How does MacBook breath?

Question

Level 1

10 points

How does MacBook breath?

just a question out of complete curiosity: how doesy MacBook breath? I've owned PCs all my life. Every PC has always had a built in fan running to cool it down. Not only that, but the breather slots were always on the bottom of the laptop so I always had to have them sitting on a hard surface. If I ever left them on my couch, or even in my lap, it'd heat up to the point that it was almost too hot to touch underneath. I was suprisedto see none of this when I opened my MacBook. No fan, no breather holes, nothing. I can leave it runnig on the arm of my couch all day of i wish and the temp. never rises. Do macs just run cooler than pcs? How are they able to do this? Thanks!

Posted on Sep 16, 2008 1:08 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 16, 2008 2:03 PM in response to fretsforlife

The macbook vents are located on the back of the machine, just below where the screen hinges. They are easiest to see with the lid closed, but are still there exactly like most other laptops.

E

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Answer 2

rowan57

Level 2

332 points

Sep 16, 2008 2:15 PM in response to fretsforlife

Still not a good idea to use it on a soft surface for prolonged periods of time.

Regards
Rowan

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Answer 3

y_p_w

Level 6

17,762 points

Sep 16, 2008 2:59 PM in response to rowan57

rowan57 wrote:
Still not a good idea to use it on a soft surface for prolonged periods of time.

Maybe some of the cooling comes from heat radiated from the bottom of the shell. Still - it's plastic which isn't quite as effective at transmitting heat as aluminum. I think the biggest problem with placing it on something like a blanket or carpet is that it's insulated from heat loss.

For the original poster - the fan runs at a minimum of 1800 RPM (give or take a tiny amount). For some the noise is too much, but most people don't even notice it. You can run a Dashboard widget like iStat to monitor fan speeds (among other things).

http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/status/istatpro.html
http://islayer.com/index.php?op=item&id=7

I'm still not sure about iSlayer's revenue model. The seem to treat iStat pro as some sort of technology demonstrator and the team takes paid jobs and accepts advertising on their website.

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Answer 4

fretsforlife Author

Level 1

10 points

Sep 16, 2008 4:22 PM in response to fretsforlife

Awesome. i seriously have to put my ear to the keyboard to even hear the fan. With the PC laptop, i could hear it across the room..
thanks everyone, for your input.

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Answer 5

rowan57

Level 2

332 points

Sep 17, 2008 10:00 AM in response to y_p_w

From this Help Article: ( http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1778)

"Set up your portable on a stable work surface that allows for adequate air circulation under and around the computer. Do not operate your portable on a pillow or other soft material, as the material can block the airflow vents. Never place anything over the keyboard when operating the computer. Never push objects into the ventilation openings."

Regards
Rowan

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