Question about running hot for long periods of time

[BAC5.2]

Just a quick question on the "safety" of my current daily use routine.

I get to my research lab at ~9am and open my 15" i7 MBP (Mid 2010 with the 2.8GHz processor and 8GB of RAM). I plug in my display port adapter to my 24" monitor.

I run Safari, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Parallels 7 running Win 7 HP and the 3D modeling software Solidworks (Parallels on the external monitor), and iTunes. I use an external Mouse and a "SpaceBall" for 3D modeling. I remain plugged into the wall, and use an Ethernet cable with the WiFi turned off. My 3D models are composed of ~120part assemblies, so they are fairly large.

I'll work all day, until around 3 or 4pm. Shut down most programs, except Safari, and close the lid.

I rarely do full reboots.

My temps in my daily use, according to iStat Nano on the Dashboard, have CPUA hovering right around 175˚F. In "normal" use, they seem to be right around 145˚F. That's the highest temp, but all the others are elevated over normal levels.

Is that "unsafely" hot? Is there anything I can do to improve cooling (I do have an iSkinz keyboard cover, though I was told the keyboard has nothing to do with cooling as it does on some other computers)?

Or are those temps perfectly fine and nothing to worry about?

I recently, about 9 months ago, switched from the stock 500GB 5400RPM hard drive to a 500GB Momentus XT hard drive (7200RPM, with the SSD portion, you all know the one). I've been contemplating the jump to the new 750GB Momentus XT drive, as I am approaching "full" on my current hard drive (only ~80GB remaining).

Any help would be great!

Thanks!

 

[SavMBP15]

No issues what so ever. 175F is about 80C and that is actually below what my MBP runs at when I'm gaming. I think the fail safe is around 105C and then the computer will shutdown.

So nothing to worry about whatsoever.

 

[BreakGuy]

Your MacBook Pro is designed to automatically shut down if it gets too hot. This will prevent overheating and the cooking of your internals. You have nothing to worry about.

 

[Krazy Bill]

Your MacBook Pro is designed to automatically shut down if it gets too hot.

I know you're citing fact but this "failsafe" has always bothered me.

To me... *if* the innards get too hot just from heavy use then the mac engineers screwed up or cut some corners. Not likely. The machines are supposed to run anything.

This will prevent overheating and the cooking of your internals. You have nothing to worry about.

I would be very worried. If your machine shuts down due to heat you most likely have a permanent problem that just won't go away by never using the offending app that "broke the camels back". (so to speak).

Of course, I cold be naive about all of this. I've just never heard of any stress put on a mac that caused it to faint from heat exhaustion only to revive itself later on feeling factory fresh.

 

[BreakGuy]

I would be very worried. If your machine shuts down due to heat you most likely have a permanent problem that just won't go away by never using the offending app that "broke the camels back". (so to speak).

Of course, I cold be naive about all of this. I've just never heard of any stress put on a mac that caused it to faint from heat exhaustion only to revive itself later on feeling factory fresh.

MacBooks are capable of running numerous applications at once. The Pro range were designed for use by professionals running high intensity applications. The only reason really your MacBook would shut down due to overheating is if the vents are blocked.

 

[BAC5.2]

Thanks for the reassurance, guys.

I no longer feel bad about what I put my computer through. If only there were a way to upgrade the GPU, that'd be awesome.

That, and output to TWO external monitors would be great.

 

[Krazy Bill]

The only reason really your MacBook would shut down due to overheating is if the vents are blocked.

Ok - makes sense. I'll buy that one.

 

[Votekinky06]

MacBooks are capable of running numerous applications at once. The Pro range were designed for use by professionals running high intensity applications. The only reason really your MacBook would shut down due to overheating is if the vents are blocked.

This is a relief, my MBP CPU runs at around 187 F when encoding video and it started to worry me a little bit

 

[thundersteele]

I get to my research lab at ~9am and

I'll work all day, until around 3 or 4pm.

Nice job you got there


As for your concerns: It's very hard to establish an immediate connection between intensive use of an electronic device and it's lifetime. At this point, I wouldn't be concerned - so far, all PCs that I have owned in my life became obsolete and were replaced before they had a chance to break. The noble exception of course is my MBP that actually failed while being used as main working machine.

The real question here is why you use a private computer for your work - in particular since an integral part of your work seems to depend on your computer.
I understand how using your own machine, and in particular a Mac, is more convenient - I do the same. However my main use is very light, a lot of reading and small computations, and I have access to a server for more demanding jobs.

 

[BAC5.2]

The real question here is why you use a private computer for your work - in particular since an integral part of your work seems to depend on your computer.
I understand how using your own machine, and in particular a Mac, is more convenient - I do the same. However my main use is very light, a lot of reading and small computations, and I have access to a server for more demanding jobs.

I'm a graduate student, so I use my own computer for my research, which is 3-D modeling heavy. If I had my lab buy me a desktop, I'd be limited to working only when in the lab. Now, I can work when I fly, or check things late at night when I'm at home.

For lengthy calculations and analyses, I'll run on one of the desktops in our lab that runs through the University Server. That's for ANSYS work that takes 40+ hours to work through.

 

[snaky69]

Thanks for the reassurance, guys.

I no longer feel bad about what I put my computer through. If only there were a way to upgrade the GPU, that'd be awesome.

That, and output to TWO external monitors would be great.

A better GPU would not help since you are modeling in a virtualized machine, which creates a virtual GPU which has nothing to do with what yours is capable of doing. If you ran SW through bootcamp you'd get much much much better results performance wise, especially in large assemblies.

 

[thundersteele]

I'm a graduate student, so I use my own computer for my research, which is 3-D modeling heavy. If I had my lab buy me a desktop, I'd be limited to working only when in the lab. Now, I can work when I fly, or check things late at night when I'm at home.

For lengthy calculations and analyses, I'll run on one of the desktops in our lab that runs through the University Server. That's for ANSYS work that takes 40+ hours to work through.

Yeah, I guess that makes sense. And I assume that a remote sever is not very useful for 3D modeling on the fly.

 

[BAC5.2]

A better GPU would not help since you are modeling in a virtualized machine, which creates a virtual GPU which has nothing to do with what yours is capable of doing. If you ran SW through bootcamp you'd get much much much better results performance wise, especially in large assemblies.

I didn't know that. Good input. I don't really want to run boot camp, because it'd be a pain to work and write at the same time. Parallels seems to work fine, though it occasionally bogs when moving large assemblies or testing system motion.

 

[snaky69]

I didn't know that. Good input. I don't really want to run boot camp, because it'd be a pain to work and write at the same time. Parallels seems to work fine, though it occasionally bogs when moving large assemblies or testing system motion.

Do you actually require OS X? Bootcamp'ed windows is just as capable of running multiple screens, you know.

 

[BAC5.2]

I do.

I prefer the workflow and environment in OSX over Windows. Not to mention all of my data and references are stored in OSX and I have little interest in trying to sort out file sharing between BootCamp and OSX.

If I wanted to work in Windows, I wouldn't have bought a Mac.

 

[ctyhntr]

I've been using SMC to change my fan speed to keep my machine cooler when running iMovie rendering or iDVD jobs. Are there any fan cooler or external heatsinks that are effective?

No issues what so ever. 175F is about 80C and that is actually below what my MBP runs at when I'm gaming. I think the fail safe is around 105C and then the computer will shutdown.

So nothing to worry about whatsoever.