Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
We have 11 Macs, so we're very committed to Apple. Still, here I want to touch on a reported problem with heat.
In Macworld.com in February 2006, the MacBook Pro was reviewed. One short paragraph referred to running temp, but with just 1 hr of testing.
http://www.macworld.com/2006/02/reviews/mbpromain/index.php
"• Heat. The MacBook Pro is definitely not a cool system. After an hour of use, we found ours to be quite warm, particularly on the left side toward the back. However, we didn’t find the heat level uncomfortable, and it seemed roughly in line with the heat generated by PowerBook G4 models.
Paul Caldwell today posted on Bootcamp and referred to the heat of the Powerbook Pro:
While we have no idea of how common this issue is, there certainly are reports that the machines can run hot. Here, the MB Pro was tested longer, for 6 hours.
http://www.powerpage.org/archives/2006/02/macbook_pro_heat_generation.html
"UPDATE: 2006-0228:
After running the MBP for about six hours straight last night the surface temperature at the top of the keyboard (above F2 and F4) was as high as 126 degrees Fahrenheit (as measured by a digital thermometer). The bottom temperature was about 106 degrees at the hottest location (running on a Podium Coolpad, Podium, (http://www.roadtools.com/). It appears that the MBP is no cooler than the PowerBook G4 and may, in fact, run hotter."
Recently things seem to have heated up with some websites pressured by lawyers to cease and desist instructing people how to remove excess gunk from the chips in Powerbooks.
http://www.tuaw.com/2006/05/04/macbook-pro-heat-problem-heats-up/
Sure these complaints cannot be denied. But what is the incidence? The number of units sold is available. However, a huge number of Powerbooks and MB Pros have been sold and we don't know the number of complaints.
So is this a common issue or not? Is it just one batch of problematic machines?
In any case, how much of a problem is this. I, for one have no idea.
So, what is your experience and what are the solutions?
Asher
In Macworld.com in February 2006, the MacBook Pro was reviewed. One short paragraph referred to running temp, but with just 1 hr of testing.
http://www.macworld.com/2006/02/reviews/mbpromain/index.php
"• Heat. The MacBook Pro is definitely not a cool system. After an hour of use, we found ours to be quite warm, particularly on the left side toward the back. However, we didn’t find the heat level uncomfortable, and it seemed roughly in line with the heat generated by PowerBook G4 models.
Paul Caldwell today posted on Bootcamp and referred to the heat of the Powerbook Pro:
Paul Caldwell said:2. HEAT, the MacbookPro does run hotter under XP. This tells me that all the power management hasn't been figured out and or Mac really hasn't looked at it too much. All CoreDuo type chips have a bus (PCI I believe) where the temp of the process can be managed, watched etc. You can also turn down the processor so that you aren't running full out. I feel that when under XP, no matter what power management scheme you have picked, you basically are running full out, even though the processor activity shows you are idle.
I also now believe that when you have the Macbookpro attached to the AC adatper, that the heat under XP is even worse. Last night I did most of my work on battery, and then started to charge the machine and was amazed at how much hotter it got. Basically I had been OK keeping it in my lap, but while on the AC adapter it got uncomfortable.
It's also disconcerting to see the posts that show how some of the thermal paste was applied to the important chips on the Pro's. Way too much and very sloppy. Some folks have opened theirs up and cleaned this up, but I don't want to go there.
While we have no idea of how common this issue is, there certainly are reports that the machines can run hot. Here, the MB Pro was tested longer, for 6 hours.
http://www.powerpage.org/archives/2006/02/macbook_pro_heat_generation.html
"UPDATE: 2006-0228:
After running the MBP for about six hours straight last night the surface temperature at the top of the keyboard (above F2 and F4) was as high as 126 degrees Fahrenheit (as measured by a digital thermometer). The bottom temperature was about 106 degrees at the hottest location (running on a Podium Coolpad, Podium, (http://www.roadtools.com/). It appears that the MBP is no cooler than the PowerBook G4 and may, in fact, run hotter."
Recently things seem to have heated up with some websites pressured by lawyers to cease and desist instructing people how to remove excess gunk from the chips in Powerbooks.
http://www.tuaw.com/2006/05/04/macbook-pro-heat-problem-heats-up/
Sure these complaints cannot be denied. But what is the incidence? The number of units sold is available. However, a huge number of Powerbooks and MB Pros have been sold and we don't know the number of complaints.
So is this a common issue or not? Is it just one batch of problematic machines?
In any case, how much of a problem is this. I, for one have no idea.
So, what is your experience and what are the solutions?
Asher