M4 MacBook Air gets hot with 144Hz monitor and closed lid

Question

M4 MacBook Air gets hot with 144Hz monitor and closed lid

I have connected my M4 Macbook Air to a 1080p 144hz external monitor. I am concerned about how hot the laptop gets when I do this, especially because I want the lid closed when I'm on the monitor, which is only possible when the laptop is plugged in, increasing the heat even more.

I think I could reduce the refresh rate of the monitor in settings to reduce the load, but whats the point of buying a 144hz monitor if you cant use that?

Is it fine for the laptop to get hot like this? Will it reduce the laptop's lifespan over time?

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 26.5

Posted on Jun 2, 2026 2:12 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 3, 2026 5:33 AM in response to creoarkark101

I would check Activity Monitor and look for any apps using excessive CPU. You can click on the %CPU header to sort highest to lowest. Also check disk access to see if there is a lot of reading or writing to disk.

It is more likely that an app may be using a lot CPU causing the machine to get hot or there is constant disk access that is heating things up.

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Answer 2

TheLittles

Level 10

206,421 points

Jun 2, 2026 2:57 AM in response to creoarkark101

"M4 MacBook Air gets hot with 144Hz monitor and closed lid: [...]I am concerned about how hot the laptop gets when I do this, especially because I want the lid closed when I'm on the monitor, which is only possible when the laptop is plugged in, increasing the heat even more."

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Avoiding Plugging In for Power:

One workaround to avoid leaving it plugged In, it use a specific command in Terminal. After ding so, you would no longer have to have it plugged into the wall, which may be what is bringing up the heat. Use my User Tip: caffeinate - A Terminal Command to Temporarily Prevent your Mac from Sleeping - Apple Community

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