2020 Macbook Pro overheating

I have the same Problem!

I just upgraded from a 2014 Macbook Air to Macbook Pro 13in 2020 in Space Grey.

The only thing I did was transferred all my data using the mitigation tool.

Im concerned, as its running extremely HOT the fan kicks in within 10-15 mins of operation. I never had this happen with the Macbook Air.

Not only is it running hot it just closed all my tabs as I was writing this post on this forum. Underneath the Mac is too HOT to touch. I can't even place it on my legs when I'm working I generally have to use a case underneath as it too uncomfortable. Thinking it may be faulty Im not happy thats for sure. Has anyone else had this Problem also?

Question- in activity monitor, what is using up most of your cycles when it is running so hot? It used to be that spotlight would index right after migration and sometimes kind of run away with the space cycles.

I have the exact same problem. I've been using a MBP late 2015 for years and I've never heard fan making any sort of noise unless I put too much workload on my CPU such as intensive data processing, video rendering etc. It was quite, cool and sturdy. Whereas this brand new MBP 2020 13" fan goes haywire with only Zoom and Chrome running! Not to mention that the metal surface heats up to the point where you don't wanna put your wrists on it while typing.

I thought this purchase would be an upgrade (1TB, 16GB) after my lovely 2015 MBP, but it is such a disappointing downgrade so far. If there existed fake macbook pros you'd buy from an Apple Store, this would be it. I've never been this much frustrated with an Apple product, totally unacceptable after paying ~$3k CAD. Apple should either fix this issue, or rename this product to MacBook Fru(stration) instead of Macbook Pro(fessional).

A few days ago I got my new Macbook Pro 13in 2020, the $1800 (fancy) model, and noticed this issue of the laptop getting ridiculously hot for literally browsing through chrome.

I found a solution (or at least it seems to work so far).

I downloaded an app called Macs Fan control for mac, which allows you to control the mac's fan speeds. It turns out, the fans don't even turn on even when the Mac is hot -- they only turn on once you are about to fry your computer.

Now, I set it to start to run at 35 degrees Celsius and to max out at about 80 degrees Celsius. So the fans run far before the Mac begins to "overheat."

My mac now hovers around 50 degrees Celsius or lower when doing general browsing (which is a huge relief). It no longer feels like its burning me.

In sum: it seems as if Mac's software is silly, as it doesn't kick in the fans unless you are about to push the temperatures in the danger zone (which is like scorching hot to the touch).

So this program allows you to turn on the fans and keep the Mac cool. I'm sure Mac will update this, as it seems like a simple fix, but until then, the app works fine.

Thank goodness <3

What settings did you use for the Macs fan control app? I just downloaded and I don't really know what settings to choose.

Also, has anyone found a solution for when Safari sends the message of "this webpage is using significant energy"?

I watch a lot of videos online for medical school all day long, and the battery drains like crazy and heats up the computer like crazy. Yesterday it went from 100% to 60% within less than 40 min of watching a couple videos (only using safari with no other apps or webpages open). This is very annoying as my 2013 MacBook Pro didn't use to do this, doing the same exact things. HELP! :(

Hey. these are the settings that seem to be saving my computer. So far no issues still:

Change it to custom, and then make each fan (assuming you have the model with 2 fans) reflect these settings

Sensor-based value: CPU Proximity

Temperature start: 35 degrees C

Maximum temperature: 80 degrees C.

You can tweak the temperatures lower if you want the fans to spool up quicker, but I think this is a good balance as it prevents overheating in the first place.

As far as Safari goes, idk, I use Chrome (which apparently is more stressful on the CPU) but I would recommend turning down quality of video, 4K videos use a lot more CPU than lower quality videos.

Let me know if the fan control app works for you.

Thank you so much for the info. I found out what was making my computer drain energy like crazy while using my platform for studying. Turned out to be the app Grammarly (It was probably running in the background checking for grammar and spelling everywhere on my heavy website where I have lots of material... at least that’s what I think was the issue). I uninstalled the add-on from my computer and the problem resolved. I didn’t need to set up the fans to different settings as it’s not overheating or draining battery since I uninstalled the app.

the fact that you can’t even use some apps because the computer gets upset and starts acting up Is very annoying!!!!

Is anyone having problems with the hubs they've attached to their 2020 MBP? I saw mention of this on MacRumours - people were saying their hubs were getting very hot and they feared damage to their hubs.

It looks to me that the heat of my 2020 MBP damaged my J5 hub. This hub is supposed to be designed specifically to work with the MBP. It started out giving intermittent signal transmission problems, but after a few weeks, it was giving major signal transmission problems. The Satechi hub I used before it also gave problems. Both hubs became hot when in use.

Here's the long version of the story for anyone experiencing similar problems:

I started out with a Satechi hub, but it wouldn't support a signal to both my external monitor and my backup drive. I noticed the hub would get very hot. When I called Apple Support about this, they did say that the laptop could be causing the hub to heat. When I talked with tech reps at Staples, they said the same thing and suggested I get a J5 hub.

The J5 hub snapped into the side of my 2-port MBP and so was able to sit on top of my cooling pad. I figured this would keep the J5 cool. It did keep cooler than the Satechi did- as long as I remembered to turn the fans of the cooling pad on. The J5 was also able to send signals to both my external monitor and my backup drive at the same time - but not completely; I would still experience a couple of seconds of blackouts of signal to the monitor several times a day.

And then suddenly the problem with the J5 started becoming much worse. One day the blackout lasted for 5-10 minutes. I checked and rechecked all connections. I thought my monitor must have died; but I plugged in my old 2013 MBP directly to the monitor and it worked just fine. I tried again with my 2020 MBP and this time the J5 sent the signal. Then, the next day, the signal from my 2020 MBP to my monitor (via the J5) was in trouble again. This time the words on my document were pulled out into long black lines and then my entire screen was filled with bands of coloured statics - like the snow of a 1950s TV set.

I need my MBP for work-from-home (COVID) and had to conduct 4 training sessions by Zoom in the next two days to teachers who had to be up and teaching on-line on the morning of the third day. I thought the problem might be my monitor and started investigating compatibilities and costs of new monitors. I started looking for a third hub, particularly at the Satechi Type-C mulitport adapter 4K which specifically said it was compatible with the 2020 MBP - but it carried this disclaimer, "We recommend connecting one bus-powered device at a time." So that meant that despite its three USB ports, I would not be able to plug in my monitor and backup drive into it at the same time either.

I called Apple practically in tears and they gave me a phone number to the manufacturer of my monitor to check with them whether my monitor was dying or was incompatible with my 2020 MBP. I talked with the monitor company, and they said it was most likely the J5 hub that was the problem and to not use the hub for the monitor, but plug the monitor into one of the two MBP ports on its own via a USB-C to HDMI adapter.

I ordered the adapter and replaced my J5 hub with the Satechi hub that I used at first - plugging only the monitor into the hub. This restored the signal to the monitor with no problems at all. So the J5 was the problem. But the question remains as to why the J5 worked for weeks (albeit with intermittent signal loss) before suddenly starting to fail. It does look like the heat of the MBP did damage the J5; maybe because the J5 plugged into the MBP and so sat directly alongside of it.

The solution I've found is to keep my MBP on top of a cooling pad. I got a 5-fan KLIM cooling pad that I plug into its own USB wall port. These cooling fans are very quiet and so are fine for use during Zoom meetings too. This keeps my MBP cool-to-warm when I'm working on it. So that is a workable solution for me in that it lets me continue to work with my Mac. I have a great many hours of files I've done on Keynote that I want to continue to edit and work with, so switching to a PC is not feasible for me.

However, my MBP has only two ports so I have to use a hub. I have been concerned that the heat from the MBP is damaging the hubs. I've gone through both an $85 Satechi and a $129 J5; both gave me trouble. Up to now, both Apple Support and the tech help at Staples have said that heat from the MBP could be affecting the hubs. The J5 snapped into the side of the MBP and so sat on top of the cooling pad so I thought that would keep the J5 cool. But it still gave me trouble.

However, this morning I was talking with support at J5. They were good listeners as I told them of the trouble getting a stable signal to my external monitor with both the Satechi and the J5 hub. I also told them that my 2013 MBP had started not being able to send a stable signal to my external monitor despite the fact it had a dedicated HDMI port; that's why I replaced it with the 2020 MBP. (I've done all the restarts, cable replacements, etc.)

The J5 support person told me that the problem was probably neither the hub or the MBP - but more likely the backup drive. He said that backup drives draw a lot of power and can cause problems, but that replacing my backup drive with a self-powered one might still cause problems.

I know that my Satechi hub will send a steady signal to the monitor if I unplug my backup drive. I am trying this now with my J5 hub and so far so good, but it will take a few days to make sure.

I've had the same issue! I bought a 2020 MBP, 13" 8gb/256gb ssd. Within the first few minutes after set up, it got so hot that it has slightly burned a patch on my leg that turned red. Called in and Apple replaced it without even 24 hours. I'm now on my second one and it's still crazy hot but it's more bearable and my legs have been safe so far. I updated software right after set up and haven't transferred any data yet (set it up as a brand new laptop). I followed the suggestions of using a fan controller and I have Disney+ running while surfing the web and the heat isn't too bad anymore. I'll customize the settings and transfer my files and I'll keep y'all updated.

Disappointed because the reason why I "upgraded" from my 2016 MBP is that one gets hot and the battery dies quick but the 2020 one seems worse. If this persists, I can switch for a new one but it seems like an issue with this model entirely. I really don't want a refund because I got educational pricing so I had the AirPods Pro with it and like it already but if I have no choice then :/ I'm annoyed bc my XPS 13 4gb ram 128gb storage with i3 8th gen intel runs better than this :((

Take it back. Return it. If I was in the return window I would. But they have that 15 day policy that just screws you over. I only started using mine about 30 months AFTER i bought it because I was using my actual functioning MACBOOK PRO 2016. Return it while you can. Don't hold out, it's not like it'll magically start working. It's whatever they put in the hardware in this 2020 round. Save yourself the headache of "tech support" unless they can replace some hardware or redesign this product ... it's wayyy over their heads. And warn your friends. That's what I've been doing. About 6 of my firends have been in the market for a new laptop for school and/or working remote and they love Macbooks but I had to go ahead and squash their hopes there. Maybe if you/they get an older version it will be better?

Why should owners have to start tinkering with settings to make a brand new item work properly? If you live in the UK the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you 30 days (NOT 14) to return faulty items. My advice would be to do that.

If you are not happy with it, Please return it!

What is faulty is NOT the device,

but only your expectation that it will remain SILENT under heavy loads without some modifications to reduce heat and noise.

Your Mac can run all day every day at 60 degrees C (140F) without any damage, and it is not defective unless it reaches temperatures near 100 C, at which point it will emergency power off to self-protect.

If you would like to have it run cooler, you can try some of the MANY suggestions already posted on this thread. One of the simplest is to disable Turbo Boots using Turbo Boost Switcher. Turbo Boost can only run when only one or a few cores are active, and it generates an enormous clock-up and a huge burst of Heat at a time when the processor chip is lightly loaded. In my opinion, it is pure specsmanship, and disabling it has little real world performance impact.

I don’t have any noise issues to the extent you would think the fan ain’t working. I ran the health test and nothing reported from apple. I agree, the overheating is unbearable that I cannot touch the laptop