MacBook Pro overheating

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Hi, does anyone know what might be wrong with a laptop overheating after short running time? When it gets hot, the fan begins to sound loud. Can it be fixed?
 

bobtomay

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The fan running does not equal "over" heating. It indicates the fan is doing what it is suppose to do - nothing more.

Overheating will cause your computer to shut itself down. Has it done that?

No? Then there is nothing to fix.
 
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Thank you, that's a relief. It gets hot so much sooner than it used to, but I'll relax till it shuts down.:D
 

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Any sort of video - particularly flash is going to set it off pretty quickly.

You can take some canned air - while it's turned off - and shoot a few quick bursts along the vent at the rear hinge to make sure any collected dust is removed and make sure you are giving it adequate ventilation. e.g. Don't be sitting it on your lap or other places where that vent gets even partially covered.
 
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What prevents my MBP 13.3" 2011 from overheating? It does get VERY hot, but there's no fan and so far it's never shut down.
 

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What prevents my MBP 13.3" 2011 from overheating? It does get VERY hot, but there's no fan and so far it's never shut down.

I guarantee you the fan is running. The fan in Macintosh laptops are always running. In your case the fan may be running at low speed/low rpms…and thus is very quiet.

- Nick
 

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No fan? I think you mean that you can not hear the fan? The fan in your MBP 13" machine is always spinning, most of the time it spins at a low RPM. It's not until the CPU begins to work hard that the fan ramps up to higher RPMs.

And yes, it's the nature of all notebook computers whether they be made by Apple or any other manufacturer, to get hot when they begin to work hard. Your MBP is protected by thermal sensors which will shut the machine down if the normal tolerant temperature is exceeded.
 
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I hear what you say, though I've never heard the fan, even when the casing of the computer is almost too hot to hold. What puzzles me is that there appear to be no vents for cool air to enter or hot air to escape, and I have never felt any such hot air. If there are vents they can only be by the ports and optical dive and the keys of the keyboard - there are no other holes.
 

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Download the free iStat Pro widget from here. That will show the fan speed and temperatures of your MBP.

Aside from the heat rising up thru the keyboard it also escapes from the vent which is located beneath the top lid and the hinge of your MBP. You can probably feel the heat from that area if you put your hand there.
 
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MacBook overheating

Download the free iStat Pro widget from here. That will show the fan speed and temperatures of your MBP.

Aside from the heat rising up thru the keyboard it also escapes from the vent which is located beneath the top lid and the hinge of your MBP. You can probably feel the heat from that area if you put your hand there.

I use smcFanControl.
It will give me a temperature display in the bar at the top of my screen.
You can find it at:

eidac
 
C

chas_m

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SMC Fan Control not recommended. Tends to mask potential real problems.

I don't get why people can't simply understand that their Mac is WELL-ENGINEERED and that heat dispersal and management is handled as part of that. Unless you have evidence of an actual FLAW, or are doing something stupid in your use of the machine, it's working as it was designed to work.
 

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