10.7 Lion makes the fan in my MacBook Pro roar!

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Level 1

30 points

10.7 Lion makes the fan in my MacBook Pro roar!

The fan in my MacBook Pro 13" Thunderbolt (2,3 GHz i5, 8 GB RAM) is driving me wild! As wild as a Lion! I was used to it howling like a starting spaceship whenever I was watching crappy Flash Video, but now with 10.7 Lion, the fan even blows like crazy in Mail.app.

What’s most annoying is that it doesn't spin at a constant speed but that it's speed, and thus volume goes up and down all the time. The guys at Apple can't be serious about this... The fan action in my previous MacBook Pro 13" (2.26 GHz C2D, 8 GB) was really moderate, but the SandyBridge-based machines seem to be a nightmare.

I rather accept a slower CPU, than the penetrating and annoying howling. Come on Apple give us some Firmware update! Where is the 'eye of Steve' when you need it?

P.S.: Please second this!

P.P.S.: I'm familiar with the Activity Monitor, and closely watch the processes, so it is not that I don't understand what is going on. Yet, still: My last C2D MBP was a zillion times quiter...

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Jul 20, 2011 3:42 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 20, 2011 5:24 PM in response to Andre Klein

same issue. and i've got a brand new (2011) MBP (2.2ghz, 4gb, etc) and the fan never used to spin up except when i was gaming or watching video.

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Answer 2

Jul 20, 2011 6:04 PM in response to Andre Klein

I'm also listening to this stupid fan on my Macbook quackcore. What a PAIN! Come on Apple!!!!!! Fix the frigging noisy fan issue. Geez!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Answer 3

Jul 20, 2011 7:32 PM in response to Andre Klein

Some problem with my Macbook Core 2 Duo here. CPU load seems to frequently ramp up under Firefox (latest v. 5.0.1) even on basic webpages without tons of ads and without Flash. But even after killing Firefox it appears other processes are causing some big CPU loads, much more so than under 10.6.8.

Fan runs like crazy until everything is killed to let the CPU calm down...

Wonder what the problem is but hopefully Apple is on it...

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Answer 4

mahbool

Level 1

0 points

Jul 20, 2011 10:04 PM in response to Andre Klein

Having the same isse with my MacBook Air .. This is a serious issue with Lion!! 😠

Fix please 😮

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Answer 5

mahbool

Level 1

0 points

Jul 21, 2011 12:32 AM in response to mahbool

resolved . it was citrix Access Gateway plugin. 🙂

sudo launchctl unload -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.citrix.agadminservice.plist

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Answer 6

Andre Klein Author

Level 1

30 points

Jul 21, 2011 5:02 AM in response to mahbool

Resolved? Not really... Your Citrix Access Gateway plugin might be one process with heavy CPU load, but rest assured: there is more than one, so the fan won’t stop blowing. The problem sits much deeper...

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Answer 7

Jonathan UK

Level 10

163,775 points

Jul 21, 2011 5:36 AM in response to Andre Klein

Mine is roaring too - like a computer readying for lift-off. I think it wants to be the next space shuttle.

In my case, it's definitely (at least in part) because clamshell mode currently has a major bug under Lion. You should be able to run an external monitor with the MBP lid open and internal screen off. After upgrading to Lion, the MBP screen comes back on as soon as you re-open the lid. So the only way to use only the external display is to keep the lid closed. Lid closed = poorer air circulation = hotter running = mad, mad fan noise plus a much unhappier and unhealthy living environment for the battery and other components.

One step forward, three steps back... Please fix, Apple.

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Answer 8

Andre Klein Author

Level 1

30 points

Jul 21, 2011 5:38 AM in response to Andre Klein

Did I wrote ’eye of Steve’? I better should have written ’ear of Steve’! Well, didn't I read/hear somewhere that he is slightly hearing impaired!? Would make sense... 😕

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Answer 9

Jul 21, 2011 7:01 AM in response to Andre Klein

The "eye(ear) of Steve" is called a bug report.

You can do this by going to:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Answer 10

Andre Klein Author

Level 1

30 points

Jul 21, 2011 7:13 AM in response to woodmeister50

The "eye of Steve" is the eye of Steve. It does exist, it was explained to me in a meeting I had at the Apple Campus in 2005. If he sees something he doesn’t like, he makes sure something gets done about it. So if he actually uses one of these MacBook with a 'fan from h3ll’ himself, you can be sure that he will complain to his engineers. But honestly I don't expect that Apple is able to solve this issue in software/firmware. Looks like we have to wait for the next MBP generation...

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Answer 11

Jul 21, 2011 9:37 AM in response to Andre Klein

I have an Air, 13 ultimate and the fans go crazy under Lion when the sceen saver comes on. Screen saver is last 12 months of pictures. Did not do this under Snow Lep.

Of course, any flash video stuff and the fans went crazy.

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Answer 12

Jul 22, 2011 6:51 AM in response to Mark Stull

I'm also on a 2.13 13" AIR and having a lot more fan and heat issues since I "upgraded" to Lion. Fan rarely came on before except with crappy flash videos. Now it comes on quite a bit more often

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Answer 13

b.s.b

Level 1

0 points

Jul 24, 2011 7:08 AM in response to Andre Klein

Same problem on my 9 months old I-mac.Sounds like a hair-dryer

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Answer 14

Jul 25, 2011 6:45 AM in response to Andre Klein

Same issue on my MBP thunderbold 15". Both fans are constantly spinning at more than 6,000rpm.... at that's with CPU activity at 12%! it is getting on my nerves. Can we have a fix asap?!

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Answer 15

Jul 25, 2011 3:31 PM in response to Andre Klein

Sounds like part of the answer might be that it's summer. I find my old MacBook is a lot more quiet in the winter. If you're in the US, chances are that you and your Mac are experiencing a heat wave. My little wimpy fan is no match for global warming.

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