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Is my 2011 mbp13 overheating?

C

C1raider

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 24, 2011
52
0
So, I am a recent mac convert and am, thus far, enjoying the new machine. However, as of late there seems to be more heat dispersing from the machine. I have only had it since the 2011 release, and could have just overlooked this until now. I am not gaming or anything near that demanding. Only Safari, Firefox, pandoraboy, Word, and flash (such as youtube and hulu). Sitting on my lap, while in bed, I find myself shifting the machine around to help disperse the heat being it serves as a source of discomfort. It's not burning my legs, like my envy 15 use to, but I am wondering if this is "normal." Please forgive my naivety with this machine; I have always been under the persuasion that mac's were known for their "quiet" and low heat dispensing properties.

Thanks for your help.
 
C1raider said:
So, I am a recent mac convert and am, thus far, enjoying the new machine. However, as of late there seems to be more heat dispersing from the machine. I have only had it since the 2011 release, and could have just overlooked this until now. I am not gaming or anything near that demanding. Only Safari, Firefox, pandoraboy, Word, and flash (such as youtube and hulu). Sitting on my lap, while in bed, I find myself shifting the machine around to help disperse the heat being it serves as a source of discomfort. It's not burning my legs, like my envy 15 use to, but I am wondering if this is "normal." Please forgive my naivety with this machine; I have always been under the persuasion that mac's were known for their "quiet" and low heat dispensing properties.

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

It's perfectly normal, the metal body conducts the heat to disperse it.
 
The machine has the i5 processor equipped. I actually didnt want the i7, ironically, because of heat and power consumption.

Thanks adidas for your input
 
Flash is CPU intensive, thus the heat.
Have you taken a look at your temperatures and fan speed via iStat Menu?
Do you object controlling the fan speed?
 
istat, just downloaded it, cool program. The enclosure temps are being displayed is 94 degrees F and I just shut the laptop and turned it upside down for a couple minutes to cool down.

Normal?


And, I believe you asked me if I was willing to control my fan speed? As long as it wont void my warranty I'll give it a shot.....now how do I do that?

Thanks for the info
 
I download the smc fan control app but for some reason it's not wanting to open. I'll keep trying. Concerning my temp, 94 degrees Fahrenheit is the correct reading for the enclosure. I did just open a window and it's no longer laying on my comforter; I guess I'll just keep an eye on it. My cpu reading 140F with <10% usage.

Thanks for the info again
 
Your temps are fine. The ones you see for Intel specs, review, and the forum for the most part.. are all Celsius. Your CPU is good up 'till 100C / 212F.

People are babysitting their gear way too much. Just use it. The whole point of the Intel turbo modes are to USE the available thermal/power envelope. Rather than sit there at some cool temp, the CPU will dynamically clock cores up to higher speeds for more performance.
 
140°F is 60°C, which is okay too. Just make sure NOT to block the vents near the hinge.

And SMC Fan Control opens itself into the Menu Bar, look for a "49°C° or "2000rpm" icon.
 
When I notice my, two week old, $1300 investment is making me uncomfortable while laying on my lap, under light usage, I am slightly concerned that may not be running properly. If I was looking for a performance laptop, such as my old envy, I would expect that much heat. If I purchased a $300 dell laptop I would just "use it."
 
C1raider said:
When I notice my, two week old, $1300 investment is making me uncomfortable while laying on my lap, under light usage, I am slightly concerned that may not be running properly. If I was looking for a performance laptop, such as my old envy, I would expect that much heat. If I purchased a $300 dell laptop I would just "use it."
Click to expand...

I wasn't taking a shot at you in particular. Look at the forum. It's filled with people monitoring their fans and temps like hawks.

The point to you is that your temps are quite low.
 
One of the main issues here could be that if you use the macbook on your lap. As the fans are located via a vent at the back you can easily block them when resting the macbook on your lap/cushion/bed etc which can stop the flow of air.
I invested in one of those tacky dinner plate holders with the cushion underneath that u can use to eat ur dinner off. Simple and effective, and makes it much comfier to use.
 
Ahha, found the icon. Thanks simsalad. I maxed out the fan rpm and after 5 minutes the laptop's shell is much cooler. I would rather have a little more fan noise than a warm machine plus I usually have music on or my earbuds in.

Oh, alright brent. I think people just like knowing what's going on with their machine so they can maximize their happiness with it. While I realize my cpu was probably not under threat of thermal damage I was not happy with the temp of my case. Thanks to people on this forum I have noticed an immediate improvement of my shell's temperature and am much happier with my machine.

Thanks everyone
 
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And I think you make a valid point frank. Partially blocking the vents may have contributed to my issue. Good idea with the dinner tray, though I prefer to keep things easy and I think the fan boost will do the job well enough.
 
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