Macbook Air 2011 CPU Maxes Out then Overheats and Shuts Down...

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Level 1

1 points

Macbook Air 2011 CPU Maxes Out then Overheats and Shuts Down...

I've been having this problem for a while now but have learned to deal with it with SMC Fan Control to basically keep my fans maxed out at all times. This is obviously not ideal.

The problem is that at any given time some small, random task in activity monitor shows CPU usage that is very high, often at least 50% CPU and other times as high as 120% It has happened with the tasks like dock, safari web content and virtually any other task you can imagine.

For example, I just tried emptying my recycling bin and it hung half way through then my computer shut down. What is going on here?

Details:

- Macbook Air mid-2011 running Mavericks

- Never have more than one app open at any given time, usually just Safari with about 5 tabs, max

- 3rd party applications running in background include Dropbox, Copy, Backblaze, Flux, Sophos anti virus, Jumpcut, Caffeine and that's it

If I'm doing something like a Time Machine backup, I have to disable Wifi, max out the fans and only then will the Macbook Air remain cool enough to complete the backup, otherwise the Time Machine process maxes out the CPU, overheats and shuts down. This happens with virtually everything now.

How can I start trouble shooting this problem? I've run the hardware and system repair checks with no results, done an SMC reset, etc.

This really seems like a software issue more than anything, like something related to the way tasks/processes are handled...any ideas anyone? This is such an annoying problem!

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 4:30 PM

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Answer 1

thomas_r.

Level 7

32,031 points

Jul 22, 2014 4:55 PM in response to amaule05

If your machine is overheating to the point that it shuts down, that's probably a hardware issue. You should get the machine checked out by Apple.

Be aware that Apple Hardware Test isn't a foolproof test. If it says there's a problem, there almost certainly is a problem, but if it doesn't find anything, that just means it didn't find anything it's capable of finding.

Also, SMC Fan Control should never be used... if you actually need it, it's because you have a hardware problem, and all SMC Fan Control will do for you is cover up the problem. Using it is a lot like taking aspirin so you can ignore a ruptured appendix - it might keep you working for a while longer, but possibly at the cost of your life. Just as SMC Fan Control could keep your machine working while hastening its demise.

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Answer 2

amaule05 Author

Level 1

1 points

Jul 22, 2014 7:54 PM in response to thomas_r.

The only problem I've found it can be that shares these symptoms is the logic board having some type of issue, which best case scenario will run $700 and has a 50/50 shot of actually fixing the problem, so I'll have to take my chances with running the fan on max all the time since the cost to fix it is more than what it's worth.

I don't see how it is likely to be a hardware issue though if I can visibly see processes taking up more CPU than necessary in the activity monitor..? What about that implies a hardware issue?

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Answer 3

John Galt

Level 10

156,794 points

Jul 22, 2014 8:23 PM in response to amaule05

Do the problems also occur in "Safe Mode"?

Safe Mode or "Safe Boot" is a troubleshooting mode that bypasses all third party system extensions and loads only required system components. Read about it: Starting up in Safe Mode
You must disable FileVault before you can start your Mac in Safe Mode.
Starting your Mac in Safe Mode will take longer than usual, graphics will not render smoothly, audio is disabled on some Macs, and some programs (iTunes for example) may not work at all.
Merely starting your Mac in Safe Mode is not intended to resolve the problem, it's to observe its performance without certain additional components.
To end Safe Mode restart your Mac normally. Shutdown will take longer as well.

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Answer 4

thomas_r.

Level 7

32,031 points

Jul 23, 2014 2:19 AM in response to amaule05

I don't see how it is likely to be a hardware issue though if I can visibly see processes taking up more CPU than necessary in the activity monitor..? What about that implies a hardware issue?

That should NEVER be enough to overheat the machine to the point of shutting down. If it's doing that, it has a hardware problem. Could be something as simple as blocked air flow, or could be something more serious.

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