(Older) Macbook Heating Issue

[Forge94]

Hi Everyone,

I recently got a second hand macbook (older version) from a family member about 4 weeks ago. It is about 2 years old, but the hard drive was replaced with a 320 gb one just before i got it.

However, for the past week, the temperatures have always been reaching around 65 celcius without any programs open, and 70+ when browsing the internet(nothing with flash, just forums etc.)
When gaming in Bootcamp, it reached over 80.

What puzzled me is that it NEVER got to 60 degrees unless i was gaming (PES 09 on lowest settings) The highest it ever reached was around 65.

Now as I am typing this thread, SMC fan control is telling me that its ~71 degrees, and the fan speeds at 4350 RPM

As I turn my computer on, it starts at ~35, then within less than a minute, reaches ~60 without me doing a thing. For the mere 3 weeks I had this Macbook before this problem, 50 degrees was the average.

I was wondering what I could do to help fix this problem.
I've looked around the internet everywhere, and have ordered a decent Notebook Cooler, which should arrive in a few days.

Also, people have suggested cleaning the fans of dust. As this Macbook is second hand, I will definitely do this.
If anyone has anymore suggestions, I would be grateful to hear them

Do I take it into Apple for them to look at, even though it's out of warranty?

My main question is "WHY" it has only been reaching higher temperatures ONLY in the last week.

Thanks in advance

 

[nomar383]

Check activity monitor for apps that are using unusually high CPU. My macbook started doing this all of the sudden and it turned out that Finder was using 100% CPU all the time. A few .plist resets fixed it right up

 

[Forge94]

Hey.

Thanks for the fast reply.

I have located Activity monitor, and nothing seems to be particularly high.

Safari is the highest at 1.1 to about 18.

Thankyou for the suggestion.
Is there anything else that is contributing to the heating?

I've got my Macbook raised about 4cm off the table using 4 round objects, none of them obstructing the fan.

 

[nomar383]

It shouldn't be getting that hot obviously. A cooling pad should never be necessary. If you don't mind, I would suggest taking it apart and seeing if anything is blocking airflow and give it a good cleaning.

 

[Warbrain]

It shouldn't be getting that hot obviously. A cooling pad should never be necessary. If you don't mind, I would suggest taking it apart and seeing if anything is blocking airflow and give it a good cleaning.

Even a can of air used to blow out the vents should help. Try that.

 

[m1ss1ontomars]

First of all there is no problem; those are normal temperatures. Second of all, ambient temperatures play a role in how hot your computer gets; in hot weather you can reach 100 C, but in cold weather you'd struggle to pass 75.

 

[NewMacbookPlz]

First of all there is no problem; those are normal temperatures. Second of all, ambient temperatures play a role in how hot your computer gets; in hot weather you can reach 100 C, but in cold weather you'd struggle to pass 75.

If you ever reach 100C CPU diode temperature you've got a lot more to worry about than your climate. Even when my apt hit ~85F indoors I didn't see CPU diode temps over the mid 70's.

OP, when you checked your activity monitor, did you change the dropdown from "My Processes" to "All processes?" Sometimes a hanging dashboard widget or printer spool will be in there that isn't seen on the default screen.

 

[m1ss1ontomars]

If you ever reach 100C CPU diode temperature you've got a lot more to worry about than your climate. Even when my apt hit ~85F indoors I didn't see CPU diode temps over the mid 70's.

OP, when you checked your activity monitor, did you change the dropdown from "My Processes" to "All processes?" Sometimes a hanging dashboard widget or printer spool will be in there that isn't seen on the default screen.

Not really: read the Intel specs. Also I've used both my laptop's cores to 100% in the 100+ F range, which is probably why it can reach 92 C (which I think is the max I've ever seen).

 

[NewMacbookPlz]

Not really: read the Intel specs. Also I've used both my laptop's cores to 100% in the 100+ F range, which is probably why it can reach 92 C (which I think is the max I've ever seen).

I realize what the Intel specs are, the C2D can hit 105C before it starts shutting down out of safety, but if your fans are working properly and the computer is ventilated properly, temperatures that high are going to be extremely rare. I'd just be weary of accepting 100C core temps as "normal."

Running Handbrake I've gotten CPU usage up to ~>90% for a good hour or two, and when the fans came up, I never saw core temperatures over 82-84C.

 

[m1ss1ontomars]

I realize what the Intel specs are, the C2D can hit 105C before it starts shutting down out of safety, but if your fans are working properly and the computer is ventilated properly, temperatures that high are going to be extremely rare. I'd just be weary of accepting 100C core temps as "normal."

Running Handbrake I've gotten CPU usage up to ~>90% for a good hour or two, and when the fans came up, I never saw core temperatures over 82-84C.

Oh, even 90 C is extremely rare; I haven't passed 80 C in months to my knowledge. 90-something could be normal (but undesirable) if your computer is always at 100% CPU usage, the vents are blocked (with dust, etc.), and the ambient temperature is high. If that's not what I conveyed earlier then I was unclear.

Is that an older version of Handbrake which literally used 90% of one core, or is that a newer version of Handbrake which uses 90% total (shows as 180% in Activity monitor)?

 

[NewMacbookPlz]

Oh, even 90 C is extremely rare; I haven't passed 80 C in months to my knowledge. 90-something could be normal (but undesirable) if your computer is always at 100% CPU usage, the vents are blocked (with dust, etc.), and the ambient temperature is high. If that's not what I conveyed earlier then I was unclear.

Is that an older version of Handbrake which literally used 90% of one core, or is that a newer version of Handbrake which uses 90% total (shows as 180% in Activity monitor)?

I believe it's the newer version. In iStat Pro it reports as 90% but in Activity Monitor it reports as >100%.