Hot Computer?

Mac notebooks: Operating temperature

Ventilation is key for laptops.

You do not say which MacBook?

I know my old 2010 i5 Dual Core seems to run very warm all the time, like you could fry an egg on the underside encloser if running video stream.

my 2012 i7 Quad Core runs much cooler.

So there is some variation depend on processor and graphics cards.

A portable computer is considered inappropriately to be a laptop.

If you choose to rest a portable computer on your lap, or on a

soft surface that traps heat and limits airflow underneath it,

you should consider the idea to buy & use a laptop tray or an

other device that is a hard surfaced product to keep the Mac

off your lap directly. It need not have tiny fans inside (those

would run from the USB port, & deplete battery reserves) but

if you do need one with fans, don't leave the USB plugged in.

I use my portables on a desktop. At some second hand store

a lucky find for $3 was a custom retail stand made to hold the

entire portable Apple computer in the air about six inches. As

a desktop-replacement (in its location only) that works out

well when not moving the computer and saves on hinge wear

or display cable concerns. It can sit like that for months, and

usually use a wired Apple USB keyboard/mouse with it, there.

I also have access powered Hub accessories, plus wi-fi, etc.

So the heat issue(s) can be resolved to some extent as noted.

In the olden days, a slab of asbestos would be recommended 🙂

Although I wonder about the accuracy of the temperature reported

in my MacBook1.1 (coreduo) 1.83GHz w/ 2048MB RAM, 160GB HD

Leopard 10.5.8 in iStat Pro widget suggests 259 °F (or close) for both

cores of the processor. I have to assume the temps are off due to

some issue, perhaps the problem with mine may be related to a need

to have the thermal paste cleared off the cooling conduits & renewed.

In mine, it can report unlikely temperatures, at times, below 0°F, too!

So, the MacBook1.1 13-inch may someday find itself en route to see

wegenermedia in SC as had they offered me the best fix on an iBook,

cost + svc. I think they have a better business model than I see in AK.

Now I've found iTunes Radio 10.6.3 (in OS X Leopard) is working again

I may have to let my computers run that, too, as it will rise temps, esp

if the Visualizer is also running. In my G4 Mini, w/1024MB RAM, it will.

Not sure about how to deal with the overheat possibilities in yours.

To use a physical method in warmer ambient temps, you may get

frost bite. You know, those blue slabs for camp coolers? Frozen/ice.

Maybe if you talk nice to it, the device won't run such a temper? 🙂

Hey Martin -

I think you have the MacBook that's just a touch newer than mine (mine has the 2.0 GHz Core2Duo, rather than the 2.2). It has nearly always run toasty, especially if I'm streaming videos. The graphics chipset in these machines has to work hard to stream content these days, and that generates a bunch of heat.

It's been like this for the better part of 6+ years I've had it, too, and it still runs like a champ. The fan noise is a bit annoying, and the heat isn't always welcome, though!

Can't do much about the fan noise, but I ended up buying a portable lapdesk to help keep myself a little cooler when using the laptop (and to help it be able to ventilate a bit better when it's on my lap).

I purchased this lapdesk by Logitech. Just the right size and not too heavy so bringing it with me when I go to my parents' place isn't too inconvenient!

Hope that tidbit is helpful 🙂

~Lyssa

Martin -

I have an iBook G4 hanging around that's going to celebrate its 10th birthday this year. It serves one purpose - it's my DDR computer - and that's its only job. But it's still running about as well as it did when I got it (though it certainly seems slow compared to some of the stuff I used for work!).

If your MacBook still suits your needs, by all means keep on using it! And that lapdesk should last a long while, too 🙂. I found that I don't even notice the heat anymore, even on a very warm summer day!

~Lyssa