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is there a way to remove the heatsink without voiding the warranty?

The Unseen

The Unseen

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 24, 2012
96
28
Naples, Italy
Hi all, i own a 2,5ghz 13'' mid 2012 mbp, and i am quite happy of it.
Only when gaming (doesn't matter if a new game or an old game) i see temperatures too much high.
I found interesting this thread : https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1460690/
and i think that removing the heatsink and thermal paste to put it in a better way would be very easy ( i am a pc/mac technician ) and effective with the result of lower temperatures. But the mac has only 3 months of life, and i'm afraid that this will be visible to a genius of an Apple Store if i will bring there due to problems with my mbp.
I don't want to cheat, i want to know if is possible to do this without voiding warranty, otherwise i will wait the end of it.
 
The Unseen said:
I don't want to cheat, i want to know if is possible to do this without voiding warranty, otherwise i will wait the end of it.
Click to expand...
Yes, it would void the warranty, as it's not considered a user-serviceable part.

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 (free) or iStat Menus ($16) 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 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 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:
 
Thank you for the quick and detailed reply.
I use iStat, Temperature Monitor and SMC fan control and i think that my mbp behaves normally , even if i' ve reached 102 celsius degrees on the GPU according to Temperature Monitor playing Auto Sport Driving.
However, i think that an help to lower temperatures will give a longer life to my mac, maybe is just my thought, but i've noticed that also in Bootcamp with windows the temperatures are very very high also with basic tasks (gaming is nearly impossible, it becomes like fire). Anyway, if it's not possible, i think i will wait june 2013 (if i resist to the curiosity :) )
 
Last edited:
The Unseen said:
Thank you for the quick and detailed reply.
I use iStat, Temperature Monitor and SMC fan control and i think that my mbp behaves normally , even if i' ve reached 102 celsius degrees on the GPU according to Temperature Monitor playing Auto Sport Driving.
However, i think that an help to lower temperatures will give a longer life to my mac, maybe is just my thought, but i've noticed that also in Bootcamp with windows the temperatures are very very high also with basic tasks (gaming is nearly impossible, it becomes like fire). Anyway, if it's not possible, i think i will wait june 2013 (if i resist to the curiosity :) )
Click to expand...
Many have reapplied thermal paste. Whether that helps in your case or whether it's noticed and your warranty work refused if you take it in for repair is anyone's guess. You just need to decide if it's worth the risk to you.
 
Rather than major surgery, why not tweak the fan so it would come on sooner. My 10 years old Wintel notebook has built-in Performance vs Silent fan settings, but I guess on the Mac u have to run a third party widget?
 
Mrbobb said:
Rather than major surgery, why not tweak the fan so it would come on sooner. My 10 years old Wintel notebook has built-in Performance vs Silent fan settings, but I guess on the Mac u have to run a third party widget?
Click to expand...

Yes on Mac OSX i can tweak the fan speed, but the fan at full speed is noisy and the fact that the way Apple put thermal paste is perfectible, i am thinking to reapply it to have the mac less hot and with the fan at low speed
 
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