MacBook Pro, Thunderbolt Display and heat

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MacBook Pro, Thunderbolt Display and heat

Hello,

I recently purchased a Thunderbolt Display to use with my Late 2011 MacBook Pro 13-inch. I was quite happy with the overall performance until I noticed that the only fan in the laptop started running at overly high speeds (over 6000 rpm) to cool off temperatures surpassing 90C (194F) on the temperature diode. This of course not only produces annoying noise but reduces the lifespan of any affected internal components. This positively does not happen when the TD is unplugged. I have a couple of questions I was hoping people out there could help me with:

(1) Would any similar (27 inch, 2560x1440) monitor produce the same behavior? i.e. Is overheating the price I have to pay for this hardware-resolution combination or would a non-thunderbolt interface (DisplayPort or HDMI) monitor solve this? In other words, is there any way I can use a monitor with similar size-resolution combination without overheating my laptop? Any models you may suggest?

(2) How damaging can high temperatures be? How high is high? Am I slowly killing my computer with the Thunderbolt Display?

(3) Would better hardware get as hot? I mean, is my hardware being asked for too much? What constitutes better hardware for this purpose, more VRAM? Would any Apple products fare better or is Apple marketing a 'computer overheater'?

Thank you!

MacBook Pro (13-inch Late 2011), OS X Mavericks (10.9.1), Thunderbolt Display 27-inch

Posted on Feb 19, 2014 3:45 PM

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Answer 1

turbostar

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Feb 19, 2014 4:08 PM in response to odros

What are you doing task wise when the temps ramp or is it as soon as you connect the TBD

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Answer 2

odros Author

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Feb 19, 2014 4:43 PM in response to turbostar

Can't believe I left this out; my bad. So far this seems to be related to going full-screen on either web videos, movies (QuickTime, VLC, DivX, etc.) or a game called Sauerbraten. Most other tasks produce around 70C and 4000 rpm. Would yo please give me your opinion on all three questions? Thanks.

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Answer 3

turbostar

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Feb 19, 2014 7:10 PM in response to odros

Do a quick thing, reset both PRAM and SMC and see if problem continues

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Answer 4

odros Author

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Feb 20, 2014 9:44 AM in response to turbostar

I already did and nothing changed.

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Answer 5

turbostar

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Feb 20, 2014 1:01 PM in response to odros

Do the same tasks in the laptop not connected to the display, what do the temps do then? I think this is an issue of correlation not causation but happy to be wrong.

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Answer 6

odros Author

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Feb 21, 2014 5:41 PM in response to turbostar

Thanks for your replies, turbostar. Temperature is pretty much 20 degrees higher for most tasks when the TD is plugged in...

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Answer 7

turbostar

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Feb 22, 2014 12:57 AM in response to odros

but as a controlled test, you did the same exact tasks?

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Answer 8

odros Author

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Feb 25, 2014 9:42 AM in response to turbostar

Yes, I did. It is definitely related to the display. The question now is if it is related to the thunderbolt interface or to the resolution. If the former is the culptit, maybe some other model will do; if not, I am doomed... Tx again.

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Answer 9

odros Author

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Apr 9, 2014 11:39 AM in response to odros

So I'm back with an update. I have tried Benq's GW2450HM (VA) and LG's 24EN33VW (TN) monitors. Both are 1080p 24 inch LED displays. Full screen videos and games sometimes heat my CPU up to 80º C but I have never experienced ultra-high temperatures (>90) again. I cannot say this is because I am now using the HDMI port instead of the Thunderbolt or because of the lower resolution or a combination of these. Either way, these monitors are $800 cheaper and aren't killing my CPU. Besides, I don't think I can tell the difference in resolution. So answering my own questions:

1) Still don't know (your two cents?)

2) Yes, the literature confirms higher temperatures = shroter lifespan. How high is too high? I don't really know.

3) Still don't know (your two cents?)

The bottomline: with my hardware (late 2011 i5 13-inch MBP), the $800 difference does not add enough value as it adds fan noise...

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