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roncron

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 15, 2011
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As someone who ordered and is waiting for a 2020 MBA, I've been following the various threads on the 2020 MBA's apparent inadequate heat dissipation and loud fans. I watched all the YouTube videos that others have linked to in these threads, in particular the Max Tech videos in which he shows the CPU getting up to 100 degrees celsius when running Cinibench.

This got me wondering: how hot is too hot? And, how accurate are the temperature readings?

On my 2018 MBA, I've managed to get the temp up to 100C, like Max Tech did. I'm using (the free version of) TG Pro by Tunabelly to measure temperature and fan speed, like in Max Tech's videos.

100C = 212F, the temperature at which water boils. If the temperature gauge is accurate, shouldn't the inside of the laptop be pretty much melting by now?

And shouldn't the laptop feel extremely hot to the touch? It doesn't. It feels warm to very warm (on the bottom and above the Fn keys), but not unusually warm compared to all the other laptops I've used over the years which, when pushed hard, have also gotten warm to very warm to the touch.

So I'm wondering. Is the temperature gauge accurate when it says 100C/212F degrees?

And, regardless of that, how big of a risk to your laptop is it to run it very warm on occasion? As far as I can tell, I have never damaged any previous laptop by running it hard enough to get it very warm to the touch, or to get the fans to fire up.

If we run our shiny new 2020 MBAs very hard, they will be very warm to the touch, the fan will blast, and the processor will slow down. All of which is a nuisance, to be sure. But is it JUST a nuisance, or is there a very real risk of damaging the computer?

If there's a real risk of causing damage, then maybe we all should get Apple Care for our 2020 MBA's, or return them and wait for the forthcoming 13" MBP with Magic scissor keyboard.

If not, then I'd say that, for me, this is really not a big deal.
 
Great questions....I just got my MacBook Air i5, and if it was not for me reading about the temperature issues I would have never paid attention to the laptop getting a little warm and the fan coming on once in awhile under heavy use. Since now I am more "informed", I would like to know as well, how hot is too hot?
 
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What is being read via temperature utilities is probably not the CPU die temperature, but the temperature of the CPU's immediate outer casing. The maximum temperature allowed at the CPU die is the junction temperature (Tjmax), which is 100 degrees C for all 2020 MBA CPU options.

Many CPUs can reach 100 degrees C in bursts, but eventually they usually reduce power and settle at a lower temperature for longer operations, but the new MBA seems to stay there. There are a few differences in the thermals between the 2020 MBA and the 2018 MBA.

The temperature of the actual laptop exterior is different than the CPU temperature. Heat dissipates through all of the components and then the case, so it will be lower than the CPU temperature.

The CPU will protect itself if temperatures rise above 100 degrees, by reducing power or eventually shutting down. However, I worry about the long term heat wear to the other components, like the case, the logic board and the battery.

As a side note, I did have an older MBA that got so hot it shut down a few times spontaneously. The two rear feet came off because the glue that held them to the case liquified. I am not saying that will happen to the new MBA. I am just wary of how hot these seem to run.
 
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