MBP 5,3 75°C hot at 0% CPU load after SSD install

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MBP 5,3 75°C hot at 0% CPU load after SSD install

Hello, i decided to post my problem here because i have not found any help on other forums.

Two weeks ago i installed a Samsung 830 SSD with 256 GB using the Optibay SSD Kit from Hardwrk (http://hardwrk.com/en/ssd-hdd-adapter-kit-for-macbook-pro.html). The SSD sits where the HDD was beforce and the old 500 GB HDD sits in the Adapter from the Kit where the optical drive was.

After installing the hardware, everything worked fine; i (partially) cloned the HDD to the SSD and booted from it. Only the biggest User folders are left on the HDD. A couple of days later i noticed that the CPU temperature was between 75°C and 80°C in idle, with no processes causing CPU load. The fans are working and spinning with about 3000 rpm. I increased the fan speed to maximum with iStat Menus and the temperature lowered to about 58°C which was normal before installing the SSD. After about 10 minutes of maximum fan speed i set the fans back to normal and the temperature increased to 78°C again.

I tried a safe boot and there are no such problems, the CPU temperature is at 58°C in idle. So i booted in normal mode again and the temperature stayed at 58°C in idle. I shut down the MacBook and turned it on again in normal mode. The temperature increased to 80°C and stayed. I don't understand that behaviour.

The HDD is far away from the CPU so it doesn't affect heating, the SSD is more cold than hot. I don't know where this problem comes from. Has anybody noticed a similar behaviour after installing a SSD? If you need additional information i will provide these.

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2009), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), 8 GB RAM, Samsung SSD 830, 500G HDD

Posted on Nov 15, 2012 12:28 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 15, 2012 2:23 AM in response to nilsbyte

I don't think that you've that much to worry about - my CPU temp is usually around 66ºC and my fans at around 2,250 rpms when somewhat idle: if I'm doing some sort of 3D rendering in Photoshop, the temp and the fans both shoot up. I wouldn't worry too much about a 78ºC CPU temp - I've an SSD in my hard drive bay (and just my optical drive in the optical bay) and have experienced no 'increase' in temps after the SSD installation (which I did back in April of this year).

If you're using iStat Menus (great little app for the price, by the way) just keep an eye on things. Your temps aren't excessive but you may have some non-Apple kexts loading at start-up that cause your temps to run a wee bit higher (since you say that you were at 58ºC in Safe Mode). You may want to look at any third-party kexts that are loading and remove them (if you have any) to see if the temps are more in line with what you expect.

But I just wouldn't worry too much - if you want to use iStat Menus to boost the fans a bit, I think that would be fine. Just keep an eye on things and if the temps and fans get too out of hand you might want to consider a SMC reset. In fact, I'd go ahead with an SMC reset and see what happens.

Good luck,

Clinton

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Answer 2

nilsbyte Author

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Nov 15, 2012 5:47 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

I forgot to say that i tried to fix the problem with a SMC reset. It did not work.

I know that the temperature is within the limits of the hardware but it's definitely not the normal state. i have iStat Menus running since i got the MacBook and it never went so hot in idle. It's no sensor error because the bottom of the body gets really hot and this is quite unconfortable when the MacBook is sitting on the lap.

If this behaviour is triggered by a third-party kext, it should cause some CPU load, shouldn't it? Anyways, how can i find out what kexts are loaded on login/boot? Maybe i can point out the evildoer.

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Answer 3

nilsbyte Author

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Nov 17, 2012 3:52 AM in response to nilsbyte

UPDATE:

I reproduced the problem:

- Cold boot (power off and power cable disconnected, then power on): Temperature at 75°-80°C idle.

- Reboot: Temperature at 58°-62°C idle.

Can anyone imagine what causes this? I am clueless.

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Answer 4

Nov 17, 2012 3:56 AM in response to nilsbyte

I am clueless.

At this point, so am I...

Clinton

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Answer 5

Jan 29, 2013 6:32 PM in response to nilsbyte

I am having the exact same issue. I am also using a 2009 Macbook pro, although mine is the 13 inch model. I was just working on a word document and, according to instat, my CPU temp jumped to 100 degrees C! That's almost to auto shutdown point. Have you discovered anything that solved this issue? It seems ok for a few minutes after a reboot, the. It heats up quickly again. Any insight you have on how to solve this would be great!

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Answer 6

nilsbyte Author

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Mar 2, 2013 2:09 PM in response to Brachycentrus

I found out that the temperature goes back to normal when i put the macbook in sleep mode for 2 seconds and waking it up again. but even a OS reinstall did not help. i am beginning to think that the problem is the SSD itself.

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Answer 7

Jul 19, 2013 4:16 PM in response to nilsbyte

Hi to everybody!

I have exactly the same problem. I don't know if i'm obsesed with my macbook pro temperature, but before the ssd upgrade (i have made a Fusion Drive with one Samsung SSD 840 + Apple Retail 500 Gb 7200 HDD), the temperature was under control with my fans at 2000 RPM. At 86ª, my fans were at 2000 rpm and when my computer reaches 92ª or the process has been consuming cpu resources during a long time, my fans usually went faster. Only in that case!

But with my new install, and my new ssd, at 75ª i have my fans at 2500-3000 rpm. What's the problem? I have been comparing the cpu temperatures and are very similar, but the speed of the fans is always bigger than with only one tipycal hdd.

Of course, my macbook pro has all the content indexed, trim enabled, and my cpu is completely ilde!!! at 0%, 3000 rpm. That's unacceptable!

I have been reading about the problems of the nvidia MCP79 chipset. Apple has limited it's hdds to 1,5 gbps, but with the new ssds, we are forcing to the system to go at 3gbps. This will cause an increase in the temperature of the chipset (obviously is running faster and making more operations per second than before the update), but i'm not sure if this is the guilty success.

Any suggestions?

Thanks a lot to everybody. (sorry for my poor english)

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Answer 8

Jul 19, 2013 4:18 PM in response to nilsbyte

Ah, one more thing. Is not a thermal problem, because i have changed the thermal compound with artic silver 5 one week ago, and the problem persists.

Thanks again.

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Answer 9

Jul 19, 2013 4:46 PM in response to nilsbyte

Hi again!

I have been making some different tests, and i have observed with trim disabled the macbook pro has slower temperatures, and the MCP temperatures slow down up to 10ªC.

Could anybody else confirm this?

Thanks a lot

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Answer 10

nilsbyte Author

Level 1

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Jul 24, 2013 9:40 AM in response to The Fruitman

Hello and thank you for participating in this discussion,

as i am the starter of this thread, i want to tell you the story how i fixed this problem.

as you know the MacBook from Mid 2009 has TWO internal SATA ports, one for the optical drive and the other for storage devices such as HDD and SSD. Prior posting my problem here, i used this two ports as follows:

SATA connector 1 (where by default the optical drive is attached to):

here i placed the adapter cage from hardwrk (Link) and IN there i placed the old HDD, which was attached to SATA 2 before setting the MacBook up for SSD

SATA connector 2 (where by default the HDD is attached to; below the optical drive):

here i placed the new SSD

With this setup i did experience the problems with higher working temperature of the MacBook. After testing on software level, turning TRIM on or off had no effect to the high temperature, i decided to open up the MacBook another time. i checked all the wires and connectors, everything okay. Back turned on, same problem.

Then i decided to switch the devices. Means, SSD in adapter cage, HDD on the old place. Voila! Temperature problems are gone. Maybe you try this.

Hope it helps. Let me know!

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Answer 11

Apr 3, 2014 4:24 AM in response to nilsbyte

New to the world of SSDs.

Late 2008 MBP gets hot with an OWC 3GB SSD in original HDD spot . Will try your advice, however wouldn't hooking up the SSD on the superdrive side defeat the speed?

I haven't made the fusion set up yet, but notice that using the HD in th edisk drive slot (PATA adapter) as a startup drive (for the moment) is very slow.

It also does not let me wake it up from sleep and requires a hard restart. Plus, it drains the battery overnight even with a closed lid.

I'll switch the two over the weekend and make the fusion connection to see what happens.

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Answer 12

Apr 3, 2014 4:36 AM in response to Thunderhawks

Late 2008 MBP gets hot with an OWC 3GB SSD in original HDD spot

If I were you, I would contact OWC support - SSDs should run much, much cooler than traditional spinning drives.

I would NOT put the SSD in the optical bay - although both bays are SATA II (3.0Gbps) your MacBook Pro expects the boot drive to be in the HD bay and you're just asking for trouble if you place it in the optical bay.

I don't know a thing about DIY fusion drives but it's not something that I would recommend.

Clinton

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Answer 13

Apr 3, 2014 4:46 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

Thank you. Switching the two is something Nilsbyte did, which solved his temperature issue.

OWC has a blog about creating your own fusion drive.

One of the issues seems to be that older MBPs clock in at 1.5 GB, but the SSD is a 3GB (max the late 2008 MBP can run)

I'll be tinkering away this weekend and report back.

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