High CPU temp and fan activity during basic use

[docgerrard]

Why is my laptop getting so loud when I am just browsing the internet?
As you can see, I have nothing open but safari and finder

I also don't have any tabs open besides this one. Whats going on?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

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Have a look at Activity Monitor (Applications / Utilities /) and select All Processes and sort by CPU to see what the culprit may be.
Also check the "System Memory" tab to see what your "Page ins:", "Page outs:" and "Swap used:" are.

image below uses sorting by CPU as an example

Further reading:

Mac OS X: Reading system memory usage in Activity Monitor
Making The Most of Activity Monitor
What Is Activity Monitor (or How to Take Your Mac's Pulse)​

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You can also take screenshots of single windows via CMD+SHIFT+4 then SPACEBAR then click.

 

[docgerrard]

kernel_task is currently using 62 threads and 370mb of real memory.

everything else is the same

i did everything so you guys could see the temperature and the fan speed, plus the other stuff on my screen that may help figure this out.

i don't think this is right lo

 

[simsaladimbamba]

kernel_task is currently using 62 threads and 370mb of real memory.

everything else is the same

i did everything so you guys could see the temperature and the fan speed, plus the other stuff on my screen that may help figure this out.

i don't think this is right lo

SORT BY CPU, as advised before. Sorting by REAL MEM does not provide the info we and you are looking for, as RAM does not heat up the Mac, the CPU does, and the CPU does heat up when it is used, thus finding out, what causes the CPU to be used, can explain why there is this temp.

Ahhhh.

 

[docgerrard]

SORT BY CPU, as advised before. Sorting by REAL MEM does not provide the info we and you are looking for, as RAM does not heat up the Mac, the CPU does, and the CPU does heat up when it is used, thus finding out, what causes the CPU to be used, can explain why there is this temp.

Ahhhh.

sorry man, i definitely understand what you are saying, but can't you just see CPU on the side? thats the problem there aren't any processor intensive programs running but its still a problem. if you notice, kernel_task is highest one

 

[simsaladimbamba]

sorry man, i definitely understand what you are saying, but can't you just see CPU on the side? thats the problem there aren't any processor intensive programs running but its still a problem. if you notice, kernel_task is highest one

So no other process uses more CPU than "kernel_task", even WHEN sorted by CPU?

If that is the case, then maybe your vents are blocked or something is amiss. With high fan speed, you can always try an SMC Reset, but as the temps are a bit higher (not even critical), the fan speeds is normal.

Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

Just so you know, that even the application with the most RAM is not the one with the most CPU usage, maybe somewhere down that list some lowlife is hiding. Since I am not at your computer, or even near it, I and others rely on such information, as sorting by CPU usage, as otherwise, we can only guess, as seen above.

 

[elensil]

Dust is clogging the heatsink

Hey, its worth checking out. Your heatsink might be clogged with dust. Open up your laptop (carefully note individual screw positions - they are not identical) and clean the heatsink it should be under black tape next to the hindge. iFixit will be able to help with machine specific instructions🙂

I had almost the same situation, now its running as cool as ever.

 

[BostonBrawler]

This has just started happening to me. MBA 2011, fan wicked loud, and very hot on simple web surfing. Have had it since the new ones came out.

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This has just started happening to me. MBA 2011, fan wicked loud, and very hot on simple web surfing. Have had it since the new ones came out.

Update - looks like it was the "Google Chrome Renderer" going crazy with CPU usage.

 

[bill-p]

It's a quirk of Flash, and to some extent, the device itself. Scrolling and zooming does a number on the CPU, as usual, and Flash adds more to the cycle, so the processor has to work extra.

It's not like super smooth operation comes free.