Slow MacBook Pro ? Properly clean the vents !

[leez]

Hi,

So yes, as in the topic. If your MacBook is running slow from time to time, clean them.

In OS X under heavy load my mouse cursor tend to slow down and kernel process went over 100%. In Bootcamp Windows 10 under heavy load, MacBook was switching off (guess to prevent damage).

It's a MacBook Pro 15" 2011, with updated RAM to 16gb.

Unscrew bottom bit and unscrew the vents (without disconnecting the little vents power cable). And clean the air tunnels, you'll see them after lifting the vents.

I've missed it when cleaning my MacBook before. And what a difference it makes !

Please see "how to" online and be careful when cleaning.

Hope it helps someone.

 

[The All American]

When I replaced my battery earlier this year, I used a can of compressed air to blow the bottom out. A dime sized piece of lint came from between the blades of the fan. I didn't notice how loud my laptop was until I turned it on after it was cleaned.

 

[zeusthedino]

Hi,

So yes, as in the topic. If your MacBook is running slow from time to time, clean them.

In OS X under heavy load my mouse cursor tend to slow down and kernel process went over 100%. In Bootcamp Windows 10 under heavy load, MacBook was switching off (guess to prevent damage).

It's a MacBook Pro 15" 2011, with updated RAM to 16gb.

Unscrew bottom bit and unscrew the vents (without disconnecting the little vents power cable). And clean the air tunnels, you'll see them after lifting the vents.

I've missed it when cleaning my MacBook before. And what a difference it makes !

Please see "how to" online and be careful when cleaning.

Hope it helps someone.

Can you link to a tutorial to clean the vents?

 

[emilioestevez]

it's probably slow because the 2011s are pieces of dog doo doo

the retinas have side vents with better cooling

 

[leez]

Can you link to a tutorial to clean the vents?

Follow this guide: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Unibody+Early+2011+Left+Fan+Replacement/5892

After you lift the fan, clean all the dust there. Not only the fan, but the vents, which allow the air to go out. If you never did it, you will notice that about half, 1/3rd of the vent will be blocked.

[doublepost=1453113812][/doublepost]

it's probably slow because the 2011s are pieces of dog doo doo

the retinas have side vents with better cooling

Yeah, waiting for Skylake...

 

[vincebio]

Follow this guide: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Unibody+Early+2011+Left+Fan+Replacement/5892

After you lift the fan, clean all the dust there. Not only the fan, but the vents, which allow the air to go out. If you never did it, you will notice that about half, 1/3rd of the vent will be blocked.

View attachment 611175
[doublepost=1453113812][/doublepost]

Yeah, waiting for Skylake...

Thank you for this simple solution.
My Macbook pro 17" (the last week production machine) has been running like **** for the last 3 weeks and i had tried just about everything, even blaming Apple after they replaced my 4 year old logic board thanks for a dodgy graphics chip.

This morning the Kernal was running at around 450% and Ableton Live 9 was running at around 170%.

Took it apart tonight and cleaned out these fan vents...

This evening my kernal is at around 15% and Ableton at around 60%.

AWESOME!