Macbook Pro Retina runs hot while lid is closed and fans working at full speed

I'm pretty sure the overheating problem is a software problem, and as you are mainly using Windows that maybe why, however when a product has a defect it doesn't mean it effects every single product.

Just like not everyone gets the ghosting issue, it could be slightly varying hardware which interacts differently with the software.

Annoying I did have a Samsung screen originally but the next day it kernel panicked on reboot everytime so couldn't boot up so got it switched for a new one which has an LG screen..

it's not as bright as the Samsung one was either 😟

I've started to experience this problem with my Macbook Pro Retina. When plugged in, if I leave it to sleep or close the lid the battery area next to the mains lead gets very hot. Once I open the laptop again or wake it from sleep it cools down. I'm wondering if it something to do with overcharging the battery, so when the computer is in sleep mode it trys to charge the battery causing it to get too hot.

I'm now going to shut down the computer rather than leave it to sleep. The boot up time is so quick it doesn't bother me, but I am concerned that this is a problem that Apple should look at and fix quickly as there is no option to replace the battery in the MBP and the heat would suggest that the battery is not behaving as it should or not being managed by the computer as it should be.

No, it is not fixed :-\

Johnhillman,

I've experienced the same thing, got scared and put my laptop outside in the cold just to cool it off I was concern it would fry itself.

Have you gotten any respond or idea if this is hardware or software issue and what is the fix?

Thanks😐

What I did do was stop the computer from enabling Power Nap while plugged into a power adapter (inside Energy Saver Preferences) This mean that the computer wasn't checking for new email etc while sleeping. To date this seems to have solved the problem.

My guess is that when the computer is asleep but then wakes to do these various processes the management of battery charging gets messed up and the computer overheats. As I say, I unticked this and 'Wake for Wi-Fi network access' and to date I've not had the issue.

I'm still tending to power down if I think about it, but I've also left it on for a week or so without a problem. Battery seems OK at the moment. I installed Coconut Battery monitor just to keep an eye on things, too.

This has happened to me twice in the past 3 weeks (today being the second time.) Power nap not enabled. Wake on LAN not enabled. Put the MBPR to sleep today using the menu command rather than simply closing the lid. Like many others experiencing this issue, I put the machine in a sleeve for safe transport home from work as I do every day.

Running at time of sleep mode: Mail, Safari, Textedit, and MS Outlook. This last is not usually running when I put the MBP to sleep as it is configured to work on the company LAN and not via the 'net, so it's useless at home.

Guess I'll get in the habit of shutting down instead of sleep mode. But I can't help being a wee bit annoyed that this $2400 beauty can't do what several Dell laptops and two older Macbooks did flawlessly for years. I went through h**l persuading my company to allow me to "BYOD" and thought I'd reached the "one computer in my life" nirvanna I've been seeking for years.

Reading this post really sadden me. I just bought a full spec rMBP with 2.8GHz, 16GB and SSD750 and my 1 day old Mac nearly melt down in my leather case in the afternoon. When I took it out from the case, my Mac was scorching hot with the fan running at full speed. What has Apple done since this topic was created in June 2012? How can they even continue to sell a flawed product like this? I am so disappointed with Apple.

P/s: I do not have that Power Nap option in my system pref. Weird.

Well... this is going to sound really weird and may be totally unrelated, but throwing it out there anyway on the off-chance it's another datapoint.

I've never had this problem with my rMBP, nor did I ever have it with my old 17-inch MBP. However, I just experienced the issue with the 17-inch MBP issued to me by my employer: got up this morning, took it out of the case and it had turned off. Turned it on, the fan started to run and it ran and ran and ran. Battery was low and taking forever to charge.

Then I notice that not only was the MBP hot, the power supply is really hot. I'm talking afraid-it's-going-burst-into-flames hot. So I shut it down, go grab the power supply from my old MBP, plug it in and restart. Both power supply and MBP are running cool as a cucumber and the fan hasn't kicked on once.

There is hope. I had the same problem when I first got my MBP (same specs as yours). I turned off a number of things which helped a lot. Then Apple came out with a firmware update - and I have had no problems since, so I am back to shutting down only very rarely. Have you applied all software and firmware updates?

Hi guys. Don't get me wrong k. I am not here to slam Apple or the Macbooks. This new system that I have is my 5th Mac and no matter what it is, I still love Apple. I am just dissappointed that the QC nowadays is so bad even for high specs machine. My very first Intel-powered Macbook Pro lasted me more than 8 years and it is still running, just not upgradable to ML and slower due to old age.

I had my new rMBP fully charged and closed the lid last night. I unpluged the power so see if this new machine wakes up for it's night shift. Shockingly, it did and it was working real hard! My battery was drained to 4%.

The current updates are for those pre-2013 rMBP so no firmware update for this machine yet. Software is current as well.

Power Nap option missing as well.

Called Apple up and they gave me a case number for a 1-1 exchange.

Thank for everyone's help. I just hope post-SJ's Apple will carry on maintaining it's product quality, innovations and performance for die-hard fans like us.

I can only assume something like this happened to our recently purchased MBPr today. After sitting on our dining room sideboard all day, not in a sleeve or anything, I opened it up this evening to find it dead. It was plugged in and the green LED was still on. There was a little bit of warmth at the back and an acrid smell when I put my nose close to the vents. Genius bar appointment booked for tomorrow. Too bad this couldn't have waited until after the Haswell refresh. =P

Have the same problem here with MBP 15" Retina half 2012.

Placed in sleep mode when was in charge, then I unplug the charger.

When i returned after 1,5 hours, the MBP fan running fast, was hot and smelling bad.

No way to restart the mbp until to force to switching off.

Only internet and mail program was open.

I'm a little bit scared about something turn wrong and damaged my mb.

There are some way to check if all is ok?

I have the very same problem with MBP 13" Retina early 2013.

Are there someone a solution about it?

No solution.

I called apple support and they suggested me a SMC and PRAM reset, as usual...

Here anothe experience about this problem:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1565376