my 2007 pro running at dangerous temps

[macymacmacintosh]

my 2007 macbook pro runs at 100-118f at idle and goes to about 138f under heavy load, will that idle temp destroy the cpu? i have already cleaned the computer,cleared dust and debris, and placed a fresh install of 10.7.5 on it and it still runs at 118.

 

[DeltaMac]

Your 138f is still less than 60C, and is what I would consider a mid-range temp, very normal, and not high at all.
Your MacBook Pro is good to go, and will shut itself off if truly high temps are reached, which would be about 105C (221f.)
Not something that you would be resting on your lap at that point, but will shut off automatically due to the temp.

If you still want to have somewhat cooler temps yourself, then you can clean and replace the heat sink compound with fresh. A nine 9 year-old laptop may need that anyway, depending on your use.

 

[macymacmacintosh]

its my daily school computer so it may need it, thanks

 

[simon lefisch]

You could always open up your Mac and see if the inside needs to be clean (i.e. blowout any dust that may have accumulated over the years).

 

[GoCubsGo]

It does sound like you could use some thermal paste cleanup-replacement. Though in truth, I just never understood why a user would ever have to worry about that. I'm not sure the chemistry around the thermal paste, so for all I know, it could degrade over time. Another idea is to run a hardware diagnostic and see if there if there is a bad sensor. That could be causing the fans to not power on until temps are quite high.

 

[macymacmacintosh]

It does sound like you could use some thermal paste cleanup-replacement. Though in truth, I just never understood why a user would ever have to worry about that. I'm not sure the chemistry around the thermal paste, so for all I know, it could degrade over time. Another idea is to run a hardware diagnostic and see if there if there is a bad sensor. That could be causing the fans to not power on until temps are quite high.

thats the thing, they are always on,hovering between 2000 (min) an 4000 rpm

 

[DeltaMac]

Yes, when your MacBook Pro is on, the fans always run.
Doesn't matter about the temp, as the fans are simply running - idle at low CPU use, or low temps. Usually less than 65C (150-155F) would be considered low temps, and the fans will not usually be much above idle then, maybe 2000 to 2500 RPM. Hi temps above 180F, or higher CPU use would make the fans run up to max, usually 5500 to 6000 RPM. You hear fans run at that speed.
Your reported temps are not high temps.
But, the fans always spin, even at idle. They are never off, unless the laptop is sleeping or completely shut off.