04-01-2011, 08:31 PM

I have a MBP 17", 2.8 Core 2 Duo (late 2009 model) and 4GB ddr3 memory running FCP 7.

I have recently purchased a Panasonic SD60 video camera and have been learning to use both.

When using the 'log and transfer' option to take the footage from the SD card to the computer, whether the clip is 1min or 10mins, the computer reaches temps of 90 degrees and higher! Istat menu also shows that both the processors are maxing at 99-100%. Nothing else is running i.e from a clean boot and the fans are at default speed = 2000rpm.

My mate can't remember exactly (he will tell me in a few days) but using the same camera and doing the same things on his 2008 MBP, he gets temps of about 60-70 degrees.

I can understand that it is really CPU intensive to transfer full HD footage but do these readings sound 'right'? Surely leaving the computer transferring the footage for 1 hour at 90+ degree and both processors can't be good?!

Thanks for anything you can shed from your experience! Cheers.

04-01-2011, 08:46 PM

Also I've forgot to say, alternatively I could just use a SD reader (as the camera takes SD only, no internal space) but would this change anything?

Is is better to use a USB-SD reader or Express card (yes my mbp model has one of those instead!)?

04-02-2011, 12:50 PM

I have had some processes take my temperature up to 90 degrees, though that is rather high. But I think your computer can safely go up to 120 degrees and your Mac will automatically shut itself down if it gets too hot.

04-02-2011, 01:54 PM

^Thanks for that. I have read those sort of statistics..

No one uses FCP 7 here then?

I've never really had my temperatures go up that high before except for gaming, in which I turn up the fans. It reaches the 80s but never 90s and both processors are not maxed.

I.e 90 degrees temp and core 2 duo processors at 100% can't be right?!

04-04-2011, 10:59 AM

I do use FCP 7 and I transcode a lot of video and it can get close to 100 degrees. If gaming takes the temperature that high, so would digitizing movie files. It's high but not shockingly high, not to me at least. Just remember that your computer monitors its own temperature and will simply shut down if it's getting dangerously hot.

04-04-2011, 05:33 PM

Apologies if i came across as questioning your reasoning, I didn't realise you do use FCP, as I thought you were just talking generally.

But thanks for the reaffirmations. It still doesn't sound right to me but then I'm just probably being really anal.

Cheers mate.