Heat causes shorter lifetime?

[hchaugen]

Hi!

I just got a 2019 15» i9 base model.

I already knew it would be hot from reading the forums, but I was surprised how quickly it turned «really hot» without me using anything Else than safari.

I have a watercooled gaming PC, and in general I always watch temps of machinery, because I know how much it can damage components if they get too warm.

While I havent done any gaming on my MBP I Wonder what lifespan I could expect of this laptop if I am to use it properly? Cpu temps always hitting 90 degrees over longer periods of time cant be good...

Thoughts?

 

[maflynn]

The majority of people here seem to embrace the ideal that 100c is the threshold temp that intel has placed and constant near 100c is fine, even for long term wear and tear.

I'm not one of those people and personally avoid such high heat. I'll not doubt get shouted down but its my opinion and I'll use my computers in such a way that avoids such hot temps ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[spacey20]

If you just got the laptop, I believe it takes few days to index everything on your computer. So wait a few more days for everything g to settle, then check your thermals.

That said, most reports suggest that the 2019 15 inch models run 10 degrees cooler than the 2018 versions.

 

[chabig]

Cpu temps always hitting 90 degrees over longer periods of time cant be good...

The parts are designed to operate fine at that temperature. You already own many machines that operate normally at high temperatures—your car engine, your hair dryer, your oven—your computer belongs on that list.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Hi!

I just got a 2019 15» i9 base model.

I already knew it would be hot from reading the forums, but I was surprised how quickly it turned «really hot» without me using anything Else than safari.

I have a watercooled gaming PC, and in general I always watch temps of machinery, because I know how much it can damage components if they get too warm.

While I havent done any gaming on my MBP I Wonder what lifespan I could expect of this laptop if I am to use it properly? Cpu temps always hitting 90 degrees over longer periods of time cant be good...

Thoughts?

Check Activity Viewer and see if you have anything running with high CPU usage.

 

[leman]

Heat is certainly a factor in a longevity of a laptop, but your machine is much more likely to fail because of unrelated reasons (or you will get a new one) long before it will die because of heat. That said, it shouldn’t get hot when using safari only, unless of course you use one of those websites that needlessly stress the CPU.

 

[Costino1]

My car's engine has oil and coolant running through it to ensure the heat doesn't damage it --- last time I checked, my MBP doesn't have that luxury. Poor analogy. I have a 2018 15" and it runs warm constantly but sometimes hot when I run a large load through it; which isn't often. Im sure the computer's insides won't melt on you by running those high temps, but having the battery exposed to those high temperatures will definitely shorten the lifespan of it.

 

[Webster's Mac]

Hi!

I just got a 2019 15» i9 base model.

I already knew it would be hot from reading the forums, but I was surprised how quickly it turned «really hot» without me using anything Else than safari.

I have a watercooled gaming PC, and in general I always watch temps of machinery, because I know how much it can damage components if they get too warm.

While I havent done any gaming on my MBP I Wonder what lifespan I could expect of this laptop if I am to use it properly? Cpu temps always hitting 90 degrees over longer periods of time cant be good...

Thoughts?

There are plenty of MacBooks that run for years and years just fine and run hot. The majority of MacBook Pros run hot. Here's what I'd recommend:

1. Use it in a cool environment and on a hard, flat surface, especially if you are doing resource intensive tasks
2. Have the fans/heatsinks cleaned once every year or two at the Genius Bar (or do it yourself if you're comfortable opening the machine...but if it's under warranty, have Apple do it)
3. Be sure to optimize your config so it's not unnecessarily taxing the computer...turn off background programs and programs that run at startup, etc.

Another thing to consider is that you just got this machine. You think it's only safari causing it to heat up...but it is probably doing background indexing and syncing which can cause the machine to heat up. After a few days, that should all settle down and it should run cooler.

Heat *can* cause premature failure...but most of the GPU issues and other things like that were caused by faulty design...heat just helped speed along the death a bit.

If you're really concerned about temps, post a screenshot from istat menus and I can see if they look out of the ordinary. Maybe run a Cinebench benchmark and have intel power gadget open next to it and send a pic of that too.

 

[macdudesir]

OP,
In short, no, high temps will not damage your MacBook Pro. As long as Apple has been working with notebook computers, you have to imagine they have heat management under control by now. Further, I have not heard of any dying an early death due to high temps without an actual hardware issue. The processor will throttle and ultimately shut down if it is going to overheat. Holding at 90C is not an issue, the chip is designed to run at that temperature. With that said, it is strange that your machine is getting hot while browsing Safari. If it is new, it may still be indexing. I encourage you to take a look at Activity Monitor and see what is using up your processor. For comparison, mine is running Windows 10 in Parallels, Excel, Word, OneNote, Spotify, Mail, and about 12 tabs in Safari and the CPU is sitting at 29C with the fans off. The case is cool to the touch.

TL;DR Apple has temps under control. They won't damage your computer. You may monitor them if you like, but there is no need unless you are experiencing a problem which is very unlikely.

My car's engine has oil and coolant running through it to ensure the heat doesn't damage it --- last time I checked, my MBP doesn't have that luxury. Poor analogy. I have a 2018 15" and it runs warm constantly but sometimes hot when I run a large load through it; which isn't often. Im sure the computer's insides won't melt on you by running those high temps, but having the battery exposed to those high temperatures will definitely shorten the lifespan of it.

It does though. It has fans and thermal throttling which are put in place to ensure the heat doesn't damage it. The CPU core and the package temps are often very different with the package being much lower. The high heat doesn't make it to the battery. Further, the battery also has its own temperature sensors embedded in it to keep everything in check. You can use your computer without worry.