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Mid 2013 rMBP Very HOT during games

Nautilus007

Nautilus007

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jul 13, 2007
2,678
1,452
U.S
I was playing diablo 3 on my Retina macbook pro the other day on my lap. After about 15 minutes of playing the machine becomes so hot it is actually very uncomfortable to use. Is this normal? I do not remember any of my other macs having this issue, the fans seem to be running as well.
 
lulla01 said:
I was playing diablo 3 on my Retina macbook pro the other day on my lap. After about 15 minutes of playing the machine becomes so hot it is actually very uncomfortable to use. Is this normal? I do not remember any of my other macs having this issue, the fans seem to be running as well.
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Let us know your GPU / CPU temps so we can see if they are acceptable.
 
lulla01 said:
I was playing diablo 3 on my Retina macbook pro the other day on my lap. After about 15 minutes of playing the machine becomes so hot it is actually very uncomfortable to use. Is this normal? I do not remember any of my other macs having this issue, the fans seem to be running as well.
Click to expand...

If you're not already doing so, use iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) to get accurate readings of your temps, fan speeds, etc., rather than relying on your sense of touch or sound. A forum member has posted a copy of iStat Pro that has been "tweaked" to enhance compatibility with Mountain Lion. You can download it here.
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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)
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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.
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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.
The bottom of your Mac notebook may become very warm during normal use. If your notebook is on your lap and gets uncomfortably warm, move it to a stable work surface that allows for good ventilation.
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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), or 1200 for the newest MBAs. Older iMacs have 3 fans with minimum speeds in the 800-1200 range, while the newest iMacs have a single fan, spinning at a minimum of about 1400 rpm. 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.)
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The intake and exhaust vents are in the back of the computer near the hinge on all notebooks in the MacBook line (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. For Flash-related issues:
 
I did a fun little experiment after opening this thread.

As of this writing, the bottom of this forum indicates there are 10 765 threads in this subforum.

I used the advanced search function and search for threads with the words "heat" or "temperature" in them, and came up with 970 threads.

That means that for roughly every 10 new threads created, there is at least 1 thread about a MBP's temperatures.

With the forum's default settings, this forum has 180 pages. That would mean there are 5.38 threads regarding temperature PER PAGE. Surely there are one or two on the first one which the OP could've referred to and seen that his/her computer's behaviour is completely normal and nothing to worry about.

FYI, on pretty much every single computer I have ever handled, the fan always runs. When the laptop is idle, it simply runs slower, and increases speed as the heat generated increases. What you experienced is a computer working normally as it was designed. You demanded power by gaming on it, it gave it to you. Power usually generates heat as a byproduct, that's just plain physics.
 
snaky69 said:
I did a fun little experiment after opening this thread.

As of this writing, the bottom of this forum indicates there are 10 765 threads in this subforum.

I used the advanced search function and search for threads with the words "heat" or "temperature" in them, and came up with 970 threads.

That means that for roughly every 10 new threads created, there is at least 1 thread about a MBP's temperatures.

With the forum's default settings, this forum has 180 pages. That would mean there are 5.38 threads regarding temperature PER PAGE. Surely there are one or two on the first one which the OP could've referred to and seen that his/her computer's behaviour is completely normal and nothing to worry about.

FYI, on pretty much every single computer I have ever handled, the fan always runs. When the laptop is idle, it simply runs slower, and increases speed as the heat generated increases. What you experienced is a computer working normally as it was designed. You demanded power by gaming on it, it gave it to you. Power usually generates heat as a byproduct, that's just plain physics.
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While there are a lot of threads like that, your logic is lacking in one spot. Just because someone writes heat or temperature doesn't mean that's what the thread is about, they could easily be mentioned in passing. For example "I love that app, but man it heats up my computer.".
 
simon48 said:
While there are a lot of threads like that, your logic is lacking in one spot. Just because someone writes heat or temperature doesn't mean that's what the thread is about, they could easily be mentioned in passing. For example "I love that app, but man it heats up my computer.".
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Quite true, I hadn't thought of that.
 
snaky69 said:
I did a fun little experiment after opening this thread.

As of this writing, the bottom of this forum indicates there are 10 765 threads in this subforum.

I used the advanced search function and search for threads with the words "heat" or "temperature" in them, and came up with 970 threads.

That means that for roughly every 10 new threads created, there is at least 1 thread about a MBP's temperatures.
Click to expand...
Put another way, I've made my earlier post in over 350 threads that were definitely discussing the topic in this thread, and I haven't come close to participating in all such threads. It's definitely common knowledge that's easy to find by those willing to do a simple search.
 
snaky69 said:
I did a fun little experiment after opening this thread.

As of this writing, the bottom of this forum indicates there are 10 765 threads in this subforum.

I used the advanced search function and search for threads with the words "heat" or "temperature" in them, and came up with 970 threads.
Click to expand...

Yeah well and the remaining 9795 threads are split between "how much RAM do I need", "I spilled X on my new Mac" and "should I buy now or wait for the upgrade" threads. I guess that is what makes a forum a forum.
 
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