I just got core shut downs from a simple file transfer from the main internal drive to the external drive... only using internal screen.
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Core Shutdown - it isn't temperature related
- Thread starter yoavcs
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I have been getting coreshut downs all day, its not the graphic card, since my Macbook has the same one and works fine. The MBA is a poor thought out idea and should of never been able to go live.
This thing is a piece of crap
This thing is a piece of crap
I haven't gotten one core shut down in 10.5.2... I think updating to 10.5.3 started giving me core shut downs.
I've seen a few reports of this. If so, it could be bad news for us. It would mean that the chipset in the Air isn't cooled adequately and therefore anything that causes it to heat (large USB transfers that go through the chipset, graphics work, etc) will trigger some protective mechanism that causes the core shutdown.
If that's true then it's a hardware, not-easily-solved, problem.
Let's just hope Apple is aware of all this and working on it.
And, I agree, 10.5.3 made it worse.
It seems that they have lowered the temperature threshold in 10.5.3 from 85C to 65C. So, whenever the cpu temp goes over 65C the system lowers down your cpu speed, down to 800MHz. And if the temp still goes over 65C it will shut down one core to further cool down the processor. That's why it's much easier to get core shutdowns in 10.5.3, and at the same time people have the feeling that 10.5.3 is running cooler. You can download and run Coolbook app to monitor your cpu speed and temperature, no need to register for just monitoring.
I took my MBA to the service today, because of the core shutdowns and failed bluetooth chip. It was an early batch and they had cooling issues, misapplied thermal paste or something. I hope they get it fixed... Watching YouTube shouldn't drop cores even in 10.5.3 - if it does you should get your Air repaired too. All in all it's a lovely machine and deserves to function as advertised.
hiya ppl!
in response to macbook use:
current 10.5.3 mb user 2.4g/4g, running isquint, handbrake, skype(vid confr), joost, mail, safari with an ext 24" wdscrn(non-mirror). all aps run fast and clean. no powerdowns fans executes optimal. i do however remove battery when full chrg to help dissipate heat and when in lapmode i try to stradle the book as to not add more to temp when running all apps mode.
i am in the market to be a proud mba owner.
hope this helps. hope this posts.
mcQsr
I've reorganized my desktop to the point where Im using the laptop in clamshell mode. Currently, hooked up to a 20" Dell Widescreen monitor, there is NO core shutdowns whatsoever. However, I am using 10.5.2 now.
I take that back, core just shut down running iSquint. lol
I take that back, core just shut down running iSquint. lol
Im pretty dissapointed in my MBA. I can't go even more than a few hours without starting to get core shutdowns (screen freezes up). I unplug the charger then. Close the lid. Can get hopefully another 15 min without it happening again. After a while I just get ticked off and shut off the thing and do something else... Tried using my MBA outside in the shade by the pool. I got nothing accomplished since it started freezing up within about 10 minutes.
Tempted to figure out what to do with my MBA and get a Voodoo envy till a worthwhile reliable compact laptop comes out from Apple.
Tempted to figure out what to do with my MBA and get a Voodoo envy till a worthwhile reliable compact laptop comes out from Apple.
Keep it up and running? For some reason, sometimes, even when core is shut down, I can easily play around with system just as without core shut down. Expose still runs slightly smooth and such.
Yes. I don't use ethernet anymore at home, I only use wifi. I'm going to redo the thermal paste and see if it helps.
Okay, I just took my air apart and redone the thermal paste. Apparently, as many (and I) agree, thermal paste should be a thin layer, not a huge plot. However, in the air's case, a thin layer is NO WHERE near effective in transferring heat from the CPU to the aluminum plating as a heatsink... either that, or I put on the paste wrong.
However, I just redone the thermal paste, put quite a bit on it, made sure all parts of the CPU and the heatsink came in contact 100%... and now...
*drumroll*
no core shut downs, 2 youtube videos running at once on 2 firefox windows, itunes playing on mute, mail, activity monitor to monitor the cpu and time machine back up. CPU is at 75 deg C in clamshell mode but beyond that, no core shut downs for hte past hour
So, if I did get you right, it's not about the _amount_ of thermal paste but the _quality_ of the paste? Did you use arctic silver or some other high quality paste? Was the factory applied paste still covering the chips surfaces completely?
Um... no... maybe I was too excited and didn't say it correct.. its the "amount" that matters. Quality is somewhat.. I dunno because I only use AS5. I did remove all the old thermal paste before applying new.
*Rolls eyes at DIY repair being proposed to make a new notebook run as it should*
It is GPU related, but indirectly. Heat also triggers it - I've spent the last few weeks intermittently in hot climates and heat (and we ain't talking Sahara levels, just a slightly sticky mid-20C's inside) alone can cause core shutdowns or rolling freezes.
From what I've experienced the problem with youtube, etc is more likely to be an inadequately cooled GPU, not CPU, which bleeds additional heat into the CPU reducing it's ability to cool itself.
Either way the usual bad Apple engineering, exacerbated by inferior build quality where you can't immediately see.
It is GPU related, but indirectly. Heat also triggers it - I've spent the last few weeks intermittently in hot climates and heat (and we ain't talking Sahara levels, just a slightly sticky mid-20C's inside) alone can cause core shutdowns or rolling freezes.
From what I've experienced the problem with youtube, etc is more likely to be an inadequately cooled GPU, not CPU, which bleeds additional heat into the CPU reducing it's ability to cool itself.
Either way the usual bad Apple engineering, exacerbated by inferior build quality where you can't immediately see.
the macbook is not having problems since its using a Penyrn and Penyrns aren't as hot (i think)
so this means that the core shutdown is temperature related!
Following up on my original post: all evidence points to Sesshi being correct.
The problem is not overheating of the CPU, but rather overheating of the chipset, which is inadequately cooled. Things that can trigger this are graphics related (seeing as how the GPU is physically a part of the MBA chipset) and also doing heaving I/O - which also exercises the chipset.
Whether the hot chipset is then heating the CPU directly, or just causing the MBA's SMC to drop all system performance down drastically in an effort to stave the heat increase is unknown to me right now.
In either case: bad design. And again Sesshi is right: this isn't a DIY laptop for cheap $300 components. This machine costs $1800 and should not need to be opened up to fix.
Disappointed.
Just got my MBA back from the service. They changed the logic board (I guess it includes the processor, heat sink and fan?)
Before the repair I got core shutdowns in OSX 10.5.3 after watching flash video for more than 10 minutes. The temperatures kept under 70C.
Now, after the repair, no more core shutdowns, but the cpu heats in a few minutes up to 85C and runs at 1200MHz, just like it did before the 10.5.3 update.
As a side note, I told the service about the occasinal touchpad clicker "sticking" and they exchanged the whole top case, with a brand new keyboard and all. Nice
Before the repair I got core shutdowns in OSX 10.5.3 after watching flash video for more than 10 minutes. The temperatures kept under 70C.
Now, after the repair, no more core shutdowns, but the cpu heats in a few minutes up to 85C and runs at 1200MHz, just like it did before the 10.5.3 update.
As a side note, I told the service about the occasinal touchpad clicker "sticking" and they exchanged the whole top case, with a brand new keyboard and all. Nice
Just got my MBA back from the service. They changed the logic board (I guess it includes the processor, heat sink and fan?)
Before the repair I got core shutdowns in OSX 10.5.3 after watching flash video for more than 10 minutes. The temperatures kept under 70C.
Now, after the repair, no more core shutdowns, but the cpu heats in a few minutes up to 85C and runs at 1200MHz, just like it did before the 10.5.3 update.
As a side note, I told the service about the occasinal touchpad clicker "sticking" and they exchanged the whole top case, with a brand new keyboard and all. Nice
After all that... heats up to 85C and 1200mhz in minutes.... not acceptable