How is the Macbook Pro cooled?

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Level 1

8 points

How is the Macbook Pro cooled?

I'm thinking of getting a cooling pad for the MBP retina 2015 model.

I read online that laptops with air intake on the bottom should have cooling pad fans which push air towards the bottom and those which send air out from the bottom should have fans which suck air from the bottom. Is this true?

Since the vents in the MBP are on the side does this really matter and if so which one should i get?

and yes i thought of getting a cooling fan cos the laptop gets pretty hot when using it. Daytime temperatures here are around 36-39 celsius!!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.2), bought yesterday

Posted on May 5, 2016 7:45 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

127,663 points

May 5, 2016 9:12 AM in response to Thisura

Most MacBook Pros draw air from intake vents on the sides near the back and exhaust warmed air using two fans by pushing it out the hinge area, all the way across the back, under the screen. A high heat-capacity cooling tube is bolted in place over the hottest chips, and has fins in the airstream of the cooling fans, and is bolted to the solid aluminum chassis. Some heat is lost through the keyboard area, (but there may be an impermeable spill-cover under the keyboard now to keep spilled coffee from flowing directly onto the logic board). The speaker grille holes are too small for any appreciable movement of cooling air.

They also conduct some heat to the aluminum parts of the chassis, and to the bottom plate. This heat can be radiated away and can be convected away. If you place the bottom plate directly on a heat-conductive surface, heat can be conducted away.

A convection current requires an air space at least 3/4 inch (20mm) is size to form and operate (at normal temperature and pressure in regular air). So you need at least that large a gap to get convection.

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