MacBook - Heat concerns

I have it on an iCurve so can easily feel the underneath when it's in use and am surprised at how hot it gets.
Jay wrote on :

I've had my MacBook for a week now and am getting a little concerned by the heat. I have it on an iCurve so can easily feel the underneath when it's in use and am surprised at how hot it gets. The area that gets particularly hot is the area under and around the left hand side of the keyboard. It's not too hot to touch, but still a lot hotter than I've ever been used to. Also, I don't seem to remember hearing much noticeable fan noise?

So: Are there any ways I can check if the fan is OK - any diagnostic tool I could download to help, that anyone knows of? And does anyone know of anything to enable me to monitor the temperature and how/whether this data could be checked against recommended MacBook limits.

I'm not using it for anything intensive- just general browsing, office stuff at the moment.

And what experience have the other MacBook owners had re the heat?

Any help/input appreciated.

Jay __

Gareth Slee replied on :

Jay zeugma@redacted.invalid wrote:

So: Are there any ways I can check if the fan is OK - any diagnostic tool I could download to help, that anyone knows of?

Possibly http://www.bresink.com/osx/HardwareMonitor.html

Gareth Slop replied on :

In article C0A77DE2.1535%zeugma@redacted.invalid Jay zeugma@redacted.invalid wrote:

I've had my MacBook for a week now and am getting a little concerned by the heat. I have it on an iCurve so can easily feel the underneath when it's in use and am surprised at how hot it gets. The area that gets particularly hot is the area under and around the left hand side of the keyboard. It's not too hot to touch, but still a lot hotter than I've ever been used to. Also, I don't seem to remember hearing much noticeable fan noise?

It's all in how you think of it. Is it really a problem OR a FEATURE? If If you are trying to heat your flat, it's a feature.

So: Are there any ways I can check if the fan is OK - any diagnostic tool I could download to help, that anyone knows of? And does anyone know of anything to enable me to monitor the temperature and how/whether this data could be checked against recommended MacBook limits.

You are not allowed to know anything about your MacBook. You don't need to. It works perfectly... end of story.

I'm not using it for anything intensive- just general browsing, office stuff at the moment.

Yes, yes, I know. Naughty pictures.

And what experience have the other MacBook owners had re the heat?

Well, some brew pots of tea on theirs.

Any help/input appreciated.

No problem, that's why we're here.

Jay __

-=- This message was sent via two or more anonymous remailing services.

Steve replied on :

On 3/6/06 17:56, in article C0A77DE2.1535%zeugma@redacted.invalid, "Jay" zeugma@redacted.invalid wrote:

I've had my MacBook for a week now and am getting a little concerned by the heat. I have it on an iCurve so can easily feel the underneath when it's in use and am surprised at how hot it gets. The area that gets particularly hot is the area under and around the left hand side of the keyboard. It's not too hot to touch, but still a lot hotter than I've ever been used to. Also, I don't seem to remember hearing much noticeable fan noise?

So: Are there any ways I can check if the fan is OK - any diagnostic tool I could download to help, that anyone knows of? And does anyone know of anything to enable me to monitor the temperature and how/whether this data could be checked against recommended MacBook limits.

I'm not using it for anything intensive- just general browsing, office stuff at the moment.

And what experience have the other MacBook owners had re the heat?

Any help/input appreciated.

Jay __

Funnily enough, this article was updated only just yesterday...

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303848

And there's this with a picture of the potential problem...

<http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/25/macbooks-packin-heat-due-to-covered-up-v ent/>

Just a thought.

Ian Robinson replied on :

On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 17:56:50 +0100, Jay wrote (in article C0A77DE2.1535%zeugma@redacted.invalid):

And what experience have the other MacBook owners had re the heat?

Mine gets too hot to use directly on my lap. On the bottom left side. The top gets warm but not too warm.

I can live with how hot it gets, whereas I took back a MBP as it got too hot.

Ian

David Cleland replied on :

Ian Robinson wrote:

On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 17:56:50 +0100, Jay wrote (in article C0A77DE2.1535%zeugma@redacted.invalid):

And what experience have the other MacBook owners had re the heat?

Mine gets too hot to use directly on my lap. On the bottom left side. The top gets warm but not too warm.

I can live with how hot it gets, whereas I took back a MBP as it got too hot.

Ian

I had a number of HP laptops and tablet pcs and they too got too hot to work on your lap directly - actually the last tablet I had gave me a cooked feeling that made me walk funny for about an hour - I stopped using it on my lap after that.

David

Woody replied on :

David Cleland davidjcleland@redacted.invalid wrote:

Ian Robinson wrote:

On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 17:56:50 +0100, Jay wrote (in article C0A77DE2.1535%zeugma@redacted.invalid):

And what experience have the other MacBook owners had re the heat?

Mine gets too hot to use directly on my lap. On the bottom left side. The top gets warm but not too warm.

I can live with how hot it gets, whereas I took back a MBP as it got too hot.

Ian

I had a number of HP laptops and tablet pcs and they too got too hot to work on your lap directly - actually the last tablet I had gave me a cooked feeling that made me walk funny for about an hour - I stopped using it on my lap after that.

I haven't had a tabletPC that got too hot to work on my lap, or any laptop for that matter. I am a bit concerned about this. A laptop computer that I can't use on my lap is useless to me. I guess if it is like that I can send it back as not fit for purpose but it would be a shame

Keith Pritchard replied on :

On Sat, 03 Jun 2006 17:56:50 +0100, Jay zeugma@redacted.invalid wrote:

And what experience have the other MacBook owners had re the heat?

Mine doesn't feel anywhere near as hot as my powerbook 1.25ghz does BUT that could be the feeling of hot metal is worse than hot plastic ;-)

I reckon mine is completely within spec for the core duo cpu, better than the pb I've had for 2 years with no problems and about the same as some pc laptops I've had!

Keith

Peter Ceresole replied on :

Woody usenet@redacted.invalid wrote:

I haven't had a tabletPC that got too hot to work on my lap, or any laptop for that matter. I am a bit concerned about this. A laptop computer that I can't use on my lap is useless to me. I guess if it is like that I can send it back as not fit for purpose but it would be a shame

Well, I was always taught by my chemistry teacher with the asbestos fingers that 50C was jolly hot to touch and 60C was too hot to touch. I think he was exactly right.

If they have made the MacBooks very thin, the heat has to go somewhere. I don't believe that the Intel chips run particularly cool so basic physics says that the best hope is that the plastic case of the MacBooks will diffuse things slightly. But that's the limit.

Tom Warner replied on :

Woody usenet@redacted.invalid wrote:

A laptop computer that I can't use on my lap is useless to me. I guess if it is like that I can send it back as not fit for purpose but it would be a shame

"Apple portable computers comply with temperature limits set in national and international safety standards when used in accordance with the instructions in the user guide. Instructions include the advice not to place the computer on your lap for extended periods."

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=30612

HTH Tom

Woody replied on :

Tom Warner tom@redacted.invalid wrote:

Woody usenet@redacted.invalid wrote:

A laptop computer that I can't use on my lap is useless to me. I guess if it is like that I can send it back as not fit for purpose but it would be a shame

"Apple portable computers comply with temperature limits set in national and international safety standards when used in accordance with the instructions in the user guide. Instructions include the advice not to place the computer on your lap for extended periods."

Which is rather stupid. This tiBook is on my lap a lot and doesn't get that hot.

Charles Kook replied on :

In article 1hgepub.1ahqv711r28yioN%usenet@redacted.invalid usenet@redacted.invalid (Woody) wrote:

Tom Warner tom@redacted.invalid wrote:

Woody usenet@redacted.invalid wrote:

A laptop computer that I can't use on my lap is useless to me. I guess if it is like that I can send it back as not fit for purpose but it would be a shame

"Apple portable computers comply with temperature limits set in national and international safety standards when used in accordance with the instructions in the user guide. Instructions include the advice not to place the computer on your lap for extended periods."

Which is rather stupid. This tiBook is on my lap a lot and doesn't get that hot.

It doesn't get that hot, or maybe your goolies are abnormally cool and need the extra heat. Not unusual for men your age.

-=- This message was sent via two or more anonymous remailing services.

Jay replied on :

On 3/6/06 20:55, in article 0001HW.C0A7A7C2001B21B0F0407500@redacted.invalid, "Ian Robinson" junk@redacted.invalid wrote:

On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 17:56:50 +0100, Jay wrote (in article C0A77DE2.1535%zeugma@redacted.invalid):

And what experience have the other MacBook owners had re the heat?

Mine gets too hot to use directly on my lap. On the bottom left side. The top gets warm but not too warm.

Yes, it's the bottom left side (at the back), under the left hand side keys. And the warmth comes through to the top. I guess I'm just not used to any laptops getting so hot as I've only ever used a G4 iBook for any length of time & that hardly got hot at all.

I can live with how hot it gets, whereas I took back a MBP as it got too hot.

Can you define "too hot" as I'm still trying to gauge whether mine is getting 'too hot' or not.

Cheers

Jay

P.S f.a.o Gareth - Hardware Monitor says that it cannot detect any sensors on the MacBook as it only covers machines up to 26.4.06?

Rolleston replied on :

usenet@redacted.invalid (Woody) writes:

Tom Warner tom@redacted.invalid wrote:

Woody usenet@redacted.invalid wrote:

A laptop computer that I can't use on my lap is useless to me. I guess if it is like that I can send it back as not fit for purpose but it would be a shame

"Apple portable computers comply with temperature limits set in national and international safety standards when used in accordance with the instructions in the user guide. Instructions include the advice not to place the computer on your lap for extended periods."

Which is rather stupid. This tiBook is on my lap a lot and doesn't get that hot.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tylerhall/152881990/in/photostream/

:)

R.

Ian Robinson replied on :

On Sun, 4 Jun 2006 16:49:19 +0100, Jay wrote (in article C0A8BF8F.1720%zeugma@redacted.invalid):

Can you define "too hot" as I'm still trying to gauge whether mine is getting 'too hot' or not.

Uncomfortable to touch near the function keys and very warm palm rests and keyboard which made it annoying in use.

The MacBook gets hot on the bottom of the case but the palm rests and keyboard don't get so warm that its annoying in use.

Ian

Jay replied on :

On 4/6/06 22:27, in article 0001HW.C0A90ED8000F8A9FF0284500@redacted.invalid, "Ian Robinson" junk@redacted.invalid wrote:

On Sun, 4 Jun 2006 16:49:19 +0100, Jay wrote (in article C0A8BF8F.1720%zeugma@redacted.invalid):

Can you define "too hot" as I'm still trying to gauge whether mine is getting 'too hot' or not.

Uncomfortable to touch near the function keys and very warm palm rests and keyboard which made it annoying in use.

The MacBook gets hot on the bottom of the case but the palm rests and keyboard don't get so warm that its annoying in use.

Ian

Cheers Ian,

Another thing which is kinda concerning me - Should the fans be audible? I don't recall ever hearing any noticeable fan noise. I know very little about hardware, or if & when fans should kick in. And I can't check with Hardware Monitor as it says the MacBook is too new a model.

Jay __

Paul Donovan replied on :

Jay wrote:

So: Are there any ways I can check if the fan is OK - any diagnostic tool I could download to help, that anyone knows of? And does anyone know of anything to enable me to monitor the temperature and how/whether this data could be checked against recommended MacBook limits.

CoreDuoTemp will allow to to monitor the temperature that the CPU is reporting: http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/21674

http://www.intelmactemp.com is a user contributed database of temperatures, but I don't know how reliable it is.

Mine has never got hotter than 84C, caused by running two instances of 'openssl speed' in Terminal (to make the CPUs work hard). Generally it's around 70C which I do find uncomfortable.

Paul

Peter Ceresole replied on :

Paul Donovan paul_donovan@redacted.invalid wrote:

Mine has never got hotter than 84C

Holy electric kettle, Batman!

Generally it's around 70C which I do find uncomfortable.

As you should. 60C is the normal human limit for the 'too hot' sensation, so if the CPU is running at 70C and it rejects its heat via the casing, that'll be too hot for any kind of comfort.

Jim replied on :

In article 1hggiq7.1k74378otuddjN%peter@redacted.invalid, Peter Ceresole wrote:

Paul Donovan paul_donovan@redacted.invalid wrote:

Mine has never got hotter than 84C

Holy electric kettle, Batman!

Generally it's around 70C which I do find uncomfortable.

As you should. 60C is the normal human limit for the 'too hot' sensation, so if the CPU is running at 70C and it rejects its heat via the casing, that'll be too hot for any kind of comfort.

Just for comparison, my GP 1.25 tends to sit at the 57-58C area.

Haven't tried the PBoko - must get a round tuit.

Jim

(Oh - did you email me the picture(s)?)

Jay replied on :

On 5/6/06 11:10, in article 1149502254.793931@redacted.invalid, "Paul Donovan" paul_donovan@redacted.invalid wrote:

Jay wrote:

So: Are there any ways I can check if the fan is OK - any diagnostic tool I could download to help, that anyone knows of? And does anyone know of anything to enable me to monitor the temperature and how/whether this data could be checked against recommended MacBook limits.

CoreDuoTemp will allow to to monitor the temperature that the CPU is reporting: http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/21674

http://www.intelmactemp.com is a user contributed database of temperatures, but I don't know how reliable it is.

Mine has never got hotter than 84C, caused by running two instances of 'openssl speed' in Terminal (to make the CPUs work hard). Generally it's around 70C which I do find uncomfortable.

Paul

Thanks for that Paul. It's good to have something to give an actual measurement, which can be compared to other users' figures. It's probably just me being overly concerned because I've never experienced laptops that actually get hot. (Although saying that, my experience with laptops is limited to my G4 iBook:-). Plus the fact that it seems very quiet, which led me to think that the fans may not be working properly. Like I said, I know next to nothing about the actual nuts & bolts.

Jay

Ian Robinson replied on :

On Mon, 5 Jun 2006 10:15:35 +0100, Jay wrote (in article C0A9B4C7.180A%zeugma@redacted.invalid):

nother thing which is kinda concerning me - Should the fans be audible? I don't recall ever hearing any noticeable fan noise.

If you listen in a quiet room you can hear the fan spin up an stop a lot. this is the infamous moo sound.

Ian

Jay replied on :

On 5/6/06 19:17, in article 0001HW.C0AA33C100125F7DF0284500@redacted.invalid, "Ian Robinson" junk@redacted.invalid wrote:

On Mon, 5 Jun 2006 10:15:35 +0100, Jay wrote (in article C0A9B4C7.180A%zeugma@redacted.invalid):

nother thing which is kinda concerning me - Should the fans be audible? I don't recall ever hearing any noticeable fan noise.

If you listen in a quiet room you can hear the fan spin up an stop a lot. this is the infamous moo sound.

Ian

Aaah, that's the moo-ing is it. It's hardly anything on mine (thank god):-)

Oh, and for anyone interested, a new version of CoreDuoTemp (0.9) has just hit version tracker:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/29854

Smaller window, no faffing with keychain etc....

Jay