Idle Temps, MBP 16inch, Windows 10 vs MacOS

[johnalan]

In Windows 10, I'm getting about 70c idle.... In macOS I see 40-42c... CPU usage is 1-2% in both.

Does this sound normal?

 

[casperes1996]

Yes. I’m afraid it’s common for Macs to run hotter under Windows under similar loads, for various reasons. It’s at least the case for some newer high end MacBook Pros that the CPU is actually undervolted in macOS, which won’t be the case in Windows. There’s also other reasons for temperature differences to occur like power state handling varying between the operating systems, It should still be safe, but it is less than ideal that it is this way, given that the increased heat can lead to faster fan spin, more noise, hotter palms when touching the device and in some cases worse performance under Windows on some devices.

 

[leman]

Yes its normal. First, the dGPU is always active under Windows. Second, Apple only ships minimal power management drivers for Windows.

 

[effgee]

Normal.

When running macOS the MacBook Pro is using Apple's own optimized thermal profile. Under Windows the machine falls back on Intel's default profile, that's why temps are higher and the fans are so much more audible.

See Linus' review on YouTube - he presents extensive data to support his point, starting just about eight minutes into his review.

 

[johnalan]

Thanks guys.