Overheating Macbook Pro 15inch ?

[ApoorvPrem]

Guys I was going through many forums and blogs and reviews and it seems the MacBooks with dedicated GPUs heat up a lot - intact overheat when playing high end games. Is this true ? As much as I know overheating reduces the life of components and if such is the case I would stick with iris pro model - i need the graphics card only for Final Cut pro and nothing else.

 

[GGJstudios]

Guys I was going through many forums and blogs and reviews and it seems the MacBooks with dedicated GPUs heat up a lot - intact overheat when playing high end games. Is this true ? As much as I know overheating reduces the life of components and if such is the case I would stick with iris pro model - i need the graphics card only for Final Cut pro and nothing else.

If you're not already doing so, use iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) to get accurate readings of your temps, fan speeds, etc., rather than relying on your sense of touch or sound. A forum member has posted a copy of iStat Pro that has been "tweaked" to enhance compatibility with recent OS X versions. You can download it here.

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The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat. CPU Tjmax = 105C (221F), GPU Tjmax = 100C (212F) on i3, i5, i7 processors. (GPU Tjmax may vary with specific models.)(Source: Intel)

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Unless there is a rare defect in a Mac, most temps are well within the normal operating range, considering the workload being put on it. Websites with Flash content, games and other multimedia apps will put higher demand on the CPU/GPU, generating more heat. This is normal. If you're constantly putting high demands on your system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just your Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.

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It is also quite normal for your Mac to become extremely hot to the touch during intensive operations. The aluminum body transfers heat more effectively than other materials used in computer casings, so you will feel the heat more. This doesn't indicate that it's overheating and will not harm the computer to be hot to the touch.

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The fans in Macs are always on when the Mac is on, spinning at a minimum speed which varies by Mac model. They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level. If your fans are spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC. (PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help.)

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The intake and exhaust vents are in the back of the computer near the hinge on all Mac notebooks (except the new MBP with retina display, which has intake vents along the sides at the bottom). The iMac vent is on the back of the computer. Make sure the vents remain unblocked to allow your computer to perform at its best.

Learn about the fans in your Mac

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Apple Portables: Operating temperature​

For Flash-related issues:

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[Fredn3ck]

Help With Heat

Another option to consider.

For gaming I use http://www.crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control.

Actually It works so well I leave it on all the time. I've got the fans set to hit top speed at 175 deg and fans at idle speed at 90 deg.

 

[Queen6]

In short, yes they do;

Some models are more prone than others and Apple has had to put in place several extended warranty schemes over the years. The MBP with discrete GPU is simply too close the the limits of the thermal thermal envelope, component temperature rises and falls off far too aggressively resulting in "Thermal Shock" over time this can and does damage components. This process generally takes 2-3 years of use which is frequently echoed across forums, with users left with an expensive repair and no recourse with Apple.

18 pages and rising here alone https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1848336/

Bottom line is if you don't need the dGPU it`s best to avoid period. Frankly Apple`s record with dGpu`s and portables is simply atrocious and is due to Apple`s design philosophy of form over function. The Retina`s cooling is significantly better, equally Apple are extending coverage for dGPU on both 2012 & 2013 models, nor has there been any major update. Note this is not a defect it is related to the design of the MBP.

If you do "need" the dGPU it`s best to elevate the Notebook on a passive cooler stand and use a third part application such as Macs Fan Control to spool up the fans sooner and more aggressively as this will help to reduce impact of "Thermal Shock" however it`s not a guaranteed solution and the Notebook may still fail after a period of time.

FWIW I own and use multiple MBP`s majority with dGPu, personally I have never had issue, equally literally thousands a have and continue to have issue. I will not buy another Apple portable with dGPU as they are literally "time bombs" For the MacBook Pro to be taken seriously as a professional grade Notebook Apple need to revert to Function over Form...

Q-6

 

[ApoorvPrem]

In short, yes they do;

Some models are more prone than others and Apple has had to put in place several extended warranty schemes over the years. The MBP with discrete GPU is simply too close the the limits of the thermal thermal envelope, component temperature rises and falls off far too aggressively resulting in "Thermal Shock" over time this can and does damage components. This process generally takes 2-3 years of use which is frequently echoed across forums, with users left with an expensive repair and no recourse with Apple.

18 pages and rising here alone https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1848336/

Bottom line is if you don't need the dGPU it`s best to avoid period. Frankly Apple`s record with dGpu`s and portables is simply atrocious and is due to Apple`s design philosophy of form over function. The Retina`s cooling is significantly better, equally Apple are extending coverage for dGPU on both 2012 & 2013 models, nor has there been any major update. Note this is not a defect it is related to the design of the MBP.

If you do "need" the dGPU it`s best to elevate the Notebook on a passive cooler stand and use a third part application such as Macs Fan Control to spool up the fans sooner and more aggressively as this will help to reduce impact of "Thermal Shock" however it`s not a guaranteed solution and the Notebook may still fail after a period of time.

FWIW I own and use multiple MBP`s majority with dGPu, personally I have never had issue, equally literally thousands a have and continue to have issue. I will not buy another Apple portable with dGPU as they are literally "time bombs" For the MacBook Pro to be taken seriously as a professional grade Notebook Apple need to revert to Function over Form...

Q-6

I think I am gonna stick with the Iris Pro. I am a student! I need the freaking thing to last me for a good 4-5 years.

 

[Natzoo]

I think I am gonna stick with the Iris Pro. I am a student! I need the freaking thing to last me for a good 4-5 years.

The GT 750M is already a 2yr old graphics card. The iris pro is good, upgrade the ram if you want.

 

[ApoorvPrem]

Another option to consider.

For gaming I use http://www.crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control.

Actually It works so well I leave it on all the time. I've got the fans set to hit top speed at 175 deg and fans at idle speed at 90 deg.

Kinda sucks that apple didn't think this through. You reckon the Iris Pro can handle Final Cut Pro?

 

[Queen6]

Another option to consider.

For gaming I use http://www.crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control.

Actually It works so well I leave it on all the time. I've got the fans set to hit top speed at 175 deg and fans at idle speed at 90 deg.

I have my 15" MBP`s set up so the GPU is cooled more aggressively than the CPU

dGPU fan spools up @ 50C - max fan RPM @ 70C (122F - 158F) GPU diode

CPU fan spools up @ 60C - max fan RPM @ 80C (140 - 176) CPU Core 1

Even by just activating the dGPU on the desktop with gfxCardStatus you can see just how aggressively the GPU temperature rises. If you rely on Apple`s cooling solution the fans on a Retina will not spool up until the CPU Core temperature is in the region of 90C (194F) which is obviously ridiculous given all that`s being achieved is noise reduction at the cost of longterm reliability...

 

[Queen6]

Kinda sucks that apple didn't think this through. You reckon the Iris Pro can handle Final Cut Pro?

Apple have, however the target audience for the MBP these days is the average consumer, so the focus is on form over function, slim and quiet etc. The Pro in MBP these days is nothing more than a marketing term. MBP`s are still great Notebooks and OS X really makes the difference, however once you add a dGPU into the equation they are a bad joke.

As for games, buy a game console or build a cheap gaming PC, Mac`s simply don't "game" very well in comparison to the other options, and $ for $ it makes little sense.

Sorry I am unable answer if Final Cut Pro will perform adequately with the Iris Pro, equally some others will no doubt be able to. All my 15" MBP`s have dGPU, however my newest MBP is a 2.8GHz 13" and I am very pleased with it`s performance given the specifications. I will replace my 2012 Retina this year, once again no dGPU...

Q-6

 

[ApoorvPrem]

Apple have, however the target audience for the MBP these days is the average consumer, so the focus is on form over function, slim and quiet etc. The Pro in MBP these days is nothing more than a marketing term. MBP`s are still great Notebooks and OS X really makes the difference, however once you add a dGPU into the equation they are a bad joke.

As for games, buy a game console or build a cheap gaming PC, Mac`s simply don't "game" very well in comparison to the other options, and $ for $ it makes little sense.

Sorry I am unable answer if Final Cut Pro will perform adequately with the Iris Pro, equally some others will no doubt be able to. All my 15" MBP`s have dGPU, however my newest MBP is a 2.8GHz 13" and I am very pleased with it`s performance given the specifications. I will replace my 2012 Retina this year, once again no dGPU...

Q-6

True. The price difference in India is close to 600 dollar. Can get a Play Station for that much. Thanks for clearing up my mind I will go for the Iris pro and get an external HD

 

[Queen6]

True. The price difference in India is close to 600 dollar. Can get a Play Station for that much. Thanks for clearing up my mind I will go for the Iris pro and get an external HD

I would just ensure that your software will run adequately, likely it will be faster on with the dGPU, equally cost vs risk and track record make the 15" with Iris Pro iGPU a far better choice.

Given a few days you should get response from users using FCP on their MBP`s with equivalent or lesser GPU`s and you can always search or post a similar question here;

https://forums.macrumors.com/forums/2/

Q-6