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Macbook Pro 14 base model gets luke warm on palm rests with light tasks

Alfred.Woodden

Alfred.Woodden

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 19, 2007
144
188
Norway
I've noticed that my new M1 Pro 14 base model gets slightly warm on the palm rests when doing very light tasks like having Mail and messages running in the backgorund and one or two safari windows with 4-5 tabs in each and installing or updating say Firefox. This causes my palms to get slightly sweaty. My previous M1 13 was icy cold no matter what I did on it. Spotlight indexing finished up several days ago, btw.

Have you guys experienced the same? Is it normal for the M1 Pro 14 to run a bit warmer than the M1 13 even on simple tasks, but noticably when touching the palm rests?
 
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I see. Too bad. I wish it was as cool as the 13. Is there a tool that forces it to run on "low performance mode" while still keeping the ProMotion enabled?
 
Guess you haven't used a MacBook Pro Intel base; it's hot all the time.
 
TinyMito said:
Guess you haven't used a MacBook Pro Intel base; it's hot all the time.
Click to expand...
Actually I did have the 2018 Intel 13", but I kept it on Low Power mode all the time, so it didn't get warm. Switched to 13 M1 and really experienced computing bliss, but was tempted by the ProMotion XDR display and new form factor. Sold the 13, got the 14. Probably was a mistake, since the 14 gets luke warm pretty fast while browsing the web, and it bothers me to the point I'm complaining online ?
 
Maybe check the Activity Monitor on CPU - something is running high.
 
Nothing really. Windowserver at ish 15% is the top one, followed by kernel_task at 10%.
Skjermbilde 2022-04-06 kl. 17.46.37.png
 
I downloaded Stats app for macOS which is similar to iStat menus. It shows my Macbook Pro 14 CPU is always around 40celsius, while my friend's M1 13 is 30 celsius. So it's about 10 celsius hotter. Ahhhhhh...
 
Tried iPadOS a few years back, and gave it an honest try as my main computer. Gave up after one whole year of feeling that iPadOS held me back. So, no, I prefer macOS. :) but thanks for the suggestion.

Unless someone much smarter than me figures out a way to throttle the m1 pro cores, so that it doesnt run warm so easily, I will just have to keep it until Apple releases the new MacBook / MacBook Air. Hopefully that is what i'm looking for in terms of looks, performance and temperature.
 
I've had the opportunity to use an M1 13', M1 Max 14', and an M1 Max 16'.

Yes, the 13' stayed icy cool until pushed hard. I found it doesn't like Crossover gaming very well and gets really warm (with audible fan - that isn't as loud as the intel 13' MBP). But for most tasks, the M1 13' was ice cold.

The 14' MBP M1 Max was noticeably a lot warmer just doing normal tasks (medium to heavy browsing, etc).

The 16' MBP M1 Max stays cool a lot easier than the 14' - I find the fans rarely run if ever even during heavy virtualization/gaming tasks.

Compared to the i7 MBPs these things are quiet, cool, and very usable. I went with the 16' MBP for my personal computer due to the reduced heat and screen.

Seeing 40-50-60C as well but the fan always stays off on the 16'MBP and it feels a lot cooler to the touch. :p
 
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You could try something like "Macs Fan Control" https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control

They have recently updated it to work with M1 Mac machines in Monterey. There is a free version and a paid version ($15 for Mac). You could run the fans a some moderate speed that may cool your machine down a bit for you. With the paid version you could set speeds for all you usage types.

Good luck.
 
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BigMcGuire said:
I've had the opportunity to use an M1 13', M1 Max 14', and an M1 Max 16'.

Yes, the 13' stayed icy cool until pushed hard. I found it doesn't like Crossover gaming very well and gets really warm (with audible fan - that isn't as loud as the intel 13' MBP). But for most tasks, the M1 13' was ice cold.

The 14' MBP M1 Max was noticeably a lot warmer just doing normal tasks (medium to heavy browsing, etc).

The 16' MBP M1 Max stays cool a lot easier than the 14' - I find the fans rarely run if ever even during heavy virtualization/gaming tasks.

Compared to the i7 MBPs these things are quiet, cool, and very usable. I went with the 16' MBP for my personal computer due to the reduced heat and screen.

Seeing 40-50-60C as well but the fan always stays off on the 16'MBP and it feels a lot cooler to the touch. :p
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Thnks! This way I know I'm not crazy for sensing the slight heat increase compared to the M1 13. I just hope there will be a fix for it somehow. Either as a tool to throttle the processor or something.
 
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OAG7 said:
You could try something like "Macs Fan Control" https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control

They have recently updated it to work with M1 Mac machines in Monterey. There is a free version and a paid version ($15 for Mac). You could run the fans a some moderate speed that may cool your machine down a bit for you. With the paid version you could set speeds for all you usage types.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I used to run MFC in my Intel days. Only way to keep my 2018 15MPB below barbecue temperatures.
 
Wish my 16" were like that. It's usually too cold. I miss the old memory leak that used to warm it up.
 
Sanpete said:
Wish my 16" were like that. It's usually too cold. I miss the old memory leak that used to warm it up.
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It's funny because it's true, I find the same sometimes with my 14" base. It's uncomfortably cool until I've used it for at least 10-15 minutes. Imagine... it's as it was when I were a kid, turning on the telly to warm it up... :)
 
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Wait, you're kidding, no? You actually find the feeling of cold aluminium uncomfortable? You wish it was luke warm? I'm happy to switch with you ?

Anyways, I downloaded Stats from exelban on his github ( https://github.com/exelban/stats ), and set the fans to always run on it's minimum setting, 1200 rpm, botht left and right fans, like the old M1 13 did. We'll see if that keeps it cool.
 
As someone who's lived through some truly lap-frying Intel MacBooks (the black polycarbonite one comes to mind), this is very amusing to me. I regularly had to use that Mac with a wooden cutting board between the bottom and my lap, it got so uncomfortably hot during just normal routine use. I'm not talking "it felt uncomfortable", I'm talking "this might literally burn my skin." There was a lot of talk around then of Apple not using the term "laptop" anymore, and serious discussion about how it wasn't really recommended to use such a computer on your actual lap. Anyway, I guess we've come a long way if people can complain about the palm rest of a super fast, high-powered MacBook getting mildly warm :rolleyes:
 
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ignatius345 said:
Anyway, I guess we've come a long way if people can complain about the palm rest of a super fast, high-powered MacBook getting mildly warm :rolleyes:
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Well yes, and a Fiat 126 is super comfortable compared to an 17th century horse and carriage. So with that perspective, this MacBook Pro is super "cool". Compared to last years M1 13, it's hot.

Also, having turned on the fans, didn't really help. It's noticably warmer still (Mail, Safari with three tabs, Messages, Photos and Notes running in background). F**k... what is it with this mac??
 
Alfred.Woodden said:
Wait, you're kidding, no? You actually find the feeling of cold aluminium uncomfortable? You wish it was luke warm? I'm happy to switch with you ?

Anyways, I downloaded Stats from exelban on his github ( https://github.com/exelban/stats ), and set the fans to always run on it's minimum setting, 1200 rpm, botht left and right fans, like the old M1 13 did. We'll see if that keeps it cool.
Click to expand...
Haha yes a bit exaggerated and I’m of course joking a bit - but, getting out of bed, placing my wrists against really cold aluminium is not nice at all. But of course, I’m super happy having the most powerful computer I’ve ever owned, that is way overpowered for my needs and will last me years, and it is so well designed thermally. It is a blessing for sure.
 
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