Macbook - too hot to use.

[Ovs]

I've searched the forums but found mostly postings regarding over heating/random shutdown etc.

My query/complaint is more on the practical aspect. Put simply, the Macbook because of the amount of heat it generates is plain uncomfortable to use!

I don't mind the underside or the left hand function area being hot, my hands are rarely in that area, but the palm-rest is still uncomfortably warm. I can feel hot rising up. Makes my hands clammy, and every few minutes I find myself stop using the Macbook to cool my hands down.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not hot like the underside, but on an already warm day it’s warm enough to be uncomfortable. I dread to think what it will be like using it in the summer.

I've tried coreduotemp to see if my Macbook is heating up excessively but it’s showing reasonably normal temps of about 50-55C under normal use.

My query is, do others find it excessively warm around the palm rest area?

Also, could there be something wrong with my machine, or is this expected? Maybe it’s just a matter of getting used to handling a notebook?

Thanks

 

[Transeau]

My MacBook (2.0GHz, black) isn't hot in that area. You may want to call AppleCare and talk with them about it.

 

[Warbrain]

Do you perform a lot of tasks that require programs to load files from the hard drive? If so, that's most likely the reason that there's all that heat, and there's nothing you can do about that. Hard drives generate heat. Apple will laugh if you complain about that.

 

[Ovs]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I can't think of many apps which don't use the harddrive. But in the past few days I’ve only used combinations of Iweb, Itunes, Firefox, and Macsoup. Nothing particularly demanding I suppose.

It’s strange once the Macbook reaches 50C it doesn't come back down in temperature - even if I close it for a long sleep.

But I just shut it down for 30mins and stated up, and it has been on 30-35C since (using the very same apps.)


Even stranger, since then, after putting it to sleep when it was about 34C, I woke it up to find it had gone up to 39C. It rose 5 degree in its sleep state?! Is it having nightmares? Shouldn't it go down in temp in sleep state rather than up?

 

[ITASOR]

Not normal. My processor area (under the 2 key on the bottom) gets a little warm, but the palm rests always stay cool...even cooler than my old iBook G4.

 

[the Western zoo]

I've got CoreDuoTemp running on my MacBook right now with coretemp at ~60°C and it is not hot at the hand rest!

 

[sunfast]

My MB (white 2.0GHz) is not at all hot to use - even when doing intensive stuff.

Right now CoreDuo Temp reckons I'm running at 81degC at 2.0GHz (encoding video with EyeTV in H.264) and there is no noticeable warmth on the upperside at all.

 

[Ovs]

Hmmmm, if that’s the case, seems like there’s definitely something wrong with my Macbook. Maybe something's up with the temperature sensors too. I have a reading of 39C at the moment, and it's close to hot around the palmrest and warm air is radiating from the keyboard area, mostly from the space bar area.

I’ll give Apple a call and see what they say.

 

[MRU]

Right now CoreDuo Temp reckons I'm running at 81degC at 2.0GHz (encoding video with EyeTV in H.264) and there is no noticeable warmth on the upperside at all.

But what about the underside ??

 

[SuperSnake2012]

My Macbook (week 36) is running at 28C right now... earlier today it was as low as 19C, and I couldn't believe my eyes! You must have got a faulty machine

 

[Steve Jobless]

at least your mb[p] doesnt rocket up to 75......

 

[Ovs]

Maybe it does, Steve Jobless. I don't trust the temp sensor on mine, the actual temperature could be anything. It says 39C(yeah right!) but the heat it's radiating from the top surface would be enough to keep me toasty for winter time.

 

[gadgetgirl85]

My Macbook (week 36) is running at 28C right now... earlier today it was as low as 19C, and I couldn't believe my eyes! You must have got a faulty machine

Geez lucky you! My MBP seems to have settled down from last week when it was running at about 70 (Must have known I was about to take it in to get fixed! Now its running at around 45-60

 

[Chone]

Maybe it does, Steve Jobless. I don't trust the temp sensor on mine, the actual temperature could be anything. It says 39C(yeah right!) but the heat it's radiating from the top surface would be enough to keep me toasty for winter time.

You can't trust any sensor for that matter, the results will ALWAYS be a little off which is why temp sensor readings should be used for reference and to get an IDEA but not for actual troubleshooting and thermal solutions.

That being said, Apple laptops have always been hot and I've never felt comfortable using any laptop on my lap (how ironic ), that being said, I've never had problems with the top, heat does seemed to ooze from the keyboard and palm rests with my PBG4 but not as much with my MacBook (black), still, it was never uncomfortable, I guess it all depends on how thin (or fat) your hands are, the climate you live in, your tendency to sweat, your tolerance to heat, etc

 

[kbonnel]

My Macbook runs hot, always in the 60 - 70 range, and the fan drives me crazy. I came from a powerbook G4, and at least the fan was nice a quiet, even though it was on all the time... My macbook is a leaf blower

It just seems very easy to get the temps up.

Kimo

 

[sunfast]

But what about the underside ??

It was hot underneath of course, but the OP is concerned with heat on the upperside

 

[MacStormy]

Replacement battery super hot

This is my first day using my replacement battery (after the recall) for the MacBook Pro, and it seems MUCH hotter than the allegedly fire-prone one. Anyone have that experience? i.e. there's no way to hold it on your lap without pain.
Chris

 

[PaulinMaryland]

Going to 2GB of RAM might help; your hard drive will be less exercised.

 

[erikamsterdam]

Going to 2GB of RAM might help; your hard drive will be less exercised.

But the extra RAM also consumes energy = heat

Did the OP already update the firmware? That helped me a lot.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

CDT says mines 53 C, cold handrest, and warm underside...

I recommend (if you haven't already) get a stand for it. The airflow should drop the temp a bit.

 

[McT]

My MB w/2Gigs will get noticeably hot after some epic Civ IV action or a Maelstrom all-nighter

But that's only because it's in my lap. With Garageband or other apps MB sits on my desk and the heat isn't noticable. For those who are powering down their systems to cool, don't. The machine will cool down if you just let it sleep for awhile. I also don't believe that the heat would damage the MB because it was designed to vent properly; only the design calls for venting heat directly onto your knees / lap

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