Macbook Air 2020 really warm to the touch (palm rest)

[fath0m]

Hello!

Two days ago I've received the all new Macbook Air 2020 i5, 512gb, 8gb version. So far it is an awesome laptop, but I just can't stop noticing the super warm laptop palm rest, which makes my hands really sweaty. I haven't had a metal laptop for 3 years almost, I used to use my old Dell latitude before purchasing this laptop and it was not warm at all even when pushing that thing...

I'm a web developer, mostly doing light stuff and not compiling as I mostly use interpreted languages that require more RAM rather than CPU power, so CPU power was never an issue for me. I used to own 2017 macbook air from work and it worked like a charm, I loved it so much that I decided to purchase this new macbook air, but why the hell is it so warm? I'm sitting here doing nothing, just browsing the web and it is still really uncomfortable, my CPU usage is litteraly at 9-15% right now, temps are around 55-60C, after two days of use my palms start to get red from the salt in my sweat and it is not the most comfortable thing in the world.

See, the thing is, I don't remember 2017 Macbook Air being so warm, so I decided to compare the surface temperatures of the old (2017) and this new macbook (2020), thanks to good guys at notebookcheck reviews, here's what I found out:

Macbook Air 2020 i5 model (Max. load)

Macbook air 2017 (Max. load)

The Macbook Air 2017 seems to be warmer under load, but what the hell is going overhere? Why is my macbook air 2020 so warm to the touch? While sitting writing this article my palm rest temperatures are: 31C (thanks to TG Fan software) and I'm not even on max load... I don't really know where the palm rest sensors are here on this laptop, but still, it shouldn't be this warm...

What is up? Do I have a defective unit that is way to warm than it should be? Or is there something I'm missing... Any of you, Macbook Air 2020 i5 owners, could you help me out? God forbid I do some programming, the laptop get's so hot that it is ridicilous and I can barely work...

Should I ask for apple support in my country? Europe has ****** electronic return policies, so I cannot return a product if it was opened up, so I can't return the product, unless it's defective (apple support finds it out).

P.S. I'm living in north-eastern Europe climate, where the spring just barely began and it's still quite cold here. I have no idea how hot it will get in the summer...

 

[jgorman]

Is it possible that the machine is still indexing the contents of the hard drive or performing an iCloud Photos sync? Are there any processes listed in the System Monitor's CPU section that you do not recognize taking up some of that 9-15% CPU time?

 

[ul1984]

My guess is that it's because more recent MacBooks (at least the 2019 MBP 13" does, while my 2018 15" doesn't) completely turn off the fan while idle.

That would explain why the 2017 and 2020 are similar under load.

Try some fan control software, that can monitor the speed, and set a minimum fan speed. Like iStat Menus or Macs Fan Control.

 

[fath0m]

Is it possible that the machine is still indexing the contents of the hard drive or performing an iCloud Photos sync? Are there any processes listed in the System Monitor's CPU section that you do not recognize taking up some of that 9-15% CPU time?

I don't see anything indexing. I didn't sync anything and when using spotlight I don't see the indexing load bar (seen it when just completed setup of mac). Even switched to Firefox instead of Chrome, I can see a help in temperatures by a few degrees, but still, the palm rest is warm. :/

My guess is that it's because more recent MacBooks (at least the 2019 MBP 13" does, while my 2018 15" doesn't) completely turn off the fan while idle.

That would explain why the 2017 and 2020 are similar under load.

Try some fan control software, that can monitor the speed, and set a minimum fan speed. Like iStat Menus or Macs Fan Control.

With TG Fan I can see that the fan is running at around 2.5k~ RPM on low temperatures, so that is not a problem unfortunately, I wish it was though... Kind of a shame that I have to do stuff like this on a brand new mac in the first place... :/

 

[jgorman]

View attachment 904774

I don't see anything indexing. I didn't sync anything and when using spotlight I don't see the indexing load bar (seen it when just completed setup of mac). Even switched to Firefox instead of Chrome, I can see a help in temperatures by a few degrees, but still, the palm rest is warm. :/



With TG Fan I can see that the fan is running at around 2.5k~ RPM on low temperatures, so that is not a problem unfortunately, I wish it was though... Kind of a shame that I have to do stuff like this on a brand new mac in the first place... :/

You are right. It all looks normal. To troubleshoot it, you can shut down one program at a time and check the temperature to see if any one of them is causing most of it. Maybe the System Monitor's Energy section has a hint also about what is drawing power. On the other hand, if you look around, temperatures of 55-60C and warm keyboards might be what other people are also getting when web browsing with the 2020 MBA.

 

[fath0m]

You are right. It all looks normal. To troubleshoot it, you can shut down one program at a time and check the temperature to see if any one of them is causing most of it. Maybe the System Monitor's Energy section has a hint also about what is drawing power. On the other hand, if you look around, temperatures of 55-60C and warm keyboards might be what other people are also getting when web browsing with the 2020 MBA.

I tried everything. Yeah probably, everybody is getting this, but haven't seen any complaints about warm palm rests or maybe I'm the one having sensitive wrists and this is just me not being used to an aluminum body laptop. Is it normal for macbooks?

 

[hftvhftv]

I tried everything. Yeah probably, everybody is getting this, but haven't seen any complaints about warm palm rests or maybe I'm the one having sensitive wrists and this is just me not being used to an aluminum body laptop. Is it normal for macbooks?

I think you should return it, I do not find my 2020 i7 MBA to be warm at all, in fact it's much much cooler than my 2011 15" MBP when being used on my lap. If it's uncomfortable I don't think a metal laptop is a good choice for your palms, or you have a defective battery since that'd be the component directly below the palm rests.

 

[esphil]

Has anyone tried to replace the thermal paste on the CPU yet? Thinking of putting on some grizzly Kryonaut on when I get mine.

 

[Dhonk]

Even switched to Firefox instead of Chrome, I can see a help in temperatures by a few degrees, but still, the palm rest is warm.

Couldn't that be a part of the problem. Safari is supposed to be significantly optimized for battery life, and I would assume it would tax the CPU less. I'm no expert though

 

[hftvhftv]

Has anyone tried to replace the thermal paste on the CPU yet? Thinking of putting on some grizzly Kryonaut on when I get mine.

I'd consider doing the same, but I don't think it would make a significant difference as the heatsink and chassis of the laptop seems to get very hot demonstrating effective heat dissipation. However I could be wrong and using better thermal paste might increase performance.

 

[0iine]

Has anyone tried to replace the thermal paste on the CPU yet? Thinking of putting on some grizzly Kryonaut on when I get mine.

Nah, don't get kryonaut, I literally posted it few weeks ago: They will start to breakdown if the cpu constantly gets over 80 celsius, and as a result, the amazing performance will only lasts about 3 months. I see people recommending Noctua NT-H2, never tried it myself, but I heard its got similar performance but with much better reliability.

 

[fath0m]

I think you should return it, I do not find my 2020 i7 MBA to be warm at all, in fact it's much much cooler than my 2011 15" MBP when being used on my lap. If it's uncomfortable I don't think a metal laptop is a good choice for your palms, or you have a defective battery since that'd be the component directly below the palm rests.

Maybe you could give me a quote on your palm rest temperatures (you can see them in TG Pro software, there's a free trial), while doing dev work (not really intensive tbh), my palm rest temperatures are 31C and 32C. What are yours, would be really helpful to find out if something is wrong with my machine.

Thanks a lot!

 

[johannnn]

The i3 is less warm than the i5.

You could also get http://tbswitcher.rugarciap.com, which makes the computer cooler, but also slower.

Sucks that the fan is so bad in the Air.

 

[ascender]

No issues with the i5 here. The laptop got slightly warm during the hours of setup, synching, installations etc yesterday, but no more than I'd expect with any of the current range of Airs or Pros.
[automerge]1586517220[/automerge]
No issues with the i5 here. The laptop got slightly warm during the hours of setup, synching, installations etc yesterday, but no more than I'd expect with any of the current range of Airs or Pros.

 

[esphil]

I plan to use turbo boost switcher if my i5 gets too hot rather than downgrade to a i3.

 

[thadoggfather]

in the middle between screen and function keys and the spot underneath it gets pretty hot when indexing and charging the laptop, where the cpu and heatsink are... but otherwise only seems lukewarm with casual use on day 2 and limited to that area

and under no circumstances have the palm rests gotten hot

i5 model

 

[ul1984]

Should I ask for apple support in my country? Europe has ****** electronic return policies, so I cannot return a product if it was opened up, so I can't return the product, unless it's defective (apple support finds it out).

If you bought a product or a service online or outside of a shop (by telephone, mail order, from a door-to-door salesperson), you also have the right to cancel and return your order within 14 days, for any reason and without a justification.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/guarantees-returns/index_en.htm

Are you sure that you cant return it?

 

[throAU]

The palm-rest area is battery... are you on AC power or on battery when this happens?

Is it perhaps charging through 30-80% when this happens? That's max charge rate and the battery might get warm doing that.

 

[fath0m]

Guarantees, cancelling and returning your purchases - Your Europe

How to claim the 2-year guarantee for EU purchases, get a repair, replacement or refund, how to cancel orders made outside shops (online, by phone, mail order).

europa.eu

There are exceptions for electronics, as stated here:

• sealed audio, video or computer software, such as DVDs, which you have unsealed upon receipt

 

[deaglecat]

palm rest is cool. i5 model

 

[E8onbreak]

There are exceptions for electronics, as stated here:

• sealed audio, video or computer software, such as DVDs, which you have unsealed upon receipt

That does not apply to electronics. That exception is for media so that someone cannot copy the content and then return.

 

[throAU]

The Macbook Air 2017 seems to be warmer under load, but what the hell is going overhere? Why is my macbook air 2020 so warm to the touch? While sitting writing this article my palm rest temperatures are: 31C (thanks to TG Fan software) and I'm not even on max load... I don't really know where the palm rest sensors are here on this laptop, but still, it shouldn't be this warm...

Just re-read this bit.

"So warm" = 1-2C outside of the testing reported elsewhere - the test you referenced got 29/30/31c across the palm rest area.

Seriously?

That's "so warm" (vs 29/30/31)? You're talking margin of error here.


It could be

1. your battery is being worked harder and thus causing heat, either due to charge or discharge rate being faster than the test you are referencing
2. manufacturing tolerances - maybe your battery just gets a little warmer
3. sensor tolerances - maybe your sensors have better contact with the location being measured
4. assembly tolerances
5. ambient temperature differences in the room you are in
6. your hands being warm - your body temp is > 30C (most people around 37-ish) so maybe your palms (or legs) are heating the machine

 

[geesus]

Never had my palm rest hot on my exact same model Air. That is using it during indexing, on battery and plugged in. Never had it warm even.

 

[KPOM]

Never had my palm rest hot on my exact same model Air. That is using it during indexing, on battery and plugged in. Never had it warm even.

I’ve noticed that the chassis and palm rest are cool even if the processor is at 100 degrees.

 

[Dat Le]

Hello!

Two days ago I've received the all new Macbook Air 2020 i5, 512gb, 8gb version. So far it is an awesome laptop, but I just can't stop noticing the super warm laptop palm rest, which makes my hands really sweaty. I haven't had a metal laptop for 3 years almost, I used to use my old Dell latitude before purchasing this laptop and it was not warm at all even when pushing that thing...

I'm a web developer, mostly doing light stuff and not compiling as I mostly use interpreted languages that require more RAM rather than CPU power, so CPU power was never an issue for me. I used to own 2017 macbook air from work and it worked like a charm, I loved it so much that I decided to purchase this new macbook air, but why the hell is it so warm? I'm sitting here doing nothing, just browsing the web and it is still really uncomfortable, my CPU usage is litteraly at 9-15% right now, temps are around 55-60C, after two days of use my palms start to get red from the salt in my sweat and it is not the most comfortable thing in the world.

See, the thing is, I don't remember 2017 Macbook Air being so warm, so I decided to compare the surface temperatures of the old (2017) and this new macbook (2020), thanks to good guys at notebookcheck reviews, here's what I found out:

Macbook Air 2020 i5 model (Max. load)
View attachment 904723

Macbook air 2017 (Max. load)
View attachment 904724

The Macbook Air 2017 seems to be warmer under load, but what the hell is going overhere? Why is my macbook air 2020 so warm to the touch? While sitting writing this article my palm rest temperatures are: 31C (thanks to TG Fan software) and I'm not even on max load... I don't really know where the palm rest sensors are here on this laptop, but still, it shouldn't be this warm...

What is up? Do I have a defective unit that is way to warm than it should be? Or is there something I'm missing... Any of you, Macbook Air 2020 i5 owners, could you help me out? God forbid I do some programming, the laptop get's so hot that it is ridicilous and I can barely work...

Should I ask for apple support in my country? Europe has ****** electronic return policies, so I cannot return a product if it was opened up, so I can't return the product, unless it's defective (apple support finds it out).

P.S. I'm living in north-eastern Europe climate, where the spring just barely began and it's still quite cold here. I have no idea how hot it will get in the summer...

Hi there,

I also got the same problem with my brand new Macbook pro 13" 2020. On first day using, the CPU temp is around 57-70°C when browsing youtube and the palm rest is also always 32-35°C (using TG Pro).

How is your mac going on by now or did you return it?