Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

bowlman23

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 20, 2007
157
0
Hi,

I've had my rMBP for about a week and now the fans never shut off. They come on immediately when I power up and never shut down. They've never come on before.

I reset the SMC and didn't do anything.

Please help!
 
I've had my rMBP for about a week and now the fans never shut off. They come on immediately when I power up and never shut down. They've never come on before.

I reset the SMC and didn't do anything.
Use iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) to get accurate readings of your battery, temps, fan speeds and much more.

Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis). iMacs have 3 fans with minimum speeds in the 800-1200 range. They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level.

If your fans are spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC.
(PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help.)

The intake and exhaust vents are in the back of the computer near the hinge on all Mac notebooks (except the new MBP with retina display, which has intake vents along the sides at the bottom). The iMac vent is a slot on the back near the top of the computer. Make sure the vents remain unblocked to allow your computer to perform at its best.

Learn about the fans in your Mac
Apple Portables: Operating temperature
 
Are you stating that you can "hear" the fans, because they always run (if not, your MBP processor would be toast in seconds). If you're hearing them, that probably means you're running a lot of processes and your MBP is running hot.

Edit: See above for what GGJ wrote. If you are hearing them, you should probably post a screen shot of your Activity Monitor with CPU and %CPU selected
 
Last edited:
Hardly using any processes. It comes on the second I hit the power button. CPU temp is 116 degrees.
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2013-01-14 at 5.04.28 PM.png
    Screen Shot 2013-01-14 at 5.04.28 PM.png
    375.6 KB · Views: 82
Hardly using any processes. It comes on the second I hit the power button. CPU temp is 116 degrees.

116 degrees F sounds normal for CPU operating temp at idle, it also seems that the fans will always spin at a minimum of ~2000 RPM as GGJstudios states.

This is based on my own personal experience, having monitored the temp sensors on my rMBP for the past 2 days using the Temperature Gauge app (which outputs to a .csv file every 10 sec). My fans never spin down to zero (idling at around ~2100 RPM), and CPU temps at idle stay between ~104-122 degrees just surfing in Safari.

However at ~2000 RPM the fans are almost silent. You have to literally push your ear up against the chassis to hear them. You might have very sensitive ears, or there might be something wrong with your fans if the noise is bothering you. Otherwise it seems normal.
 
116 degrees F sounds normal for CPU operating temp at idle, it also seems that the fans will always spin at a minimum of ~2000 RPM as GGJstudios states.

This is based on my own personal experience, having monitored the temp sensors on my rMBP for the past 2 days using the Temperature Gauge app (which outputs to a .csv file every 10 sec). My fans never spin down to zero (idling at around ~2100 RPM), and CPU temps at idle stay between ~104-122 degrees just surfing in Safari.

However at ~2000 RPM the fans are almost silent. You have to literally push your ear up against the chassis to hear them. You might have very sensitive ears, or there might be something wrong with your fans if the noise is bothering you. Otherwise it seems normal.

My fans run around 3400 most of the time, and I still can't hear them. Only when my temps get up to 70 Celsius and my RPM's are around 4500 do I even hear anything.
 
The fans are very audible. Also only seems to be the right one. It's not 2000. Can't be. Too loud. I've never heard them for a week. Now out of nowhere they are really loud. Made an appt tonight at Genius Bar
 
The fans are very audible. Also only seems to be the right one. It's not 2000. Can't be. Too loud. I've never heard them for a week. Now out of nowhere they are really loud. Made an appt tonight at Genius Bar

That being the case, it's probably about to fail. So, you made the right decision on going to the Genius. I'd turn it off when you're not using it until you get it fixed.
 
That being the case, it's probably about to fail. So, you made the right decision on going to the Genius. I'd turn it off when you're not using it until you get it fixed.

It's funny because it was off for three hours, had it in for 5 minutes and heard it running. Turned it off. The second I pressed the power button, the fans were running loud. Didn't even get to login screen before it was loud.
 
For anyone who was wondering, they replaced my rMBP. The motor on the fan was running only on the right side. I lucked out again and got another Samsung screen.

Kind of mad though because I just put on an iCarbon on the one I just had, and less than a 1/2 hour later, the fan went. Now I have to buy a new one.

But sitting here re-installing everything. Apple did a great job with the replacement. No issues whatsoever. Good customer service experience.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.