MacBook Air Overheating

Open your Activity Monitor, make sure that "All processes" is selected. Sort by CPU usage to verify nothing is eating up CPU.

Once you're certain of above, you can try reseting SMC:

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

mid '12 Air 13" -

last night watching video, no problem.

today - cpu heats up to 202ºF within 5 minutes, video goes blank, Safari tabs go blank white...

I have had this kind of issue from day one of ownership. Opting out of html5 beta seemed to work a couple of months ago, now this... irritating!

Apple needs to step up w/ their billions and ensure their most expensive machines can do the most basic internet function: play video.

You are assuming that your problem computer equates to an product wide problem. Not true. You've been given a suggestion - reset SMC and check to see if you have any run away processes. If you have no rogue processes eating up CPU cycles and the SMC reset doesn't work take your computer to Apple. There are millions of us watching video without overheating the computer.

You are assuming the problem is not product-wide simply because everyone is not complaining. It's "uncool" to complain, takes time, energy,.. etc to diagnose, go to Apple, deal w/ problems. Most people won't do it, but simply tolerate the issue (or are unaware of it because the video doesn't last long enough, etc. for example).

Nonetheless, it clearly IS a product-wide problem. If you'd care to Google the words "Air" and "overheating," it's been going on since the Air came out. I spent $2000 on this computer. I shouldn't have to open-up the hood and fix it a month or two out, and keep "fixing" it. And, as I HAVE done the various fixes - and they appear to work, then don't, there is clearly a deeper problem. Also, why should there be any "run-away" processes? Or, why should Flash not work properly when it's a mainstay of the modern computing experience? Or...

What's odd to me is, my old Powerbook -motorola chipset- never overheated; never had any problems over 8+ years. I bought this one based on that reliability. Sad to see Apple trash their own reputation via the same 80/20 principle that ushered the decline of Microsoft.

Are you going to try to fix your problem or keep believing in some silly Apple conspiracy of silence? If you want help we are here to help. If you want to believe the conspiracy we can't help but maybe this site can 🙂

Yes, I must be wacko to think a corporation would fail to address a faulty product. That never happens. I'm just imagining that I've tried all the fixes suggested, yet still have overheating issues. And, all those people complaining about the same thing, they're all in tin-foil hats too. DaninDub is here to help. You're here to protect the brand by marginalizing people complaining about unfixable (as yet) issues. You'd make a great government spook 🙂

I've tried all the fixes suggested, yet still have overheating issues.

and you've taken the computer to be repaired? If not you haven't tried every fix because your computer could have a manufacture flaw. That doesn't mean a design flaw exists.

Are there lots of people here taking about overheating computers? Yes, there are. But let's be real. This is a help site! People come with problems, not to say everything is great. So yes, I expect to see lots of folks complaining that their computer locks up, that they can't download an update, they can't sync their iTunes music with their iPhone etc etc etc. But none of that means there is a widespread design problem. If I walked into my local emergency room on a Saturday night I'd conclude citizens in my state must get beat up, wreck cars, and shoot each other on a regular basis. (Admitedly if I watch the news I might conclude the same thing - and for a similar reason.) But it just isn't true.