MacBook Pro M1 Max Warmer On Right Side

[ytopix]

Hi - I recently purchased a MacBook Pro M1 Max 4TB 64GB computer and I notice the right side is running warmer, I checked it also with a temp gun. The right half runs about 1-2 degrees warmer than the left. As an unfortunate self discovery, I also realized my right hand senses temperature MORE, I never knew that, annoying... so the right is warm to the touch when typing and the left is not - between the degree difference and my right hand being more sensitive, but I'm curious if everyone has that ? Checked temps with the gun?

My 13" M1 MacBook Pro, never felt warm (on either hand LOL). It was always cool.

Is there anything on the right side of this computer that would lend it to running a couple degrees warmer?

Thanks !

 

[Technerd108]

I generally felt the M1 Max on a 16" MBP with 32gb ram to get warm. I never felt to see if one side or the other was hotter and honestly would not notice a 2 degree temperature difference.

Your M1 MBP 13" was a very different machine with a regular M1 chip. Your M1 Max chip in the MBP that you have has 8 performance cores instead of four and 2 efficiency cores instead of 4. You have way more ram bandwidth. You have way more ram. All of that means the M1 Max chips run much hotter than a regular M1.

The cooling system in the new 14"/16" MBP is very good and it should be able to handle most situations with ease. That doesn't mean it is always going to be cool like your 13" probably was. As far as what makes one side of the device warmer than the other? You would have to look at a tear down of the machine and see where the SOC is and battery. Those would most likely be the hot spots.

Every laptop is going to have temp variations on the chassis related to the SOC and battery and other components.

 

[ytopix]

I generally felt the M1 Max on a 16" MBP with 32gb ram to get warm. I never felt to see if one side or the other was hotter and honestly would not notice a 2 degree temperature difference.

Your M1 MBP 13" was a very different machine with a regular M1 chip. Your M1 Max chip in the MBP that you have has 8 performance cores instead of four and 2 efficiency cores instead of 4. You have way more ram bandwidth. You have way more ram. All of that means the M1 Max chips run much hotter than a regular M1.

The cooling system in the new 14"/16" MBP is very good and it should be able to handle most situations with ease. That doesn't mean it is always going to be cool like your 13" probably was. As far as what makes one side of the device warmer than the other? You would have to look at a tear down of the machine and see where the SOC is and battery. Those would most likely be the hot spots.

Every laptop is going to have temp variations on the chassis related to the SOC and battery and other components.

Thank you so much for your detailed reply, it’s very helpful for me, I appreciate the explantation and why this M1 Max would be warmer overall than the MacBook 13” M1. I think I’m a bit of a weirdo to feel a 2 degree difference and also as I mentioned extra weird, cuz my right hand seems to be more heat sensitive (or heat aware) so odd. Or maybe my left hand finger tips is just immune to feeling temperatures since its been stabbed so much with glucose test needles. Either way the left and right difference doesn’t exceed 2 degrees.

Your reply was really helpful for me, it was hard to find any answers to this online or hear anyone’s experience with the warmth of the keyboard, left to right side heat difference, if any.

I did try and look at the tear down videos, but it looks the same on each side to me, I honestly don't know what I'm looking at lol


Thanks again!

 

[Technerd108]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply, it’s very helpful for me, I appreciate the explantation and why this M1 Max would be warmer overall than the MacBook 13” M1. I think I’m a bit of a weirdo to feel a 2 degree difference and also as I mentioned extra weird, cuz my right hand seems to be more heat sensitive (or heat aware) so odd. Or maybe my left hand finger tips is just immune to feeling temperatures since its been stabbed so much with glucose test needles. Either way the left and right difference doesn’t exceed 2 degrees.

Your reply was really helpful for me, it was hard to find any answers to this online or hear anyone’s experience with the warmth of the keyboard, left to right side heat difference, if any.

I did try and look at the tear down videos, but it looks the same on each side to me, I honestly don't know what I'm looking at lol


Thanks again!

I am happy it was helpful.

I will add that with the M1 Max I did not have to be doing intensive work for it to get warm. I am not talking hot or anything abnormal but even just streaming video content or browsing certain websites the device would heat up to a point it was warm to the touch.

The M1 Max also used more battery at idle than the M1 Pro. It is normal for the M1 Max chip. I guess the 400gb/s bandwidth just runs a touch warmer. As for why it is slightly warmer on one side than the other it could have to do where components are located and the cooling system. Seems very normal to me. If there were a much larger difference and one side was really hot and the other much cooler then I would think something is going on.

You have an excellent Pro machine that should serve you well for many years!!

 

[ytopix]

That’s great to know, yes it is a bit warm in normal things, like watching YouTube videos, using email, messages etc. Not anything nutty like the 2017 MacBook Pro I had, which I’m pretty sure you could have baked a chicken on the keyboard, and the fans on that were so loud it was Top Gun everyday, and I don’t mean in a good way. Just sound. The fans are so far not audible on this computer, they kicked in when running Cinebench but could not hear them, was silent.

But, this computer has perceptible warmth — for anyone down the line who experiences this same thing and is wondering, and a 2 degree difference from right to left lol .. least on my machine.

Thanks again !

 

[Technerd108]

Yeah, Intel 14nm was toasty to say the least. Even there 12th gen chips are toasty and can get the fans going on nominal tasks. Better than before but M series is so much better in that regard.

Top Gun…. Made me laugh!