My early 2008 MacBook is running at an unusually hot temperature?

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MythicGuitar Author

Level 1

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My early 2008 MacBook is running at an unusually hot temperature?

MacBook information.

Version - 10.5.8

Processor - 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Dueo

Memory - 2 GB

Year - 2008

Problem - Almost instantly after I turn on my MacBook, which appears to be in decent physical condition and has been kept in a mostly dust free environment, the temperature rises to 95 - 100C.

I use no more than 5 applications per session, as my MacBook is mainly used for browsing the internet.

As of this writing, my MacBook has an average temperature of 96C, and is physically hot to the touch. The room temperture is roughly 24C.

The vents are clear of dust, and I use canned air every couple of months.

I'm really running out of ideas. Can you guys offer any suggetions? I'm far out of warranty, and am not willing to purchase another Mac at full price.

Help?

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Nov 20, 2011 2:42 AM

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Answer 1

MythicGuitar Author

Level 1

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Nov 20, 2011 2:46 AM in response to MythicGuitar

The fan is running at 6200 RPM, if that helps at all.

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Answer 2

Nov 20, 2011 3:18 AM in response to MythicGuitar

Hi MG,

You could try a couple of things.

1. Check out the Activity Monitor and see if any application is hogging CPU activity.

2. It may be worth resetting the SMC. see this article

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964

See if any of this helps.

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Answer 3

Nov 20, 2011 9:18 AM in response to MythicGuitar

Some people feel that blowing canned air in the back vents actually cleans the fan, but you are actually just blowing dust back in to the computer. I was having a similar issue with my kids macbook and last week decided to take it apart and clean it out properly. Though there were no obvious obstructions in the venting, the fan blades were coated in grime and more importantly the copper heatsink was also very dirty. Cleaned everything properly and all works much better.

First thing I would do if I were you is open Activity Monitor (Utilities folder) and check to see if there is any process that is constantly using a large portion of your CPU. If there is, get rid of it or report back here for further instruction.

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Answer 4

Nov 20, 2011 9:51 AM in response to Andrew Wolczyk

How do you open the fan part? My fan is constantly running (2008) with 80% of my CPU being idle right now. I have iTunes (charging phone), FF, mail and iChat going.

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Answer 5

Nov 20, 2011 11:22 AM in response to BlueFlowers

You should download an app such as SMC Fan Control which will let you monitor your temp and fan speed. Your fans should always be running, thats normal. If they are running high and your temperature is above average, thats a problem. Taking apart a laptop isn't easy and you should explore all options before doing it.

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Answer 6

Nov 20, 2011 11:37 AM in response to MythicGuitar

Visit the guide on how to remove the internal fan at iFixit:

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-MacBook-Core-2-Duo-Fan/522/1

If you follow the steps carefully it shouldn't be a particularly difficult procedure. There are only a few screws to undo, the only tricky part is lifting off the top case/keyboard without severing the cable connected to the logic board.

You do not need to remove the internal fan, once you have the top case/keyboard off you can use a hoover to carefully suction the fan to clean any dust.

In all honesty hoovering dust from your fan is unlikely to reduce your systems core temperature. It is more likely an issue with the thermal paste that helps transfer the heat from your CPU onto the heatsink (which in turn is vented out of your backbook via the internal fan). My guess is your thermal paste needs renewing. If you are comfortable with the procedure- you can follow the steps on iFixit to remove your CPU and reapply a fresh layer of thermal compound.

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Answer 7

MythicGuitar Author

Level 1

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Nov 20, 2011 11:43 AM in response to Andrew Wolczyk

As I've said in my original post, the fans are running at an average of 5000 to 6000 RPMs, with the max currently being 6200. In other words, they're running at a rather high speed, and the temperature remains at an average of 95 celsius, which is plus 200 fahrenheit.

SMC Fan Control is actually what I've been using, but both SMC and iStat display the same information.

There's also a steady stream of airflow coming from the vents, so nothing's blocking them or the fans from operating.

I've also reset the System Management Controller in the past. It was actually one of the first things I did.

I've checked my processes from Activity Manager, and the most processor intensive application I had running was Google's Chrome browser, which was using an average of 13% of the CPU. Although it would occasionally spike to 30% when loading web pages that have a lot of multimedia content, such as images or videos, even 30% shouldn't cause any problems, especially not the ones I'm experiencing.

Although I'm quite experienced in computer engineering, I'd rather not have to take apart my computer, not until I've completely ruled out all other possibilities.

Thank you all for the helpful advice.

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Answer 8

Nov 20, 2011 11:45 AM in response to the.specialist

Thank you. I am comfortable with my Mac. I've upgraded hard drives and memory by myself. (I've also done several family members.)

I will see what temp it's running. I do know that I cannot physically put my laptop on my bare legs; it's too hot for more than a few minutes and leaves my skin red and splotchy. I always have to use a lapdesk.

I tried running AHT last night but I guess it's not built in and I need to use a CD. My CD drive does not work and I'll have to plug in an external drive to do so.

_________________________________________________________________________

MacBook White (2,1) 2.16ghz, 4gb RAM, 1TB HD, OS X 10.7.2

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Answer 9

Nov 20, 2011 2:11 PM in response to BlueFlowers

If you feel comfortable doing it, the guide can be found here...

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-MacBook-Core-2-Duo-Fan/522/1

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Answer 10

Nov 20, 2011 2:16 PM in response to MythicGuitar

Your macbook is running far too hot. With minimal use it should run from about 40 to 60C. If you are running flash movies on Youtube it will climb in to the 90s though.

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Answer 11

Nov 20, 2011 8:41 PM in response to Andrew Wolczyk

Fan is running over 6200rpm

Temp averaging 165F

How bad is this? This is an all day, everyday thing for my computer. 82% CPU idle right now.

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Answer 12

Nov 20, 2011 8:46 PM in response to Andrew Wolczyk

Will cleaning out the fan accomplish much? I can attempt it if it'll help, otherwise I'd rather leave well enough alone.

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Answer 13

Nov 20, 2011 9:48 PM in response to BlueFlowers

I will accomplish something if the fan is full of dust, but you won't know until you physically look at the fan.

Something is obviously wrong as it should not be running at these temps under normal conditions.

As Andrew points out, flash will cause it to heat however, so if you are constatnt use YouTube or similar, the temps will increase too.

If you start you computer when cold and run no applications, does it heat up?

A

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Answer 14

Nov 20, 2011 9:54 PM in response to actionmarker

Yes, it's instantaneous when I boot my computer up.

I re-read Andrew's reply and see to apply thermal paste and not just clean the fan. I am not comfortable doing it myself as I do not want to break any wires. This is my one and only laptop.

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Answer 15

Nov 20, 2011 10:08 PM in response to BlueFlowers

It to me sounds like a hardware issue rather than software so maybe it's best to have technician look at it for you.

It's possible the thermal paste has dried out and so not convecting the temperature well to the heat sink, but difficult to say without opening it an looking at it.

A

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