2nd MBA.. crapping on me again..

[ayeying]

Well. I just recently got ANOTHER macbook air, thinking of giving it another shot since many people said the later build weeks were a bit better. So far, the first few days were great but now the system doesn't seem like it wants to behave.

I'm running this system with coolbook @ 0.95v and even at this low voltage, if I just run terminal with the "yes".. the temp rises ABOVE 100 deg C w/ max fans. Before it never rose above 100 deg C (excluding that one time with LCC... dunno what happened there).

I'm well within the 14 day return period. I'm wondering if I should just return this thing and get a blackbook right now.

If I do decide to return this.. should I pack it up and goto the store... or should I make a genius appointment first, show them the problem.. (Im on my kitchen table right now running Yes and its already above 100 deg C) then tell them since I'm within the 14 day return period, I want to return it?

Oh ya, I got a free printer along with this thing too.. so i dunno how that'll affect it.

 

[Scottyk9]

So you run a process that puts maximal strain on the CPU, the CPU gets hot, and the fans kick in. Where is the problem? Sounds like a completely normal response to me.

 

[fuzzielitlpanda]

i think he's unhappy because the first mba ran cooler. what was your reason for returning the first mba? i just ran the same test on my mba and the cpu temp maxed out at 87C with fans maxed out. however, i did reapply the thermal paste about a week ago.

 

[ayeying]

So you run a process that puts maximal strain on the CPU, the CPU gets hot, and the fans kick in. Where is the problem? Sounds like a completely normal response to me.

running "yes" in terminal is just maxing both cores to 100%. If the system heats above 100 deg C in about 30 seconds, there's obviously something wrong. No other mac systems has been able to reach close to 100 deg C, much less pass it. Try running "yes" in terminal for about 5 minutes. See how fast and how hot your system gets.

i think he's unhappy because the first mba ran cooler. what was your reason for returning the first mba? i just ran the same test on my mba and the cpu temp maxed out at 87C with fans maxed out. however, i did reapply the thermal paste about a week ago.

As with the reply from the other reader. I hit 100+ deg C in 30 seconds, way before the system has a chance to kick in the fans to 6200 rpm. Here's the slight oddness. When I got the system, it didn't hit anywhere near that high of a temp. Temps remained at a cool 80 deg C max with installing 3 files through dmg image files, and file transfer from 2x external hdd through a usb hub. Also, fans were only at 4000 rpm.

I've redone the thermal paste and modded the heatsink again (Added a lot more mass to draw heat away from the cpu to the heatsink, and added surface area on the heatsink to disperse heat better). Now the temps are way down and fans barely goes over 2500 rpm now. If i sticks and behaves... I'll keep the system. Or I'm guessing I'm returning it Its a shame, I like the portability since I walk to work and its a pain to carry a 5 lbs laptop in a small backpack.

What happened to my first MBA was that my uncle wanted it. So we traded, his MBP for my MBA. I've used the MBP for a little while, while its a great little machine, it was a pain to carry it around everywhere, so I decided to go back with the MBA.

 

[Olvenskol]

Sounds like you have things under control.

When I got mine, I fretted about heat for a couple of days and did install Coolbook. I haven't opened mine up yet. Since then, I've just been using it and have absolutely no complaints with it in practice.

What I would do is assume you have it 'fixed' and just start using it day-to-day until you get to the end of your return period. You'll know whether or not you are happy with it by then.

 

[aussieinrome]

Coolbook seems to be the problem, my Air doesn't get dangerously hot. Don't fix what isn't already broken, or you just go and break it.

 

[juro]

I've redone the thermal paste and modded the heatsink again (Added a lot more mass to draw heat away from the cpu to the heatsink, and added surface area on the heatsink to disperse heat better).

Can you still return it after doing all those mods? A bit doubtful there.

 

[ayeying]

Can you still return it after doing all those mods? A bit doubtful there.

Probably not but its not hard to remove them. Its the only way I can keep this system under 100 deg C right now.

 

[twynne]

Can you still return it after doing all those mods? A bit doubtful there.

As long as they're not visible from the outside of the machine, I don't see how Apple would know. When you return a machine they're not going to disassemble it and check inside!

 

[PittAir]

Just a question:

Did you check the active processes in the activity log? Is a process called syslogd hogging your CPU?

There is a solution.

 

[ayeying]

Just a question:

Did you check the active processes in the activity log? Is a process called syslogd hogging your CPU?

There is a solution.

Its not processes. Im purposing pushing the CPU to 100% but within 30 seconds, it hits OVER 100 deg C w/ max cooling and on a solid desk.

So far, my temps is keeping cool a lot better now. I wake up usually to a 29 deg C cpu, within 65 deg C while running vmware fusion 2. It seems to behave itself now. I have yet to hit higher then 85 deg C.