MacBook Pro 2012 i7 2.9 possible heating issue

[djjaes]

Hello everyone, I recently got a MacBook Pro 2012 i7 2.9 ghz from a pawn shop...in almost new condition on the outside. I opened it up to clean, little debris but a some dust. I changed the HDD to SSD. Runs fine but I think it may be running a bit too hot. I have yet to push the CPU in FCPX or other programs...thus far Safari, iStats Menus etc.

As of this post, the iStats menus reports 62 degrees C.

I am a bit scared or better said apprehensive to take out the logic board and replace the CPU thermal paste, but I am sure it is required.

Do any of you, now or in the past has any experiences with the i7 MacBook Pro 13.3in mid 2012?

Any suggestions and pointers appreciated.


*purchased to use FCPX as I am a teacher and do some videos etc for my classes, and the new MacBook Pro's are too expensive for me at this time.

Start of typing this post, 62 C to about 54 and now before submitting running about 58 degrees C.

 

[djjaes]

I ran a few test, as in played Sim City, and the temps got up to 163 degrees F....so Im thinking new thermal paste is needed. As well, I ran an Apple hardware test and the results showed everything was fine. However, I did notice a lot of heat during the test. I may be wrong in thinking this is heat issue as it just may be the i7...have any of you dealt with this processor? Any thoughts?

 

[joefoong79]

Hello everyone, I recently got a MacBook Pro 2012 i7 2.9 ghz from a pawn shop...in almost new condition on the outside. I opened it up to clean, little debris but a some dust. I changed the HDD to SSD. Runs fine but I think it may be running a bit too hot. I have yet to push the CPU in FCPX or other programs...thus far Safari, iStats Menus etc.

As of this post, the iStats menus reports 62 degrees C.

I am a bit scared or better said apprehensive to take out the logic board and replace the CPU thermal paste, but I am sure it is required.

Do any of you, now or in the past has any experiences with the i7 MacBook Pro 13.3in mid 2012?

Any suggestions and pointers appreciated.


*purchased to use FCPX as I am a teacher and do some videos etc for my classes, and the new MacBook Pro's are too expensive for me at this time.

Start of typing this post, 62 C to about 54 and now before submitting running about 58 degrees C.

Normal. This edition old MacBook is easy getting hot and also very hot symptoms when running extensive program. That why this edition MacBook Pro battery easy get bulge. If you want the battery last longer then don’t run extensive program for long period of time and always.

 

[djjaes]

Normal. This edition old MacBook is easy getting hot and also very hot symptoms when running extensive program. That why this edition MacBook Pro battery easy get bulge. If you want the battery last longer then don’t run extensive program for long period of time and always.

Perhaps, however, I am running my fan with SMC fan control at almost 5000 RPM, besides the noise it is helping keep the device cooler....I have ordered a tool kit from OWC with spudgers etc. I will take out the logic board and clean all parts and re-apply thermal paste. Even if it drops it ~5 C that is helpful. And, I do not want to run the fans that loud, lol.

 

[djjaes]

Ok, after re-applying thermal paste, the computer seems to be running hotter, any suggestions as to what this can be? The thermal paste was in bad shape, I cleaned the CPU die and re-applied the paste. With SMC fan control with RPM 5000 or so, it is running around 42C, but if left at stock speeds, it is like 70 plus C.

 

[Feenician]

172f/78c is a perfectly acceptable temperature. Until this year MBPs only throttled when the CPU reached 100c, the maximum TJunction temperature of the CPU.

Since your temps are now higher after reapplication I’d suggest another reapplication, possibly with better paste.

 

[djjaes]

172f/78c is a perfectly acceptable temperature. Until this year MBPs only throttled when the CPU reached 100c, the maximum TJunction temperature of the CPU.

Since your temps are now higher after reapplication I’d suggest another reapplication, possibly with better paste.

I was afraid of burning the CPU or causing other issues since the computer runs hot....I thought that another application of past might be needed...however, I like to never have gotten the backlight cable put back in the slot!!!!
[doublepost=1532758311][/doublepost]

172f/78c is a perfectly acceptable temperature. Until this year MBPs only throttled when the CPU reached 100c, the maximum TJunction temperature of the CPU.

Since your temps are now higher after reapplication I’d suggest another reapplication, possibly with better paste.

With SMC running the fans at 6000 Rpm, the system will run around 49C while using Safari etc. When I drop the RPMs lower, it starts to jump up to the 60s to 70s C.

 

[Feenician]

I was afraid of burning the CPU or causing other issues since the computer runs hot....I thought that another application of past might be needed...however, I like to never have gotten the backlight cable put back in the slot!!!!
[doublepost=1532758311][/doublepost]
With SMC running the fans at 6000 Rpm, the system will run around 49C while using Safari etc. When I drop the RPMs lower, it starts to jump up to the 60s to 70s C.

You shouldn’t have to janitor the fans. What temperatures do you see if you leave them at default and just use the computer typically?

 

[djjaes]

I set SMC fan control to default, round 2000 RPM, it was at 6200 RPM with a temp of 49C or so, and now, just on macrumors, it is running temps (iStat Menus) at 77-80C and according to SMC fan control, it says 63 C as I type this reply.
[doublepost=1532759159][/doublepost]

You shouldn’t have to janitor the fans. What temperatures do you see if you leave them at default and just use the computer typically?

as well, bottom of the case has started to get warm, and now, the iStats menus showed 91 C, nothing but downloading an update for FCPX in App Store and macrumors website.
[doublepost=1532759237][/doublepost]current screen shot with temp reading at the top
[doublepost=1532759367][/doublepost]Temps dropped to around 64C after the downloading of updates, and it is hovering around 61-63C, perhaps Im being paranoid, but this is my first MacBook Pro 2012 with i7.
[doublepost=1532759508][/doublepost]CPU info/temps

 

[Feenician]

I set SMC fan control to default, round 2000 RPM, it was at 6200 RPM with a temp of 49C or so, and now, just on macrumors, it is running temps (iStat Menus) at 77-80C and according to SMC fan control, it says 63 C as I type this reply.
[doublepost=1532759159][/doublepost]
as well, bottom of the case has started to get warm, and now, the iStats menus showed 91 C, nothing but downloading an update for FCPX in App Store and macrumors website.

So, firstly, since you saw higher temps after reapplying paste I’d consider doing that again. You mentioned that you did so because you were worried about the initial temperatures of your Mac. Neither those initial temps or your current temps are anything to worry about. Take your time, don’t worry and reapply when you’re ready. I guess chill (pun unintended), take your time and do your research would be my takeway there.

If you can get things down a bit, that’s a good thing from a comfort and longevity perspective. Even if you can’t I would expect your Mac to serve you for years to come. There’s been hysteria around here recently about temperature but, barring a rather horrible GPU fault for the 2011 MBP, temperature has not caused major reliability issues for MBPs. They are notably durable machines. A lot of the heaviest critics of the 2016+ gen have much older machines running well. Whether that stands for the 2018’s remains to be seen of course, but that’s not relevant to you.

Tl;dr re-apply paste when you’re ready. Until then don’t worry, and don’t micro analyze

 

[djjaes]

So, firstly, since you saw higher temps after reapplying paste I’d consider doing that again. You mentioned that you did so because you were worried about the initial temperatures of your Mac. Neither those initial temps or your current temps are anything to worry about. Take your time, don’t worry and reapply when you’re ready. I guess chill (pun unintended), take your time and do your research would be my takeway there.

If you can get things down a bit, that’s a good thing from a comfort and longevity perspective. Even if you can’t I would expect your Mac to serve you for years to come. There’s been hysteria around here recently about temperature but, barring a rather horrible GPU fault for the 2011 MBP, temperature has not caused major reliability issues for MBPs. They are notably durable machines. A lot of the heaviest critics of the 2016+ gen have much older machines running well. Whether that stands for the 2018’s remains to be seen of course, but that’s not relevant to you.

Tl;dr re-apply paste when you’re ready. Until then don’t worry, and don’t micro analyze

Thanks, and you are correct...I gave my old i5 2012 to my mom and it has been some years since I had a MacBook Pro, and always wanted the i7, might be a higher temp running machine...my 2010 is running a bit hot, so I might practice on it as well, lol....I got the logic board out with easy, it's that dang backlight cable that is tricky as heck.

 

[Feenician]

Thanks, and you are correct...I gave my old i5 2012 to my mom and it has been some years since I had a MacBook Pro, and always wanted the i7, might be a higher temp running machine...my 2010 is running a bit hot, so I might practice on it as well, lol....I got the logic board out with easy, it's that dang backlight cable that is tricky as heck.

I don’t have any personal experience of working on that era of MBP so I dont have any information you couldn’t find yourself. Hopefully some member of the community does and can offer some advice. Happy hacking!

 

[haruhiko]

I think 62'C on the CPU core under load is not abnormal (CPU proximity should be lower), it's summer (in the northern hemisphere I supposed you are).

 

[djjaes]

I think 62'C on the CPU core under load is not abnormal (CPU proximity should be lower), it's summer (in the northern hemisphere I supposed you are).

Yes, Northern Hemisphere and in the Upper US South, however, this MBP is in the house and it has an ambient temperature or around 70 degrees F.

I ordered new thermal paste, Arctic MX4, and in the next week or so I may re-apply...but I have been running tests and its seems to be doing a bit better. I just ran Bruce X 5K with this little beast (expired as Master File) did the test in 1 m 20 s. So for a low cost machine, this fits well.

I did rev the fans to 5000 RPMs during the FCPX render, and the temps reached around 70-80, close to 90 C at one brief point.

Returning to default setting (2000 RPM), the temps are about 45C, with CPU proximity around 36C. Well at this moment, but it doest trend to go up after I have ran the fans at higher RPMs.