Macbook Pro to hot to touch... but Genius says...

Hi all, I visited the mac shop today with my Macbook Pro due to what I thought was over heating issues.

I call it the lid hinge but the Genius tech called it something else. Any way that long bar at the back of the keyboard, which supports the screen frame, I find that when I run Photoshop, Garageband, Camtasia, watch DVD's or let time capsule back up a lot of work, that this area not only gets hot, but I mean seriously hot.

Half a second is all I can leave my finger there and I only did this to get an accurate (ish) idea of what to tell the tech.

The Time Capsule and my external G Drive Mini hard drive as well as the rest my Macbook Pro, get hot and accept that this is acceptable.;D

Posts on Google show pictures of the battery opening up and the power cord magnet end actually melting and this is what got me worried.

The Tech says that "the machine is designed to get this hot and the fans are kept this low to reduce the noise that they can generate".

I questioned components getting damaged with so much heat and pointed out the battery and power cord issues.

He said that he has seen a damaged battery before, but it was about 4 years old which they class as possible life expectancy, we were side tracked and the cable melting was not addressed. SORRY!

He then went on to say that 95% of freezing, locking up, screen closing down and telling us to re-start, issues were related to people not down loading the latest software updates on a regular basis.

He's final comment was to say that, "if the machine gets to hot for what it is programmed to do, then it will cut out and no damage will be done".

I am wondering weather to still have my oscilating fan handy, just in case.

All the best

Terry

If you are concerned give smcFanControl a shot. Some people will hoot and holler and disagree with using it, but I love it. I only fire it up when I am doing some real intensive work on my MBP and it gets a little too hot for my liking. Like I said. Some people like it. Some people hate it. Some people are somewhere in between. Give it a shot if you want.

Download smcFanControl for Mac - Control Intel Mac fans to make it run cooler. MacUpdate Mac Software Downloads

In addition to, or as an alternative to, using a fan, you can place your MBP on an ice pad inside a plastic bag and wrapped inside a towel. This is what a friend of mine does. Most effective, he says.

Hi there,

mdfuller said:

If you are concerned give smcFanControl a shot. Some people will hoot and holler and disagree with using it, but I love it. I only fire it up when I am doing some real intensive work on my MBP and it gets a little too hot for my liking. Like I said. Some people like it. Some people hate it. Some people are somewhere in between. Give it a shot if you want.

Download smcFanControl for Mac - Control Intel Mac fans to make it run cooler. MacUpdate Mac Software Downloads

Click to expand...

What a dinky little tool this is... acceptably quiet, you can adjust it when you want and to what level, save levels under your own settings, it's down loadable, It's FREE and YOU have just very kindly passed it onto me. ;D

I only joined yesterday and just wish I had of found this site, 18 months ago when I first got my Macbook Pro and knew nothing.

I have just gone through a very time consuming OS re-install and knew nothing about erase free space and repair disk permissions and a ton of other stuff.

If I had of found you all a couple of weeks ago, I am so sure that you would of saved me so much grief, but you know what... It's great to be here NOW, rather than not at all, so I count my blessings and hope that I can return the favours that you give, by posting some... "Please do not do this" threads.

Many thanks for not only replying, but offering this great tool that I have already tried and it works just like magic.

Thanks

Terry

Glad we could help!

There's a thought,

hughvane said:

In addition to, or as an alternative to, using a fan, you can place your MBP on an ice pad inside a plastic bag and wrapped inside a towel. This is what a friend of mine does. Most effective, he says.

Click to expand...

Now I seriously tend to do that, to reduce the swelling when I have injured myself.

If we sit down and think for a minute, I bet we could come up with hundreds of improvisations, but like your suggestion and the one before with the software fan, isn't it great when you can try out the FREE ones and if you don't get on with them, what have you lost. ;D

That's what's so great about this forum, so many ideas to choose from and at the same time, giving some ideas back.

Appreciate your input and hope to give yourself some answers one day soon.

All the best

Terry

I'm inclined to agree with the Genius. Your Mac is probably functioning normally. Yes, they do get very hot when running intensive apps. Yes, they will shut down before serious damage occurs.

Failing batteries happened, but those were recalled and should not happen to you. Melting power cables also happen, usually when they've been stressed or crimped. Neither issue was due to excessive heat from the system itself.

Defective machines do occasionally roll of the line. However, nothing you've said indicates that to me so far.

Hi Technologist,

technologist said:

I'm inclined to agree with the Genius. Your Mac is probably functioning normally. Yes, they do get very hot when running intensive apps. Yes, they will shut down before serious damage occurs.

Failing batteries happened, but those were recalled and should not happen to you. Melting power cables also happen, usually when they've been stressed or crimped. Neither issue was due to excessive heat from the system itself.

Defective machines do occasionally roll of the line. However, nothing you've said indicates that to me so far.

Click to expand...

Yes, totally agree now after listening to the confidence that he spoke with, but I'm a derrrrrrrrrr... of course he would, after all he is a Genius isn't he.

I only got really concerned because of seeing all these pictures everywhere of damaged parts, but thanks for your thoughts and adding to the post will hopefully put peoples minds at rest that read it... but I completely agree with you 100%, that defective machines do occasionally roll of the line... just like anything else in life.

Thanks for your input

Terry