Doesn't necessarily follow that M2 MBP is more efficient than M1 MBP, but for the purposes of this topic, that's irrelevant. So is that the final word, or will there be experts pointing out flaws in that YouTube video? Because a couple of weeks back, someone here assured me that with the higher TDP of the M2 and the thinner case, the M2 MBA had to throttle sooner because Apple can't make the extra heat dissipate without violating the laws of physics.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
M2 Air Disappointing Thermal Design
- Thread starter MK500
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The M2 Air has a more efficient passive cooling design than the M1 Air because there is simeply more internal space to help with the heat. The 13" Pro is a better computer to tell if the M2 chip runs hotter or cooler because its logic board and heatsink are almost identical.
Side note, iFixit has demonstrated that you can actually upgrade the M1 13" MBP to an M2 if you swap in the logic board, Touch ID, and trackpad; they talked about it in their M2 MBP teardown video. So theoretically you could turn your base M1 into a 24/2TB M2.
I was wondering how hot MBA M2 can get when using it in clamshell mode?
My current plan is to replace my Mini M1 desktop system with either MBP 14" or MBA M2 and I will use it easily for 99% of the time in clamshell mode and it only rarely leaves my desk and charger will be plugged in always. So I'm not sure how MBA M2 will last in that kind of use, because I think lid closed heat does not dissipate as efficiently and likely makes screen absorbing a lot of that and probably battery heating more too.
My use will not be very demanding, nothing like video editing or playing games. Mostly just MS Office and web browsing kind everyday tasks.
My current plan is to replace my Mini M1 desktop system with either MBP 14" or MBA M2 and I will use it easily for 99% of the time in clamshell mode and it only rarely leaves my desk and charger will be plugged in always. So I'm not sure how MBA M2 will last in that kind of use, because I think lid closed heat does not dissipate as efficiently and likely makes screen absorbing a lot of that and probably battery heating more too.
My use will not be very demanding, nothing like video editing or playing games. Mostly just MS Office and web browsing kind everyday tasks.
For your uses, the computer will not get very hot and the M2Air will handle it easily.
I think so too. I was just wondering how much hotter MBA M2 will get in clamshell mode use?
I'm pretty sure that will make difference to what it is lid open since heat is trapped under the display. I already saw some reviews measuring temps like 45-46 Celsius on the keyboard while lid open, so if it is get in the 50's or even stay at that 45-46 that could affect screen in long term (Of course in normal use it will not run at CPU 100% load, but still warmer than lid open).
I doubt it will get hot enough to damage the screen, but if you're still concerned the M2 13" Pro might be for you because the benefits of the M2Air's new design wont affect a computer which is almost always used in clamshell.
Does anyone know whether it will be safe to use the new MBA M2 almost exclusively in clamshell mode? The only time I imagine using it as an actual laptop would be when I’m traveling, out and about, or perhaps sitting on the couch. But outside of that, if I’m sitting at my desk, I would have my MBA closed and connected to a 4K monitor. This is how I used my 2016 MBP and by 2022 it began to exhibit very subtle signs of case warping/battery bulging. In addition, and around the same time, a line suddenly appeared at the very bottom of the screen (maybe a row of pixels that went bad?) so I’ve been paranoid ever since.
One more reason I got rid of my MBA M1 was that I want new design no matter if I end up choosing MBA or MBP, so for that reason alone MBP 13" is absolutely out of the question. No real reasonable explain why I want so because newer design feels flimsier to me.
Its hard to draw a parallel because that generation of MBPs had heat issues including flexgate on the display cable, but if your normal MBA use causes it to run hot you probably choose the M2 13" Pro which is the same price. Since your use is almost exclusively clamshell, the new Air design shouldn't be a primary deciding factor. Or if you were going to get 16/512Gb or better consider the 14" Pro which is now discounted close to the M2Air's price.
This is exactly what I'm try to find out too! I know MBP 14" would be better solution due to active cooling but still for me it is last year model and I'd hate to buy it at full price knowing it will be "old" model sooner than later. However MBA M2 is just released, and also in lighter use it is nearly the same performance as MBP 14" base 8-core, could be even faster in some single core tasks (I have no need for fast GPU, as long as there is even one in it).
From what you described above, it sound like battery was swelling in your old unit causing that. But in older models I think heat was bigger issue and also battery charging management has improved in the past couple of years, so it may or may not be an issue with the M1 or M2 based units. However not so sure how it is in fanless MBA's in the longer time clamshell use, it is so new model it remains to be seen how it goes.
Did you see any other ill effects from long time use in clamshell mode? Was there bluish tint on the display panel (like bluish shadows on the white blackground) or any signs of keyboard and display lid gasket suffering from the heat?
Last edited:
I used the M1 MacBook Air in clamshell almost exclusively for 15 months without any problem. The M2 is reportedly more efficient (I haven't received mine yet so all hearsay) so I wouldn't expect any trouble. My M1 almost never even gets warm anyway.
Another suggestion is to find a thin material which has good heat insulation properties and cut a piece which you can place between the screen and keyboard. This would better protect the screen from any heat assuming what you are doing does make the Air heat up.
That sounds promising. I guess MBA M2 would not be worse in this then. I think I saw some review already mentioning MBA M2 could actually run cooler than MBA M1 in certain type tasks.
By the way, did you ever inspect your MBA screen very carefully if there was even any hint of heat damage or any even small flaws in the picture? Did you notice keyboard or display lid gasket became any different during this time?
There's a video comparing an 8GB M2 Air to the 16GB M1 Air under moderate video workloads where the M2 was 10-20C cooler. Under a heavy video workload the M2 was even cooler, but that was likely due to the M2 dropping so many frames that the GPU didn't heat up as much.
I rather would not try this type of things and the gap between the screen and keyboard is so small you will likely end up causing more damage placing there anything thicker than the protective sheet it comes in the box when new. Also even if you manage to find something this thin that would prevent heat transferring to screen, you would likely also prevent heat dissipate and make it run even hotter and maybe cause damage to keyboard and/or battery. For this reason, I think those heat pad mods to improve CPU cooling by making it transfer to bottom cover is a terribly bad idea for the battery - there is a good reason why Apple did not do it.
I guess something like tin foil would be thin enough and work the way you suggested but again I strongly advice not to even try something like this - it is likely to cause more damage and I have no idea what tin foil would do to the screen coating and such, plus it will just get hotter under the tin foil.
Not tin, I was envisioning something where the keyboard side absorbs the heat and the screen side stays cool.
I think your best choice is to get the Air and use it in clamshell; you have a week and a half to decide (if you buy from a place like Costco you have like 90 days to decide). If the bottom only gets warm under your heaviest use then your concerns are probably unfounded; however, if the bottom gets hot to the touch then maybe you do need a computer with a fan. Heck, maybe you can use a small, quiet desk fan which would blow air towards the side (across the bottom, not against the bottom) of the computer.
There is no such thing available you could buy easily. Maybe if you have friend working for NASA or something like who could have access to special material like this you could ask if they can buy it.
Yeah, I know this. I'm located in EU area but there are few shops allowing long return periods. But I'm pretty sure use like this is not so uncommon that someone already tested it and I was looking to hear to more.
This is Final Cut only. This video primarily shows that the M2 media engine is superior to the M1. For thermal testing you need to run tasks that max out as many components of the SoC as possible, which is easiest to do with tasks that simultaneously push the CPU and GPU (Cinebench is a common example of this).
I‘ve been waiting for @Apple_Robert to point out the correlation / causation fallacy, but I guess now I have to do it: ”Just an additional data point highlighting, that the M2 is a more efficient design than the M1, and remains fit for a fanless design.”
The point of this thread is that the M2 Air chassis has a disappointing thermal design. ”Disappointing” in that it could have been better, and I would argue should have been at this price point. The M2 and M1 put out a similar amount of heat when fully loaded.
Decide for yourself if there is enough thermal mass in the M2 Air design to dissipate the heat for your specific needs. The photos in OP and testing under full load with/without extra thermal pads to case should be excellent data points. The M2 is indeed fit for a fanless design if there is enough thermal mass to reasonably dissipate the heat it generates.
The M2 Air is by no means a bad laptop. Thermal design is only one feature of many that people will weigh when making a purchasing decision. The more facts the better when deciding to make a purchase.
It'll be fine: Max Tech's data shows the M2 is approx. 12-14% more performant than the M1 at the same wattage. Plenty of headroom for the M2 Air to stay at least as cool as an M1 Air on same load.
I've had my M1 Air in your scenario and same use case driving a 5K external monitor almost every day for 8+ hours for 12+ months ... it has never been warm ... not once :-D
All these Air threads reek of people being disappointed that their civic (a dependable daily driver) isn’t doing well at the tractor pull they signed up for…
All you have proven is that the M2 gets hot when running stressful benchmarks that even maxTech admits are only relevant to people who knew they should have purchased a MBP instead. That and the M2 has a different thermal design, not that it has an inferior thermal design. The M1's thermal design is nothing to write home about, I found it easy to throttle which is why I bought a MBP.
Last edited: