Latest MacBook Pro Retina 15" gets way too hot

It seems to be a pretty common thing on my exact same MBP. I only do a few things weekly that really tax the processor so most of what I use it for is through Safai, Firefox and Chrome. Some websites really seem to get it going such as graphic heavy sites and anything like YouTube. Even my local new channels website will get the fans going if I forget and leave that tab open long enough.

Not sure there is anything that you can do. I've read plenty of complaints about this very same thing on MacRumors and I've even posted about it in there.

I do own a new 2012 13" MBP and the fan on it rarely spins up past the default 2000-2100 or so.

How hot is hot?

Try a SMC reset:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

If no change, Install a temperature/fan speed monitoring application.

Set Activity Monitor to ALL PROCESSES and CPU to display values from high to low.

When the MBP gets hot, post images of both for review.

Ciao.

All of the temperature levels that you have reported are well within tolerable operating levels. Understand that the aluminum case of the MBP is part of the heat dissipation system so it will get warm in may areas. Ambient temperatures will also influence the temperatures that are generated.

If you are still concerned, make an appointment at an Apple store genius bar and have the MBP evaluated. It still is in the warranty period. I suspect though that it will get a clean bill of health.

Ciao.

I have not been seduced by the retina display.........yet, thus my latest MBP is a late 2011 model. The differences may be attributable to the higher performance components as well as the physical case differences. The older MBPs simply have more internal volume. As I write this response with minimal applications open, the internal temperature is 46°c which is 'normal'. There is a price to be paid for 'thiness'.

Ciao.

Google products including Google Chrome will burden any Mac regardless of its age or configuration. Chrome's sole purpose for existing is to harvest your personal information so that Google can sell it. It does so by infesting a Mac with a plethora of constantly running resource-intensive root level system modifications in the same manner as a "computer virus" would, if such a thing were to exist on a Mac, which it doesn't. Read Apps can affect Mac performance, battery runtime, temperature, and fan activity - Apple Support. Read http://betanews.com/2015/08/06/dump-google-chrome-to-extend-your-macbooks-batter y-life/ for one of many such reports regarding Google Chrome.

Google has yet to demonstrate the ability or apparent desire to write efficient OS X apps. If you are required to use Google products, expect a very limited useful economic life from your hardware investment.

Should I install some utility like Ultrafan

No. Same goes for SMCFanControl. Don't install clever hacks that attempt to circumvent the Mac's cooling system.

Would that void the warranty?

Probably not, but interfering with the Mac's internal cooling system as designed is ill-advised, cannot possibly help, and could conceivably invalidate its warranty.

I would completely agree with s-bot. I 've tested and assembled a lot of pc's / laptops and I've never seen a laptop become so hot in such a short time with a low load. My first MBP was returned to Humac (Apple). It got up to 100 degrees celcius (measured with TG pro) by a 30-40 % CPU load and watching Netflix in Firefox. I had to shut it down, the Mac stopped responding . The CPU on the MAC (or PC) slows down if it reaches 100 degrees celcius.

The new one I'm writing this on has the same problem even though it keeps it 10 degrees lower. I got the average CPU temp up to 95 degrees with a 50 % CPU load, nothing else. Try typing: "yes > /dev/null &" in a terminal for each CPU core to get a 100% load on that core. Be careful though. It can harm parts of your computer if it gets too hot, which it shouldn't.

All computers should be able to handle a 100% CPU load on all cores under normal working conditions (vents not blocked, fans operating correctly and ambient temperature around 15-25 degrees celcius). I think Apple has either a design problem or a quality problem. Maybe both :-) The 2014 models I've seen and used are silent and not running too hot (uncomfortable on my legs). This machine gets returned as well after Christmas. It is simply not worth having for the price and power when it is just as noisy and way hotter (in a very bad way 😐) than my 3 years old plastic Vaio to a third of the price. I hope Apple will fix this. It makes no sense to have a top of the line laptop that simply can't do the work because it gets too hot and noisy ....