new macbook pro user. cooling fan question macbook pro

[paulhannon]

hi i just bought my pro 2 days ago, i already have a macbook and notice for a start how much cooler running my macbook is than my pro. however when my macbook does get warm i can quite easily hear the fan kicking in but i dont hear the same in my pro!!

is this normal? does a pro not have a cooling fan? (surely it must right?)

that coupled with the very annoying buzzing in the right hand corner (is that possibly the fan unsuccessfully trying to spin?) has me worried i may have bought a dud computer!!??

thanks for any help.

 

[amusiccale]

If you use a program like smcFanControl or iStatPro and provide the self-reported RPMs on the MBP's fans, that might be a start.

 

[Tosser]

Yes, the MBP has fans (as in the revolving type). Two in fact.

Now, don't listen to people that want you to manually set the fans, play with voltages for the CPU and all that nonsense. It's a new computer, you shouldn't have to do that.

Now, what I'd be worried about is the "buzzing" you mention. It shouldn't "buzz" at all. I'm hesitant to claim that it _must_ be the fans, as it could just as well be the power button (loose connection, anyone?).

However, with regards to the fans, if you download something like iStat (it's just a monitoring widget), you can see for yourself if the fans are running. Mine are usually running at 1990-2004 (my left fan always seem to be running 5-10 rpm faster than the right – I guess it has to do with the charging circuit being to the left or something).

Any chance you have a decent audio recorder and microphone at home so you could record the "buzz", so we can determine whether it's more of a "whirr"?

 

[204353]

The Silver Frying Pan

MacBook Pros have always been very hot machines. Due to their thin design, the body itself is actually used to draw heat away from the internals. Apple loves the concept of a perfectly quiet laptop, so MacBook Pros run very quietly with their fans almost idling until the CPU gets very hot, and then they go crazy. Just try running a game or something!
In fact, Apple got so many complaints from people saying their MBPs burnt their laps that they had to keep stressing their status as 'notebooks', not 'laptops' (designed to run on desks, not laps!).

I get a slight humming from both sides of my machine, but that's just the fans ticking over at about 2000 rpm.

 

[Hydroxs]

the fans wont speed up till my cpu temps reach above 80 C

 

[paulhannon]

thanks so far guys

ok right now my comp is at 121F (49C) and i have the fans running at 4000rpm. is that normal?

what is the ok running temp?
also the buzz i mentioned earlier must be the fans because as soon as i up the speed it disappears.

thanks again

 

[mynameisshawn]

Here's some temps I got all going at 2k rpm:

Temp just after turning it on:

Temp after some idle time:

Temp after having the charger in for couple of minutes:

Temp when using Firefox with multiple tabs open:

And temp of Final Cut Express exporting HD video:

When exporting the video the fans were going around 6000-7000rpm but only for a moment.

 

[Beric]

On my Macbook, playing Age of Empires III, with low specs, my computer heats up to 180F no problem, and the fans are constantly running top speed. You get used to the loud sound of fans running...

And I can rarely can use my Macbook in my lap. It heats up like that simply watching a youtube video. Macs and Flash don't mix.

 

[204353]

Mine only goes high enough for the fans to rev up when it's doing high-powered tasks like converting video, or playing an emulated game or something.

Watching YouTube videos shouldn't heat it up too much, I don't think. It's fine doing stuff like that on mine.

 

[paulhannon]

thanks mynameisshawn

how come my macbook doesn't get as hot as my macbook pro then?

 

[Chaggi]

Look what your Macbook Pro is made out of

 

[paulhannon]

fair point. thanks guys

 

[chiefroastbeef]

I use smcfancontrol and keep my fans at 3,500rpm constantly. It is not loud, and the laptop doesn't get hot even if I run a lot of programs. Playing a game is a different story though, then I'll crank it up to 6000rpm.