New Retina MacBook Pro - Hot & Loud

[CTgreen]

Sorry in advance for what I'm guessing is the 4,362nd thread about MacBooks getting hot and the fans turning on; I tried searching around, but didn't find a thread that seemed close enough to my situation to be particularly helpful.

Anyway, I got this shiny new rMBP (Late 2013 15" baseline model, Iris Pro only) and I'd like to know if I have a problem...

According to my fan/temp app, idle temps (on CPU core 1) are around 50° C doing "nothing" on the desktop for about 20 minutes from a cold start.

Start up a web browser (tested both Safari & Chrome) with non-video sites open in a few tabs (Gmail, Amazon, Amazon Cloud Player [Music], MacRumors, a Google search results page, and this new thread page to be exact...ish) and the temps hover around 60°. Seems a little high to me, but I wouldn't know...

But as soon as I start up any YouTube video (tried both Flash & HTML 5 players, multiple different videos) in either Safari or Chrome (using the same exact videos as well) the temps jump up to the upper 90s and the fans go full-throttle. Also tried some Netflix (using Microsoft Silverlight, not Flash or HTML 5) with the same results. So my MacBook is getting pretty hot internally, and annoying loud externally, whenever I try to watch a simple video. Even gets too hot to touch after a short while under these conditions.

Do I have a problem? I don't wanna do (another) return/exchange (first one had a dark splotch on the screen), but this seems wrong. My MacBook Air only ever got like this if I started playing a game on it.

I'd appreciate some insight on this from the forum. Thanks! =)

 

[Commy1]

There is no reason why if should be getting that hot for a simple task. 60's is a comfortable temperature for Netflix on full screen maybe doing something in the background. But I suppose that may depend on the temperature of the work space.

 

[CTgreen]

Right? I thought it seemed amiss, but I see so many threads like this where people are inquiring about temps and the most common answer is "it's fine, calm down" essentially, so I didn't quite know what to think.

I did forget to mention in the OP that I always make an effort to ensure the intake & exhausts are clear, whether the MacBook's on my lap or on the desk. The temps didn't seem to be affected significantly by changing the location, angle, or surface that the computer was tested at. It's in a pretty cool room (mid 60's °F) all of the time.

Thanks for the reply

 

[ColdCase]

Seems normal to me, most any web video is going to heat things up quite a bit, especially HD. Some screen savers will also warm things up. The fans in my 2014 (same as a late 2013) spin much faster than my early 2013 so it seems to run cooler but also louder when pushed than any MBP that I have used. What does activity monitor say about CPU usage? What is the big hitter?

 

[CTgreen]

If I recall correctly, Google Chrome was the only "big" thing at only ~15-20%. Currently on iPad.

I'd not be so concerned if the machine hot OR loud, but even though the fans are constantly on full blast I stay in the mid 90's during video playback.

 

[Dovahkiing]

I use Safari to stream a lot of netflix. I use SMCfancontrol to set the fans to 3200rpm before I start. Sometimes I check the temp when I'm done and it's usually around 65C. I have early 2013 w/ 650M.

 

[boast]

Idles around 60s, around 70s for YouTube. Up to 80s when I'm using skype. I've only gotten 90+ while gaming.

This is plugged in, connected to a 1440p monitor.

 

[thundersteele]

Doesn't sound normal to me. Maybe let Apple have a look at the machine.

 

[ano0oj]

I think MBP inherently get hot when running high quality videos, but when I compare my 13' rMBP, it doesn't get nearly as hot as my 10' MBP

 

[dmccloud]

Doesn't sound normal to me. Maybe let Apple have a look at the machine.

I don't even hear the fans when gaming (been playing ESO all week), and the max temps I've seen on my CPU is 87c. My idle temps are the same as yours (50C, +/- a degree or two), but more importantly, I'm not seeing a significant increase in temps when watching YouTube/Netflix. I'd recommend an SMC reset to see if that resolves things, then take to an Apple store/contact Apple if the issue persists. SMC reset instructions at the following link: SMC Reset (Apple)

 

[KUguardgrl13]

I know this thread is almost a year old, but I'm also have some issues with my late-2013 rMBP running hot and loud while watching a tv show on the ABC website in Chrome. I don't have any of the iStat apps, but Coconut Battery is reading 34.5* C after turning off the video for a few minutes and letting the fan spin down. After converting to Fahrenheit, I realized how hot that is!

Any advice? I have AppleCare, so I can certainly get it looked at. I'm sort of afraid to open up an rMBP myself since it's more of a challenge than the cMBP.

 

[yjchua95]

I know this thread is almost a year old, but I'm also have some issues with my late-2013 rMBP running hot and loud while watching a tv show on the ABC website in Chrome. I don't have any of the iStat apps, but Coconut Battery is reading 34.5* C after turning off the video for a few minutes and letting the fan spin down. After converting to Fahrenheit, I realized how hot that is!

Any advice? I have AppleCare, so I can certainly get it looked at. I'm sort of afraid to open up an rMBP myself since it's more of a challenge than the cMBP.

For starters, quit using Chrome and get rid of Flash.

These two are resource hogs.

 

[nobodyjustwalks]

I know this thread is almost a year old, but I'm also have some issues with my late-2013 rMBP running hot and loud while watching a tv show on the ABC website in Chrome. I don't have any of the iStat apps, but Coconut Battery is reading 34.5* C after turning off the video for a few minutes and letting the fan spin down. After converting to Fahrenheit, I realized how hot that is!

Any advice? I have AppleCare, so I can certainly get it looked at. I'm sort of afraid to open up an rMBP myself since it's more of a challenge than the cMBP.

Coconut Battery displays your battery temp. Not to say itʻs not important, or that it wouldnʻt rise if your laptop were running hot, but most people are quoting CPU temps when worrying about such things. Also, 33-34C is normal for your battery. My rMBP runs cool and has no issues, and this is the batt temp range Iʻve always had.

In regards to your issue, what youʻre observing is normal and itʻs because ABC (regretfully) uses Flash for their websiteʻs videos. I just tried it with a newscast on Chrome and within 5 minutes my CPU/GPU temps jumped from 44C to around 85-90C. Fans took a while to spin up.

So...as the poster above mentions. Youʻre using Chrome which many members will tell you is a resource hog, but the real reason your computer is running hot is because youʻre watching Flash based videos.

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For starters, quit using Chrome and get rid of Flash.

These two are resource hogs.

This!

 

[Traverse]

I'm very happy with the 15" Retina MBPs.

I had a 2011 15" MacBook Pro and it ran over 50 degrees constantly and it wasn't unusual for it to jump into the 70s.

The rMBP runs in the low to mid 40s and rarely hits 60.

 

[duervo]

High idle temperature is more indicative of an issue than high temperature while system is under load. After all, if your system is "busy", it stands to reason that the temperature would increase as a result.

 

[KUguardgrl13]

For starters, quit using Chrome and get rid of Flash.

These two are resource hogs.

Coconut Battery displays your battery temp. Not to say itʻs not important, or that it wouldnʻt rise if your laptop were running hot, but most people are quoting CPU temps when worrying about such things. Also, 33-34C is normal for your battery. My rMBP runs cool and has no issues, and this is the batt temp range Iʻve always had.

In regards to your issue, what youʻre observing is normal and itʻs because ABC (regretfully) uses Flash for their websiteʻs videos. I just tried it with a newscast on Chrome and within 5 minutes my CPU/GPU temps jumped from 44C to around 85-90C. Fans took a while to spin up.

So...as the poster above mentions. Youʻre using Chrome which many members will tell you is a resource hog, but the real reason your computer is running hot is because youʻre watching Flash based videos.

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This!

Thanks for the info. I guess it's a trade off since I prefer Chrome over Safari on Mac.