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How hot is too hot?
- Thread starter Brocksley
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Did it shutdown? Then it's not too hot. 
I don't think iStat provides the correct sensor info, you shouldn't be at max fan speed at 83C, IMO. Seems every app out there provides a different temp reading. If it gets too hot then it will shutdown, but it's their nature to run hot while gaming or during other heavy CPU/GPU utilization so it sounds normal to me.
I don't think iStat provides the correct sensor info, you shouldn't be at max fan speed at 83C, IMO. Seems every app out there provides a different temp reading. If it gets too hot then it will shutdown, but it's their nature to run hot while gaming or during other heavy CPU/GPU utilization so it sounds normal to me.
Yeah, technically he's right. Part of the reason Macs run "hotter" is their aluminum bodies. The whole case is essentially a giant heat sink. Better it to be exhausting that air than keeping it trapped in a plastic body. Under load it's going to get hot, everything is running at 100%. It'll shutdown if it reaches dangerous temperatures. If you're worried about it, raise it up so it can get some better airflow underneath.
Nope. I've had my laptop hit 110c, which IS too hot. Changed the thermal paste and all is good. 83 is warmer but fine.
is there any official remarks about Temps? I went to Apple Chat and all they could provide me was.
"Do not expose your MacBook Pro to extreme heat sources, such as radiators or fireplaces, where temperatures might exceed 212°F (100°C)"
Odd that there is not more activity on the apple support for this issue.
Basically These Two Links.
Mac notebooks: Operating temperature
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1778?viewlocale=en_US
http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUA...ro-retina-mid-2012-important_product_info.pdf
"Do not expose your MacBook Pro to extreme heat sources, such as radiators or fireplaces, where temperatures might exceed 212°F (100°C)"
Odd that there is not more activity on the apple support for this issue.
Basically These Two Links.
Mac notebooks: Operating temperature
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1778?viewlocale=en_US
http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUA...ro-retina-mid-2012-important_product_info.pdf
Why would you even care? Your laptop should not overheat no matter what it does. If it is defective and will break down because of overheating, this will most certainly happen within the warranty period. I don't see much sense in tracking the temperatures, it only fuels paranoia and does not bring any actual benefit.
P.S. This comes from someone who used to build his own water-cooling solutions for custom gaming PCs. I guess I have outgrown this
Why would you even care? Your laptop should not overheat no matter what it does. If it is defective and will break down because of overheating, this will most certainly happen within the warranty period. I don't see much sense in tracking the temperatures, it only fuels paranoia and does not bring any actual benefit.
P.S. This comes from someone who used to build his own water-cooling solutions for custom gaming PCs. I guess I have outgrown this
When you use something like smcFanControl, you get temperature readouts right in your menu pane.
Nothing 'paranoid' about ensuring your system doesn't overheat.
As long as you do not exceed 95C, everything is working as it should.
Why would you even care? Your laptop should not overheat no matter what it does. If it is defective and will break down because of overheating, this will most certainly happen within the warranty period. I don't see much sense in tracking the temperatures, it only fuels paranoia and does not bring any actual benefit.
P.S. This comes from someone who used to build his own water-cooling solutions for custom gaming PCs. I guess I have outgrown this
The point is what is normal? If my MBP continues to run above 195F average is that normal while steaming a movie? Should one take it in or is that not a concern? Bottom line is that excessive heat will wear down components faster but we can't carrie around liquid nitrogen so we have to live with it.
Its normal temperature if you are doing something GPU-intensive (like playing games). Streaming a movie could be surely done more efficiently, but this is the question of how your particular software does it.
Macbook Pros are not as dependent upon 'load' as far as temperature is concerned.
The reason for that is the variable cooling system. Even a very mild load will cause the temperature to start creeping up, and the fans won't even start really increasing in speed until you start getting up around 80C (176F).
They won't 'jet up' until you get to 90C (194F).
What is your fan speed while watching the movie @ 195F? What is the total load on the system?
Check out Intel's Power Gadget to get some more real data.
The reason for that is the variable cooling system. Even a very mild load will cause the temperature to start creeping up, and the fans won't even start really increasing in speed until you start getting up around 80C (176F).
They won't 'jet up' until you get to 90C (194F).
What is your fan speed while watching the movie @ 195F? What is the total load on the system?
Check out Intel's Power Gadget to get some more real data.
Any use decreases the life of the laptop, where's your proof that 80+ decreases it any faster than a lower temp?
I've never had a device fail due to running at higher temps (still within spec), the devices have always been in need of being replaced due to upgrading before critical failure occurred and I've had countless devices over the past few decades.
The rate of failure is higher at higher temperatures, after a threshold, than lower temps. Why else are overclockers warned by Intel about causing permanent damage when they exceed Tjunction?
The closer you get to Tjcuntion, the worse off your CPU is.
You should look up something called......Ohms law, and learn about electron flow resistance.
I should have said, show me that it matters. Like I said before, I've never had a temperature related failure before it was time to upgrade anyway. I still have hardware from decades ago that still functions. Is heat a good thing? No, but it's not the end of the world like a lot of people here would like others to believe. Look at all the old Macs still running fine all these years later, if running hot were a problem then people would be complaining about Macs dead from heat all the time. Running "hot" is nothing new here.
You probably do not do daily or weekly renders on your mac, but if you were, I would estimate a dead CPU in 3 to 5 years. Now, you may upgrade your laptop, but what if you also want to keep the old one? Do you just want the quality of your investment to decrease at an artificially accelerated rate?
Running hot is also a usability issue. How long can you tolerate a hot keyboard, even one that burns the fingers the closer it is to the vents?
I render in FCPX often as well as play hardware-taxing games, among other things. As I said, I haven't had any issues due to heat. I still have a PowerBook G4 that works fine, my first unibody Mac was fine, so was my second, and now my 3rd is also fine (two have been provided by my employer).
I don't render or play games on my lap, so the heat doesn't bother me.
How many hardware failures have you had that were conclusively due to running hot for extended periods of time?
It's quite normal, given the workload. If you're not already doing so, use iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) to get accurate readings of your temps, fan speeds, etc., rather than relying on your sense of touch or sound. A forum member has posted a copy of iStat Pro that has been "tweaked" to enhance compatibility with Mountain Lion. You can download it here.
The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat. CPU Tjmax = 105C (221F), GPU Tjmax = 100C (212F) on i3, i5, i7 processors. (Source: Intel)
Unless there is a rare defect in a Mac, most temps are well within the normal operating range, considering the workload being 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 you're constantly putting high demands on your system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just your Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.
It is also quite normal for your Mac to become extremely hot to the touch during intensive operations. The aluminum body transfers heat more effectively than other materials used in computer casings, so you will feel the heat more. This doesn't indicate that it's overheating and will not harm the computer to be hot to the touch.
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), or 1200 for the newest MBAs. Older iMacs have 3 fans with minimum speeds in the 800-1200 range, while the newest iMacs have a single fan, spinning at a minimum of about 1400 rpm. 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 notebooks in the MacBook line (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. For Flash-related issues: - Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available.
- Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
- Use the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.)
I was replacing the thermal paste yesterday and apparently used too little (I smoothed it out to be as thin as possible), and wasn't adhering to the heatsink); ran it at about 105-110 centigrade for about 6 hours before realizing something was wrong.
It was fine afterwards.
It was fine afterwards.
It was in my sig but it seems to have disappeared
Either way it's a MBP 15" A1286 Early 2009. The first up-spec of the first 15" unibody.
If it's not running over the 100C tjunction temperature, as defined by Intel, then it's within normal operating temperatures. A hot CPU will run more slowly than a cold CPU (neither are implying extremes in temperatures), but that's just how the physics play out (I'm no physicist but it's an interplay of temperature and electricity). Running at 80C or 90C does not mean you are slowly killing your CPU. I would love to read some material proving otherwise.
Macbook's too hot
I link to a few different tests - including one from JPL / NASA.
Long story short: More heat = More wear