Fantastically hot computer (MBP 15" 2.2C2D)

[katie ta achoo]

I've been sitting on the couch playing mario kart, taking breaks by futzing around on the facebooks and reading strategy guides.

I hear my fans pop on... Sounds like a little jet plane. This always happens.

But this time, they stayed on for a while. (Over 2 hours..) The room I was in started to actually heat up. I looked at iStat nano and on the overview screen, it said I was at 116˚F. (46.67˚C) I had nothing open but a single tab in safari and Colloquy. The highest my CPU got to was ~180˚F. The computer had been sitting on a coffee table-- well ventilated and all that jazz.

I didn't immediately turn it off, because I thought it'd just stop on its own. Yeah.. it didn't. I moved my computer to a room-temperature granite cutting board and turned on the a/c. The MBP has finally stopped sounding like it's ready for takeoff.

This happens with regularity. Because of it, I always have the computer on a flat surface for ventilation. If I use it on my lap, I get big, fantastic pink burn marks on each thigh that remain for a few hours. no pics

What can I do to fix it, if anything?

 

[NP3]

I just got a Penryn 15" two months ago, and the biggest thing I had to overcome was being okay with it getting WAY hotter than my G4 Powerbook.

I've used Temperature Monitor since I got it, and I can tell you those temperatures are within the normal range. (I highly suggest it over istat because it can plot temps over a period of time, and display temps right on your desktop)

However, if you're concerned that something is ramping it up and getting it hot when it shouldn't be, then check out the menu bar addon "MenuMeters". Its a quick way to display your cpu %, and quick access to activity monitor.

Also make sure your safari window doesn't have something flash running...one page with a regular size ad has made my machine get hot before.

If your CPU % is still high, thats your problem right there...it'll take a lot longer to cool off. Right now i have 9 safari pages and my main cpu is 116, graphics card is 134.

If you want to cool it off, quit everything--don't put it to sleep (fans stop after a short bit)

 

[mikethemovie]

How do you play Mario Kart on your MBP?

 

[katie ta achoo]

I just got a Penryn 15" two months ago, and the biggest thing I had to overcome was being okay with it getting WAY hotter than my G4 Powerbook.

**snip much helpfulness**

If you want to cool it off, quit everything--don't put it to sleep (fans stop after a short bit)

Thank you so much! I'll download those programs in the morning. That was utterly helpful. I'll have graphs and charts to chart how dern hot the thing is. My PBG4 never got this hot. I'm just worried about the machine.
And thanks for the tip about closing everything v. sleeping. I never quite thought of it that way.

How do you play Mario Kart on your MBP?

The MBP was on the coffee table and Mario Kart was on the TV.

 

[FCDP]

If you want to manage your heat in general, I suggest using smcFanControl. I had similar heat issues with the 2.2MBP, so I upped the fan speed to about 3500rpm and the system stays cool now, without the fans getting to loud. Give it a try to find the right balance.

 

[Satori]

You might want to try coolbook:
http://www.coolbook.se/CoolBook.html

 

[NP3]

Thank you so much! I'll download those programs in the morning. That was utterly helpful. I'll have graphs and charts to chart how dern hot the thing is. My PBG4 never got this hot. I'm just worried about the machine.
And thanks for the tip about closing everything v. sleeping. I never quite thought of it that way.



The MBP was on the coffee table and Mario Kart was on the TV.

No problem

Contrary to other posts, I suggest against programs that 'make your laptop quieter'. There's a reason fans run, and I'd rather not have a 300* oven.

Graphing the temperatures while the cpu is at 100% is quiet impressive--the computer does a great job keeping it at the same 'high temperature' until those processes are done.

 

[jjahshik32]

I just got a Penryn 15" two months ago, and the biggest thing I had to overcome was being okay with it getting WAY hotter than my G4 Powerbook.

I've used Temperature Monitor since I got it, and I can tell you those temperatures are within the normal range. (I highly suggest it over istat because it can plot temps over a period of time, and display temps right on your desktop)

However, if you're concerned that something is ramping it up and getting it hot when it shouldn't be, then check out the menu bar addon "MenuMeters". Its a quick way to display your cpu %, and quick access to activity monitor.

Also make sure your safari window doesn't have something flash running...one page with a regular size ad has made my machine get hot before.

If your CPU % is still high, thats your problem right there...it'll take a lot longer to cool off. Right now i have 9 safari pages and my main cpu is 116, graphics card is 134.

If you want to cool it off, quit everything--don't put it to sleep (fans stop after a short bit)

That's really strange because I had the 15" 2.5Ghz version of the mbp and the 17" 2.6Ghz hi res mbp and both I used it in my lap for hours and watched hd movies did major multitasking just fine and it just got really warm at the hottest and without the fan kicking in no higher than 2800rpm. Actually I've never seen it go higher than 2800 rpm.

 

[NP3]

That's really strange because I had the 15" 2.5Ghz version of the mbp and the 17" 2.6Ghz hi res mbp and both I used it in my lap for hours and watched hd movies did major multitasking just fine and it just got really warm at the hottest and without the fan kicking in no higher than 2800rpm. Actually I've never seen it go higher than 2800 rpm.

sorry i was referring to temperatures, not fan rpm's.

I have my laptop up on a Griffin riser, so maybe your lap works as a better heatsink?

We all probably have different opinions as to what sounds 'like a jet plane' too.

 

[FCDP]

Contrary to other posts, I suggest against programs that 'make your laptop quieter'. There's a reason fans run, and I'd rather not have a 300* oven.

I wasn't suggesting to lower the fan speed, but crank it up. 3500RPM is marginally louder then the normal 2000-3000RPM. Crank it up, and keep it cool. You could even goto 4000RPM. It only sounds loud when you max the fan to around 5000-6000RPM.

 

[killerwhack]

What about the AC charger?

Is tha machine plugged into an AC charger? Charging the battery generates more heat. Try it both with the charger and without the charger to see if the battery charging is causing the fans to run.