Macbook Pro 17' - my cooling mod

[AlexMaximus]

Hi folks,

Since Apple, -after hefty legal pressure, admits that their MBP's are poorly designed from an cooling / engineering point of view, I wanted to share my cooling mod to mitigate this problem. Its not perfect, but it works and lowers working temperature for the chips significantly.

For all 2011 machine owners, the cost free logic board replacement program of faulty AMD GPU's started a couple weeks ago.

 

[yangchewren]

Hi folks,

Since Apple, -after hefty legal pressure, admits that their MBP's are poorly designed from an cooling / engineering point of view, I wanted to share my cooling mod to mitigate this problem. Its not perfect, but it works and lowers working temperature for the chips significantly.

For all 2011 machine owners, the cost free logic board replacement program of faulty AMD GPU's started a couple weeks ago.

It looks neat from the exterior!

 

[RichardC300]

Wow! This is the best execution of the cooling mod that I've seen yet. Really tempting to buy another bottom plate to try this. How difficult was drilling the plate? Was it easy to stay in place and get a really precise hole?

 

[AlexMaximus]

my drilling experience..

Wow! This is the best execution of the cooling mod that I've seen yet. Really tempting to buy another bottom plate to try this. How difficult was drilling the plate? Was it easy to stay in place and get a really precise hole?

Two things I would do different after this first experience:

1. The square for penciling in the marks for the holes was a bad idea. You should use a circle to mark it, - not a square. With a square you end up having narrower spaces between the holes in the corners, and wider spaces between corners.

2. A spiral design might be cooler and easier to do.

What worked out well:

Most important to use a bigger drill for removing the chips after drilling. The material was easy to drill and rather soft. There might be no need for piercing it before drilling as I did. That saves time, depending what drill you use.
A 0,5mm drill worked out well. I thought I might break one, but I did not.

The temperatur at heavy workload dropped at least 20°. That is a lot and it really does make a difference. With a good sticker, you can improve the result from a "so so DIY job" to "almost super".

 

[0x100]

It will still die prematurely though.

If you can, I recommend reflowing the gpu somewhere.

 

[shorelineproductions]

The 20º temperature drop that you mention, was that Centigrade for Fahrenheit?

 

[ricardo.felix]

I am very interested in hearing from you @AlexMaximus

I have a 2019 MBP and I need it to stop throttling on Bootcamp when I am gaming...

Any news on how this improved your temperatures/performance?

Thank you

 

[AlexMaximus]

I am very interested in hearing from you @AlexMaximus

I have a 2019 MBP and I need it to stop throttling on Bootcamp when I am gaming...

Any news on how this improved your temperatures/performance?

Thank you

Hi Ricardo,

I have PM'd you befor I read the actual post here. As we all know, the 2019 is a very hot running device. It might be a different story in your case, the mod might help more than in my 2010 MBP. What I would do different for such a new device considering your investment with all this External GPU of yours, see to find a machine shop with a water jet machine and get that baseplate drilled by a CNC machine or something of that sort. You would not belive how some people can produce a way better job than I did with just a little laser machine or something like this.

Here is an example what I mean.

Custom GPU RGB Backplates bestellen

Galerie meiner Grafikkarten / GPU Backplates aus dem Shop

customdesignbypat.de

See and find someone close to your location that can machine/drill thin Alu sheets and you will have a lot more pleasure with that mod of yours and it would not impact the resale value so much on a 2019 machine.