maybe poor thermal paste between the processor and the heat sink? (was know issue with new mbp's)
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New 13 inch Macbook Air Fan Noise
- Thread starter jwkitche
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I was running the video for about 10 minutes.
The fan noise first became noticeable today while I was doing a lot of file copying and installing. But it didn't take long to go quiet again. It's totally silent most of the time.
MBA 13"/256/4GB/i7 1.8
Well, it's completely quiet now. I just watched a 40 minute 720 video and it didn't make a single sound. Maybe it was just indexing? Or maybe it's the webcaming.
hmm i7 users saying it is dead silent vs i7 users who have suddenly switched to i5 users and say it was horrible..... who to believe 
i7 here, Hm.. only with light chrome browsing the fan has been non-stop. Might have to exchange it for an i5.
No spotlight indexing happening, nothing....
Hi Wayne. You didn't mention if your i7 was an 11" or a 13". There seems to be a pattern that the 11" i7 ones are those that have the fan/heat problems and not much on the 13" i7 ones.
Me too. And I was actually gunning for the 11" Ultimate. This problem plus the better battery of the bigger brother, I might just get the 13" i7. I hope this is a production fluke on the thermal pasting so Apple can resolve the next ones. But I'm pretty sure it's the i7's processor power on the smaller size/power management of the 11".
wait a few days for more reviews , answers, go into the apple store yourself etc
don't just take mac rumors member's opinion/views as fact, because you might regret it later on when you realise there wasn't a problem.
hmm i7 users saying it is dead silent vs i7 users who have suddenly switched to i5 users and say it was horrible..... who to believe
You should probably believe both, but first find out exactly what they were doing at the time, what processes are running, what is their CPU temp and what is the air temperature.
I just picked up an i7 13". Was really worried about the fan noise, so the first thing I did was download Skype and do a 30 minute, full screen video call. At the same time the app store was updating 3 applications (iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand) in the background. The fan did not become audible at all. The laptop got somewhat warm above the F1-F4 keys, but that was it.
This is a big difference to my 2010 MacBook Air that would ramp up the fans after only a few minutes on Skype. I am one very happy customer
If you're on the fence about i5 and i7, just go the i7. If your i7 has loud fans, take it back and get it replaced.
Also, backlit keyboard FTW!
Damo
This is a big difference to my 2010 MacBook Air that would ramp up the fans after only a few minutes on Skype. I am one very happy customer
If you're on the fence about i5 and i7, just go the i7. If your i7 has loud fans, take it back and get it replaced.
Also, backlit keyboard FTW!
Damo
Just normal browsing, my i5 13" is silent.
Seems quieter than last years version.
I'd bet the i7 is similar as both scale back the CPU speed for light tasks.
Your MBAs are all new. Maybe the thermal paste just needs time to settle.
1. IIRC, people having stated that temperatures decreased over a few days after purchase, in the months-old threads about the 2011 Sandy Bridge 15" MBPs.
2. Apple seem to have learned their lesson when it comes to applying reasonable amounts of thermal paste, as can be seen in the iFixit teardown (step 11 -- still too much, but a lot better than in initial batches of 2011 MBPs). I don't see bad application of thermal paste being the issue this time.
Plus, iFixit say that Apple have oiled the fan proper. My 2010 MBA is dead silent from a normal distance (unless I push it to the extreme), but the fan does make a coil / buzzing noise. Should be fixed in the 2011.
1. IIRC, people having stated that temperatures decreased over a few days after purchase, in the months-old threads about the 2011 Sandy Bridge 15" MBPs.
2. Apple seem to have learned their lesson when it comes to applying reasonable amounts of thermal paste, as can be seen in the iFixit teardown (step 11 -- still too much, but a lot better than in initial batches of 2011 MBPs). I don't see bad application of thermal paste being the issue this time.
Plus, iFixit say that Apple have oiled the fan proper
. My 2010 MBA is dead silent from a normal distance (unless I push it to the extreme), but the fan does make a coil / buzzing noise. Should be fixed in the 2011.
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I have an i7 13" 256gb MBA.
The fans come up when using google earth with like 3d building in New York City, etc. Also, they turn on during 1080p youtube videos.
Luckily, the fans work really really well, and they turn off right after you end the thing that made them start in the first place
The fans come up when using google earth with like 3d building in New York City, etc. Also, they turn on during 1080p youtube videos.
Luckily, the fans work really really well, and they turn off right after you end the thing that made them start in the first place
My fan is running at about 3000 rpm and 155 degrees when using mail, safari and ical.
is that 155 cpu temp? also what parts are hot?(and how hot) is this on your lap?
Yes it is. Mainly by the hinge is where the heat is at. It's sitting on my desk, so I can't comment on it being on my lap.
My fan is running at about 3000 rpm and 155 degrees when using mail, safari and ical.
What tool to check that?
So 155'F is 68'C, which is exactly what the temp of my mini's C2D CPU is running at right now.My fan is running at about 3000 rpm and 155 degrees when using mail, safari and ical.
What process is using the most CPU? Flash in Safari?
Mainly Safair. But no flash, since it's not installed. Usually about 4-6 tabs at ones. The fans have went back to 2000 rpm, but temp is still about 155.
Wouldn't it be Safari's Prefetcher process by any chance?
When I was testing out Lion GM, this process used a lot of CPU time even while doing nothing in Safari. As the name implies, it must be pre-fetching pages, following links on currently opened pages in anticipation of clicks on those links.