Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

temp on your 11" MBA?

D

DisplacedMic

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 1, 2009
1,411
1
Hey guys - i was all set to get the 13" MBA but after going to the fruitstand i'm now thinking that the 11" is actually going to be better for me. I am starting law school in the fall and while i know the 11" is pretty small, i will still have my 13" MB 5,1 and i have an external monitor so that's not a huge deal.

what i really want is an ultralight and really the 13" was only nominally ligher (.5lb) than the 13" mbp and actually has a slightly larger footprint. I am sure i would be very happy w the 13 but as of now i'm leaning 11.
battery was a concern, but it occurs to me that every modern classroom has plugs at every desk these days so that's not really a huge deal.

at any rate i read someone complaining that the 11" MBA ultimate gets hot. is that the case? does that i7 heat things up in there?
 
DisplacedMic said:
at any rate i read someone complaining that the 11" MBA ultimate gets hot. is that the case? does that i7 heat things up in there?
Click to expand...
It's quite normal for Mac notebooks to get hot under heavy workloads. It's nothing to worry about.

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)

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 high demands are consistently put on the system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just the Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.

It is also quite normal for a 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 the heat is more easily felt on surfaces. This doesn't indicate that it's overheating and will not harm the computer to be hot to the touch.

The fans are always on when a 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 the 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 the computer to perform at its best.

Learn about the fans in your Mac
Apple Portables: Operating temperature

For Flash-related issues:
 
thanks for the quick reply - obviously machines can get warm but there's no reason to suspect that the 11" 2.0ghz 8gig ram gets any warmer than the 13", is there?
 
DisplacedMic said:
thanks for the quick reply - obviously machines can get warm but there's no reason to suspect that the 11" 2.0ghz 8gig ram gets any warmer than the 13", is there?
Click to expand...
The size of the MBA and the processor and RAM installed has very little impact on temps, compared to the workload you put on the system.
 
GGJstudios said:
The size of the MBA and the processor and RAM installed has very little impact on temps, compared to the workload you put on the system.
Click to expand...

roger that - thanks for the replies!
the reality is this machine will really just be word processing/excel and some light internet usage so i don't anticipate problems.
 
DisplacedMic said:
roger that - thanks for the replies!
the reality is this machine will really just be word processing/excel and some light internet usage so i don't anticipate problems.
Click to expand...

That's just fine.

Is with games that the fan comes on full throttle and you never knew the Air has such a loud fan.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back