MacBook Retina OVERHEATING!

[unethical]

I keep thinking my fingers are on fire, but then I realize it's the MacBook. I have the $2200 version, not the $2800 version, so it's the lower of the 2 CPU speeds, the i7 3615QM.

I ran a stress test to see what it can handle, and it rebooted after a few minutes. The maximum cpu core temperatures are supposed to be 105C, but it sits at 104C for extended periods.

As we all know, hardware sitting at maximum capacity usually fails much faster than cooler running gear.

I don't think it's a bad unit as much as it's a very poor design.

Your thoughts?

 

[GGJstudios]

I ran a stress test to see what it can handle, and it rebooted after a few minutes. The maximum cpu core temperatures are supposed to be 105C, but it sits at 104C for extended periods.

Is it running at those temps under normal use, or only during your stress test?

The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat. CPU Tjmax = 105C (221F), GPU Tjmax = 100C (212F) on i3, i5, i7 processors. (Source: Intel)

If you're not already using it, iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) will give you accurate readings of your temps and fan speeds, among other things.

Unless there is a rare defect in a Mac, most temps are well within the normal operating range, considering the workload being put on it. Websites with Flash content, games and other multimedia apps will put higher demand on the CPU/GPU, generating more heat. This is normal. If you're constantly putting high demands on your system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just your Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.

It is also quite normal for your Mac to become extremely hot to the touch during intensive operations. The aluminum body transfers heat more effectively than other materials used in computer casings, so you will feel the heat more. This doesn't indicate that it's overheating and will not harm the computer to be hot to the touch.

Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis). iMacs have 3 fans with minimum speeds in the 800-1200 range. They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level.

If your fans are spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC.
(PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help.)

The intake and exhaust vents are in the back of the computer near the hinge on all Mac notebooks (except the new MBP with retina display, which has intake vents along the sides at the bottom). The iMac vent is a slot on the back near the top of the computer. Make sure the vents remain unblocked to allow your computer to perform at its best.

Learn about the fans in your Mac
Apple Portables: Operating temperature

For Flash-related issues:

• Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available.
• Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
• Use the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.)

 

[unethical]

Thanks for those apps. I'll try them out under MacOS. That high temp is only under the stress test and video conversion. I'm running this in boot camp.

Under normal use, it's running at 50-60 idle and 70-75C on standard apps. Rendering high-res video and/or video conversions takes it over the top to 100-104C.

 

[AZREOSpecialist]

My neck hurts when I stand on my head.

 

[unethical]

My neck hurts when I stand on my head.

I know. If I wasn't the master of sarcasm myself, I wouldn't get what you meant

One of the main reasons I bought this was for portable editing. I'll just stick with the tower I guess.

It's pretty impressive for what it is though. Not getting rid of it. In Win7, the 2880x1800 res is pure madness. Really sharp.

 

[calderone]

I keep thinking my fingers are on fire, but then I realize it's the MacBook. I have the $2200 version, not the $2800 version, so it's the lower of the 2 CPU speeds, the i7 3615QM.

I ran a stress test to see what it can handle, and it rebooted after a few minutes. The maximum cpu core temperatures are supposed to be 105C, but it sits at 104C for extended periods.

As we all know, hardware sitting at maximum capacity usually fails much faster than cooler running gear.

I don't think it's a bad unit as much as it's a very poor design.

Your thoughts?

That sounds like a bad unit to me.

 

[unethical]

That sounds like a bad unit to me.

It's probably OK. I hit 75C max under web browsing in a 70F room. Outdoor in 80F, regular browsing, it'll hit 80-90C. (keep in mind this is Celsius for the core temp and Fahrenheit for room temps). Anything that even taxes the system will hit 90C in a regular environment, which seems too high.

All this is fine I'm sure. My original post was just meant to point out for longer term use, it's not as rock solid as I'd wish for it to be.

 

[Queen6]

If you are concerned with the temperatures and want to reduce them elevation of the rear of the machine helps, as sitting flat on the desk only reflects the head back to the base of the Mac. You can buy passive aluminium coolers like Rain Designs Mstand or iLap. Most powered coolers are designed for PC notebooks and dont work overly well with Mac`s one cooler that does work efficiently is the Moshi Zefyr 2, as it`s principle of cooling is specifically designed for Apple portables, by blowing the air horizontally across the base of the computer, however don't expect miracles.

Link: Moshi Zefyr 2

You can use software to override Apple`s own cooling algorithm by manually taking control of fan RPM and setting up power profile presets with SMC Fan Control 2.4, or here with UltraFan which allows you stipulate a preset temperature and the software will automatically raise and lower fan RPM`s to keep the system at the predefined temp, which i personally feel is a far more elegant solution, at the end of the day you want to control your system temperature, not your fan rpm`s. For me SMC is now pretty much redundant with the latest release of UltraFan having manual control of the fans, and i am starting to uninstall it from my own Mac`s. SMC FC was a great app and very stable, however it`s functionality is no longer frequently updated.

Strictly speaking Apple`s own cooling algorithm works, albeit at sacrifice of increased temps for quieter operation, this has always been the Apple way and is really nothing detrimental to the systems, i have one MBP from 2008 all original barring a recent fan change that has an uptime of over 30K hours. The latest MBP`s need less assistance in remaining cool; for some it`s simply disconcerting the heat generated and transferred to the case, although it`s perfectly normal as the aluminium acts as a heat-sync. i have to deal with elevated ambient temperature so at times a software solution is useful. Apart from the passive cooling the Mstands bring they also offer a very sound ergonomic solution. A passive cooler and UltraFan will maximise the cooling, there is little else you can do short of reducing the ambient temperature or the system load. If I know i am going to push a system i will close all apps that are not essential as this can and does make an impact to system temperature.

High temperature in general is not overly harmful to your systems, what is far more detrimental is thermal stress, when temperatures rapidly fluctuate by significant margins in a short period of time. Anyone striving for longevity should look to minimise rapid fluctuation of temperature.

The old adage still applies; it`s easier to keep a system cool, than cool-down an already hot machine. This being said it`s not strictly necessary, equally it`s nice to know that there are options for reducing temperature.

 

[unethical]

Noticed something interesting. In MacOS, core temp seems a lot lower at idle and general web browsing.

MacOS idle / web browsing - Core = 40-45C

Win7 idle / web browsing - Core = 55-60C

I guess MacOS manages the Intel SpeedStep much more efficiently.

With a Mac burn-in test, it'll still hit 104C and stay there. Never seen 105C in either Mac or Win7.

 

[thekev]

Is it running at those temps under normal use, or only during your stress test?

The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat. CPU Tjmax = 105C (221F), GPU Tjmax = 100C (212F) on i3, i5, i7 processors. (Source: Intel)

Stress testing is pretty similar to the load of video conversions, rendering, etc. If the OP deals with After Effects, FCPX, etc. this is similar enough to be a practical test. My notebook runs incredibly hot under Prime 95 and a number of other heavy tasks, although it hasn't generated errors. When I've tested it, the results have come out fine. I had a kernel panic which seemed to be a mouse driver issue (I wanted a left handed mouse, and the only one I could find was a gaming mouse). I haven't seen any serious corruption issues or anything of that sort. Disk Warrior repaired a few things recently, but this is typical. HFS+ is a terrible file system, which is the reason I still own a copy of disk warrior.

 

[h3blade]

I keep thinking my fingers are on fire, but then I realize it's the MacBook. I have the $2200 version, not the $2800 version, so it's the lower of the 2 CPU speeds, the i7 3615QM.

I ran a stress test to see what it can handle, and it rebooted after a few minutes. The maximum cpu core temperatures are supposed to be 105C, but it sits at 104C for extended periods.

As we all know, hardware sitting at maximum capacity usually fails much faster than cooler running gear.

I don't think it's a bad unit as much as it's a very poor design.

Your thoughts?

i have exactly same overheating problem here, instead I use rmbp to play wow64 and starcraft2. the temp hops to 100 on login screen.

 

[takeshi74]

Your thoughts?

Dead horse beaten in many prior threads.

 

[luffytubby]

i dont get it. ivy bridge is supposed to run a lot cooler than sandy bridge! and with all the talk of the new cooling i dont understand.

I have a plastic pc laptop and its idle at around 30-40 degrees, 70 under load.



having lower temperatures ensures that the product will have a longer lifespan. high temperatures like that from the getgo is really bad 1 or 2 years down the road when dust settles, and the fans runs less efficently. if its this bad now, you will hate it then.