m3 vs i5 heat problem

[Scorcher]

I am debating between buying the m3 or the i5 macbook (2017) I cant really do a BTO model. so I can only get one of the two options of the models in the store: m3/256 or the i5/512.
I'm pretty sure that power wise the base model (m3) will be enough for me, but I really want that extra storage.

The only thing that worries me is the overheating problem. I read in this forum that some people have heating problems in the i5 model.
Is that a problem? does the i5 model get hotter than the m3 model?

 

[pejx72]

I was worried too (I have an i5/16/512 on order). Across all the threads here in recent weeks I have seen probably dozens of people talking happily about their 2017 MacBook i5 but only two (or three?) who say it runs hot. I hope these two/three were merely experiencing the load of "indexing" when a new MacBook sets itself up (am not sure what this actually means - indexing the SSD?).

I take some reassurance from the following reply to a question I asked on another thread yesterday:
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/24716435/

It would be really great to hear from more 2017 MacBook i5 owners about how they find the temperature (underside and topside). Anyone, please?

 

[petterihiisila]

My i5 gets quite hot on the bottom side, when doing heavy tasks like Photos and Dropbox doing their first long sync rounds. It's still lap-usable, and obviously the heat doesn't come with fan noise. Doesn't feel like a problem really.

Keyboard side doesn't get hot at all. After the initial sync tasks it's just lukewarm. I'm going to install a dBrand skin, just like with the 2015 model. It makes the laptop much more grippy for carrying, and also makes the surface feel (and look) more cool. Black Dragon skin looks great on Rose Gold.

 

[headcase]

My 2015 and 2016 Macbooks, both M7 processors, have always been cool to the touch / slightly warm. Hoping the 2017 models aren't lacking proper amounts of heatsink paste similar to a few Macbook Pro's of years ago...

 

[wlossw]

my 2016 macbook m5 is never hot, although it can be slow for serious tasks... if you're expecting to do anything more than light computing the macbook isn't the right machine anyway...

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

I was one who reported heat issues with my i5 but letting Dropbox and my work Outlook inbox synch up and it seems to have settled in nicely. Bottom is warm but no longer hot.

 

[Scorcher]

I was one who reported heat issues with my i5 but letting Dropbox and my work Outlook inbox synch up and it seems to have settled in nicely. Bottom is warm but no longer hot.

So you're saying that once the initial sync and indexing of the device were done the Macbook stopped getting hot?

 

[pejx72]

My 2015 and 2016 Macbooks, both M7 processors, have always been cool to the touch / slightly warm. Hoping the 2017 models aren't lacking proper amounts of heatsink paste similar to a few Macbook Pro's of years ago...

Thing is, if there was a lack of heatsink paste, the i5 processor itself would overheat because it would NOT be able to dissipate heat to the casing. If anything, the fact that a MacBook 12 sometimes has a warm underside would indicate that the paste is doing its job just fine.

I am reassured by what I'm reading here - it seems that under continuous load the 2017 MacBook 12 underside gets a bit hot, but otherwise "lukewarm". That is just the same as my 2015 MacBook 12.

I'm getting my i5 version next Tuesday. Once it's settled down, I'll post here what my impressions are re. heat.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

So you're saying that once the initial sync and indexing of the device were done the Macbook stopped getting hot?

Yes. I have a 200 gig Dropbox account. That alone took a day or so to synch up.

 

[petterihiisila]

once the initial sync and indexing of the device were done the Macbook stopped getting hot?

Hello Scorcher, no sweat here whatsoever, after the sync tasks settled overnight. Using an i5 on my lap right now.

Temp sensors give values between 30-40 °C, and the bottom panel is a bit warmer than my skin. Regular office tasks don't stress this machine at all.

Unless you're going to render a long video while holding the laptop on your bare chest, heat shouldn't be an issue. When taxed, the heat is concentrated around bottom center area. The top doesn't get hot ever, except under direct sunshine, when the aluminium case can't dissipate enough energy.

As before, the dBrand skin evens out minor temp fluctuations. The case is very slippery without it, but now it's perfect. After dropping my old 2015 model on the first week, I learned that grip matters. A highly portable laptop is also highly droppable.

 

[johntw]

Coming from a 2016 m7, I am now using a 2017 i5 and never notice any hot spots, maybe a little warmth when doing the first iCloud Photo and iTunes/Apple Music sync. I basically use it for Safari, Office 2016, Tweetbot and RDP. Performance and battery life have been beyond my expectations and never once felt hot.

 

[Silvestru Hosszu]

Hi,
How is battery life compared to the 2016 model?

 

[petterihiisila]

Hi,
How is battery life compared to the 2016 model?

I don't know about 2016 (I had the 1st gen model), but Coconut Battery estimates vary between 6 and 12 hours, depending on how I use it. Light browsing with minimal brightness is 12. Youtube HD in bright sunlight is about six. Excel/Word/Powerpoint/email tasks under office lights shows 8 hours. In my experience that's about 1-2 hours more compared to a 2015 model with 80 cycles.