Why are you all so obsessed with heat, fan speed etc. etc.?

[TNTN]

Numerous threads on here go on about the heat of their Macs and how the fans run at 6,000rpm and 'is this normal?' and 'How can I change the fan speed?' etc.

Why is this an issue? Surely Apple design a computer to do what it does and react accordingly as heat builds-up. Surely a Mac isn't going to allow itself to get so hot the chips melt themselves off the board.

So what do you all worry about it so much?

 

[curtisinoc]

Numerous threads on here go on about the heat of their Macs and how the fans run at 6,000rpm and 'is this normal?' and 'How can I change the fan speed?' etc.

Why is this an issue? Surely Apple design a computer to do what it does and react accordingly as heat builds-up. Surely a Mac isn't going to allow itself to get so hot the chips melt themselves off the board.

So what do you all worry about it so much?

because most people on this site have severe cases of OCD

 

[paulsalter]

the noise of the fans running at 6,000rpm in a quiet room is very annoying

 

[Ride9650]

the noise of the fans running at 6,000rpm in a quiet room is very annoying

that and:

- constantly high temps are not good in the long term.

- apple has been known to not properly apply thermal paste

- next, in some cases like myself, the temp when the fans come on is sometimes set too high. One time I almost hit 100 degrees Celsius before the fans started to ramp up.
(I got that one replaced)
I'm sure theres more reasons

 

[Mr. McMac]

that and:

- constantly high temps are not good in the long term.

You hit the nail on the head.

 

[interrobang]

Generally, they're people who don't trust Apple at all.

1. Apple's thermal engineering is bad from the start, favoring form over function (sometimes, even on the Mac Pro)
2. Apple's build quality is shoddy, which means that the already defective designs are assembled improperly
3. Apple's warranty coverage is too short, or its technicians too stupid, to recognize or remedy these problems

(And to be sure, there have been instances of all of these...and naturally, they all get lots of discussion here on these forms.)

So they take it upon themselves to fix all of Apple's incompetence, by obsessively monitoring and adjusting their temperatures themselves.

(One wonders why, in spite of all the failings they perceive in Apple's products and support, they continue to buy Macs at all.)

 

[TNTN]

- constantly high temps are not good in the long term.

If that's the case, don't you think Apple know that? Surely if it's a problem, Apple will have written-in some sort of code that'll shut the computer down, slow it down, whatever, to make sure your £1,000+ computer isn't damamged?

Do you all really have that little faith in Apple's ability to make computers?

 

[paulsalter]

If that's the case, don't you think Apple know that? Surely if it's a problem, Apple will have written-in some sort of code that'll shut the computer down, slow it down, whatever, to make sure your £1,000+ computer isn't damamged?

Do you all really have that little faith in Apple's ability to make computers?

if it gets too extreme temps then yes I would expect Apple to have done that

which of these would you prefer your computer to do

54 degrees C 2000 rpm while you work (machine functions no problems)
70 degrees C 6000 rpm while you work (machine functions no problems)

for the second option should Apple build something into the OS to either shut down the computer or make it go slow (these temps are valid in certain circumstances)

Would the computer last just as long running at the lower temp as apposed to the higher one

 

[iStudentUK]

If that's the case, don't you think Apple know that? Surely if it's a problem, Apple will have written-in some sort of code that'll shut the computer down, slow it down, whatever, to make sure your £1,000+ computer isn't damamged?

Macs will shut down before immediate critical damage occurs, when the processor reaches ~100oC. However, heat reduces the lifetime of electronic components. If you can have your computer running at a lower average temperature it should, on average, last longer.

I agree with you to a point. I'm sick of people posting "OMG, my Mac just hit 50oC, is it going to catch fire?!?!?!" but if your computer is running too hot constantly it is cause for concern.

 

[TNTN]

which of these would you prefer your computer to do

54 degrees C 2000 rpm while you work (machine functions no problems)
70 degrees C 6000 rpm while you work (machine functions no problems)

Hmm. Let me think about this. Oh yeah, I couldn't care less!

I want to use my computer and not have to worry about how it works. It'd be like my car having a little fan speed knob so I can cool down the engine if I 'think it's getting too hot'. So long as there isn't steam coming out of the bonnet I expect my car to worry about all that stuff whilst I just enjoy driving.

 

[paulsalter]

Hmm. Let me think about this. Oh yeah, I couldn't care less!

I want to use my computer and not have to worry about how it works. It'd be like my car having a little fan speed knob so I can cool down the engine if I 'think it's getting too hot'. So long as there isn't steam coming out of the bonnet I expect my car to worry about all that stuff whilst I just enjoy driving.

so you would say the computer will last just as long in both them situations

I am not worried about higher speed/temp, but for me the computer will wear out quicker

 

[John T]

but for me the computer will wear out quicker

A computer is nothing more than a collection of electronic components. Possibly the most "fragile" and susceptible to heat damage are electrolytic capacitors. They are designed to operate in temperatures of up to at least 100-110 degC. Therefore, the likelihood of "the computer will wear out quicker" is not even worth consideration.

 

[paulsalter]

A computer is nothing more than a collection of electronic components. Possibly the most "fragile" and susceptible to heat damage are electrolytic capacitors. They are designed to operate in temperatures of up to at least 100-110 degC. Therefore, the likelihood of "the computer will wear out quicker" is not even worth consideration.

good to hear

so if I constantly rip dvds, temps about 85 and fans at full, the computer is not going to wear out any quicker than just using safari with a temp of 59 and fans at 1800

 

[iStudentUK]

Possibly the most "fragile" and susceptible to heat damage are electrolytic capacitors. They are designed to operate in temperatures of up to at least 100-110 degC. Therefore, the likelihood of "the computer will wear out quicker" is not even worth consideration.

The lifetime of an electrolytic capacitor increases as temperature decreases. Often, a 10oC drop can double the lifespan. Being able to operate at 110oC doesn't mean it wouldn't benefit from being cooler than that.

 

[TNTN]

The lifetime of an electrolytic capacitor increases as temperature decreases. Often, a 10oC drop can double the lifespan. Being able to operate at 110oC doesn't mean it wouldn't benefit from being cooler than that.

But what is the 'lifespan'? Is it generally 2yrs, 20yrs or 200yrs? I'll only have my Mac a few years so as long as it lasts that long I simply couldn't care.

 

[iStudentUK]

But what is the 'lifespan'? Is it generally 2yrs, 20yrs or 200yrs? I'll only have my Mac a few years so as long as it lasts that long I simply couldn't care.

It is actually surprisingly short. The quality can vary a lot, and are expressed as "X hrs at Y oC". Typically you can see 2,000-10,000hrs at 85-110oC. A year is 9000hrs(ish). The rule of thumb is double the lifespan for a 10oC drop.

So as I said before, I agree with you to a point. There is no need for the threads where people panic that their Mac idles at 50oC, and no need to worry if you are hitting 90oC when doing something heavy. However, when we see people complaining about their new 11" MBAs hitting 90oC just watching YouTube they may have legitimate cause for concern. Telling them to install clicktoflash or opting into the HTML5 beta may be a big help.

 

[John T]

The lifetime of an electrolytic capacitor increases as temperature decreases. Often, a 10oC drop can double the lifespan. Being able to operate at 110oC doesn't mean it wouldn't benefit from being cooler than that.

My reply was in the context of "the computer will wear out quicker" and not that of the theoretical life of an electrolytic capacitor.