Overheating MBP

[iTarbuck]

Hi all, I have got here a 2015 MBP with fairly decent specs but a slight issue:

When running Adobe Photoshop, the mac seems to get very hot and the fans kick in. I haven’t noticed a performance loss and the CPU usage that activity monitor is showing me doesn’t seem to be of concern, so what’s wrong?

What steps can I take to alleviate this issue, and lower the heat?

Thanks in advance, Luke.

 

[leman]

When running Adobe Photoshop, the mac seems to get very hot and the fans kick in.

That's what will happen if you do demanding tasks on your machine, it has a CPU and GPU equivalent of a small stove. And since you don't observe any performance degradation, its not overheating but operating within the spec. Temperatures close to 100C are within the safe operating range of the CPU.

There is nothing wrong with your machine. That said, Photoshop is not the most efficient piece of software on macOS, so it is very much possible its demanding more resources from the OS than it really needs. There is nothing you can do about it. Any laptop with the form factor of the MacBook Pro will run hot and loud when performance is demanded.

P.S. If your laptop is a bit older, might be a good idea to clean out the exhaust fans. There could be dust accumulation that would diminish the effectiveness of the cooling system and make the fans operate on higher speeds than they usually would. But I doubt that this is your problem.

 

[Willo34]

Also, if the machine gets too hot the machine will shut down as a safety feature.

 

[iMacDragon]

What steps can I take to alleviate this issue, and lower the heat?

Not run photoshop. Basically, macbook pro's all get pretty hot when they do 'serious' work, it's just normal.

 

[ZStech]

the mac seems to get very hot and the fans kick in

check temp of your hardware via TG Pro app
Also, you can compare current temp of your CPU with its maximum value (T JUNCTION-is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die) on https://ark.intel.com/products/
For exemple, for Intel Core i3-2350M, T JUNCTION = 85C (PGA); 100C (BGA)
https://ark.intel.com/products/53438/Intel-Core-i3-2350M-Processor-3M-Cache-2-30-GHz-

If values are critical for your hardware you should replace thermal compound and clean dust or dirt stuck in its fan.
For the last you can use compressed air

 

[pshufd]

I elevate my MacBook Pro at home and in the office. Sometimes I use 1.5 inch wooden spools that you can get at Michael's or I use old Nuun Tubes (about two inches). Often, just elevating a laptop can greatly improve airflow. I also have a couple of USB fans that I can use if needed. I have had a pet project to build an AC laptop cooler with four large case fans running on wall power. I don't really have this problem as I don't really do anything really taxing.