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New Macbook pro gets really cold when not in use?

digitallegend

digitallegend

macrumors member
Original poster
May 18, 2015
34
1
Vancouver
i bought my first macbook (13' 2015) and its gets really cold when I'm not using it, like night time. so in the morning its freezing cold. but when i start using it's running normal. its summer here in bc canada so if anything it should be getting hot not cold.
i previously had a hp laptop for 3 years and never had this problem.
i am worried about the batteries bcoz i know cold temperature shortens battery life
is this normal? i was thinking about buying a case or a sleeve. would that solve it?
sorry i don't have specific temperatures.
 
When I am not using my Macbook Pro it will get pretty cold after a relatively short period of time, I would say this is normal behavior based on the materials involved in the overall build of the Macbook Pro. And as long as you keep your Macs environment within these temperature ranges(per Apple) you should be fine.

Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
Storage temperature: –13° to 113° F (–25° to 45° C)
 
the operating temp and the storage is definitely between what apple recommends.
but what makes it get really cold?
 
digitallegend said:
the operating temp and the storage is definitely between what apple recommends.
but what makes it get really cold?
Click to expand...

Without getting into the thermodynamics discussion potentially involved here, metal objects in general conduct/transfer temperature faster then most other materials, therefore a metal chassis will heat and cool(dissipate heat) faster then a non metal object. Also aluminum is one of the best energy dissipating metals.

This behavior is normal for your Mac, don't fret on it for too long. Enjoy your new mac.
 
digitallegend said:
thank you
its just that for the amount of money i spent on it, it has to be perfect !
Click to expand...

The Macbook Pro doesn't get any colder than a plastic laptop does when you turn either off. When you touch the metal of the Macbook Pro, heat transfers from your body to the Macbook Pro much more quickly than it would to something like plastic. You perceive the Macbook Pro to be "cold." In actuality, you are perceiving the rate of heat transfer, rather than the temperature of the Macbook Pro.

You spent a bunch of money on a unibody laptop. If you throw a case over it, that defeats some of the purpose (and price premium), but to each his own.
 
digitallegend said:
thank you
its just that for the amount of money i spent on it, it has to be perfect !
Click to expand...

It is. Actually, being a little on the cold side is a good thing for a computer. So, don't worry about it.

As for cold and batteries: You have to be well below freezing for there to be any negative effects. And even in the case of cold, you won't do permanent damage to a battery due to exposure to cold. It MIGHT not work in the extreme cold, but slowly warming it back up will bring the battery's functionality back.

It's overheating that will permanently kill a battery.
 
digitallegend said:
thank you
its just that for the amount of money i spent on it, it has to be perfect !
Click to expand...

Seriously? It's totally un-necessary to create a thread saying that my mac is too cold.

Let's say I've spent the same amount of money and I like it to be cold hence; it's perfect for me. Are you implying that Apple should even customize the temperature for every single owner? Nothing is perfect. Your perfect is different than my perfect. Come on, be realistic.

You bought such expensive laptop as what it is....not the other way around. Your logic is messed up.
 
gngan said:
Seriously? It's totally un-necessary to create a thread saying that my mac is too cold.

Let's say I've spent the same amount of money and I like it to be cold hence; it's perfect for me. Are you implying that Apple should even customize the temperature for every single owner? Nothing is perfect. Your perfect is different than my perfect. Come on, be realistic.

You bought such expensive laptop as what it is....not the other way around. Your logic is messed up.
Click to expand...

Ha I thought the same thing....
 
Unless you bend the laws of physics it can't get colder than ambient temp...the rest is perception from the metal feel vs plastic of most other laptops.

Nothing to worry about. At all.
 
hmmm
 

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gngan said:
Seriously? It's totally un-necessary to create a thread saying that my mac is too cold.

Let's say I've spent the same amount of money and I like it to be cold hence; it's perfect for me. Are you implying that Apple should even customize the temperature for every single owner? Nothing is perfect. Your perfect is different than my perfect. Come on, be realistic.

You bought such expensive laptop as what it is....not the other way around. Your logic is messed up.
Click to expand...

- Your comment is unnecessary. The OP wasn't saying that the machine was too cold for his liking; he was asking whether something was wrong with it since he perceived it to be colder than other laptops.
And I'm quite sure he doesn't expect Apple to manufacture each machine from different materials in order to match the thermal properties that each customer prefers...
 
digitallegend said:
thank you
its just that for the amount of money i spent on it, it has to be perfect !
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that other laptops are not made from solid aluminum like a Macbook and up are. I Have not looked into a PC laptop since switching from a PC back in 2008, no reason I'm using the best IMHO.

Return it and go back to HP if your not totally happy with it
 
It's a physical property of aluminum, and it is exceptional at transmitting heat. Your laptop is fine.
 
This makes for an excellent demonstaration of conduction. You get two dishes, one plastic and one metal but otherwise look the same. Ask a student to touch each, and they will say the metal one feels colder. You then put an ice cube on each, on the metal one that felt colder the ice melts quickly, the plastic one stays frozen.

Good conductors will always feel cold to touch even though they are in reality at ambiant room temperature.
 
Interesting, partially related observation:

I'm up in the mountains this week for work and my 2014 rMBP 15 2.8/16 was left running in a non-winterized building overnight where the temps got into the low 40s. I ran geekbench 64 and it scored just over 15000 and it usually in the low 14000s. Guess a cold laptop gave the CPU more room to throttle up.
 
pshifrin said:
Interesting, partially related observation:

I'm up in the mountains this week for work and my 2014 rMBP 15 2.8/16 was left running in a non-winterized building overnight where the temps got into the low 40s. I ran geekbench 64 and it scored just over 15000 and it usually in the low 14000s. Guess a cold laptop gave the CPU more room to throttle up.
Click to expand...

that is crazy. i thought it would stop working in that extreme temp.
 
Oh my god after lots of people complaining about overheating on their MBP's finally someone complains about being too cold :eek:
 
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