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Will M3 be too hot for a fanless MBA
- Thread starter kshitijshah
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Maybe you have some special addition MBA M3 
. Do you use it in lap and screen at 80-100%? I am used to very cool MBP 13 (M1 and even M2 is ok), this is 10c+ hotter on average, even on idle, I do not care about CPU temperatures, but chassis becomes a bit warm quickly. For desktop usage it is fine, but this is very portable laptop.
. Do you use it in lap and screen at 80-100%? I am used to very cool MBP 13 (M1 and even M2 is ok), this is 10c+ hotter on average, even on idle, I do not care about CPU temperatures, but chassis becomes a bit warm quickly. For desktop usage it is fine, but this is very portable laptop.
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I think your M3 MacBook Air might be defective or you have something running out of control in the background. When doing simple tasks my M3 MacBook Air stays under 40 °C and the chassis is cool to the touch. Even when pushing it for several minutes the bottom doesn't get particularly warm.Maybe you have some special addition MBA M3
I agree with @TheWraith that my experience is not anything like yours.
Do not think it is defective, temps looks about right like on YT reviews - is you screen bottom a bit warm on 100% brightness, I bet it is?
It is summer time here (23-24c+ indoor temp). Under 40C is not realistic. Nothing is stuck, processes are all fine. By doing light work I mean CPU usage up to 20%, watching 1440p video on YT, scrolling through tabs, opening some smaller apps. CPU is at 50-65c usually with this usage, which is not that bad, but chassis is warm for the lap. If it is on charger, it gets worse, or if you run something more demanding.
Same usage, 13 MBP M2 is drastically cooler outside, which is expected, thicker chassis. 13 MBP M1 was even cooler. MBA is just too thin, bad cooling design for portable laptop that is used in lap. Air needs fans more than the Pro model which never runs fans for light/medium usage.
It is summer time here (23-24c+ indoor temp). Under 40C is not realistic. Nothing is stuck, processes are all fine. By doing light work I mean CPU usage up to 20%, watching 1440p video on YT, scrolling through tabs, opening some smaller apps. CPU is at 50-65c usually with this usage, which is not that bad, but chassis is warm for the lap. If it is on charger, it gets worse, or if you run something more demanding.
Same usage, 13 MBP M2 is drastically cooler outside, which is expected, thicker chassis. 13 MBP M1 was even cooler. MBA is just too thin, bad cooling design for portable laptop that is used in lap. Air needs fans more than the Pro model which never runs fans for light/medium usage
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Do not think it is defective, temps looks about right like on YT reviews - is you screen bottom a bit warm on 100% brightness, I bet it is?
It is summer time here (23-24c+ indoor temp). Under 40C is not realistic. Nothing is stuck, processes are all fine. By doing light work I mean CPU usage up to 20%, watching 1440p video on YT, scrolling through tabs, opening some smaller apps. CPU is at 50-65c usually with this usage, which is not that bad, but chassis is warm for the lap. If it is on charger, it gets worse, or if you run something more demanding.
Same usage, 13 MBP M2 is drastically cooler outside, which is expected, thicker chassis. 13 MBP M1 was even cooler. MBA is just too thin, bad cooling design for portable laptop that is used in lap. Air needs fans more than the Pro model which never runs fans for light/medium usage
Something is not right with your Mac.
Yes it is, it has bad design - like all other 13 MBA M3s, and people complaining everywhere how it heats up, and runs 50c+ in idle, while M1 was much cooler. I thought it is just on heavy load but it is generally warm, even the screen.
Give me screenshot that it runs below 40c while watching YT, or even below 50c?
It is not that drastic, runs great, just not comfortable in lap, pity for such portable laptop. Guess back to M1/M2 13 MBP for portability and comfort.
Give me screenshot that it runs below 40c while watching YT, or even below 50c?
It is not that drastic, runs great, just not comfortable in lap, pity for such portable laptop. Guess back to M1/M2 13 MBP for portability and comfort.
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I'm by no means a "power user", but my M3 MBA has always been cool to the touch.
Even the screen on max brightness? Can you post you idle temp or anyone else with 13 MBA M3 - download Mx power gadget app or something similar. @jdb8167 Let me see that "below 40c idle temp"?
On other forums many wrote the same, everyone have 50c+ idle temp. While MBA M1 is about 35c or so in the same room.
Fun fact: M1 Cpu is still the most efficient. M3 is step in good direction compared to M2 (mostly because of 3NM) but still not that great and uses more power than M2, and much more power than M1 4+4 (15W vs 21W), so 40% more power for 25-30% performance gain.
sources:
M2 SoC - Worse CPU efficiency compared to M1
M3 SoC - improved CPU performance and efficiency over M2
On other forums many wrote the same, everyone have 50c+ idle temp. While MBA M1 is about 35c or so in the same room.
Fun fact: M1 Cpu is still the most efficient. M3 is step in good direction compared to M2 (mostly because of 3NM) but still not that great and uses more power than M2, and much more power than M1 4+4 (15W vs 21W), so 40% more power for 25-30% performance gain.
sources:
M2 SoC - Worse CPU efficiency compared to M1
M3 SoC - improved CPU performance and efficiency over M2
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Cool to the touch here too. But also no "power user". I think the MBP is the machine for those who complain.
My air is freezing to the touch and to the point it's uncomfortable. This is when I am using it for the first time and I sometimes pull my sleeves over my hands when resting them on it. It does warm up as I use it of course but it never gets uncomfortably warm or hot.
I don't do anything demanding on it though. I guess if you did push it then yeah it'd get warm/hot but it's to be expected. You'd expect your iPhone or iPad to get hot if you pushed hard enough because it's only being passively cooled. Your ambient temp is going to make it throttle quicker.
If it's an issue for you then buy an MBP. If you push that hard enough it will get hot too. It just has active cooling and a higher thermal capacity.
I don't do anything demanding on it though. I guess if you did push it then yeah it'd get warm/hot but it's to be expected. You'd expect your iPhone or iPad to get hot if you pushed hard enough because it's only being passively cooled. Your ambient temp is going to make it throttle quicker.
If it's an issue for you then buy an MBP. If you push that hard enough it will get hot too. It just has active cooling and a higher thermal capacity.
Yes, it is cold when not using it and for the first 20minutes, ambient temperature plays role too, but I never run into throttling, just light to medium use during work day. It accumulates heat quickly.
Yep, I will sell it soon, back to M1 MBP 13", much more efficient chip, battery, thermals, speakers, larger trackpad.
- Disappointed with Air, such a great size, weight, look - will see upgrade later. M2/M3 have minor improvements on CPU side, and much less efficient which is the key, they just brute-forced performance gains on CPU side. GPU improvements are great, though who needs it.
Yep, I will sell it soon, back to M1 MBP 13", much more efficient chip, battery, thermals, speakers, larger trackpad.
- Disappointed with Air, such a great size, weight, look - will see upgrade later. M2/M3 have minor improvements on CPU side, and much less efficient which is the key, they just brute-forced performance gains on CPU side. GPU improvements are great, though who needs it.
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Just in general, I feel that if the words "thermals" and "throttling" are regular parts of one's vocabulary when discussing computers, a fanless MBA was never the device for them. There's a reason why there's the Air line for users with a less demanding workflow, and a Pro line for users who might need to push their machine a little more.
Use my M3 Air for work related tasks, browsing, social, movies, pretty much everything other then editing, which I move to my 16" for - never had any issue with it heating up at all. My battery seems to last for ages as well. I'm very happy with mine!
Maybe you have some special addition MBA M3
Ive had the M1 MBA and now the M3 MBA. I notice no difference with heat on either machine. Granted, I don't actively measure temperatures (I don't go looking for issues), but with my general usage I haven't noticed any extra heat at all while handling.
thank for the feedback, do you use it in lap or only on table when you do not notice difference? I do live in hotter climate, but all this is in room with AC - if I work on laptop outdoors (28c+ or so), I use it on table, then I do not care about temps much, since keyboard temp is fine.
Also battery life is pretty bad compared to MBP 13, it cannot last close to 6h of light/medium usage with 100% brightness, MBP 13" handles that with ease, I can usually do 7-8h with it.
Just in 1.5h. Skype audio call and Google meet call spent 30% of battery, no hard CPU/GPU usage. I guess the screen at 100% is hard on MBA battery.
Enough complaining
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I love the fact that my Air has no fan. It's a selling point that decreases weight, complexity and price. After years and years of fighting heat, we finally have Macs that can function with passive cooling and it's awesome.
If you are doing sustained, intense work on your MacBook, you buy a Pro.
If you run CoconutBattery, you can put your wattage consumption up in the menu bar. It's a good point of reference that cuts through a lot of clutter. If it's looking high, you can pop into Activity Monitor and see what's up.Do not think it is defective, temps looks about right like on YT reviews - is you screen bottom a bit warm on 100% brightness, I bet it is?
It is summer time here (23-24c+ indoor temp). Under 40C is not realistic. Nothing is stuck, processes are all fine. By doing light work I mean CPU usage up to 20%, watching 1440p video on YT, scrolling through tabs, opening some smaller apps. CPU is at 50-65c usually with this usage, which is not that bad, but chassis is warm for the lap. If it is on charger, it gets worse, or if you run something more demanding.
Same usage, 13 MBP M2 is drastically cooler outside, which is expected, thicker chassis. 13 MBP M1 was even cooler. MBA is just too thin, bad cooling design for portable laptop that is used in lap. Air needs fans more than the Pro model which never runs fans for light/medium usage
My M1 Air stays well under 5 watts unless I'm on a zoom or doing something else taxing, when it jumps up to ~8-10 watts.
I don't know what the watt consumption of an M3 is because I don't have one, but if you're seeing that kind of heat I'm going to assume you're pulling more than 10 watts and clearly something is not working right. (For reference, my 2020 i5 Air would often pull 15 watts, fans audible, battery life of maybe 5 hours if I was lucky).
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Of course that M1 is fine, a bit more efficient chip than M3, and MBA M1 chassis is thermally better (much larger heatsinks). M3 CPU uses 40% more power than M1.
Thanks, I checked all that, usage is fine, it is the way it is. Some do not get bothered by it, or are not using it in lap much, for me it is unacceptable. Especially after using MBP M1. M3 MBA is downgrade.
I would not be complaining, but 13" MBA (M2/M3) is the only ultra-portable laptop in apple store now.
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Here it is, depending on brightness and this is idle, also added low-power-mode values:
1 dot 4.83W (LPM 2.8W) - half 6.51W (LPM 4.3W) - full brightness 11.21W (LPM 9.25W).
As you can see idle average core temp is 57c (52c LPM), I am in room with AC, maybe 22-23c ambient temp.
1 dot 4.83W (LPM 2.8W) - half 6.51W (LPM 4.3W) - full brightness 11.21W (LPM 9.25W).
As you can see idle average core temp is 57c (52c LPM), I am in room with AC, maybe 22-23c ambient temp.
Waiting for your proof of this, I believe you gave false info, average core temp cannot be that low on M3. Maybe if your room temperature is -10c.
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Heat is a function of clock speed and power and the relationship is exponential; apple can adjust that to fit as they please.
At just quick glances on my MBA M3, and Coconutbattery, I see values at around 3W for 50% brightness, and around 7W at full brightness. I have multiple apps running in the background, with 90-95% CPU available according to Activityviewer. Temperature at 46°C average for my cores according to iStat Menus.
Thanks, but I think quick glance might not be good - If you adjust brightness, you have to wait 30-60 seconds for coconutBattery to update power consumption reading. Can you please double check in iStat Menus better, it refreshes quickly, and shows the same values. I attached my reading now for 100% screen, ambient temperature is a bit warm 25c or so...
Heat is direct function of power, nothing else. How that heat will be dissipated depends on cooling system, chassis design. I now use MBA M3 only in low-power-mode, so it runs at 2.15GHz. A bit better for light work, but still warms up after some time with medium usage. And screen of course, is always warm at 100% at the bottom.
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I bought MBP M1 13" 16/2TB, now currently have all 3 M1/M2/M3 .
M1 in same conditions, is 39°C, M2 49°C, M3 55°C. Which makes sense.
M1 most efficient chip ever, hope they go in efficiency direction with M4/M5, they went 40% up in power/heat level with M2/M3 with not so great CPU performance gains, all cores are much less efficient.
.M1 in same conditions, is 39°C, M2 49°C, M3 55°C. Which makes sense.
M1 most efficient chip ever, hope they go in efficiency direction with M4/M5, they went 40% up in power/heat level with M2/M3 with not so great CPU performance gains, all cores are much less efficient.
I bought MBP M1 13" 16/2TB, now currently have all 3 M1/M2/M3
M1 in same conditions, is 39°C, M2 49°C, M3 55°C. Which makes sense.
M1 most efficient chip ever, hope they go in efficiency direction with M4/M5, they went 40% up in power/heat level with M2/M3 with not so great CPU performance gains, all cores are much less efficient.
If the m2 and m3 are slowed down to m1 speed they are more efficient. apple just runs them faster because they can; m1 doesn't do ray tracing and the gpu improvement is significant.