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Macbook Pro I7 15" cpu temperatures!!!! help

I

Ian.C

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 6, 2008
136
14
Lancashire, UK
hi,

i have recently bought myself a macbook pro just before christmas...

got a 15" 2.66ghz I7 with 8gig ram... top model..

just recently i have been enjoying the odd game of battlefield company 2 - veitnam on the macbook. oh and the odd game of dirt 2....

im not really a gamer but just recently been loving the odd game... but just recently i have noticed the macbook gets really hot around the power connector and black strip between the function keys and screen... its that hot you cant touch it...

i have seen alot of post about this, im not sure what to do please see temps below...

im quite enjoying gaming and i dont want to damage the macbook...

temp from bootup not doing anything

min 28c = 82f
max 44c = 111f


after 30 mins of playing games

min 45c = 113f
max 62c = 143f

after 1hr of playing games

min 45c = 113f
max 102c = 215f

these are allt aken from realtemp..... and from the i7 processor

seems very high, just wondering what people thought, i really dont want to sell it but im enjoying the bit of gaming i just dont want to damage it...

thanks in advance

Ian
 
anything above 80 C will damage the cpu over time. if its going up 102 C just from playing a game and with the top model mbp, something doesnt sound right. im not a computer gamer so i dont know but thats very high. maybe try with just regular computing and see what happens. Mine gets very hot when using handbrake but not over 80 C. The black strip is where the wifi antenna is so i dont know why that would be hot.

Take it to the genius bar. tell them the temps and have them look at it because that will damage the cpu over time. Anybody else on here have any input?
 
nunes013 said:
anything above 80 C will damage the cpu over time. if its going up 102 C just from playing a game and with the top model mbp, something doesnt sound right.
Click to expand...
This is not true. If you do a little research, you'll see the OP's temperatures are well within normal operating temperatures, especially considering the gaming.

Macbook Pro Heat Dissipation
2010 Macbook Pro 17" i7 heat question
Heat on my i7 Macbook Pro 15"
Macbook overheating?
My Macbook Pro reached 106 degrees !
Macbook pro heat problem
MacBook Pro Over Heat Issue
Heat on my i7 Macbook Pro 15"
Macbook pro Hot after 10.6.3. Update
Macbook Pro too HOT!!!
My Macbook Pro Runs Hot
Macbook Pro gets really hot when running windows 7
How hot should my macbook be getting?
Macbook Boiling Hot!
Hot 15" i5 MBP!
MacBook Pro Overheating or That's What I Think It Is?
Macbook pro temperature
MacBook Pro heat causing pain in hands
Alu Macbook vs. 13" Macbook pro: Heat & Battery Life
Etc., etc., etc.
 
GGJstudios said:
This is not true. If you do a little research, you'll see the OP's temperatures are well within normal operating temperatures, especially considering the gaming.

Etc., etc., etc.
Click to expand...

i was just going by an article i read not to long ago saying that over 80 for a long period is not good. Also i was considering he has an i7 cpu which is very powerful and 102 seemed very hot especially if he cant touch it. I didnt mean to give wrong advice :eek:

EDIT: i found the article again. It says that the i7 cpus get very hot very fast so it is normal. However because its running over 100 C it wont as long a life as it would from just normal word processing, web browsing etc. That was taken directly from the article which i got on another heat problem in these forums

http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-prevent-your-mac-from-overheating
 
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thanks guys, i have been reading all those links... even looked at reapplying artic paste on the gpu and cpu.... in hope that i will still be able to do a bit of gaming..

really love this "my first" mac...

thanks alot

Ian
 
nunes013 said:
i was just going by an article i read not to long ago saying that over 80 for a long period is not good. Also i was considering he has an i7 cpu which is very powerful and 102 seemed very hot especially if he cant touch it. I didnt mean to give wrong advice :eek:

EDIT: i found the article again. It says that the i7 cpus get very hot very fast so it is normal. However because its running over 100 C it wont as long a life as it would from just normal word processing, web browsing etc. That was taken directly from the article which i got on another heat problem in these forums

http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-prevent-your-mac-from-overheating
Click to expand...
You can't believe everything you read on the internet. The very first statement in that article is false:
Most intel Mac laptops run hot, and get up to 80-90 degrees C before their fans kick in. Windows computers on the other hand have droning fans going all the time, keeping the computer at 60C max.
Click to expand...
The truth is, MacBook Pro fans are always running at a minimum of around 2000 rpm, even from the time you boot up. Second, there ARE no "Windows computers", since there is no company called Windows that makes computers. I know the author meant PCs that run Windows, but that represents many different manufacturers and models and they do not all have a Max of 60C.
All in all, desktop PCs seem to run the coolest, although the constant noise of the fans isn't too nice.
Click to expand...
That's not surprising, since desktop computers don't have to cram everything into such a tiny space as notebooks, which is why notebooks have greater heat issues and less ventilation than desktops.

The article also says (numbers added by me for clarity):
All in all,
  1. desktop PCs seem to run the coolest, although the constant noise of the fans isn't too nice.
  2. Desktop Macs closely follow, staying almost as cool as desktop PCs, but without the fans running 24/7.
  3. Then Mac laptops come 3rd,
  4. and Windows laptops come in last.
Click to expand...
I question whether this is true, considering all the threads made by former users of notebooks running Windows who are concerned with the temperatures on their Mac notebooks.
 
that list you made i think is right except for the last two. i agree with you that a windows pc notebook runs cooler than a mac notebook. mostly because pc notebooks have the heat vents on the sides while a mac notebook either escapes through the keyboard or below the screen. if its through the bottom the the lcd that can get covered very easily. the mac looks a lot more high end because of how clean it looks on the outside. those are the only two places Apple could put the vent to keep that style so we risk blocking it now.

so i think to sum it up a mac notebook might run cooler on some low tasks but overall a pc notebook will run cooler. atleast thats what ive found first hand through my families computers.

EDIT:also GGJstudios, what do you think of those laptop cooling pads. i was thinking of getting one for when i do handbrake or cpu extensive software. also when im not on my desk and on my bed the blankets can block the vent easily causing the temp to go petty high just browsing, video chat, and listening to music. i thought it might be good because it will raise the laptop up a bit so the vent isnt being blocked. i have a giftcard to get one free so is it worth it?
 
Last edited:
nunes013 said:
that list you made i think is right except for the last two. i agree with you that a windows pc notebook runs cooler than a mac notebook.
Click to expand...
The article is indicating that a notebook running Windows runs hotter than a Mac notebook, since the list is from the coolest to the hottest.
nunes013 said:
mostly because windows notebooks have the heat vents on the sides while a mac notebook either escapes through the keyboard or below the screen..
Click to expand...
MacBooks and MacBook Pros do not vent through the keyboard or below the screen. They vent through the back, near the hinge. That's why it's safe to operate in clamshell mode, with the lid closed and an external display attached.
 
nunes013 said:
thats what i meant. the mba vents through the keyboard i thought though
Click to expand...
No, there is a solid sheet under the keyboard, preventing it from venting there. The heat you feel on the keyboard is just heat transfer from the warmer components below, but it's not airflow.
dTrDFscSyQaXfVSe.huge
From: MacBook Air 11" Model A1370 Teardown
All of the cooling and ventilation in the MacBook Air is provided by the single squirrel cage fan.
Click to expand...
Note the location of the MacBook Air's fan, in the back, near the hinge. This is the same basic configuration for all Apple notebooks.
EGxKLDEImHNjHTbg.huge
 
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ok cool, learn something everyday :) could you comment on my edit above about the cooling pad. ive been wondering this for some time
 
nunes013 said:
EDIT:also GGJstudios, what do you think of those laptop cooling pads. i was thinking of getting one for when i do handbrake or cpu extensive software.
Click to expand...
I've never used one but many in this forum swear by them.
nunes013 said:
also when im not on my desk and on my bed the blankets can block the vent easily causing the temp to go petty high just browsing, video chat, and listening to music.
Click to expand...
From the MacBook Pro User's Guide:
Warning: Do not place your MacBook Pro on a pillow or other soft material when it is on, as the material can block the airflow vents, in particular the rear vents, and cause the computer to overheat.
Click to expand...
 
There are methods you can use, which will dramatically drop the temp. In terms of longevity however, it more than likely has no affect whatsoever either way.
 
nunes013 said:
cool, sounds good. and im sorry if it sounded like i was arguing with you. i wasnt trying to. i was just trying to get the correct information so i could others and my friends and family. :)
Click to expand...
It sounded to me like conversation, not argument. We're cool.
 
To the OP: Are you still interested int reapplying thermal paste? I have significant knowledge of the matter, and work exclusively with Arctic Silver Ceramique paste. It is very comparable to Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound. But with the Ceramique (which is ceramic particles suspended in a solvent), you get the peace of mind that if you accidentally put too much on, it will not short anything out (because nothing in the Ceramique paste is conductive or capacitive).

I have a few threads about my use of the Arctic Silver Ceramique thermal compound used on various Apple Laptops of various generations...
Arctic Silver Ceramique thermal paste...Results!
Poll: Reapply thermal paste....?
Reapplied Thermal Paste on 2010 MB!
Reapplied Thermal paste on 2010 13" MBP
 
GGJstudios said:
This is not true. If you do a little research, you'll see the OP's temperatures are well within normal operating temperatures, especially considering the gaming.

Macbook Pro Heat Dissipation
2010 Macbook Pro 17" i7 heat question
Heat on my i7 Macbook Pro 15"
Macbook overheating?
My Macbook Pro reached 106 degrees !
Macbook pro heat problem
MacBook Pro Over Heat Issue
Heat on my i7 Macbook Pro 15"
Macbook pro Hot after 10.6.3. Update
Macbook Pro too HOT!!!
My Macbook Pro Runs Hot
Macbook Pro gets really hot when running windows 7
How hot should my macbook be getting?
Macbook Boiling Hot!
Hot 15" i5 MBP!
MacBook Pro Overheating or That's What I Think It Is?
Macbook pro temperature
MacBook Pro heat causing pain in hands
Alu Macbook vs. 13" Macbook pro: Heat & Battery Life
Etc., etc., etc.
Click to expand...

no, the hotter, the more it will decrease lifespan.
 
mark28 said:
no, the hotter, the more it will decrease lifespan.
Click to expand...
I didn't say that excessive heat won't decrease lifespan, I took exception to this statement, which is not true:
nunes013 said:
anything above 80 C will damage the cpu over time.
Click to expand...
And this statement, which also isn't correct, since it's normal for temps to get up to 102C or higher when gaming, and doesn't indicate anything is wrong:
nunes013 said:
if its going up 102 C just from playing a game and with the top model mbp, something doesnt sound right.
Click to expand...
 
AlphaDogg said:
To the OP: Are you still interested int reapplying thermal paste? I have significant knowledge of the matter, and work exclusively with Arctic Silver Ceramique paste. It is very comparable to Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound. But with the Ceramique (which is ceramic particles suspended in a solvent), you get the peace of mind that if you accidentally put too much on, it will not short anything out (because nothing in the Ceramique paste is conductive or capacitive).

I have a few threads about my use of the Arctic Silver Ceramique thermal compound used on various Apple Laptops of various generations...
Arctic Silver Ceramique thermal paste...Results!
Poll: Reapply thermal paste....?
Reapplied Thermal Paste on 2010 MB!
Reapplied Thermal paste on 2010 13" MBP
Click to expand...

hi

yes i plan on doing this asap, i have been reading all your post about your success and it looks like there is a problem in the way the factory is applying the paste in production...

last night i loaded up smcfancontrol and set the fans to 4000rpm and then started playing black ops for 1hr....

before

37c

after

50c

and the macbook is alot cooler overall, in particular around the area of the f keys and the black trim for the screen hinge.

now im not sure about running the fans at that speed is good for it, but im hoping once i have re-apply the artic 5 i will be able to lower the fan speed to 3000 - 3500 rpm and get the same temps.

i really hope this works, i love my first mac its just perfect in every way... i just want to be running at a more respectable tempreture...

thanks alot

Ian
 
if its within operating within acceptable limits, the "decrease" in lifespan is speculative at best. the lifespan of a cpu can range from 10-16 years. They say that maybe a high operating temp from overclocking may knock this down to 8 years
 
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