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MacBook Air 2013 Case Heat?

JerTheGeek

JerTheGeek

macrumors 68000
Original poster
May 15, 2014
1,993
487
Hi all,
I have a 2013 11" Air with Core i5, 4gb RAM. I dont do much heavy work, just an iMovie project like once a week or less for YouTube; and I also play Lego Pirates of the Caribbean and Lego Star Wars the Complete Saga and Minecraft, around once a week, sometimes more frequently. When playing Lego Pirates of the Caribbean, or after working for a while in iMovie, my Air gets hot and the fans turn on. It is after around 10 minutes for Lego Pirates of the Caribbean, and a bit longer for iMovie; for Lego Star Wars and Minecraft, I can go for a long time without any fans or noticeable warmth. I know this is probably normal, but is it a bad thing to do this to my Air? Or is it just normal and nothing to worry about?
Thanks in advance,
JerTheGeek.
 
It's perfectly normal. 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 Mountain Lion. You can download it here.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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.)
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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. For Flash-related issues:
 
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