MBP 2011 issues

[jan1024188]

I never had a mac before, I've been happy with my pc hardware and some linux distro on it. But I am planning on getting some good quality laptop and I am open for OSX now, so I was wondering if I shall get MBP 17".

Now as it costs $3,000+ here (without tax), I would be pretty much expecting very high standard, and recently I found reports of 2 issues, which would make me not want to buy MBP in 1000 years.

Now I am wondering, if software fix was released, fixing both or is it a permanent problem.

1.) Cooler block overheating (for instance when playing Portal game), where temperatures reach up to 96 degrees celsius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJK8booO7I

I do NOT want temperatures to exceed 80 degrees at any load, infact I want them @ about 60 max for normal usage.

2.) External display flickering
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ0e1y1tPBg

I don't want that. At all.

Like I said, nothing is perfect but for $3,000 I want something thats above average, not some junk.

Thanks

EDIT:
Also, whats up with this? I do not want to manually re-apply paste, specially not in a laptop where its ton of delicate work.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/hey-apple-dont-start-getting-sloppy/11652?tag =mantle_skin;content

 

[miles01110]

1.) Cooler block overheating (for instance when playing Portal game), where temperatures reach up to 96 degrees celsius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJK8booO7I

I do NOT want temperatures to exceed 80 degrees at any load, infact I want them @ about 60 max for normal usage.

A "software fix" for this "problem" would be to not run anything that requires a lot of processor. Barring that as a solution, any processor will heat up under load. If the machine doesn't shut down because of it, it's not a problem.

2.) External display flickering
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ0e1y1tPBg

I don't want that. At all.

If you get that, take it back and get a replacement or a repair.

Re-applying thermal paste is a waste of time if your machine doesn't shut down due to overheating.

 

[ZombieZakk]

well first off you cant always stay below 80 while gaming unless your outside in antartica lol. Gaming is a very intesive task using the cpu and gpu so yes it generates heat.

my mbp never goes above 40 at basic tasks: word/email/2-3tabs open in safari/watching 720p/1080p videos/ installing apps/excel/ syncing devices and even running home streaming to my apple tv2.

when i boot up starcraft 2 yea the fans come on and i hit temps 72-88 pending how long i am playing for this is normal! my alienware m15x would hit about 75 while gaming on max settings and that thing has superior cooloing to MBP's and is designed for gaming.

While this is gaming i cannot lie there are people who have experienced high temps in their MBP's but what you have to remember is people come to forums with issues so it certainly can paint a one sided view. but i am not saying that they are perfect. They have excellent customer service for when stuff does go wrong.

 

[jan1024188]

well I have a gaming pc, I know laptop is crap for games. Maybe Id only play some League of Legends or some CSS or something thats not so hardware intense. If I would at all. Probably not.

I just dont want to get it to overheat just from watching a youtube video, as than I better throw it out of window. My $400 thinkpad doesn't even use fan (0rpm) for watching a yt video, while I've seen on youtube some guy with 15" 2011 MBP hitting 90 degrees for fullscreen flash, which makes the laptop piece of junk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc1C1Wbvcy8

If that is about to happen, than I am 1000 miles from even thinking about buying mbp.

 

[miles01110]

Apple's Flash aversion/inefficiencies are well documented. If that's actually going to be an issue for it, stick with your Windows laptop.

 

[jan1024188]

Apple's Flash aversion/inefficiencies are well documented. If that's actually going to be an issue for it, stick with your Windows laptop.

I do NOT use windows on my laptop, its rubbish. I run Ubuntu 11.04 b2 on laptop and Fedora 14 on my pc

Flash inefficiency should not be blamed for overheating failure caused by either engineering stupidity or poor drivers/kernel support. Because its not just flash, its ANY application that requires a bit of performance than, which makes the device useless.

EDIT: To get to the point of this thread, what I want to know is weather I can run CPU intense tasks now, were the issues fixed software wise in which case I AM buying mbp? Or is it a persistent problem, meaning I am NOT buying mbp.

 

[miles01110]

I do NOT use windows on my laptop, its rubbish. I run Ubuntu 11.04 b2 on laptop and Fedora 14 on my pc

Then inefficiency shouldn't be a new issue for you.

Flash inefficiency should not be blamed for overheating failure caused by either engineering stupidity or poor drivers/kernel support.

Lack of Flash support certainly isn't due to stupidity- it's more of a conscious choice not to optimize it on both sides.

Because its not just flash, its ANY application that requires a bit of performance than, which makes the device useless.

Good luck finding a computer that doesn't heat up when you do something intensive. Sometimes the laws of physics work against you.

EDIT: To get to the point of this thread, what I want to know is weather I can run CPU intense tasks now, were the issues fixed software wise in which case I AM buying mbp? Or is it a persistent problem, meaning I am NOT buying mbp.

I really don't see the point of this thread. Macbook Pros heat up when the processor is under load... just like every other computer.

 

[ZombieZakk]

well I have a gaming pc, I know laptop is crap for games. Maybe Id only play some League of Legends or some CSS or something thats not so hardware intense. If I would at all. Probably not.

I just dont want to get it to overheat just from watching a youtube video, as than I better throw it out of window. My $400 thinkpad doesn't even use fan (0rpm) for watching a yt video, while I've seen on youtube some guy with 15" 2011 MBP hitting 90 degrees for fullscreen flash, which makes the laptop piece of junk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc1C1Wbvcy8

If that is about to happen, than I am 1000 miles from even thinking about buying mbp.

i too have seen this video and find it very hard to believe but again 1 case out of all the macbook pro's? im able to watch 1080 videos on my 15" and never hit over 50 degrees and that was prolonged watching movies on netflix.

is it possible yes buying a new product at launch things can be rushed thats why i waited a few weeks and mine seems to be flawless.

 

[ZombieZakk]

I do NOT use windows on my laptop, its rubbish. I run Ubuntu 11.04 b2 on laptop and Fedora 14 on my pc

Flash inefficiency should not be blamed for overheating failure caused by either engineering stupidity or poor drivers/kernel support. Because its not just flash, its ANY application that requires a bit of performance than, which makes the device useless.

EDIT: To get to the point of this thread, what I want to know is weather I can run CPU intense tasks now, were the issues fixed software wise in which case I AM buying mbp? Or is it a persistent problem, meaning I am NOT buying mbp.

My MBP works flawless and does not overheat you can use cpu intensive tasks just fine! you wont be able to use hard cpu tasks and expect it to run at 40degrees but you should not hit over 80 and that is not abnormal.

and im sorry but yes if soemthing runs inefficiently it means it must work harder to get the job done thus requiring more power and can generate more heat. im not justifying this flash decision by apple but that is a universal in cars/computers/life if it does nto work well it requires more effort. does that explain 1!!!!! individual solitary person who had abnormal temps. are there poeple running warmer yes but i have yet to see a majority of users reaching 90 degree temps over that.

so to answer your question yes you can run cpu intensive tasks just fine. and it will not overheat.....it can get warm 80degrees is normal for intensive tasks. macbook pros are not built with huge vents underneath or the side so they can run a little warmer but it will not cause issues. and it will not overheat is there a chance you will get a defective unit? yes that is the case with anything is it a good chance no but anythings possible.

 

[snaky69]

I never had a mac before, I've been happy with my pc hardware and some linux distro on it. But I am planning on getting some good quality laptop and I am open for OSX now, so I was wondering if I shall get MBP 17".

Now as it costs $3,000+ here (without tax), I would be pretty much expecting very high standard, and recently I found reports of 2 issues, which would make me not want to buy MBP in 1000 years.

Now I am wondering, if software fix was released, fixing both or is it a permanent problem.

1.) Cooler block overheating (for instance when playing Portal game), where temperatures reach up to 96 degrees celsius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJK8booO7I

I do NOT want temperatures to exceed 80 degrees at any load, infact I want them @ about 60 max for normal usage.

2.) External display flickering
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ0e1y1tPBg

I don't want that. At all.

Like I said, nothing is perfect but for $3,000 I want something thats above average, not some junk.

Thanks

EDIT:
Also, whats up with this? I do not want to manually re-apply paste, specially not in a laptop where its ton of delicate work.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/hey-apple-dont-start-getting-sloppy/11652?tag =mantle_skin;content

1)You have one of the smallest form factor for a 17'' laptop, with a quad core in it and a dedicated GPU, things are going to get toasty gaming, no matter what you do. Reapplying thermal paste correctly will help but that's about what you can do.

If you want lower temps, here's a hint: don't game on a laptop(ANY laptop) as cooling sucks, no enough air to be moved around.

2) That is probably due to a hardware fault somewhere, mine's been perfect on any external, so this user's problem is probably due to the cable or his computer.

 

[jan1024188]

Are there any additional softwares that I could use to keep temperatures down? (like disabling tubo boost, fan speed control, GPU frequency downcloaker, power reduction, manual switch to integrated graphics computing....?) What are the temperatures for 2010 model with nvidia card and dual core? Are they significantly lower?

Like for instance, rendering a video is CPU intense task, would that get it to 90 degrees?

My PC CPU is never above 40, gpu is about 70 max when gaming, average 55, and my laptop is 40-60 too, so going for 90 is kinda hard. Specially if you think about the fan noise it must be making, lag in applications and most importantly...burned skin on laps. I don't want to get skin burns just for watching a movie...

 

[daneoni]

Stick to PC hardware. Your temps WILL go high, and you WILL experience flickering if you use an LED ACD, and 9/10 you WILL have too much TP applied to your chips.

 

[AdeFowler]

I don't even know what temperatures my MBP reaches because I never check, but it's never overheated. I run Photoshop, Indesign and Illustrator CS5 on it btw. Oh, and I'm running the latest Flash plug-in beta and it's great… I've turned off ClicktoFlash.

 

[2499723]

Dude, don't buy the MBP if these issues bother you. They bother me too. I bought the 2011 MBP 13" and it regularly gets to 92*C while under load (encoding in 'Handbrake', playing games, etc). This is about 20* hotter than my 2009 MBP C2D 13". Wait until Apple redesigns the machines in early 2012. Maybe then they'll have done a better job at heat dissipation.

There are a few things to note. When running Firefox (my preferred browser), Flash videos were pushing my CPU to about 88*C. When running the same video in Safari, my temps are closer to 71*C. So, there's obviously some issue there. Suffice to say, I've switched to Safari for the time being, despite my preference for Firefox 4. Still, on the 2009 model, I would struggle to pass the high 50s when running a Flash video. There's definitely a heat issue with these new models. I'll be replacing mine as soon as the new ones come out next year. Will this computer continue to work? I don't doubt it. Am I worried about it lasting more than two years? Definitely.

 

[jan1024188]

I don't even know what temperatures my MBP reaches because I never check, but it's never overheated. I run Photoshop, Indesign and Illustrator CS5 on it btw. Oh, and I'm running the latest Flash plug-in beta and it's great… I've turned off ClicktoFlash.

According to this:
http://www.hardmac.com/news/2011/03/22/is-the-2011-macbook-pro-overheating

I cannot find any heat reducing solution other than heatsink redesign where the copper pipes would be added to cpu flowing to the fan and not go over GPU too. Or if each would have own fan and closer, direct pipeline.

But at least there has to be GPU clocking tool with which gpu heat generation would be reduced.

 

[jan1024188]

Dude, don't buy the MBP if these issues bother you. They bother me too. I bought the 2011 MBP 13" and it regularly gets to 92*C while under load (encoding in 'Handbrake', playing games, etc). This is about 20* hotter than my 2009 MBP C2D 13". Wait until Apple redesigns the machines in early 2012. Maybe then they'll have done a better job at heat dissipation.

There are a few things to note. When running Firefox (my preferred browser), Flash videos were pushing my CPU to about 88*C. When running the same video in Safari, my temps are closer to 71*C. So, there's obviously some issue there. Suffice to say, I've switched to Safari for the time being, despite my preference for Firefox 4. Still, on the 2009 model, I would struggle to pass the high 50s when running a Flash video. There's definitely a heat issue with these new models. I'll be replacing mine as soon as the new ones come out next year. Will this computer continue to work? I don't doubt it. Am I worried about it lasting more than two years? Definitely.

Thanks man. I guess I will get used mid 2010 model than with Nvidia gpu (although that one is probably not much better with heat either considering it only has 1 copper pipe and 1 fan, but both CPU and GPU generate much less heat). And than go for new 2012 if it has things sorted out.

 

[2499723]

Thanks man. I guess I will get used mid 2010 model than with Nvidia gpu (although that one is probably not much better with heat either considering it only has 1 copper pipe and 1 fan, but both CPU and GPU generate much less heat). And than go for new 2012 if it has things sorted out.

That's a good idea. I kinda regret selling my old C2D machine, but I can't exactly ask for it back, so I'm stuck with what I've got. I'll keep it looking nice for the next nine months until new machines come out. Then I'll sell it on to someone who is not as bothered about these issues as I am. You are making a wise choice, my friend, though others may not agree. For some people, 90*C is acceptable. Not for me. And, actually...I hear the temperature thing is more of a problem with the 13" machines, so if you're thinking 15" or 17", you might still be in the game. Just keep reading the forums. =) Still, the C2D machines run a lot cooler. Just figure...my 2009 and 2011 machines are identical in terms of fans and that kind of thing, but this i5 processor pushes the heat a good 20*C higher (or more).

 

[jan1024188]

That's a good idea. I kinda regret selling my old C2D machine, but I can't exactly ask for it back, so I'm stuck with what I've got. I'll keep it looking nice for the next nine months until new machines come out. Then I'll sell it on to someone who is not as bothered about these issues as I am. You are making a wise choice, my friend, though others may not agree. For some people, 90*C is acceptable. Not for me. And, actually...I hear the temperature thing is more of a problem with the 13" machines, so if you're thinking 15" or 17", you might still be in the game. Just keep reading the forums. =) Still, the C2D machines run a lot cooler. Just figure...my 2009 and 2011 machines are identical in terms of fans and that kind of thing, but this i5 processor pushes the heat a good 20*C higher (or more).

My SuperClocked edition Nvidia GTX 280 which is 2 years old has failed few months ago while I was playing half-life saga (the graphics card was full of dust as I didn't play anything for ages, and fan couldn't keep up, so card was at about 92 degrees) for 3 days. The third day the chipset has failed. I am running it in minimal clock speed possible to set (about twice bellow factory settings) or else it does crash completely every 30 minutes.

Thats why I think pushing laptop with poor cooling on 96 degrees is a recepie for hardware fail (and when dust collects it will reach 100, and at 100 it automatically shuts down, so you won't be able to do much anyway).

So paying $3000 for laptop with known issue like that is a stupidity.

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=197384&st=0&p=1220685&#entry1220685

 

[Macsavvytech]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)

May I ask you a question?
Why do you people come onto a forum like this and expect us to persuade you to buy a MBP as if we really care? Try to help yes, but when start with an attitude that the MBP is bad it's like why should we even bother.

 

[2499723]

@jan1024188

Ah, so it makes sense now why you're so hesitant to buy a computer that runs at those temperatures. Your experience has taught you a lesson. You may have heard this saying, which I think it applies to you: 'Once bitten, twice shy.' Yeah. Look into the C2D machines from 2010. They're great and run well. They'll tide you over until 2012 and they'll maintain a decent resale value. You'll likely be able to upgrade for not much at all. I spent about £200 on my latest MBP after selling my previous one. And to be honest, I could have made more off the previous model, but as I sold it to a friend, I gave her a better deal. You should be fine. =)

 

[2499723]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)

May I ask you a question?
Why do you people come onto a forum like this and expect us to persuade you to buy a MBP as if we really care? Try to help yes, but when start with an attitude that the MBP is bad it's like why should we even bother.

He's just looking for a bit of advice and wants to hear others' experiences before buying. I think that's a pretty wise decision? Why are you giving him crap for it?

 

[jan1024188]

He's just looking for a bit of advice and wants to hear others' experiences before buying. I think that's a pretty wise decision? Why are you giving him crap for it?

Thanks man. My first PC got CPU burned down because it had no termal grease (amd athlon 1200 it was). And my $600 graphics card was killed by overheat, so thats why I think 90+ degrees CPU is an absolute engineering fail.

I might go get 27" iMac instead and wait for mbp for next year when I would actually need it (college)...

Also when do you think mac pro will get refreshed? If I fall in love with OSX I might want it to replace my current pc.

 

[ZombieZakk]

Thanks man. My first PC got CPU burned down because it had no termal grease (amd athlon 1200 it was). And my $600 graphics card was killed by overheat, so thats why I think 90+ degrees CPU is an absolute engineering fail.

I might go get 27" iMac instead and wait for mbp for next year when I would actually need it (college)...

Also when do you think mac pro will get refreshed? If I fall in love with OSX I might want it to replace my current pc.

the imac should be refreshed in a week or so the mac pro likely this summer.


the intel processors have already been rated to not fail up to 105 degrees. The issues with some mbp's(NOT ALL!) is that they have to much thermal paste thats why people have chosen to reapply but i am curious to see a teardown of a new model if it has been addressed and fixed or if it is still an issue because my temps as i have said have been fine.

heres my honest recommendation to you as if your anything like me until you try it you will always say what if what if. im guilty of this myself buy the mbp you want and if your finding the temps unacceptable return it. i bet you wont but it cant hurt and it will allow you to really try the system.

 

[jan1024188]

the imac should be refreshed in a week or so the mac pro likely this summer.


the intel processors have already been rated to not fail up to 105 degrees. The issues with some mbp's(NOT ALL!) is that they have to much thermal paste thats why people have chosen to reapply but i am curious to see a teardown of a new model if it has been addressed and fixed or if it is still an issue because my temps as i have said have been fine.

heres my honest recommendation to you as if your anything like me until you try it you will always say what if what if. im guilty of this myself buy the mbp you want and if your finding the temps unacceptable return it. i bet you wont but it cant hurt and it will allow you to really try the system.

I cant return it. There is no apple store in my country, only resellers and they dont have return/repair policy. Anything fails hardware wise, Im on my own. So thats why I must make very wise choice.

 

[theSeb]

He's just looking for a bit of advice and wants to hear others' experiences before buying. I think that's a pretty wise decision? Why are you giving him crap for it?

When you start calling people stupid and so forth you're no longer looking for advice, you're trolling.