Sustained 95C+ temps on M1 MBA?

[ilovemym1mba]

I have 16GB M1 MBA. Love it to bits.

While playing some games on it, I noticed that CPU temps reach 95 degree celsius and stay at that temps the whole session. (used the "Hot" app). The "battery gas gauge" temps were around 45C max.

I am not worried about processor getting fried, I know Apple must have done their R&D for the fanless design.

However, I am worried about battery degradation. Will it be minimal? Should I just stop playing games on this machine?

 

[cmaier]

I have 16GB M1 MBA. Love it to bits.

While playing some games on it, I noticed that CPU temps reach 95 degree celsius and stay at that temps the whole session. (used the "Hot" app). The "battery gas gauge" temps were around 45C max.

I am not worried about processor getting fried, I know Apple must have done their R&D for the fanless design.

However, I am worried about battery degradation. Will it be minimal? Should I just stop playing games on this machine?

CPU isn’t going to heat the battery much at all.

 

[mi7chy]

There's a whole thread on that.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/m1-air-with-thermal-pad-mod.2272939/

 

[ilovemym1mba]

There's a whole thread on that.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/m1-air-with-thermal-pad-mod.2272939/

I had read that thread earlier. Thermal pad mod has been regarded as potentially harmful by many and I am not looking to modding my MBA, at least not in a hazardous way.

 

[ilovemym1mba]

CPU isn’t going to heat the battery much at all.

There is some relief to read that. Is it because battery is quite far away?

I had 2017 MBA and its battery died on me in 1 year and I think the main culprit behind it was my long gaming sessions which made the whole MBA hot!

Just don't want to repeat my mistake (if it ever was a mistake that is to say)

 

[mi7chy]

I had read that thread earlier. Thermal pad mod has been regarded as potentially harmful by many and I am not looking to modding my MBA, at least not in a hazardous way.

Not suggesting to do the mod but to follow the thread to get up to speed and make your own determination. For example, post #21 pertains to your question.

https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-808-how-to-prolong-lithium-based-batteries

There's a gap between system board and batteries but best to monitor battery temps.

Apple battery replacement cost

MacBook Air	Out of Warranty
13-inch MacBook Air	$ 129

 

[cmaier]

There is some relief to read that. Is it because battery is quite far away?

I had 2017 MBA and its battery died on me in 1 year and I think the main culprit behind it was my long gaming sessions which made the whole MBA hot!

Just don't want to repeat my mistake (if it ever was a mistake that is to say)

Thermally, the battery is far away. The CPU temperature reading represents a very localized temperature. The system is designed to carry that heat away, toward the back of the machine.

 

[ilovemym1mba]

Not suggesting to do the mod but to follow the thread to get up to speed and make your own determination. For example, post #21 pertains to your question.

https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-808-how-to-prolong-lithium-based-batteries

There's a gap between system board and batteries but best to monitor battery temps.

Apple battery replacement cost

MacBook Air	Out of Warranty
13-inch MacBook Air	$ 129

Thanks, I got hooked to that thread and read the whole thing again. You are right that #21 caught my eye too and it is exactly my concern. Apple on their website also says that ideal "safe" temperature for battery is at around 35C max, so seeing 40-45C figure on the battery does worry me a bit.

I haven't purchased AC+ because it is very expensive where I live, hell I had to save diligently even to get this current configuration and I would be very disappointed if I were to damage the battery knowingly for few hours of enjoyment.

 

[Krevnik]

Thanks, I got hooked to that thread and read the whole thing again. You are right that #21 caught my eye too and it is exactly my concern. Apple on their website also says that ideal "safe" temperature for battery is at around 35C max, so seeing 40-45C figure on the battery does worry me a bit.

Was that listed as ambient temperatures though? Usually they are, as listing a sensor temp isn’t useful for the average user. It’s more a statement that battery health can suffer if you intend to use it outside, during the day, in certain regions where summer heat gets above 95F/35C.

But for charging LiIon batteries, the number I usually see is charging should not exceed 45C at the battery. And charge controllers should adjust the charge rate to stay under this. Discharging the battery is generally okay at closer to 55C.

 

[ilovemym1mba]

Was that listed as ambient temperatures though? Usually they are, as listing a sensor temp isn’t useful for the average user. It’s more a statement that battery health can suffer if you intend to use it outside, during the day, in certain regions where summer heat gets above 95F/35C.

But for charging LiIon batteries, the number I usually see is charging should not exceed 45C at the battery. And charge controllers should adjust the charge rate to stay under this. Discharging the battery is generally okay at closer to 55C.

Oh right! Yes yes I guess, Apple's website would list ambient temperatures indeed. You cleared it up right away. I just purchased an aluminium plated laptop cooler (that would also help my neck angle) and it visibly makes my mac run cooler even on the said sustained 95C loads. CPU does get hot around 97C but rest of the body stays cool or at best gets only warm to the touch. As opposed to without using a cooler where body would get hotter, certainly not warm and hot enough to work me up to make this thread!

I would assume since the body is only warm to the touch ambient temps would be well under specified limits and I can just use my mac happily without worrying too much about battery health.

Would it be okay if I charge it 100% and keep it plugged in for gaming sessions? Would that be equivalent to "charging" the battery?

 

[ilovemym1mba]

Thermally, the battery is far away. The CPU temperature reading represents a very localized temperature. The system is designed to carry that heat away, toward the back of the machine.

Thanks, I see. Thing is the whole body is aluminium so I was worried if it would "cook" the battery inside by having the heat from processor radiating to the body and making every component run hot.

 

[eyetic]

Ok guys I got the possibility to buy a refurbished bottom case/cover for 30 usd.... would you consider modding it and adding for example holes or "grids" with some mesh to avoid entering dust / dirt in order to help dissipate the heat? would it be better than the thermal pad mod?

 

[leman]

Ok guys I got the possibility to buy a refurbished bottom case/cover for 30 usd.... would you consider modding it and adding for example holes or "grids" with some mesh to avoid entering dust / dirt in order to help dissipate the heat? would it be better than the thermal pad mod?

Why? What kind of effect do you want to achieve with this? At most, you might get few % higher performance.

 

[eyetic]

Why? What kind of effect do you want to achieve with this? At most, you might get few % higher performance.

Getting air in / out passively I guess, without adding pads and using below cover as a heatsink.

 

[bobcomer]

Ok guys I got the possibility to buy a refurbished bottom case/cover for 30 usd.... would you consider modding it and adding for example holes or "grids" with some mesh to avoid entering dust / dirt in order to help dissipate the heat? would it be better than the thermal pad mod?

I wouldn't do it, but then again, I traded my M1 MBA in on a Mac Studio Max because it ran too hot all the time. I should have never bought a passively cooled machine with the environment I use. (lots of VM's and Java) My MBA was over 100C most of the time when I was working, and got as hot as 118C. I really should have bought a MBP instead, but I'm really happy with my Studio right now! I really wasn't worried about the battery on my MBA, my problem was it got slower the hotter it was.

 

[leman]

Getting air in / out passively I guess, without adding pads and using below cover as a heatsink.

I get that, but I still not understand what the end purpose would be. A fun modding project? A one-of a kind MBA look?

 

[eyetic]

I get that, but I still not understand what the end purpose would be. A fun modding project? A one-of a kind MBA look?

Fun modding for sure but wanted to know if it would improve the thermal capabilities as well wihout compromising the battery as it is supposed to happen with the thermal pad mods.

The main trouble I found with the mba is throttling when gaming (even if I do it once a week it gets quite hot) guess I'll jump into the pro in the next gen.

 

[christarp]

I just want to point out to everyone that 95c is perfectly normal and not harmful to the machine, even if you run it like that for a long period of time.

 

[darngooddesign]

I just want to point out to everyone that 95c is perfectly normal and not harmful to the machine, even if you run it like that for a long period of time.

Sure, but if it's regularly running at 95C you should consider trading it for a MBP with a fan because it means that your computer is regularly throttling and therefore not giving you the performance you obviously need.

 

[UBS28]

I just want to point out to everyone that 95c is perfectly normal and not harmful to the machine, even if you run it like that for a long period of time.

Heat is harmful for batteries.

 

[darngooddesign]

Heat is harmful for batteries.

Sure, but high CPU temps do not necessarily mean high battery temps on the Air.

 

[UBS28]

Sure, but high CPU temps do not necessarily mean high battery temps on the Air.

There are no fans on the MBA so all the heat stays inside the machine.

 

[darngooddesign]

There are no fans on the MBA so all the heat stays inside the machine.

The CPU temp is pretty localized. The OP said that even with the CPU pinned at 95C for long periods of time, the battery stays at 45C which only around 10C warmer than idle. If the batteries were 60-80C I'd agree with you. what's interesting is that MBAs with the thermal pad mod actually have higher battery temps than non-modded Airs.

I suspect the OP will upgrade to a MBP before their Air's battery has any heat-related degradation.