SMC Firmware Clamps Processor Speed?

I have run all the software and firmware updates except iPod to date, incl. the latest firmware update which I ran last night. Idle is right at 1500 and temp around 57 C. I just ran Photoshop Elements to see if I could enage the processors more and did get a fat 2K Mhz and 60 C. So far I'm not aware of slowdowns, but I haven't run anything challenging today. My MBP does "seem" to be running somewhat cooler; I'll keep monitorig that (last week it was like typing on a toaster oven surface). Mine's an early-made MBP.

My temperature at 100% is between 94 and 100 degrees. Im guessing that this is not good. (Plugged in). It is 74 degrees in the room as well.

This is after the SMC firmware update.

Screen shot: http://www.fireball3d.com/mbtemp.jpg

Anyone else see this kind of temperature?

As i state @ before, the speed down to 1ghz after i had upgraded SMC 1.0, but when i turn it off for 2 hours and turn on again, it back to normal, now the max. clock speed is 2.16.

The only different is i am using the AC power adaptor & unplug the battery before, and now, i am using battery only, funny.

Hi, i just thought Id let you know that I installed CoreDuoTemp on my 2ghz Macbook Pro and for me the cpu seems to be scaling fairly well.

Ive been plugged into power the whole time and the first thing I tried was two terminals plus "yes > /dev/null" to get the cpu up and I got to 2ghz with a temp of around 79 to 80

Just running safari with three tabs Im on 1500mhz with 52C

When I was messing around in finder I dropped to 1333mhz and at one point when I wasnt doing anything and the computer was just sitting there it dropped to 1000mhz.

So far so good.

Btw Interestingly under XP on the same machine encoding a video the processor was on 1500 according to system properties.

Regards

Andrew

I ran the SMC update on my first-batch 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro.

CoreDuoTemp says 1GHz, 2GHz max, current 1.5 GHz. This is unplugged and in 'Better Battery Life' mode. Encoding an H.264, it jumps right up to 2 GHz.

As for CoreCuoTemp being a Widget? I'd like it's functionality added to iStat nano... (It can't see temperatures on the MBP, and doesn't have a frequency monitor (which would go nicely on the 'CPU' page.)

(I'm also waiting for Intel to release their Processor Identification Utility for OS X.)

On a side note, my screen-brightness whine seems to be diminished (but not gone.)

just ran smc update:

CoreDuoTemp (version .51)

Reports:

Temp: 58 C
CPU Usage: 3.0%
Mini 1000
Maxi 2167
Current 1667

When running a few apps, with CPU usage up to 50%:

Temp: 64 C
CPU Usage: 52%
Mini: 1000
Maxi: 2167
Current: 2167

So I don't think there is any clamping going on.

I just updated my MacBook Pro 2 GHz with the SMC Firmware release and there was no change in system performance or thermal integrity. CoreDuoTemp displays a nominal 58 degrees Celsius idling @ 1.5 GHz with 2-4% CPU load while typing this reply.

Running 2 "yes > /dev/null" terminal shells clocked out the frequency @ 2 GHz however, did not engage the internal fans until the temperature reached 84 degrees Celsius whereas before the update, the fan engaged when the temp hit 75. It is now holding at 79 degrees with the fans slightly churning, clocking in @ 2 GHz with the above terminals active. Terminating the shells brings the clock back to 1.5 GHz and quickly reduces the thermal load to a reasonable 62 degrees in an impressively short amount of time (under 30 seconds) which articulates the superior design of the MacBook Pro when it comes to thermal discharge.

No, the fast drop in temp just shows how processor load is related to the amount of electricity flowing through the chip and heat generated. The heat sink and casing of the MPB do not drop 20 degrees in 30 seconds..

how do you find out how hot your computer runs?

I believe 100 is the max the CPU is rated for. I'd take it to a service center immediatly if I were you.

Mine seems to be running just fine. Moving from 1500-1833 on AC and steady at 1500 on battery. Temp is several degrees cooler in C.

Does anyone know if Compusa is an
authorized repair center? Do they replace the paste
if I take it in there?

They are, if there is one close by that's listed on apple's page, but I wouldn't bother. I took mine to CompUSA for a heat issue (this is the 2nd time in, the first time I sent it in via the Apple store). They called me the next day and told me it's "getting very hot" and that they were sending it in to Apple. Great, so they'll replace the logic board blindly again for me and send it back hot still. sigh.

Mines running very much cooler and if I have 15 browser windows up I will see that processor speed is ramped to 2000GHz! Sweet!

Yes, I have seen that kind of temperature--in grade 9 science class when we inserted a thermometer into boiling water. It is also the same temperature you drop pasta in to cook for dinner--to bad you can't use your MBP to cook eh?

🙂

I updated my MBP today and after the restart OSX wouldn't boot. I took it to the Cleveland Apple store and was told that it was not caused by faulty RAM, a bad HD or anything overheating.

Given how light my use of it was (sits on my desk 24/7 and is off at night) the problem only occurred after I ran the SMC firmware update.

I was told it will take a week or two to determine the problem and to fix it.