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Late 2011 MBP Overheating?

D

dyehead

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 25, 2011
17
5
Greetings,

I've got a late 2011 15" MBP with the anti-glare display, and the 6770M GPU.

I replaced the RAM with 1600Mhz memory (corsair) about a year ago

I put in a Samsung EVO 500gb drive around the same time.

I've traced a problem with performance to the following situation:

When the battery is not 100% charged, and is CHARGING, (plugged in) I get a kernel task process that spins up and uses my CPU like crazy, 500%+.

If I unplug the power adapter, it goes back to normal. if I put an ICE PACK under where the charger is, it settles down. My fan spins up like crazy (obviously during any GPU intensive application) as well.

Could I have a bad heat sensor or something? Is charging + GPU use overheating something? Has anyone else experienced this?

I'm waiting on the broadwell MBP and hopefully the new GPU they use for it, just frustrating that it keeps getting delayed, when this problem occurs my laptop is basically unusable until the battery has fully recharged.

Any advice would be appreciated!
 
It's normal for the power adapter and/or your MBP to get warmer when charging. It's not normal for a process to use that much CPU when charging. You may consider creating another user account and try the same scenario while logged into the new account, to see if you get the same results.

If you're not already doing so, use iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) to get accurate readings of your temps, fan speeds, etc., rather than relying on your sense of touch or sound. A forum member has posted a copy of iStat Pro that has been "tweaked" to enhance compatibility with recent OS X versions. You can download it here.
 
Do what GGJstudios has suggested.

+

I will post my thoughts on over-heating sometime in the near future.
 
it's not the power brick that's overheating, the area where it's plugged into the laptop gets very hot, which coincidentally is also where it gets hot when I have something graphically intensive running.

I have installed istats, but I'm not sure what useful info it will give me. I'll try to replicate the problem.

Regardless of the outcome of the tests, what are the possible solutions? Is my RAM getting too hot?
 
dyehead said:
it's not the power brick that's overheating, the area where it's plugged into the laptop gets very hot, which coincidentally is also where it gets hot when I have something graphically intensive running.

I have installed istats, but I'm not sure what useful info it will give me. I'll try to replicate the problem.

Regardless of the outcome of the tests, what are the possible solutions? Is my RAM getting too hot?
Click to expand...
No, your primary sources of heat are the CPU and GPU, not your battery or RAM or other components. The general area of your MBP where the CPU/GPU lie is underneath your keyboard near the upper edge, close to the hinge. Anything resource intensive can cause that area to get hot, which is normal. Your Mac is not overheating, or it would automatically shut down.

If you're not already doing so, use iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) to get accurate readings of your temps, fan speeds, etc., rather than relying on your sense of touch or sound. A forum member has posted a copy of iStat Pro that has been "tweaked" to enhance compatibility with recent OS X versions. You can download it here.
​
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)
​
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.
​
The fans in Macs are always on when the Mac is on, spinning at a minimum speed which varies by Mac model. 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 on the back of the computer. Make sure the vents remain unblocked to allow your computer to perform at its best. For Flash-related issues:
 
dyehead said:
it's not the power brick that's overheating, the area where it's plugged into the laptop gets very hot, which coincidentally is also where it gets hot when I have something graphically intensive running.

I have installed istats, but I'm not sure what useful info it will give me. I'll try to replicate the problem.

Regardless of the outcome of the tests, what are the possible solutions? Is my RAM getting too hot?
Click to expand...

I'd have it checked. Power port might be faulty.

___

I have an update. After repeated visits to the Apple Store and calls with support, it appears the problem was coming from the MagSafe 2 Power port. They replaced the port and now all the GPU performance issues, heat issues, and fan issues have calmed down. I am getting consistently high framerates in all my games (Bootcamp and Mac) regardless of whether it is plugged in or not.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4891348?start=0&tstart=0

___
 
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