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Ususually High MBP Temp

V

Vice92

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 13, 2009
114
0
I'm running a 17 month old 15" MBP 2.54ghz and my cpu temp averages in the ranges from 60-75C, which is pretty high! The keyboard area is constantly hot and its just pretty annoying and unhealthy for the computer. Plus, I'm not doing anything except surfing the web via Firefox 4 beta with iTunes and Outlook open.

Any ideas on how to get my CPU cooler? Besides getting a laptop cooler to go underneath that is, money is a little tight.

Thanks.
 
Vice92 said:
I'm running a 17 month old 15" MBP 2.54ghz and my cpu temp averages in the ranges from 60-75C, which is pretty high!
Click to expand...
Your temps are perfectly normal for a MacBook Pro, (some run as high as 105C without the system shutting down) as searching the forum with MRoogle will reveal:

Macbook Pro Heat Dissipation
2010 Macbook Pro 17" i7 heat question
Heat on my i7 Macbook Pro 15"
Macbook overheating?
My Macbook Pro reached 106 degrees !
Macbook pro heat problem
MacBook Pro Over Heat Issue
Heat on my i7 Macbook Pro 15"
Macbook pro Hot after 10.6.3. Update
Macbook Pro too HOT!!!
My Macbook Pro Runs Hot
Macbook Pro gets really hot when running windows 7
How hot should my macbook be getting?
Macbook Boiling Hot!
Hot 15" i5 MBP!
MacBook Pro Overheating or That's What I Think It Is?
Macbook pro temperature
MacBook Pro heat causing pain in hands
Alu Macbook vs. 13" Macbook pro: Heat & Battery Life
Etc., etc., etc.
 
I would agree the temps are "within spec", but just jump up from averaging in the high 40's to 50's has just happened recently.

I'm used to desktop maintenance where I would open it up and clean out the fans, reapply thermal paste to the cpu, etc. Is this possible on my MBP without voiding the warranty?
 
Vice92 said:
I would agree the temps are "within spec", but just jump up from averaging in the high 40's to 50's has just happened recently.

I'm used to desktop maintenance where I would open it up and clean out the fans, reapply thermal paste to the cpu, etc. Is this possible on my MBP without voiding the warranty?
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It's really not necessary. Your temps are not just "within spec"; they're well within safe and normal range for your MBP. They may be higher than you're used to on a PC, but they don't justify any added attention at that level. All I'm doing at the moment is viewing this forum, and mine is at 63C. Really, you can relax. It's perfectly fine.
 
Vice92 said:
I would agree the temps are "within spec", but just jump up from averaging in the high 40's to 50's has just happened recently.

I'm used to desktop maintenance where I would open it up and clean out the fans, reapply thermal paste to the cpu, etc. Is this possible on my MBP without voiding the warranty?
Click to expand...

Yes, another option is to look at Activity Monitor (select to Show All Processes) and sort by CPU to see, what process hogs up the CPU. Flash is the usual culprit nowadays.

I get temperatures of up to 100° C when rendering in Cinema 4D and the laptop still doesn't feel that hot over the keyboard.
 
It's FireFox 4 Beta. Had the same issue myself (and a bunch of others). It wasn't unusually hot but hotter than the normal sitting temp and hot enough to elevate the 'resting' speed of the fan at +/- 2000RPM closer to 4k RPM.

If you are live-streaming anything, that will also spike heating temps which is normal and will not change. Something like this forum should not have an effect on the temp as much as playing music videos on YouTube. If you are playing videos or using the CD drive, that will as well. If you are sitting it on certain materials that act as an insulator, that will do it as well.
 
GGJstudios said:
It's really not necessary. Your temps are not just "within spec"; they're well within safe and normal range for your MBP. They may be higher than you're used to on a PC, but they don't justify any added attention at that level. All I'm doing at the moment is viewing this forum, and mine is at 63C. Really, you can relax. It's perfectly fine.
Click to expand...

While it may be "fine", the keyboard area is pretty warm and typing on it becomes uncomfortable for long periods. While probably unnecessary, will I void my warranty cleaning out the fans, etc?

simsaladimbamba said:
Yes, another option is to look at Activity Monitor (select to Show All Processes) and sort by CPU to see, what process hogs up the CPU. Flash is the usual culprit nowadays.

I get temperatures of up to 100° C when rendering in Cinema 4D and the laptop still doesn't feel that hot over the keyboard.
Click to expand...

It's Firefox, which has always been a CPU/Memory hog, but I'm just not used to it having this much effect on temperatures.
 
FF4 Beta is having many issues, especially with OSX 10.6.5/6. It is going to be Beta for a while as the whole platform has gotten negative feedback. Switch back to the 3.6 version or whatever the current one is. If you use a lot of add ons, those are the memory hogs as they all add up. Google Chrome is the least hogging of resources but it is newer and not as many add ons exist as of yet.
 
Vice92 said:
While it may be "fine", the keyboard area is pretty warm and typing on it becomes uncomfortable for long periods. While probably unnecessary, will I void my warranty cleaning out the fans, etc?
Click to expand...

Apple Warranty: Installing Memory, Expansion Cards, User Installable Parts Does Not Void Warranty
You may install memory (RAM, VRAM), and other customer-installable parts without voiding your Apple warranty.
Click to expand...
Page 61 of your MacBook Pro User's Manual:
Your MacBook Pro does not have any user-serviceable parts, except the hard drive and the memory. If you need service, contact Apple or take your MacBook Pro to an Apple Authorized Service Provider. You can find more information about the MacBook Pro through online resources, onscreen help, System Profiler, or Apple Hardware Test.
Click to expand...
 
I was using 3.6 and life was good, except my web pages, along with videos was all stuttery and laggy. Firefox 4 beta seemed to fix that.
 
If you reapply thermal paste in your MBP, and do not break anything/leave any traces, Apple will not find out. I recently reapplied thermal paste on my 13" MBP. The temperatures dropped about 20ºC. I have a thread about what I did here. I have had tons of repairs done on my computer since then, and Apple hasn't noticed. They covered all of the repairs under warranty, even though I reapplied thermal paste beforehand. I had the display assembly, topcase, battery, HDD, HDD cable, magsafe board, and internal speakers replaced after my reapplication of paste.
 
Interesting idea, but I'm not sure how comfortable I have with doing that if it will void my warranty (although my one with Apple has already expired, I'm currently only covered through SquareTrade...).

I switched to Chrome and my temps are dropped considerable; I know can surf the web at idle at "just" 60C.
 
Vice92 said:
Interesting idea, but I'm not sure how comfortable I have with doing that if it will void my warranty (although my one with Apple has already expired, I'm currently only covered through SquareTrade...).

I switched to Chrome and my temps are dropped considerable; I know can surf the web at idle at "just" 60C.
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FYI, my CPU is at 81C, with only the forum and iTunes running. No problems at all.
 
AlphaDogg said:
But are you using a C2D, like the OP? I am at 61ºC with about 15 tabs open in google chrome, and dual-screening with my external display.
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Yep. MacBook Pro 4,1 My temps don't vary too much. Even with a dozen Safari tabs open, Mail, iCal, iTunes, Preview, TextEdit, Skype, Address Book, TeamViewer and several widgets open, it never gets out of hand. Runs as fast as day one.
 
GGJstudios said:
Yep. MacBook Pro 4,1 My temps don't vary too much. Even with a dozen Safari tabs open, Mail, iCal, iTunes, Preview, TextEdit, Skype, Address Book, TeamViewer and several widgets open, it never gets out of hand. Runs as fast as day one.
Click to expand...

I don't think speed was an issue that the OP was addressing...
 
I'm definitely not worried about speed, my MBP has held true from day one. It is just uncomfortable to type on the very warm surface my laptop has become. My hands start sweating and its just ridiculous. The fact that this has only recently become an issue is the thing I'm worried about, not the fact that my MBP can or cannot handle the temperature. It is a well known fact that the high temp a component is left at, the shorter that component's lifespan. But that's besides the point, I just can't type on my laptop! Its quite annoying.

I'm waiting on SquareTrade to email me back to see if I void my warranty through Apple, will I void their warranty too. If not, this puppy is coming apart and I'm cleaning/reapplying the thermal paste.
 
Vice92 said:
I'm definitely not worried about speed, my MBP has held true from day one. It is just uncomfortable to type on the very warm surface my laptop has become. My hands start sweating and its just ridiculous. The fact that this has only recently become an issue is the thing I'm worried about, not the fact that my MBP can or cannot handle the temperature. It is a well known fact that the high temp a component is left at, the shorter that component's lifespan. But that's besides the point, I just can't type on my laptop! Its quite annoying.

I'm waiting on SquareTrade to email me back to see if I void my warranty through Apple, will I void their warranty too. If not, this puppy is coming apart and I'm cleaning/reapplying the thermal paste.
Click to expand...

Good luck!! As long as you have plenty of time, and the correct materials, it is not very difficult. Follow the guide from iFixit. That is what I did.
 
I'd be worried if I were you. My temps hover depending on ambient from 40C to 50C for web browsing without flash.

I'd check for dust (vacuum it) and unnecessary background applications.
 
vant said:
I'd be worried if I were you. My temps hover depending on ambient from 40C to 50C for web browsing without flash.

I'd check for dust (vacuum it) and unnecessary background applications.
Click to expand...

What kind of machine are you running?
 
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