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User profile for user: Donglai Gong
Donglai Gong Author
User level: Level 1
60 points

MacBook Pro 2011 Core i7 Quad Core 2.2 GHz freezes when running hot!

I just received my Core i7 2.2 GHz Quad Core 15 inch laptop today. I was eager to put it through its paces. I have been trying to compile/install gcc and watch some HD youtube clips at the same time. As it turns out that's a very bad combo for this laptop. Compiling gcc maxes out all 4 cores and then you add some graphics usage (especially on an external monitor, which kicks in the AMD 6750M chip), the computer overheats. When the CPU Temperature Diode measurement reaches 92 deg C, the computer crashes, every time. I have crashed my new laptop 6 times already this evening, all due to this issue. I kept an eye on my Kill a Watt meter and it pegs near 85 W (battery fully charged). I think a firmwire update to the fan control unit is in definitely needed. The fan is obviously not running aggressively enough. When you have a 45W CPU plus a 30W GPU, plus 13 W of just turning the machine on, then add in WiFi and HDD, you got one hot system. Intel lists a Tjunc of 100 deg C as their temperature limit. Apple needs to figure out either how to gracefully pause while the CPU hit that limits (i.e. not crashing the whole system), or keep their fans running more aggressively when the CPU + GPU activities picks up in a hungry.

MacBook Pro 15 Quad Core 2.2 GHz, Mac OS X (10.6.6), 8 GB RAM + 500 GB 7200 RPM HDD

Posted on Mar 2, 2011 11:30 PM

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40 replies
User profile for user: Donglai Gong
Donglai Gong Author
User level: Level 1
60 points

Mar 3, 2011 12:20 AM in response to Donglai Gong

I just did some more testing. The bottom line is not that the fans are unable to keep the computer cool, they can, it's just that they don't come to their maximum speed fast enough. Currently I'm encoding a 1080p video clip using HandBrake, watching another 1080p on YouTube, doing a WiFi transfer between two laptops, and having Google Earth spinning the globe in the background. All the CPU cores/threads are maxed out. I'm doing all this with an external monitor attached which means the AMD graphics chip is running too. With the both fans running max at 6200 rpm, the CPU diode temperature according to smcFanControl (and Temperature Monitor) has settle at 88-89 deg C, 3 degrees below the crash point. So the moral of the story is that if you know you are going to go from zero to 100 in CPU usage in no time, turn on smcFanControl and max out your fans first! This way, you won't overheat and crash. This might seem a bit too hands on for us regular users but at least it seems to works.
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User profile for user: tappi
tappi
User level: Level 1
0 points

Mar 3, 2011 10:54 AM in response to Donglai Gong

Hello, can u post your idle temperature, idle with Safari (2-5 Tabs) and some iTunes running? I want to go for the same uMBP, u have.

Thanks

btw: this thread might be also good for a review ...

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2764570&start=0&tstart=0

and if you think the uMBP is getting to hot... call AppleCare or go for an exchange.

Message was edited by: tappi
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User profile for user: abqithead
abqithead
User level: Level 1
0 points

Mar 11, 2011 10:46 AM in response to Donglai Gong

I have been experiencing a similar problem with my 2011 2.2Ghz Quad Core 15" Macbook Pro.

While encoding HD video with Handbrake, the temps ramp up quickly and the CPU usage registers 80%+. The highest temp I've seen on the GPU diode is 179(F).

The computer freezes up after the fans have been running at 6200rpm after about 45 minutes, every time. When I queue multiple videos for encoding, I have always had to hard restart and ended up losing time and work.

I'm considering using a third party fan control app, but as the fans are running at max capacity (can they go any faster?) I doubt it would do any good.

The issue's particularly disappointing because it seems to only affect processes that really utilize the hardware that's in this model.
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User profile for user: OxOOCOFFEE
OxOOCOFFEE
User level: Level 1
9 points

Mar 13, 2011 9:30 PM in response to krislo

Here is a little note from my phone call with apple genius support. When I asked about my 13" getting really hot I was told that it is by design and you should expect it. Tell you the truth I still can't believe my ears. Yes if it is > 90F outside and I am working in sun that would make perfect sense. But working indoor in 68F that is little odd. .... By design 🙂
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User profile for user: Donglai Gong
Donglai Gong Author
User level: Level 1
60 points

Mar 15, 2011 11:12 AM in response to MoonDogg98

MoonDogg98 wrote:
I have the 15" i7 2.2 and I was encoding 10 video's ripping and encoding a DVD with DVD remaster and watching a movie at the same time and got mine to 198 deg F which is 92.222 deg C and mine never slowed down much less crashed. I would bring this up to apple and see about a replacement.


Yup, mine can handle 92 deg C as well. Mine crashes at 93. I'd be curious to see if your laptop still functions past 93. If it does, then we have different thermal limits, which would be very interesting since we have the exact same model.
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User profile for user: Donglai Gong
Donglai Gong Author
User level: Level 1
60 points

Mar 15, 2011 11:16 AM in response to OxOOCOFFEE

OxOOCOFFEE wrote:
Here is a little note from my phone call with apple genius support. When I asked about my 13" getting really hot I was told that it is by design and you should expect it. Tell you the truth I still can't believe my ears. Yes if it is > 90F outside and I am working in sun that would make perfect sense. But working indoor in 68F that is little odd. .... By design 🙂


I completely agree with you. With my fans blasting full I can just barely keep the CPU core under 90 C when the ambient temperature was in the 60's F. If the ambient temperature rises to 80 F+, I'm not sure the fans will be able to keep the computer cool enough. :-/
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User profile for user: splizaat
splizaat
User level: Level 1
5 points

Mar 15, 2011 3:09 PM in response to krislo

WOW that seems REALLY hot. Granted I'm only using a 2.0ghz quad core, but my temperatures with Adium, Two Tabs in Safari, Mail, Itunes playing and transmission uploading bit torrents are at the following::

CPU: 95F
CPU heatsink: 85F
GPU: 88F

I will say that it jumped CPU to 166F when all I was doing was watching a stream online through the TV via mini display port with my computer sitting on the carpet. Thought that was a bit hot??

ALSO -- not sure if this will help but you should get gfxcardstatus and set it to "integrated only" during HD compiling to keep the temperature down from the graphics card... that might help too?

Message was edited by: splizaat
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User profile for user: figure8designs
figure8designs
User level: Level 1
0 points

Apr 26, 2011 2:25 PM in response to Donglai Gong

I have the 15" 2.2 and I couldn't figure out why I was spiking above 200*F with fans blazing at 6200 RPMs. Finally figured out that because I use Adobe After Effects, even after I would close the program, a long string of processes designed to help with rendering would still be running eating up all my CPU power. After force quitting the 6 or so along with anything else not needed, I immediately went down to 125*F when browsing, which still seems pretty warm, but it's a heck of a lot cooler and quieter. WToo bad it took me 3 weeks to figure it out.


I'm considering looking into the thermal paste issue to perhaps lower it to the supposed 10 degrees cooler. Anyone have any luck with that?

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User profile for user: wooliudo
wooliudo
User level: Level 1
4 points

Jun 25, 2011 6:51 PM in response to splizaat

it seems that the intel hd 3000 gpu is not wired to the mini display port. so whenever you hook up an external monitor, it has to switch to the amd gpu, thus increase the temperature.


my normal working temperature now is around 50 C with fan speed at 2000 rpm, running skype, chrome with 20+ tabs and some other background stuff, which is quite cool IMO.


i re-applied the thermal paste, and that might do some help.

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MacBook Pro 2011 Core i7 Quad Core 2.2 GHz freezes when running hot!

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