2019 MacBook Pro 16 thermal throttling and overheating due to external monitors

Normally, the first suggestion is too use the built-in, because some Users insist on closing it, and its still uses resources when you work that way, it sounds like that suggestion does not apply to you.

The Apple standard for its built-in hardware-accelerated displays, makes them suitable for full-motion video for production/display of cinema-quality video with NO dropped frames, and NO dropouts or partial-blank scan lines due to memory under-runs or other issues. This requires a hardware rasterizer/display-generator for each fully-accelerated display. In the case of this Model MacBook Pro, it is the addition fetching of screen data on a high schedule math forces the display RAM and everything that works with it into high-speed, high power mode.

DisplayLink technology creates a "fake" display buffer in RAM, sends the data out over a slower interface to a stunt box with DisplayLink custom chips that put that data back onto a "legacy" interface. It is not a true "accelerated" display, and it can suffer from lagging. Just adding the DisplayLink Driver is not adequate to get a picture -- you need a DisplayLink "stunt-box" or a Dock that includes DisplayLink chips.

————

It may be acceptable for a second display showing slow-to-change data such as computer program listings, stock quotes, or spreadsheets, but NOT for full motion Video, not for Video editing, and absolutely not for gaming. Mouse-tracking on that display can lag, and can make you feel queasy.

In a pinch, it may even play Internet videos (as one user put it) “without too many dropped frames".

If you are only doing program listing and stock quotes and other slow to change data, there are some other solutions, but they require you to make some strong compromises.

so the next suggestion is to buy a stuntbox or Dock that features DisplayLink technology, and moves least one of your displays onto the display link box.

There is a list of such adapter on the DisplayLink (now owned by Synaptics) web site here:

https://www.synaptics.com/products/displaylink-graphics/displaylink-products

.

16-in 2019 intel MacBook Pro heat and performance:

This computer was built with a ninth generation 14nm Intel processor. The only way to meet the target performance was to make it a six or eight core processor. This processor generates an enormous burst of heat when it does Turbo Boost, and there is only one cooling rail shared by both the CPU and GPU. So getting Either side too hot ramps up the fans.

This processor was supposed to be an eleventh-generation 7nm processor, but intel was three years late, and has only starting to ship its tenth generation 10nm processors recently.

The drive in this computer is more than 100 times the typical speed of drives in computers a decade older. If you have installed software that wastes computer resources on a regular basis, such as third-party Virus Scanners, speeder-uppers, Cleaner-uppers/Removers, Optimizers, third-party file Sync-ers such as DropBox, BackBlaze, OneDrive, or GoogleDrive, or a VPN that you installed yourself, it will do busywork at previously-impossible speeds — heating up at a ferocious rate.

This older junky software used to run as fast as it could, then would then have to suspend itself to wait for the disk drive to catch up before continuing to waste resources. With a really fast drive, that drive-speed restriction is gone. In many cases it still does not show up as using a lot of CPU, because it is doing a lot of intensive I/O, and not a lot of computing. That will still make your computer slow and heat up.

Apple DID redesign the cooling system for this specific Mac. New, high-efficiency fans are used. But for some uses, that is still not enough.

Some of the best practical advice is to install Turbo Boost Switcher and turn off CPU Turbo Boost [which its sounds like you have already done] . This reduces the huge sudden overheating brought on by Turbo Boost, that simply does not translate into real-world performance gains.

One other consideration is that HDMI interface uses 5 Volt signal levels, while DisplayPort uses 3 Volt signal levels. Using DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort instead of HDMI may slightly reduce the heat generated, and could add some modest relief.

If you need help, just post the make&model and readers can look up display specs and adapters.

¿are you running ANY third-party Virus Scanners, speeder-uppers, Cleaner-uppers/Removers, Optimizers, third-party file Sync-ers such as DropBox, BackBlaze, OneDrive, or GoogleDrive, or a VPN that you installed yourself?

what are current displays at what resolutions?

do you use these display for Full-motion Video, or more mundane (non-moving) stuff like program listings, spread sheets, stock quotes?

Yes, that is the CONCEPT I was suggesting. I am not sure that is the Model I would have recommended first.

There are MANY different models, and some have additional ports like more USB-A ports that you might also like to have. Some have Ethernet if you want that. A few have SD card readers. if you are going to buy one at this price level, be sure to get one that meets more of your needs than just displays.

Thanks for your kind words, but I just have knowledge of some of the narrow areas you are wrestling with right now.

I am sure you are a rock star of sorts in your areas of expertise!