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Retina MacBook pro heating issue

P

Previse

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 20, 2012
79
0
I've got a

15" Retina MacBook Pro
- 2.6 GHz Quad-Core i7 (Turbo Boost 3.6 GHz)
- 16 Gb DDR3 Ram
- 256 Gb SSD

That's about a week old, along with a Speck Clear Case on it..

I've noticed that when web browsing with brightness all the way up or even 3/4 up the keys feel a bit warm and the strip above the F keys near the hinge is pretty warm/hot.

When trying to play Team Fortress II ... With 1440X900 resolution the fans become unbearably loud and the keys get hot to the touch, along with the aluminium along the top getting extremely hot as well.

All the above is when keyboard brightness is on 1-3/16 and screen 8-10/16

I'm curious wether or not its the case .. Or is this how all MBP-R run? I've got another few days to return, and i'm extremely tempted because this heat is annoying as hell.

Thanks
 
My 2012 cMBP runs at about 70* when I'm web browsing (external monitor).

I have 3 browsers open and I also have steam, PS, reeder, mail and a bunch of other stuff open.
Any game kicks it up to 85*.

MBPs just run hot.
 
Previse said:
I've noticed that when web browsing with brightness all the way up or even 3/4 up the keys feel a bit warm and the strip above the F keys near the hinge is pretty warm/hot.

When trying to play Team Fortress II ... With 1440X900 resolution the fans become unbearably loud and the keys get hot to the touch, along with the aluminium along the top getting extremely hot as well.
Click to expand...
This is quite normal, whether you have a case on your Mac or not. The case won't cause any problems with heat. 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. (Source: Intel)

If you're not already using it, iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) will give you accurate readings of your temps and fan speeds, among other things.

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.

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.

Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis). iMacs have 3 fans with minimum speeds in the 800-1200 range. 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.)

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 a slot on the back near the top 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
Apple Portables: Operating temperature

For Flash-related issues:
 
GGJstudios said:
This is quite normal, whether you have a case on your Mac or not. The case won't cause any problems with heat. 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. (Source: Intel)

If you're not already using it, iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) will give you accurate readings of your temps and fan speeds, among other things.

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.

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.

Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis). iMacs have 3 fans with minimum speeds in the 800-1200 range. 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.)

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 a slot on the back near the top 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
Apple Portables: Operating temperature

For Flash-related issues:
Click to expand...

Thank you for this good bit of information. Now at some points i see the GPU Diode hitting 80C. As you pointed out the TJmaxes are in place, but is there any point i should worry and calm down myself?

Thank you
 
Previse said:
Thank you for this good bit of information. Now at some points i see the GPU Diode hitting 80C. As you pointed out the TJmaxes are in place, but is there any point i should worry and calm down myself?
Click to expand...
Yes, you should calm yourself and no, you shouldn't worry at all. If your Mac overheats, it will automatically shut down to prevent damage.
 
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