new... trying to avoid overheating

[N-Y]

ok... so im loving my new macbook pro 2.66 7200RPm 500GB.

I got istat like everybody told me i should get...
so now im just wondering what should be my computer temp, im not doing heavy, just internet, music, i have it set on celsius.. so where should i look on istat and whats the temp i should see to make sure my computer its not overheating

 

[iChica]

well, the tech at my school said that the computer can handle up to 200º F (about 93ºC) before the motherboard and processor can even consider starting to burn out. my computer has NEVER gotten up that far, it usually hangs around 120ºF-ish (i have a white macbook).
don't worry about it!
-iChica

 

[scienide09]

Honestly, I would say don't worry about it. Unless your computer feels hot to the touch (and I mean *hot*), you'll feel better and enjoy the experience of Mac ownership more if you avoid watching the temperatures and fan speeds.

 

[m85476585]

I wish people would stop telling everyone to get istat.

-Up to 90C is completely normal.
-Up to 105C is safe for the Core2Duo according to Intel
-Above 105C, the processor will probably start to throttle down. It will probably force the computer to shut down somewhere around 125C.

If everything is working right, it should never reach 105C. As long as it is below that, don't worry about it. The computer might feel hot to the touch during heavy use, and if you don't like that you can run a fan control program like SMCFanControl. There is a tradeoff between temperature and fan speed, and Apple decided they would rather have quieter computers.

By the way, istat makes my DashboardClient process continuously use 1.5% CPU. That has an effect on battery life since the CPU can't be in a low power state as long.

 

[FnuGk]

I wish people would stop telling everyone to get istat.

-Up to 90C is completely normal.
-Up to 105C is safe for the Core2Duo according to Intel
-Above 105C, the processor will probably start to throttle down. It will probably force the computer to shut down somewhere around 125C.

If everything is working right, it should never reach 105C. As long as it is below that, don't worry about it. The computer might feel hot to the touch during heavy use, and if you don't like that you can run a fan control program like SMCFanControl. There is a tradeoff between temperature and fan speed, and Apple decided they would rather have quieter computers.

By the way, istat makes my DashboardClient process continuously use 1.5% CPU. That has an effect on battery life since the CPU can't be in a low power state as long.

you are right about something here

if people are worried about their cpu burning out when it gets over 90 degrees then they are worried for no reason as the can take way more than that and even if it does hit its max temp it will force the computer to shut down long before and this shut down is instant. However if you are running a laptop you could get reduced battery as they can't handle as much heat as other components.

 

[Cavanboy18]

What is making your computer overheat is hardcore graphics intense stuff. games or movies or anything really requiring your video card for a long period of time will make your computer hot but it will not cause any damage to your computer! ALSO! the reason why macs get so hot is because the body is a metal and conducts heat alot easier and better for your computer then VS PC laptops that are plastics and just liquify from the inside out.