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

bennygoodx

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 17, 2009
13
0
I've seen snipits of people discussing this--saying it operates too hot while the lid is closed.

I've also read how people love to use it connected to external screen while lid is closed... As I do to keep dust out of the keyboard, etc.

I don't do much other than email, browsing, and never video or anything requiring lots of computing power while the lid is closed. Is it still better to keep the lid open? Does it matter much while only doing simple tasks?

Just want some simple clarification. Thanks guys.
 
mine has been closed all day, and is running 48deg cpu.

the top is slightly warm, but the whole case is aluminum. It wont hurt.
 
I have mine open for the most of the time for some reason. But when I close it I dont notice any differences. So go for it.. If it gets to warm you can alwasy open the lid again :)
 
Operating temp

How can you find out the current operating temp? Whats normal? Whats dangerously high?
 
How can you find out the current operating temp? Whats normal? Whats dangerously high?
Mine is closed all the time. If it gets hot, you will hear the fan. It has so many sensors that it should be safe.

Get Temperature Monitor to check for yourself.

As to what's hot and what's not, there are specs by every chip manufacturer. Acceptable temperatures vary from 60-110 degrees Celsius, depending on type of chip (CPU, graphics, ICH), brand, and model.
 
i usually run mine in clamshell mode. but i also have it on a notebook cooler that has two fans i had to reverse one to suck the heat away from the notebook as the aluminum does a good job at passively releasing the heat away.
but i also open the notebook about an inch or two while running in clamshell so it can dissipate the heat alittle better and not put too much heat on the glass.

my temps vary from 99deg ~ 124deg Fahrenheit (CPU); GPU 70 ~ 92 dF; open or clamshell so it stays about average for me.
 
I seem to run around 52-55 degrees C in clamshell mode. That's the CPU A temperature. Is that totally acceptable?

When should I worry about it getting hot? North of 70 degrees?

Thx
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.