Ideal temp for MBP 13?

[scyap]

Hi everyone

I have a MBP 13" early 2011
Lion 10.7.3
2.3 Ghz i5


It is incredibly hot and sluggish at times

Just a while ago I was importing some photos using iPhoto, and the computer became pretty slow, often freezing and was quite hot... 90+ celcius !!

http://i.imgur.com/8pDhJ.png - Screenshot of temps and hw stats

Some background programs running were just MS word, Adobe reader and Safari with a few light-weight tabs open

http://i.imgur.com/tTLCR.jpg - Screenshot of running programs

Isn't that temperature incredibly high for performing such simple tasks?
The current room temp is about 25 celcius

=[

I went to the Apple Store and the staff told me his MBP was running idle at 90+ celcius, incredible and unbelievable. - Two weeks ago

Also, when running Flash, the temp stays at 90+ and performance is insanely horrible, freezing very often. Especially on Tetris Battle (Flash-based game on Facebook)

Flash has been updated to the latest and I don't have many 3rd programs installed/running.

I'm going to update to 10.7.4 tomorrow but according to the changelog, there doesn't seem to state any fixes related to my problem. OR is this a common problem(temp)?



Also, I'm using it on a flat surface table with 25'celcius room temp, no vents are blocked
Right now, there's not only a heat problem but a slow-performance prob :/


Thx for reading guys

 

[GGJstudios]

If a Mac's temps are 90C+, it's clearly not idle. There are always processes running that the user may not see if they don't choose the right option in Activity Monitor. 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) If you're not already using it, iStat Pro will give you accurate readings of your temps and fan speeds, among other things.

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). 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 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.)

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

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.)

 

[scyap]

^

I'm currently using iStat Pro, my temp readings are based on iStat Pro

I understand that high workload/demands on the system will cause it to work harder, therefore generating more heat. But importing is photos or just playing Tetris considered to be "heavy"? If that is so, the MBP13 must be pretty weak
Or is 90+ celcius is normal for a Mac?


Vents are not blocked and Flash has been updated to the latest
I tried the Flash blocking plug-ins you suggested, they don't really make a difference.

I'm starting to wonder if my fans are blocked

 

[GGJstudios]

But importing is photos or just playing Tetris considered to be "heavy"?

Not necessarily. As I said in my last post:

There are always processes running that the user may not see if they don't choose the right option in Activity Monitor.

1. Launch Activity Monitor
2. Change "My Processes" at the top to "All Processes"
3. Click on the CPU column heading once or twice, so the arrow points downward (highest values on top).
4. Click on the System Memory tab at the bottom.
5. Take a screen shot of the whole Activity Monitor window, then scroll down to see the rest of the list, take another screen shot
6. Post your screenshots.

 

[scyap]

Looks like Flash is hogging on everything
Didn't expect the MBP to be so weak (in terms of performance) though

=/

 

[GGJstudios]

Looks like Flash is hogging on everything

For Flash-related issues:

• Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available. Never install or update Flash from a pop-up on a website. Always go to Adobe's site to get Flash or updates.
• Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
• Try using the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.) Some have reported better performance with HTML5, while some have reported worse. Try it and find out what works best for you.

 

[sweetbrat]

The MBP isn't weak....Flash just sucks. It's very inefficient. It definitely seems to be the culprit in your situation. Whenever I play a Flash game, my temperature goes up, fans spin up and battery life is cut about in half. It's really not the computer's fault...Flash just sucks. Since you're playing a game in Flash, there's really not anything you can do, besides avoid playing the game.

How much RAM do you have in your computer? You don't show our page-outs on any of your screenshots, but I'm wondering if more RAM would help you at all...

 

[scyap]

For Flash-related issues:

• Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available. Never install or update Flash from a pop-up on a website. Always go to Adobe's site to get Flash or updates.
• Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
• Try using the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.) Some have reported better performance with HTML5, while some have reported worse. Try it and find out what works best for you.

Thanks buddy, I've updated my Flash Player to the latest and using ClickToFlash, blocking Flash ads but the temp still hovers around 85-90 celcius

The MBP isn't weak....Flash just sucks. It's very inefficient. It definitely seems to be the culprit in your situation. Whenever I play a Flash game, my temperature goes up, fans spin up and battery life is cut about in half. It's really not the computer's fault...Flash just sucks. Since you're playing a game in Flash, there's really not anything you can do, besides avoid playing the game.

How much RAM do you have in your computer? You don't show our page-outs on any of your screenshots, but I'm wondering if more RAM would help you at all...

What is a "page-out"?

I have 4GB RAM, from the widgets and monitors, it seems that I'm only utilizing 2GB (half) of my available RAM.
I don't think I have insufficient RAM.

BTW, if I were to add more RAM, any DDR3 1333mhz notebook RAM (as specified by manual) would be compatible? Such as those used in Windows-laptops?

Do I need to use any specific RAM only-for-Macbooks?

 

[sweetbrat]

Thanks buddy, I've updated my Flash Player to the latest and using ClickToFlash, blocking Flash ads but the temp still hovers around 85-90 celcius



What is a "page-out"?

I have 4GB RAM, from the widgets and monitors, it seems that I'm only utilizing 2GB (half) of my available RAM.
I don't think I have insufficient RAM.

BTW, if I were to add more RAM, any DDR3 1333mhz notebook RAM (as specified by manual) would be compatible? Such as those used in Windows-laptops?

Do I need to use any specific RAM only-for-Macbooks?

Blocking Flash ads isn't going to make a difference if you're checking the temperature when you're playing a Flash based game. ClickToFlash is good for general use, but if you're specifically using Flash then your temps will be high. There's really no way around that. If you're not running your Flash game, how are the temps then?

Page-outs are what happens when your computer runs out of RAM and starts using the HDD drive. Chances are if you have 4GB you're fine, but you can check anyways...you need to open Activity Monitor, then click on the System Memory tab at the bottom. That will show your free, active and inactive RAM, as well as page outs. Page outs are cumulative, though...the number resets when you restart your computer. So the best way to check is to restart your computer, then use it as normal for a while. Then check the page outs to see if you're running out of RAM. When the page outs are happening it makes the computer run much slower, so I was just trying to rule that out.