MacBook Pro Temperature (Should I be worried?)

[xShane]

Hey all,

Under normal* circumstances: 50-60 (maybe up to 70) Celsius.
*Normal meaning basic computing such as doing homework/schoolwork, having a word processor open, having Evernote open, having Firefox with multiple tabs open (all of these at the same time).

When gaming: 80-95+ (I've seen it hit 103) Celsius.

That's over 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Should I be worried? After all, I am gaming, though. I can run games on high settings with high fps (i.e. high, and some max settings, on World of Warcraft, with 80-90+ fps). I'm *very* satisfied with my Mac's gaming abilities.

Should I be worried about the temperature? Is this normal when gaming? Is there anything (safe) I can do about it, preferably cheap/free?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Your temperatures are normal, the CPU can withstand 105° C, and if it gets too hot, it would shut down.

Those Macs in their heat - a sine of over-heating? - a short story by Mister GGJstudios

 

[xShane]

Your temperatures are normal, the CPU can withstand 105° C, and if it gets too hot, it would shut down.

Those Macs in their heat - a sine of over-heating? - a short story by Mister GGJstudios

So basically it was only a few degrees Celsius from shutting down? Seems like it was almost too hot then.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

So basically it was only a few degrees Celsius from shutting down? Seems like it was almost too hot then.

Almost, but it was not. See the link I provided for more details about Intel CPUs and the temperatures they can withstand.

 

[xShane]

Almost, but it was not. See the link I provided for more details about Intel CPUs and the temperatures they can withstand.

Ahh okay. Well I'm worried about it shutting down while gaming (and it seems it was close to doing that). Is there any preferred way to keep a MacBook Pro "cool" while gaming?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Ahh okay. Well I'm worried about it shutting down while gaming (and it seems it was close to doing that). Is there any preferred way to keep a MacBook Pro "cool" while gaming?

Keep it elevated and do not obstruct the fan exhaust on the back. Also make sure the fan(s) is/are running at full speed.

 

[mrsir2009]

Ahh okay. Well I'm worried about it shutting down while gaming (and it seems it was close to doing that). Is there any preferred way to keep a MacBook Pro "cool" while gaming?

If shutting down from high temps is a problem, you could always purchase a laptop cooling pad - They’re quite affordable these days, a decent one costing about $30US

 

[noodlemanc]

If shutting down from high temps is a problem, you could always purchase a laptop cooling pad - They’re quite affordable these days, a decent one costing about $30US

Yeah, I have a Belkin cooling pad and it works great. Here’s a good page that tells you all about macbooks and overheating:

http://www.macinfo.us/how-to-prevent-your-macbook-from-overheating.php

 

[Philscbx]

Is there anything (safe) I can do about it, preferably cheap/free?

This is How I do it -
Yes - Raised up 1/2" off the desk - off to the side - a squire cage low profile fan - almost silent - that blankets constant air flow of cooler air under laptop & across keys will work well.

If Activity Monitor - is fully loaded bars - it really wants help.

3M makes the coolest rubber feet that stick on.
I use clear ones 2 inches from the corners - also works well keeping laptop from sliding off lap - or freestyle slipping out of bag.

 

[thegreatdivorce]

Your temperatures are normal, the CPU can withstand 105° C, and if it gets too hot, it would shut down.

This.

But, I still like to manually control the fans. I use MSI Afterburner (on the W7 partition, not sure if they make an OSX app) to control all that stuff. 103 is pretty hot, though.

Definitely use it on a stand or cooling pad, not your lap/bed/pillow.

 

[milocool]

install smcFanControl, that way when it heats up you can manually raise the fan to over 6000 rpm