MacBook Pro with Temp Problems- any thoughts?

[sandbenders]

MacRumors Crew:

I have a 2.66GHz Core2Duo MBP with 4GB of RAM- a 17", if that makes any difference.

The machine has always run hot- SMC Fan Control reported 55C regularly before my upgrade during normal use, using the "lower power consumption" video card option. When I'm playing movies, using Hulu, or playing World of Warcraft, it runs at 80C-90C with occasional spikes to 100C-105C (and the resultant shutdown). I managed it by running my fans at full speed manually using SMC Fan Control, and using a cooling pad. Setting the video card to "higher performance" it runs a good bit hotter.

I recently upgraded to Mountain Lion, and all those temps are up a good bit. Running WoW now causes temps of 90C-95C, with both fans set to max and a cooling pad underneath. Right now I'm listening to a podcast on iTunes, and my temp is sitting at 73C with the "higher performance" video card option, and about XXC with the "lower power consumption" video card option turned on.

After all of that buildup, here is my question: Is this normal? Is it fixable? I'm at the point where it would seriously help my marriage if I could sit in bed and not have to run the fans at full speed AND use the cooling pad- the fans are loud. I am considering restoring the OS from backup to return to Snow Leopard to reduce the temps, but even then it's still pretty hot. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

-SB

 

[PerformaGuy]

I would recommend taking this to a local Apple authorized service provider who can clean out the dust that has built up inside the device. This will make the fans work more efficiently.

Also from smcFanControl (great app), can you tell that both fans are spinning?

If you don't want to go into a store to have it cleaned, also considering buying a can of compressed air and blowing through the vents.

 

[thermodynamic]

I would recommend taking this to a local Apple authorized service provider who can clean out the dust that has built up inside the device. This will make the fans work more efficiently.

Also from smcFanControl (great app), can you tell that both fans are spinning?

If you don't want to go into a store to have it cleaned, also considering buying a can of compressed air and blowing through the vents.

Seconded, going to the Apple store - unless one is technically inclined and capable...

Or instead of blowing air in from the outside, take off the lid underneath and blow the air outward through the fans...

Either way, don't use the compressed air while the unit is on, and never operate the can upside down or at an angle where the liquid can spriz out... shorted circuits are not cool.

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MacRumors Crew:

I have a 2.66GHz Core2Duo MBP with 4GB of RAM- a 17", if that makes any difference.

The machine has always run hot- SMC Fan Control reported 55C regularly before my upgrade during normal use, using the "lower power consumption" video card option. When I'm playing movies, using Hulu, or playing World of Warcraft, it runs at 80C-90C with occasional spikes to 100C-105C (and the resultant shutdown). I managed it by running my fans at full speed manually using SMC Fan Control, and using a cooling pad. Setting the video card to "higher performance" it runs a good bit hotter.

I recently upgraded to Mountain Lion, and all those temps are up a good bit. Running WoW now causes temps of 90C-95C, with both fans set to max and a cooling pad underneath. Right now I'm listening to a podcast on iTunes, and my temp is sitting at 73C with the "higher performance" video card option, and about XXC with the "lower power consumption" video card option turned on.

After all of that buildup, here is my question: Is this normal? Is it fixable? I'm at the point where it would seriously help my marriage if I could sit in bed and not have to run the fans at full speed AND use the cooling pad- the fans are loud. I am considering restoring the OS from backup to return to Snow Leopard to reduce the temps, but even then it's still pretty hot. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

-SB

Those temps are sadly not abnormal. I've had a 2009 MBP and use a 2011 MBP. Both 17". Anything that uses the CPU fully is going to ramp up the temperature to very high levels.

73C for just a podcast is asinine, even if you are using the higher speed GPU. Must be a video-based podcast... can you try viewing the podcast with the low-end GPU and see if temps remain down, without anything else happening (e.g. stuttering video, etc)?

When I upgraded to ML, temps did run warmer for a while as the OS was reindexing. In an ambient temp of 23C, I still idle at ~35C, regular use get 50~60C, and very rarely do anything to get above 65+C (e.g. VMs)... I've avoided anything that goes over 70C for any length of time.

How often do you use the MBP? Along with the aforementioned dust issue, I can fathom another (but far less likely) possibility...

 

[derbothaus]

10.7 and 10.8 caused my Core 2 2.8GHz 2008 temps to increase 10ºC + at idle. Indexing was long since finished. I'm talking for the months after. Temps returned to normal (42ºC at idle) after putting 10.6 back on it. Something is not cool with the Nvidia 9400m and current Apple OS's. Battery life decreased as well. Your temps are what I was seeing as well. Just FYI. No amount of SMC resets, re-installs or PRAM zaps can fix the temp thing.