I have a question to ask. I have a Mid 2014 MacBook Pro 13 inch and when I use the computer when the fans are going at full power my computer temperature idles around 95°C while my Mac Mini Late 2012 idles around 78°C when that computer is running at full power. Should I replace the thermal paste inside my MacBook Pro or is that not a good idea? I noticed that the performance is not as good as it used to be.
MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.15
The Retina laptops run hotter than older Apple non-Retina laptops. It has been a while since I monitored the temps for a 2014 model, but I don't think it is unusual for it to be 95C if the system is being used a lot.
While the thermal paste may be dried out you should look at possible software causes before touching the hardware since the Retina laptops are much more fragile & delicate than older Macs. Try running the Apple Diagnostics which will let you know if there is an issue with the cooling system.
To look for software issues run EtreCheck and post the report here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper. The regular contributors will be able to check the report for you to see if you have any software installed that may be causing the laptop to be slow.
The Retina laptops run hotter than older Apple non-Retina laptops. It has been a while since I monitored the temps for a 2014 model, but I don't think it is unusual for it to be 95C if the system is being used a lot.
While the thermal paste may be dried out you should look at possible software causes before touching the hardware since the Retina laptops are much more fragile & delicate than older Macs. Try running the Apple Diagnostics which will let you know if there is an issue with the cooling system.
To look for software issues run EtreCheck and post the report here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper. The regular contributors will be able to check the report for you to see if you have any software installed that may be causing the laptop to be slow.
I just tried what you requested but it does not work, the 4 minutes remaining meter is stuck and stays on 4 minutes for several minutes straight. I only have my computer plugged into power when I did it.
What remains on the 4 minute? The diagnostic or EtreCheck? Is it the time for the diagnostic to download or the time to time displayed while running the diagnostic? Give them lots of time to complete. A memory test can take a while to complete.
Is it bad/dangerous for your computer to have hardened thermal paste in it?
The diagnostic apple check when you restart your computer is the one where the progress bar does not load so I had to cancel the test.
Also what I meant on 95.C is that my MacBook Pro stays at around 95 to 100.C at full power to me that’s unusual.
You probably should replace the thermal paste in your MacBook Pro as it has likely hardened over the years, a guide on how to gain access to your CPU dye can be found here. Hope this helps.
It isn't necessarily dangerous to continue having the computer run in that state but it will perform much much better and stop the fans from going crazy fast all the time.
MacBook Pro (Mid 2014) thermal temperature
