MBA overheating: important new insight!

[Alkiera]

I haven't had time to go to hulu.com or anything to try 720p video; most of my video is downloaded at slightly lower quality than that. I have noted it taking awhile longer to cool back off once it gets worked up, but haven't had the 'core dropping' effects some have commented on; even when watching YouTube videos for extended periods.

If I can remember some time when I've got a network connection, I'll give hulu a shot...

And by Week 07, he's refering to the week code that is in the machine serial number. Like mine, his starts W8807. W8 is some sort of product code, 8 is year(2008), and 07 is week 07, either Feb 10-16, or Feb 17-23, depending on how they count. I'd be surprised if it's 17-23, however, as I bought it on the 18th, since I was out of work for President's Day.

 

[pughchrism]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/457887/ click on this link to a thread i posted last night about thermal issues and the processor in the 1.6 mba.

i can understand that these mba's won't, nor were they designed to, be graphics intensive machines. however, i don't want my cores shutting down unnecessarily.

if they started shutting down at >90C or something then that is a good thing to protect the cores and increase longevity of these components by limiting heat stress.

i can't see any reason why overloading the cores--w/o a resultant high heat--should be set to shut the cores down. i don't believe overloading a core w/o a resultant high heat is any danger to any components. it's just a faulty setting by apple. it is not inherent to this intel processor but is caused by a setting from apple.

 

[bjdraw]

The advantage to this test is that it's testable on an out-of-the-box MBA, with no extra 3rd-party software required, and under a realistic task ("loop several HD trailers" can take a while and sounds weird to explain to a Genius).

What's unrealistic about wanting to watch a HD movie for more than 10 minutes? The point of the loop is simply to have a good known video clip in the way of trailers from Apple.

 

[bjdraw]

After a few have posted here indicating that they are unable to reproduce my test, I went to the Apple store and tried it on a demo and sure enough it runs fine.

This convinces me that there is something wrong with mine. So I'll be taking it into the genius bar. It might take me a few weeks before I can afford to not have a laptop for a week, so I'm not sure when I'll do it, but either way I'll report back.

 

[NC MacGuy]

After a few have posted here indicating that they are unable to reproduce my test, I went to the Apple store and tried it on a demo and sure enough it runs fine.

This convinces me that there is something wrong with mine. So I'll be taking it into the genius bar. It might take me a few weeks before I can afford to not have a laptop for a week, so I'm not sure when I'll do it, but either way I'll report back.

Hopefully they'll take care of it in quick order. I tried like heck to get mine to have a shutdown and it just won't.

Really am interested in what/how Apple rectifies your problem.

 

[pgharavi]

Well, since i'm on my lunch break and im bored, i booted into XP, fired up Sins of a solar empire and left civ4 running in the background, the system got insanely hot (the casing itself), cpu reads at 85 deg C both cores, yet, performance did not slow down 1 bit. Ran it for about an hour, still same performance. I highly doubt a little animation would kill one of the CPU cores when 2 high 3d games can't.

That's insane. If you download the 60 minute free Peggle demo for OSX, run it in demo mode, and see if it causes a core to shut down in OSX.

We could have a great comparison right here.

 

[pgharavi]

Hopefully they'll take care of it in quick order. I tried like hack to get mine to have a shutdown and it just won't.

Really am interested in what/how Apple rectifies your problem.

You're telling me that if you watch a 720p mkv or even a standard res xvid video (for 30-60 minutes) a core WILL NOT shut down on you?

 

[NC MacGuy]

You're telling me that if you watch a 720p mkv or even a standard res xvid video (for 30-60 minutes) a core WILL NOT shut down on you?

That's exactly what I'm saying. It gets plenty hot, fans crank but haven't had a core shutdown on me yet.

 

[pgharavi]

That's exactly what I'm saying. It gets plenty hot, fans crank but haven't had a core shutdown on me yet.

The only time I can get away w/out a core shutdown while watching video is IF I leave the underbelly exhaust exposed. This means propping my MBA on the edge of the chair or desk. Then I have been able to watch 720p mkvs as well as standards xvids, and even iTunes videos.

Otherwise, a core will shut down.

 

[NC MacGuy]

The only time I can get away w/out a core shutdown while watching video is IF I leave the underbelly exhaust exposed. This means propping my MBA on the edge of the chair or desk. Then I have been able to watch 720p mkvs as well as standards xvids, and even iTunes videos.

Otherwise, a core will shut down.

I don't know what to tell you. The exhaust vents are there for a reason. When I hear the fans start cranking, I make sure there are no restrictions to the cooling vents. Depleted a battery watching vid. after vid. on a cross-country flight last week w. no problem.

 

[pgharavi]

I don't know what to tell you. The exhaust vents are there for a reason. When I hear the fans start cranking, I make sure there are no restrictions to the cooling vents. Depleted a battery watching vid. after vid. on a cross-country flight last week w. no problem.

Some people have reported that not keeping the MBA plugged in (i.e. running off only battery power) keeps it cooler as well.

Can you confirm that you have watched videos for a lengthy time w/ the power as well? Thanks.

 

[bjdraw]

I've done all my tests with the unit plugged in, but it was fully charged.

But I do agree with NC MacGuy, if you are having problems 'cause your vents are covered, you don't have a leg to stand on.

 

[ayeying]

That's insane. If you download the 60 minute free Peggle demo for OSX, run it in demo mode, and see if it causes a core to shut down in OSX.

We could have a great comparison right here.

I downloaded the demo and ran it throughout the 60 minutes after I got home. Still no core shutdown. After the demo, I converted 2 AVI files to MP4 using iSquint, while keeping parallels running in the background, just not doing anything.

Edit: I should add that I run everything in clamshell mode at home. So if anything should shutdown the core, this should. Temps hovered at 85 deg C max w/o external cooling or 80 deg C with external cooling.

 

[hotdamn]

I can't videochat on mine at all, neither Skype nor iChat. it will stutter like hell.

also, I've had 3 core shutdowns by now.

I am a sad panda

 

[rom]

None. I have a time machine backup hooked up to my network at home. it's backed up every hour, on the hour as long as im connected to the network. I would be playing some games and it still wouldn't shut down a core.

Everyone's still missing the point, if it is a GPU problem, just test it in some games and it SHOULD happen regardless of what OS you're running.

How big are your hourly Time Machine updates? Try putting in a 2GB file that will be backed up and then transfer another 1GB whilst this is (Time Machine) is backing up.

 

[NC MacGuy]

How big are your hourly Time Machine updates? Try putting in a 2GB file that will be backed up and then transfer another 1GB whilst this is (Time Machine) is backing up.

I backed up my whole 53G on a fresh HD w. time machine two weeks ago and never had a core shutdown. I think if your cores are shutting down, you should be talking to the Apple barely-geniuses w. problem demonstration. I know it's hard for those who have the problem to believe there are those who don't but it's true in my case. Really.

I'm likening this to the old random shutdown syndrome of gen. one MBs. Some had it, some didn't. I did get one of those RSS gems and it was frustrating.

 

[rom]

I backed up my whole 53G on a fresh HD w. time machine two weeks ago and never had a core shutdown. I think if your cores are shutting down, you should be talking to the Apple barely-geniuses w. problem demonstration. I know it's hard for those who have the problem to believe there are those who don't but it's true in my case. Really.

I'm likening this to the old random shutdown syndrome of gen. one MBs. Some had it, some didn't. I did get one of those gems and it was frustrating.

I think it is Safari that is giving me the problem.

I tried running the Speed Racer 720p Trailer for 20 minutes with Mail.app and Mailplane running in the background - no shutdown whatsoever. I did start from 2500rpm and it shot up to 6200rpm after around 10 minutes. All these at 31C weather here in Manila, Philippines.

Doing this with Safari running in the background - no dice.

I still cannot see the need to bring it to an Apple Genius since I know the MBA is not defective, at this point. The weather (hot and humid in full summer temperatures and expected to rise) is partly to blame -- no, I do not have air-conditioning.

 

[rom]

do you mind try this? go youtube.com watch this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar_r2kE9Ej4

1. watch this full screen, it must be full screen
2. if the first time your core did not shutter, try a 2nd time
3. check your temperature

feedback your temperature and let us know if your video stutters ? thanks!

Did this twice as well - no shutdown but I was using Firefox 3 beta 4 instead of Safari 3.1. Did this with Safari 3.1 and one core did shutdown.

 

[macsimonwoo]

guys...i have been trying these few days..some insights..

1. room temperatures matter (with air flow or not)
i did this in a room where there is no air flow..meaning in a room, no air con, no fan blowing...core shut down. But when i did the experience in an air con room, the core does not shut down.

2. MBA uses processor power when it is downloading youtube. So if you load a youtube and view at the same time as compared to viewing a youtube when it has been loaded, there is a difference in heat dissipation. The former dissipate more. So my suggested experiment is better when you load the same movie twice from the start.

3. I believe the browser used matters.
I uses FireFox Beta 4.

4. Playing a video with magsafe power plugin and without plugin has a effect on cpu temperature.

For NC MacGuy who has did the experiment, i would say his MBA condition of Temp at completion = 68ºC, fan 3300 rpm is very good. cuz mine will surely go up to 6200 when playing youtube video full screen. May I know which country you from?

 

[NC MacGuy]

guys...i have been trying these few days..some insights..

1. room temperatures matter (with air flow or not)
i did this in a room where there is no air flow..meaning in a room, no air con, no fan blowing...core shut down. But when i did the experience in an air con room, the core does not shut down.

2. MBA uses processor power when it is downloading youtube. So if you load a youtube and view at the same time as compared to viewing a youtube when it has been loaded, there is a difference in heat dissipation. The former dissipate more. So my suggested experiment is better when you load the same movie twice from the start.

3. I believe the browser used matters.
I uses FireFox Beta 4.

4. Playing a video with magsafe power plugin and without plugin has a effect on cpu temperature.

For NC MacGuy who has did the experiment, i would say his MBA condition of Temp at completion = 68ºC, fan 3300 rpm is very good. cuz mine will surely go up to 6200 when playing youtube video full screen. May I know which country you from?

Just tried it again to verify - jeez I hate that Ballmer guy... Checked immediately after and sure enough, 69C and fans at 3600 this time. Close enough for experimental error.

I'm located in the lovely US of A.

 

[dzhiurgis]

Hey, dunno if anyone noticed this, but according to instruction manual MacBook Air comes with special - "MacBook Air ONLY" OS X DVD. Maybe after migrating some system files are transfered causing the meltdown?

 

[rom]

Hey, dunno if anyone noticed this, but according to instruction manual MacBook Air comes with special - "MacBook Air ONLY" OS X DVD. Maybe after migrating some system files are transfered causing the meltdown?

Doubt it since I re-installed my OS using the MBA DVDs.

 

[ayeying]

How big are your hourly Time Machine updates? Try putting in a 2GB file that will be backed up and then transfer another 1GB whilst this is (Time Machine) is backing up.

Redone my entire HDD backup of about 48GB size. Transferred the entire User Folder to my other hdd also just for this test (user folder size is 29gb) at the same time. No core shut downs. Another kicker, I left Joost running and watched a few music videos while this 30+ minute long transfer was going. Fans went a little fast at 5000+ rpm but no core shut downs.

 

[Scott6666]

guys...i have been trying these few days..some insights..

1. room temperatures matter (with air flow or not)
i did this in a room where there is no air flow..meaning in a room, no air con, no fan blowing...core shut down. But when i did the experience in an air con room, the core does not shut down.

2. MBA uses processor power when it is downloading youtube. So if you load a youtube and view at the same time as compared to viewing a youtube when it has been loaded, there is a difference in heat dissipation. The former dissipate more. So my suggested experiment is better when you load the same movie twice from the start.

3. I believe the browser used matters.
I uses FireFox Beta 4.

4. Playing a video with magsafe power plugin and without plugin has a effect on cpu temperature.

For NC MacGuy who has did the experiment, i would say his MBA condition of Temp at completion = 68ºC, fan 3300 rpm is very good. cuz mine will surely go up to 6200 when playing youtube video full screen. May I know which country you from?

I dunno. A computer should not be this much trouble that you have to figure out under what condition can you do "normal things" and be OK and under what conditions you can't. Unless you get it completely caught up on a blanket (or bedspread or whatever soft) and totally block all the vents it should just work.

If Steve had promoted the MBA as "really thin, but really loud with applications that stutter sometimes; but really really thin so you can live with all that crap and suck it up because although it doesn't work well, it is after all really really really thin" I doubt he'd have so many converts. Our thin computer can have compromises on speed and hard disk space, OK, but not basic usability.

Now, you know I'm right. Don't flame me.

 

[NC MacGuy]

I dunno. A computer should not be this much trouble that you have to figure out under what condition can you do "normal things" and be OK and under what conditions you can't. Unless you get it completely caught up on a blanket (or bedspread or whatever soft) and totally block all the vents it should just work.

If Steve had promoted the MBA as "really thin, but really loud with applications that stutter sometimes; but really really thin so you can live with all that crap and suck it up because although it doesn't work well, it is after all really really really thin" I doubt he'd have so many converts. Our thin computer can have compromises on speed and hard disk space, OK, but not basic usability.

Now, you know I'm right. Don't flame me.

u r relee smrt but r knot write.

Mine works just fine. Too much credence given to a few that have problems and the ones that do work well are labeled aberrations.

If they don't work okay, send them back and get a MB or Dell.