2+ monitors to your MBP when working? That might explain the fact that you do not experience the throttling part. Regardless, I think your suggestion of buying the 16", testing it for 14 days and then returning if it doesn't work well, is great!
 
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Only had 2 shutdowns but no overheating as such, kernel panics.
Interesting, so seems like the issue is not prevalent in all MacBook Pros 16"s. But let me ask you, are you always connected to 2+ external monitors with your 16"?
 
I did see that thread but there seem to be mixed reports with some saying they don't experience these issues and some don't, hence my dilemma.
I have a 16 2.3/32/5500 4gb and do NOT have the external monitor issue but I suspect that is because I have the LG Ultrafine 24inch 4k that Apple sells.

However, the few times I've plugged into a TV with an HDMI adaptor for a presentation, I DO get the issues that the other people have. So I think it's highly monitor and interface dependent.
 
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I have a 16 2.3/32/5500 4gb and do NOT have the external monitor issue but I suspect that is because I have the LG Ultrafine 24inch 4k that Apple sells.

However, the few times I've plugged into a TV with an HDMI adaptor for a presentation, I DO get the issues that the other people have. So I think it's highly monitor and interface dependent.
Thanks for sharing your experience! There seems to be some evidence that only connecting to multiple monitors via HDMI causes these problems. And, it may not be a coincidence that both my monitors were connected to my previous MBP that had these issues via HDMI.
 
Suggest you just buy it and find out, then take advantage of the 60-day refund? At least it will give you access to the 16" so you can get hands-on for a while.
 
Suggest you just buy it and find out, then take advantage of the 60-day refund? At least it will give you access to the 16" so you can get hands-on for a while.
I thought it was 14-day refund? Did they change their policy? I am pretty sure its only 14 days.
 
I have the 16", 5500m, i9, and use it connected to 2 27" LG 4k monitors through a TS3+ dock (while in clamshell mode).

I DO NOT have the "jet engine + hot" issues people complain about. I've had 2+ hour long zoom/webex meetings, with Word open + a VM (parallels) - and the fans sound about half their max noise level, which is what I would expect. No throttling, or "people can't hear me above the fans" issues I've read other people have.

For most tasks (YouTube, word, web browsing), it's silent. I bought it about 6 weeks ago, and this has been my experience with it during that time frame.
 
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I have the 16", 5500m, i9, and use it connected to 2 27" LG 4k monitors through a TS3+ dock (while in clamshell mode).

I DO NOT have the "jet engine + hot" issues people complain about. I've had 2+ hour long zoom/webex meetings, with Word open + a VM (parallels) - and the fans sound about half their max noise level, which is what I would expect. No throttling, or "people can't hear me above the fans" issues I've read other people have.

For most tasks (YouTube, word, web browsing), it's silent. I bought it about 6 weeks ago, and this has been my experience with it during that time frame.
Great info! Is your MacBook connected to your monitors with HDMI? What happens if you keep use your MacBook Pro screen simultaneously while using the external monitors?
 
Yes 100% agreed. They should not even be fitting such powerful hardware in the laptop if it cannot be adequately cooled because then users are basically paying for upgrades that cannot even be used, which imo is VERY UNETHICAL on Apple's part!

So, anyway bottom line seems like I am going to have to go for a laptop with integrated graphics i.e. 13" 2020 MBP. The only reason I wanted the 16" was so that I could get the 64 GB RAM upgrade but no point of getting that if its still having the same heating issues at my 15" since that would mean it would never get to the point of being able to utilize that extra RAM.

In your case, since you have a 16", when its connected to external monitors, do you experience thermal throttling (computers slows down to a crawl) on extended usage?

I have the 13" MBP 2020, but my gf has the 16 inch model (2019) and I haven't paid attention if it throttles since she is not doing any kind of heavy duty work. But it is extremely loud when connected to two external monitors. My 13 inch gets a bit warmer but never to the point where fans go off at high RPM just because an external monitor is connected.
 
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Great info! Is your MacBook connected to your monitors with HDMI? What happens if you keep use your MacBook Pro screen simultaneously while using the external monitors?

None are HDMI. Everything's through the dock, so (I believe) DVI-DVI and thunderbolt USBC-DVI.

I can't really comment on display open + external monitor, as I don't really use it like that (I use a twelve south BookArc stand, and don't have space for it to be open...plus cats that would try to sit on the keyboard).
 
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