Macs and Heat

[sportguy0913]

OK, I'm chatting with my friend and I tell him I am going to get a MacBook Pro when they refresh the line. I was talking to him about how my old Gateway laptop gets really really hot, to the point of overheating, and he said, "Oh, Macs run hot natively, so if that's a problem for you you shouldn't get one." I said that the current MBP's have faulty GPUs and overheat because of it, and he responded with, "Oh, I'm not talking about GPU problems, they just run hot natively."

Is this true? Is he right or am I that they don't run hot natively?

 

[Eddyisgreat]

LoL

The entire case will feel hotter than , say, your plastic dells and HP's because aluminum transfers heat faster than plastic (and I mean the entire surface area of the MBP)

In a nutshell, i'll say that the issues surrounding the GPU...well..at the very least, the issue does not cause overheating. Overheating exacerbates the root cause of the failing GPU's, which was a faulty material used.

 

[rolex54]

the macbook pro does run pretty hot, but not to the point of failure, it can handle the heat, but the defective video card cannot

 

[Beric]

Macs run about as hot as is physically possible without causing burns or system problems. The heat is part of the reason I will probably not be purchasing a Mac for my next notebook.

Macs run hot because Apple prefers a thin, hot, quiet system over a cool, thicker, louder system. Take your pick. Thin, hot, and quiet? Or cool, thicker, and louder?

EDIT: And I'm not talking about getting hot playing intensive games. I'm talking about getting hot merely web browsing!

 

[J the Ninja]

No, if you compare people's temps for the MBP, you will find they are mostly in line with the majority of laptops. However, most of those laptops don't try to get away with high-powered system in a 1in thin case by making the underside one giant passive heatsink. Since you are resting the heatsink on your lap, people tend to think it gets hotter than other laptops.

 

[NRose8989]

Yes like everyone said, they do run really hot but its perfectly normal and will not cause any problems.

luckily I've discovered a product that will prevent peoples laps from being uncomfortably hot when web browsing on the couch....... A pillow. yes now you don't have to put up thighs getting burned or have to spend more money on a special iLap. just put this revolutionary cloud of protection between your lap and the MBP (or MB). I'm also in development of a product that will allow people to work on their notebook without putting it on the laps either, I think I'm going to call it a "coffee table" or "desk".

 

[thomahawk]

i thought MBP were aluminum along with the iMacs just the regular macbooks are just out of plastice?!?!
well on my macbook i have no heating problems, well extreme ones that is.
when i used my dads HP laptop and then my macbook. the HP exerts a LOT of heat from it. and you hear the fan whiring really fast to get the heat out. and its those new 2008 ones! my macbook just feels warm and its not noisy

 

[Star-fire]

I have to post here about this, I just bought a Macbook Pro about a week ago (Yeah I know all the rumors, but I'd rather have a computer now then wait for an unknown time) Let me say this is by far the best Mac I've owned and heat wise it is the coolest I've owned. Just surfing the web I swear it generates almost no heat. I'm sitting on my bed now with the MBP on it and the bottom is about as hot as my breath, not hot at all! Even with photoshop running it doesn't get that hot and the fans almost NEVER kick on high. Maybe I got some freak one but it's great!

 

[Michael CM1]

Every notebook PC I have ever owned had some sort of heat issue. The MacBook is no different, but my year-old one seems fine.

One thing everybody should take notice of is the bad nomenclature still used. These are NOT "laptops." I really don't even know if that was ever an actual official term, but Apple's computers are "notebooks" or "desktops." What's the difference? Well, this is from Apple's site about using the MacBooks:

<i>When you’re using your MacBook or charging the battery, it's normal for the bottom of the case to get warm. For prolonged use, place your MacBook on a flat, stable surface. <B>Do not place your MacBook on your lap or other body surface for extended periods of time.</B> Prolonged body contact can cause discomfort and potentially a burn. The bottom of the MacBook case functions as a cooling surface that transfers heat from inside the computer to the cooler air outside. The bottom of the case is raised slightly to allow airflow, which keeps the unit within normal operating temperatures. In addition, warm air is vented from the slots in the back of the case.</i>

MacBooks are designed for portability and use on flat surfaces. They're not made for, well, putting on your lap. If you need to do that, buy one of the little gadgets that protects your body from the heat. If you think the MBP gets hot, you should've tried the old HP I had. Most of the bottom was cool, but this one metal cover felt about 50 degrees hotter than the rest and would singe your hand right off.

 

[Csmitte]

Well said. its always this for that. thin and hot, thick and a small fraction cooler.

cheers!

 

[MowingDevil]

Yes like everyone said, they do run really hot but its perfectly normal and will not cause any problems.

luckily I've discovered a product that will prevent peoples laps from being uncomfortably hot when web browsing on the couch....... A pillow. yes now you don't have to put up thighs getting burned or have to spend more money on a special iLap. just put this revolutionary cloud of protection between your lap and the MBP (or MB). I'm also in development of a product that will allow people to work on their notebook without putting it on the laps either, I think I'm going to call it a "coffee table" or "desk".

It was just stated in another thread you're not supposed to use pillows under the MBP. It can seriously cause internal circulation problems, not recommended at all.

 

[soberbrain]

It was just stated in another thread you're not supposed to use pillows under the MBP. It can seriously cause internal circulation problems, not recommended at all.

Agreed. Laptops will create heat when in use. I'd rather it dissipate the heat rather than keep it inside and wear out the internals.

Using a pillow may shield your laps, but it may also cause damage to your computer.

 

[NRose8989]

Ooops, oh well. I do have apple care, and it's not like there going be like "Sorry mister you used a pillow so we're not going to cover your repair".

 

[Eddyisgreat]

Ooops, oh well. I do have apple care, and it's not like there going be like "Sorry mister you used a pillow so we're not going to cover your repair".

I hope you have backups of your data and a spare PC to boot off of too (when you have to send it off to Apple)