How hot does your 2.4 quad core sandy bridge MBP get?

[happle]

so im looking at buying a top of the line 15" MBP. i produce music and will be playing diablo 3 on it as well. so i need a good bit of cpu and gpu power.

now i heard a new 15" macbook is coming out, whether it will be considered a pro an air or whatever idk. honestly i think that the 15" pro body design is perfect for me. im not willing to sacrifice any performance, cooling, or ports for the slimmer design. i would be happy with a slightly slimmed down MBP if anything but I don't want or need it to be air like for my uses. it doubles as my home computer and my portable computer because i am in college. also i still would make use of an optical drive for a few more years...software, games, movies, burning cd's etc...

now my main concern with the current MBP is the 45W sandy bridge cpu's. how hot do these babies get under a decent load for a long period of time? when making music sometimes i work the cpu a decent amount for maybe 4 hours straight. will the 15" 2.4 quad MBP handle it good or what?

i really dont want to wait until march or after to buy a computer as i can sell my current white unibody macbook for 600 before christmas. id rather just get rid of it while i know i can. so really my only concern is if the sandy bridge processor in the MBP is alright. if it runs fine under a decent load then im golden. id like ivy bridge, but it would be much harder to wait and not sell my current macbook.

 

[GGJstudios]

The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat (around 100C/212F - 105C/221F, depending on your processor). iStat Pro will give accurate readings of temps and fan speeds, among other things.

Unless there is a rare defect in a Mac, temps remain well within the normal operating range, considering the workload put on it. Websites with Flash content, games and other multimedia apps will put higher demand on the CPU/GPU, generating more heat. This is normal. If there are constant high demands on the system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just the Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.

The fans are always on when the Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis). They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level. If they're spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC. PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help. Also, make sure not to block the vents, which are located at the rear, near the hinge.

Learn about the fans in your Mac
Apple Portables: Operating temperature

You can launch Activity Monitor and change "My Processes" at the top to "All Processes". Then look to see what apps may be placing high demands on the CPU/GPU.

There is not an overheating problem with Mac portables. There is only a perceived overheating problem. That's partly due to the fact that the aluminum casing transfers heat better than some other notebook materials, so they may feel hotter to the touch than notebooks made of other materials. It may even become hot enough to be uncomfortable to rest on your lap. This, too, is normal. Because a user is unfamiliar with the heat normally generated by a Mac portable doesn't mean there's a problem with the Mac. Only on rare occasions is there a defect that causes true overheating.

 

[happle]

The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat (around 100C/212F - 105C/221F, depending on your processor). iStat Pro will give accurate readings of temps and fan speeds, among other things.

Unless there is a rare defect in a Mac, temps remain well within the normal operating range, considering the workload put on it. Websites with Flash content, games and other multimedia apps will put higher demand on the CPU/GPU, generating more heat. This is normal. If there are constant high demands on the system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just the Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.

The fans are always on when the Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis). They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level. If they're spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC. PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help. Also, make sure not to block the vents, which are located at the rear, near the hinge.

Learn about the fans in your Mac
Apple Portables: Operating temperature

You can launch Activity Monitor and change "My Processes" at the top to "All Processes". Then look to see what apps may be placing high demands on the CPU/GPU.

There is not an overheating problem with Mac portables. There is only a perceived overheating problem. That's partly due to the fact that the aluminum casing transfers heat better than some other notebook materials, so they may feel hotter to the touch than notebooks made of other materials. It may even become hot enough to be uncomfortable to rest on your lap. This, too, is normal. Because a user is unfamiliar with the heat normally generated by a Mac portable doesn't mean there's a problem with the Mac. Only on rare occasions is there a defect that causes true overheating.

thanks for the solid information man. although i was actually already aware of most of that. on my current macbook i use istat pro, smc fancontrol (to view my fan speed/temp), and fan control to actually control the fans.

i was more or less looking for someone with some personal experience with the exact MBP i have asked about and how it chugs along while producing music for hours or gaming.

really im just looking for some verification that i should buy a sandy bridge MBP now because it suits my needs and the timing is right. the ivy bridge is nice but the time line doesnt suit my needs and the possible sacrifice of some things for a slimmer design doesnt appeal to me.

 

[grahamnp]

I can hit 100C in some games at which the CPU throttles down to 1.4-2.0ghz. I'm actually keeping my multiplier locked at 1.5ghz in Windows because most games don't need much more.

Temps in OSX don't exceed 95C but I have no way of checking if OSX is throttling to manage the heat.

 

[happle]

I can hit 100C in some games at which the CPU throttles down to 1.4-2.0ghz. I'm actually keeping my multiplier locked at 1.5ghz in Windows because most games don't need much more.

Temps in OSX don't exceed 95C but I have no way of checking if OSX is throttling to manage the heat.

alright nice to know. thanks for that. so hows the machine handle the heat when just watching flash or something? do the fans rev right up or does it stay pretty cool on its own?

does anyone have anything to add on this? also i will only be playing diablo 3, which shouldnt be too intensive.

 

[yawns]

People always say the relatively high temps of MBP's is ok because Intel's specs state the CPU can handle it. But what about all of the other components that are sitting six inches away? If you sustain temperatures near the boiling point for three or four hours, there's no way those little fans are going to keep the other components within acceptable temperature ranges. If you play a game for several hours daily, I feel like it's inevitable that you're going to fry the harddrive, or swell the battery, or kill the GPU, or something. Not to mention the physical discomfort of all of that heat flying up at you and filling the room.

 

[happle]

^ yeah i feel the same way so you think the most current macbooks do heat up too much? i dont see them getting any cooler with slimmer and slimmer designs. i wish apple would keep the pro body and focus more on performance, cooling, and features...

so now im confused if i should get the 15" mbp or not.

----------

idk what other computer i would ever consider if going back to windows but randomly i chose this, which has some equal and some better specs than the top of the line MBP. plus its 1400, where i would have to spend over 2 grand to get equal specs on a mac and thats upgrading the ram and hd myself.

Sony Vaio F

Intel® Core™ i7-2760QM quad-core processor (2.40GHz / 3.50GHz with Turbo Boost)
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit
16.4" 2D LED backlit Full HD display (1920x1080)
Matte Black
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M (1GB) dedicated graphics (Save $50, reg. price $50.00)
CD/DVD player / burner
750GB (7200rpm) hard drive
8GB (4GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1333
Large lithium-ion battery (7500mAh)

 

[yawns]

I don't think I'm really qualified to tell you whether or not to buy one, or to buy something else. I can just speak from personal experience and opinion. I wouldn't feel comfortable pushing the computer for extended periods of time without a pile of annoying cooling pads on hand; however, I doubt a similarly spec'd "PC" would run any differently/significantly cooler.

 

[ZZ Bottom]

obviously if you don't mind Windows, a Sony is also a great choice. Before dropping the cash on one of those however, I would do some asking around on a Vaio forum to see some real world temps. I would imagine the Viao stays cooler, considering Sony doesn't mind placing a fan port in plain view on the side. But, if the difference is 5-8 degrees under the same load, why not just get the MBP and use a cooling base/stand whenever your doing prolonged heavy tasks?

 

[seanman236]

I have the upgraded i7 processor (2.5Ghz) and I have noticed that it does tend to get warmer faster than my 2009 C2D macbook pro. However, I transcode a lot of video and play starcraft 2 for extended periods of time–and I have not had a problem yet. typical temps are in the 78-83 C range.

I automatically switch my fans to 6200 RPM when I have AC power available and know I am going to be gaming; but other than that, I don't use the laptop any different than normal.

If you do get the macbook pro, try to get the hi-res anti glare option. It has made using the laptop a completely new and phenomenal experience.

Hope this helps, Sean

 

[happle]

I don't think I'm really qualified to tell you whether or not to buy one, or to buy something else. I can just speak from personal experience and opinion. I wouldn't feel comfortable pushing the computer for extended periods of time without a pile of annoying cooling pads on hand; however, I doubt a similarly spec'd "PC" would run any differently/significantly cooler.

yeah i agree...

obviously if you don't mind Windows, a Sony is also a great choice. Before dropping the cash on one of those however, I would do some asking around on a Vaio forum to see some real world temps. I would imagine the Viao stays cooler, considering Sony doesn't mind placing a fan port in plain view on the side. But, if the difference is 5-8 degrees under the same load, why not just get the MBP and use a cooling base/stand whenever your doing prolonged heavy tasks?

yeah i know thats the thing i dont really like windows and i cant really see myself enjoying using anything but a mac. i just want the performance aspect to be there and i would like to be able to game and produce music for long periods without causing problems.

do you know of any good quiet cooling pads for the mbp?

I have the upgraded i7 processor (2.5Ghz) and I have noticed that it does tend to get warmer faster than my 2009 C2D macbook pro. However, I transcode a lot of video and play starcraft 2 for extended periods of time–and I have not had a problem yet. typical temps are in the 78-83 C range.

I automatically switch my fans to 6200 RPM when I have AC power available and know I am going to be gaming; but other than that, I don't use the laptop any different than normal.

If you do get the macbook pro, try to get the hi-res anti glare option. It has made using the laptop a completely new and phenomenal experience.

Hope this helps, Sean

i dont plan on getting the upgraded 2.5, just the 2.4 but how does SC2 run on your macbook? i will be playing diablo 3 so it will be similar as far as performance if not a little less intensive than SC2.

i also plan to get the hi res gloss just because i like the sheet of glass. you can poke it and clean it and not have to worry about damaging it. thanks for the input.

 

[TheRdungeon]

These MBPs are sweet for production, I have it hooked up to a screen so I can have mixer in one window, sequencer the other. high res is so important for music. It gets really hot but the only problem with that is the fan noise interfering with what you're trying to listen to. You could probably chuck it under your desk or something though if that's an issue. In logic it's a total beast, has 8 cores for audio processing and I've come nowhere near choking it, while my C2D 2.4ghz couldn't play some of my tracks

 

[happle]

These MBPs are sweet for production, I have it hooked up to a screen so I can have mixer in one window, sequencer the other. high res is so important for music. It gets really hot but the only problem with that is the fan noise interfering with what you're trying to listen to. You could probably chuck it under your desk or something though if that's an issue. In logic it's a total beast, has 8 cores for audio processing and I've come nowhere near choking it, while my C2D 2.4ghz couldn't play some of my tracks

yeah i know thats what im looking to buy this for mainly. i use reason 6 and starting to use ableton but i need something a bit beefier. my 2.26 c2d is having some trouble with my long fx chains in a song with only probably 15 tracks not counting all the drum hits as tracks.

i guess i should invest in a nice laptop cooling pad

 

[thundersteele]

I don't think you need a cooling pad. Also as far as I know, they have virtually no effect on the internal temperature. It might be useful if you want to keep it on your lap.

 

[happle]

I don't think you need a cooling pad. Also as far as I know, they have virtually no effect on the internal temperature. It might be useful if you want to keep it on your lap.

idk i read a few things that said that the macbooks do put out a lot of heat from the bottom. i was thinking of getting a cooler master u2 and flipping the fans around so it blows the hot air away from the macbook.

also i saw that people did tests with a cool pad and without and while the cpu temps remained almost the same the fan speeds were much lower with the cool pad. you know what this means? if you use smc to keep your fans revving and the cool pad you will see more drastic changes in cpu temp. thats my theory anyway.

also, do you think a hard case over the mbp would retain some heat? i like to use a hard case to keep it fresh looking for when its time to sell, but if its going to make an already hot mbp even hotter than i might just stay away.

 

[seanman236]

SC2 runs so well its awesome. And I found that the screen holds up pretty well to heavily cleaning ( I am a neat freak) as long as you are gentle. the resolution is pretty awesome as well.

Again I wouldn't worry about the heat, honestly.

 

[thekev]

Heat can shorten component life on more than just cpus. I am hoping that intel does hit their 17W target with Haswell and that Apple stops trying to get everything as thin as possible and allows at least a bit of breathing room so that these machines can run efficiently at maxed out cpu loads.

also i saw that people did tests with a cool pad and without and while the cpu temps remained almost the same the fan speeds were much lower with the cool pad. you know what this means? if you use smc to keep your fans revving and the cool pad you will see more drastic changes in cpu temp. thats my theory anyway.

You should post your results on how that works out. I'm sure a number of people would like that option assuming you are able to shave 10 degrees or more (Fahrenheit) off of your temps.

 

[happle]

SC2 runs so well its awesome. And I found that the screen holds up pretty well to heavily cleaning ( I am a neat freak) as long as you are gentle. the resolution is pretty awesome as well.

Again I wouldn't worry about the heat, honestly.

what are your temps when playing SC2? also gfx settings?

Heat can shorten component life on more than just cpus. I am hoping that intel does hit their 17W target with Haswell and that Apple stops trying to get everything as thin as possible and allows at least a bit of breathing room so that these machines can run efficiently at maxed out cpu loads.

You should post your results on how that works out. I'm sure a number of people would like that option assuming you are able to shave 10 degrees or more (Fahrenheit) off of your temps.

yeah i know thats what scares me...i dont wanna shorten any of the other components lives.

btw when is haswell supposed to come out? sucks sandy bridge is ****ing 45w...i mean damn they should at least have sandy bridge power still with 35 or less watts..

i dont know if i should buy a new mbp or not

 

[thundersteele]

You can always buy a 2010 MBP. The Arrandale chips in those were running with 35W.

Or maybe a 2009 low end 15'' with a 25W Penryn.

 

[zwodubber]

Here's my early 2011 2.3 under a heavy load. You can clearly see the fans properly dispersing the heat through the hinge as it was designed.

Slightly different camera setting

 

[happle]

You can always buy a 2010 MBP. The Arrandale chips in those were running with 35W.

Or maybe a 2009 low end 15'' with a 25W Penryn.

yeah but i need the better gfx chip in the current MBP. i wish they never made sandy bridge 45W...it just seems to high for a portable machine...

Here's my early 2011 2.3 under a heavy load. You can clearly see the fans properly dispersing the heat through the hinge as it was designed.

Image


Slightly different camera setting


Image

nice shots, thanks for that. but i still dont really understand what this proves. these pictures seem to indicate that overtime the heat of the cpu will burn the screen at the bottom lol...

 

[thundersteele]

nice shots, thanks for that. but i still dont really understand what this proves. these pictures seem to indicate that overtime the heat of the cpu will burn the screen at the bottom lol...

I'm quite sure the temperatures are in Fahrenheit.

 

[happle]

I'm quite sure the temperatures are in Fahrenheit.

im almost positive that there in C...or whatever he is using is inaccurate because theres no way the CPU is 88F under a load..

he said that it was a snapshot when his MBP was under a heavy load. when do you ever see a CPU at about 85F even at idle, let alone a heavy load? my CPU usually idles at 117F...right now my CPU is at 127F while listening to music, browsing, and i just finished watching a video.

anyways its def in C and those temps 103C right on the screen! that will def do some damage overtime, well i think it will anyway because every other component isnt made to handle over 100C, only the CPU is...

 

[thundersteele]

im almost positive that there in C...or whatever he is using is inaccurate because theres no way the CPU is 88F under a load..

he said that it was a snapshot when his MBP was under a heavy load. when do you ever see a CPU at about 85F even at idle, let alone a heavy load? my CPU usually idles at 117F...right now my CPU is at 127F while listening to music, browsing, and i just finished watching a video.

anyways its def in C and those temps 103C right on the screen! that will def do some damage overtime, well i think it will anyway because every other component isnt made to handle over 100C, only the CPU is...

Since these are thermal images, I assume it's surface temperatures, not CPU temperatures.

Also, for those who are concerned about the "other" components of the MBPs... already the CPU heat sink usually sits at 10C less than the CPU itself. The readings of the logic board sensors tend to be significantly below the CPU/GPU temperatures.

 

[happle]

Since these are thermal images, I assume it's surface temperatures, not CPU temperatures.

Also, for those who are concerned about the "other" components of the MBPs... already the CPU heat sink usually sits at 10C less than the CPU itself. The readings of the logic board sensors tend to be significantly below the CPU/GPU temperatures.

yeah i suppose that sounds right. i dont know about thermal images...i figured they would just sense the hottest are even inside the MBP just like thermal images of a house thats growing pot will show where the hottest area inside of the house is...but since the hottest area in this shot is where the exhaust is pushing out i assume your correct, the thermal image must just be getting the surface.

but that makes me feel better.

im still kinda stumped if i should get the new MBP. i just built an entire gaming PC with a 24" LCD and everything for 1700 bucks and the things a beast!

i would like to have a MBP and a desktop PC personally for games and some production and minimal browsing etc. but idk if i should get the MBP first or the PC.