Temperature and fan rpm for MBP

[bluemoon]

Hi all,

Just recently bought a MBP and noticed how hot it will be when i am running WoW. (i saw it reach 100 degrees on istat..) 🙁 after searching through the forums, i just downloaded smcFancontrol. Problem is, I have no idea what is an ideal temperature/fan speed. Basically, i have 3 questions:

1) Is there a max temperature the MBP should run at?

2) If i use smcFancontrol, should i use it at max setting (6200rpm) to keep my temperature down to the ideal temperature?

3) If i use a leather casing (Macally) for my MBP, would it seriously impair the MBP in terms of cooling?

Appreciate all that took time to read and respond to this. 🙂 Thanks in advance!

 

[Thiol]

I doubt you'll need smcfancontrol. If you're really heating up your MBP like you say, then the fans will kick in as designed. I only use smcfancontrol to increase the minimum fan speed a little under everyday conditions.

 

[Thiol]

Oh, and yeah, leather casing might be bad 🙂 I use those laptop pads with built in fans to keep my computer cool. This, however, is mostly for my own control and not burning my lap as opposed to keep the computer in good shape.

 

[maflynn]

1) Is there a max temperature the MBP should run at?

100c before the CPU shuts down, but at that high temps the other components could possibly damaged. Personally I start cranking up the fan speed when I see the temps start heading into the 80s. Fortunately that's been a rare occurrence

2) If i use smcFancontrol, should i use it at max setting (6200rpm) to keep my temperature down to the ideal temperature?

If you want, but the noise generated from the fans could be distracting and I have no idea if you run the fans at full blast all the time, if that would shorten the lifespan of the fans. If you're on the battery, you'd definitely decrease how long that will last before you need to recharge it.

I run my smcFanControl around 3k most of the time and that keeps my temps around 40-55c

3) If i use a leather casing (Macally) for my MBP, would it seriously impair the MBP in terms of cooling?

I would think since it would hamper the temperature from radiating out of the case. Besides why cover up such a beautifully designed computer 😉

 

[sn0warmy]

I run my fans at 3500 RPM's constantly using smc fan control.

My temps are around:

40 degrees Celsius (safari, itunes, adium, mail, pages)

50 degrees celsius (safari, itunes, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, adium)

I would get nervous if my computer ever got above 80 degrees Celcius.

 

[NikFinn]

I run my fans at 3500 RPM's constantly using smc fan control.

My temps are around:

40 degrees Celsius (safari, itunes, adium, mail, pages)

50 degrees celsius (safari, itunes, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, adium)

I would get nervous if my computer ever got above 80 degrees Celcius.

Apparently my runs a little hotter. I have a 13" but, right now with firefox open with a few tabs, iTunes playing, tweetie and bowtie open it's at 44*C but the fans are at 5500rpm. They're high because I was watching hulu earlier and it gets a little warm with that usually.

 

[MacModMachine]

I run my fans at 3500 RPM's constantly using smc fan control.

My temps are around:

40 degrees Celsius (safari, itunes, adium, mail, pages)

50 degrees celsius (safari, itunes, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, adium)

I would get nervous if my computer ever got above 80 degrees Celcius.

my air barely hits 80c under massive load, if your 13" does it...you might want to reset your smc.

 

[NikFinn]

my air barely hits 80c under massive load, if your 13" does it...you might want to reset your smc.

I'm sure my 13" could easily hit 80 while watching something like an HD video on youtube on an external display. I usually boost the fans when it hits around 70 though...

 

[bluemoon]

thanks for the replies! really appreciate it.

So basically, i tried once again putting my fan at max RPM (6200) when i am playing wow. temperature however were hovering around 89c to 90c. i am kinda worried over this because that's the max RPM the fans could go and 90c sounds like i could cook an egg over my MBP. :S i tried removing the leather-casing around my MBP but temperature remains pretty constant around 86-90c. Maybe it got to do with the fact that where i am at, the atmospheric temperature stays around 26-30c. :S

basically in short:
normal usage (mainly safari) running 3200 rpm at 45-50c.
heavy usage (WoW) running at 6200 rpm at 85-90c

is it a cause to be worried?

once again, appreciate all the help!🙂

 

[airplaneman]

thanks for the replies! really appreciate it.

So basically, i tried once again putting my fan at max RPM (6200) when i am playing wow. temperature however were hovering around 89c to 90c. i am kinda worried over this because that's the max RPM the fans could go and 90c sounds like i could cook an egg over my MBP. :S i tried removing the leather-casing around my MBP but temperature remains pretty constant around 86-90c. Maybe it got to do with the fact that where i am at, the atmospheric temperature stays around 26-30c. :S

basically in short:
normal usage (mainly safari) running 3200 rpm at 45-50c.
heavy usage (WoW) running at 6200 rpm at 85-90c

is it a cause to be worried?

once again, appreciate all the help!🙂

Looks OK. Maybe you could try boosting the back of your MBP with some foam blocks or something; that helps with the air circulation and the typing position.🙂

 

[tempusfugit]

I always keep my fans at at least 4k rpm.


My logic is, why not ware out the cheapest component of the computer?

 

[cababah]

100c before the CPU shuts down, but at that high temps the other components could possibly damaged. Personally I start cranking up the fan speed when I see the temps start heading into the 80s. Fortunately that's been a rare occurrence

umm I've hit 100C several times and 105C also and never experienced a shutdown or any problems.

 

[ayeying]

I always keep my fans at at least 4k rpm.


My logic is, why not ware out the cheapest component of the computer?

It may be cheap, but if you don't know how to do it, it may be costly at the Apple Store.

Anyways, I don't understand why it is so important to keep the system cool when it automatically does it for you. I normally keep my system between 50 deg C and 85 deg C with automatic fans, I've even hit over 95-100 deg C before on all my Mac Laptops I've owned. There's never been any problems. I run Boinc on all my systems when I sleep, keeps my CPU at 100% both cores (or many other cores) and always keeps my temperature up at night, around 80-85 deg C usually constant.

 

[blurfonz]

What is a good temperature monitoring prog that appears beside the battery indicator?

 

[HappyDude20]

Well, running the fans at a high speed shouldn't void the warranty right?

I normally have my fan temps. at between 110f* to 130f* when surfing the web and listening to iTunes, along with some document editing.

But when watching a movie or on YouTube the temps. rise to 140F* to 175F*...
but quickly turn on SmcFanControl at like 5200RPM which always does the trick...but yes, they do get loud which bugs me...only when im in class, so in class no matter what will set the fans to their lowest. luckily i dont watch HD movies in class so it usually is at 120F***

 

[maflynn]

umm I've hit 100C several times and 105C also and never experienced a shutdown or any problems.

A. That's not right, and you're probably cooking your innards
B. Intel's own site mentioned 100c (or actually 105c) as the maximum operating temps for the CPUs used in MBPs.

While the maximum temp for the cpus are 100c, that doesn't mean all of the components are rated at the temp. If you're experiencing that much heat, somethings wrong and you're definitely decreasing the life of your MBP.

 

[art2science]

Anyone got any comparative figures for the newest Macbook Pro 17" unibody?

Mine seems to run with the CPU at 80 deg Celsius a lot of the time, with normal load and SMCfancontrol at default. If I crank the fans up to 4000rpm then I get it down to below 70 deg. C
GPU sensors are in the 55 deg - 65 deg C range.

If the laptop is completely idle, then I can expect it to drop to around 40 - 50 deg C.

 

[cababah]

A. That's not right, and you're probably cooking your innards
B. Intel's own site mentioned 100c (or actually 105c) as the maximum operating temps for the CPUs used in MBPs.

While the maximum temp for the cpus are 100c, that doesn't mean all of the components are rated at the temp. If you're experiencing that much heat, somethings wrong and you're definitely decreasing the life of your MBP.

I don't know I just like to use it and not speculate as to whether components are decreasing in lifespan because that is pointless. The computer works great and I don't see those high temps all the time just on some occassions. Besides, I have a full warranty. Some people have hit over 105 and seen no I'll effects. If something goes wrong, I will come back so you can say "I told you so" but until that time I will just keep using it as I normally do. I actually think it's quite normal to see those temps sometimes based on the countless temperature threads I have read. Only ppl with istat look at temps and that is such a small percentage of total MB users.

 

[ayeying]

What is a good temperature monitoring prog that appears beside the battery indicator?

I think you're asking about iStat Menus or smcFanControl...

 

[skye12]

Well, running the fans at a high speed shouldn't void the warranty right?

I normally have my fan temps. at between 110f* to 130f* when surfing the web and listening to iTunes, along with some document editing.

But when watching a movie or on YouTube the temps. rise to 140F* to 175F*...
but quickly turn on SmcFanControl at like 5200RPM which always does the trick...but yes, they do get loud which bugs me...only when im in class, so in class no matter what will set the fans to their lowest. luckily i dont watch HD movies in class so it usually is at 120F***

My CPU temp on my MB is often around 130F and my airport card is always the hottest around 155. Fans kick in periodically when watching video's etc.
but then cools down in a few minutes.