MBP, heat and whine FIXED?!

[dailo]

Thanks TWEO. Yeah just turned out to be a cable that was not seated properly, I probably reconnected everyything ten times but the ribbon cable near the power supply needs to be connected very very carefully I guess.

Anyways my MBP is running so much cooler, after a few hours of use my MBP would normally heat up including the bar. Now there is minimal heat on the bars or the palm rests. So great, I hope Apple addresses the issue.

 

[Mojo67821]

Then my friend recommended two things.. Temperture monitor.. and speedit.kext. I rand them this morning and my MBP was running at a 48C ... THAT'S FREAKING HOT.. that's 118 F..

I just started running temperature monitor. It only seems to be giving me readouts for my toshiba hard drive though... is that what I want? Can I get a readout for the processor?

Found my answer: hope this helps someone. For those interested, since I turned the fan off on my targus laptop cooling pad, the temp of the smart drive has risen 5 degress celcius in about 5 minutes.

"A: Unfortunately there are some specific Macintosh systems which don't allow that sensor values can be read out by a normal application program. There are two different cases:

The computer uses a self-contained cooling control system. The hardware itself controls its own monitoring. No transfer of data from the sensor to the operating system is possible because there is no bus connection between the sensor and the actual computer.
The computer contains sensors accessible via a data bus, but cooling control is independent of Mac OS X. Apple does not provide any device drivers which would allow application programs to get data from the sensor. Only the firmware or a closed part of the operating system core has access to sensor data.
In both cases, it is not possible to develop an application program which could read out sensor values. The following Macintosh systems are affected by this problem:

PowerBook G4 Titanium (all models)
eMac (all models)
iMac G4 (all models)
Mac mini (all models)
Note that Intel-based Macintosh systems use a special mix of the mentioned monitoring techniques: Mac OS X only uses the load sensor of the graphics chip for thermal management. This sensor can be displayed by Hardware Monitor without any problems, it is however not displayed by Temperature Monitor, because this sensor does not measure temperature.

All other sensors in Intel Macs are controlled by special hardware working independently of the operating system, the Apple System Management Controller. This device has not been disclosed by Apple. There are neither drivers for Mac OS X, nor any documentation, and all details related to the function of this chip have been "censored" by Apple in the source code of Darwin. For this reason it is currently impossible that any application program could get readings from this chip. "

 

[Pilgrims Pro]

I would love to try this fix on my MBP, but I honestly don't have the guts. Hopefully Apple will own up to their mistake and take care of the problem.

 

[FritzTheWonderM]

Play with this before and after:
http://www.bresink.com/osx/TemperatureMonitor.html

 

[MS bulldog]

new to apple products

i'm new to macs, but why is everyone doing this type of "fix" on such a new product? i understand this is a rev.1 attempt with intel. will apple not do this repair? it just seems extreme for users to open up their $2500 laptop and apply grease to the cpu instead of seeking out repair under warranty.

 

[Soisauce001]

i'm new to macs, but why is everyone doing this type of "fix" on such a new product? i understand this is a rev.1 attempt with intel. will apple not do this repair? it just seems extreme for users to open up their $2500 laptop and apply grease to the cpu instead of seeking out repair under warranty.

All Apple does is say they'll send it back to the tech's to fix it.. they send it in and you wait a week or two before you can get it back.. They still apply the same amount of GOOP on the CPU because their official repair manual says so, contrary to what many are saying about putting TOO much thermal grease. Problem won't be fixed because Apple won't own up to the fact that they used too much thermal grease and applied it very sloppily..

When I reapplied the thermal grease.. I took a razor blade and spread the grease evenly and I applied a smaller amount of grease.. I wanted to make sure it was spread neatly and that it didn't spill over into other areas.. After I did it my MAC averages 38C idle.. Which is really good.

 

[alep85]

All Apple does is say they'll send it back to the tech's to fix it.. they send it in and you wait a week or two before you can get it back.. They still apply the same amount of GOOP on the CPU because their official repair manual says so, contrary to what many are saying about putting TOO much thermal grease. Problem won't be fixed because Apple won't own up to the fact that they used too much thermal grease and applied it very sloppily..

When I reapplied the thermal grease.. I took a razor blade and spread the grease evenly and I applied a smaller amount of grease.. I wanted to make sure it was spread neatly and that it didn't spill over into other areas.. After I did it my MAC averages 38C idle.. Which is really good.

I don't know if that's true, buckaroo. The Apple Store guy I gave my MBP to said they were getting a lot of complaints and were fixing them. Considering the whole IDEA for changing out the thermal grease came from an Apple Tech Support Internal Manual, I would THINK that they're on it.

Also, they should be replacing my battery with a fixed one, as the first ones have sporadic problems (incorrect time remaining reporting, and quick loss of overall capacity)

I probably get mine back on Monday, so I'll let you know if they've really fixed the problem.

 

[Soisauce001]

I don't know if that's true, buckaroo. The Apple Store guy I gave my MBP to said they were getting a lot of complaints and were fixing them. Considering the whole IDEA for changing out the thermal grease came from an Apple Tech Support Internal Manual, I would THINK that they're on it.

Also, they should be replacing my battery with a fixed one, as the first ones have sporadic problems (incorrect time remaining reporting, and quick loss of overall capacity)

I probably get mine back on Monday, so I'll let you know if they've really fixed the problem.

Yeah.. that's exactly what the apple store told me... the problem is that they said they would switch out the logi board and that's it...

And I don't know where you got the idea that the Apple Tech Support Internal Manual came up with the idea of switching out the thermal grease.. Have you read throught it.. I have.. It's been leaked all over the internet..

this is a screen shot right out of the manual:

I don't know about you but that looks like a lot of thermal grease to put on?? If this picture is the standard ummm God knows what ungodly amount they are putting on each MacBook Pro they fix..

Hey i'm open to further discussion.. if you know of another Apple Tech Support internal Manual, please be sure to share.. In fact if you want a copy of the one I have I can email it to you.. I can't post the link cuz Apple already threaten to sue another forum for posting it.. Good luck with your MBP..

 

[vgoklani]

the whine has not been fixed; I wonder, can people hear this on either the iMac or mac mini?

 

[alep85]

Yeah.. that's exactly what the apple store told me... the problem is that they said they would switch out the logi board and that's it...

And I don't know where you got the idea that the Apple Tech Support Internal Manual came up with the idea of switching out the thermal grease.. Have you read throught it.. I have.. It's been leaked all over the internet..

this is a screen shot right out of the manual:

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/7541/lol1qe.jpg

I don't know about you but that looks like a lot of thermal grease to put on?? If this picture is the standard ummm God knows what ungodly amount they are putting on each MacBook Pro they fix..

Hey i'm open to further discussion.. if you know of another Apple Tech Support internal Manual, please be sure to share.. In fact if you want a copy of the one I have I can email it to you.. I can't post the link cuz Apple already threaten to sue another forum for posting it.. Good luck with your MBP..

Yeah, I see what you mean. I get it back today most likely, so I'll let you know what they did to repair it, and if it did anything to fix the problems. My hope is that they've started listening to their customers in the last week or two and have done things differently. I really don't want to have to open my MBP myself, I am a computer tech at both my university and Best Buy so I could do it, just don't want to risk voiding the warranty I paid so dearly for. Keep hope!

 

[excalibur313]

Well I just got my macbook and it seems to run between 54C and 60C under minimal mode. The whine isn't too bad, I can hear it from time to time with the power adapter on but as soon as it runs on the battery it gets a lot louder and starts going in and out? Is that normal? Has anyone figured out a way to turn on the fans more so that I can cool this puppy down?

 

[Soisauce001]

Well I just got my macbook and it seems to run between 54C and 60C under minimal mode. The whine isn't too bad, I can hear it from time to time with the power adapter on but as soon as it runs on the battery it gets a lot louder and starts going in and out? Is that normal? Has anyone figured out a way to turn on the fans more so that I can cool this puppy down?

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=1864582&perpage=40&pagenumber=1

Check it out.. ***WARNING*** for the brave of heart only. ***WARNING***

 

[Coheebuzz]

Heat is ok on mine, i could say that it's no hotter than a *warm* cup of coffee after an hour of use. iStat widget shows my temp ranging from 40-45C.
I got it yesterday so maybe they have addressed the heat issues.

About the whine, i get it too from time to time and only when doing specific things like moving a window or dragging something with the mouse, but its not that annoying and i have to be in a completely silent room to hear it.

 

[excalibur313]

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=1864582&perpage=40&pagenumber=1

Check it out.. ***WARNING*** for the brave of heart only. ***WARNING***

Yeah I don't know if I have it in me to take apart a computer I've had for only a few hours. I've built desktop PCs before but this is more complicated. The thing is that all I really care about is the temperature my lap feels. That means that I would be happy if I could just figure out a way to get the fans to turn on earlier. It isn't as good of a fix because the processor will still retain more heat but whatever, it should be able to handle up to 100C, its just my lap that cannot.

 

[excalibur313]

Heat is ok on mine, i could say that it's no hotter than a *warm* cup of coffee after an hour of use. iStat widget shows my temp ranging from 40-45C.
I got it yesterday so maybe they have addressed the heat issues.

About the whine, i get it too from time to time and only when doing specific things like moving a window or dragging something with the mouse, but its not that annoying and i have to be in a completely silent room to hear it.

What is the beginning or your serial number? Because mine just came today and I think my pants might be on fire. (Mine is W8613)

 

[Soisauce001]

Yeah I don't know if I have it in me to take apart a computer I've had for only a few hours. I've built desktop PCs before but this is more complicated. The thing is that all I really care about is the temperature my lap feels. That means that I would be happy if I could just figure out a way to get the fans to turn on earlier. It isn't as good of a fix because the processor will still retain more heat but whatever, it should be able to handle up to 100C, its just my lap that cannot.

Well.. Another solution I could recommend for keeping your lap from burning and for you future kids from dying, is for you to use a couple of towels on your lap..

The other recommendation is for you is to go out and get something like this..

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=306230&pfp=SEARCH

OK you don't have to go to Compusa.. infact don't.. but it online.. Compusa rips you off.. BUT... Look for something like that.. It'll help keep your MBP about 15 degrees cooler.. Which can make a big difference in the life of your laptop.

Good luck

 

[fowler.]

so the consensus on this is that it runs cooler, but the fans are louder?

 

[Krevnik]

Well.. Another solution I could recommend for keeping your lap from burning and for you future kids from dying, is for you to use a couple of towels on your lap..

The other recommendation is for you is to go out and get something like this..

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=306230&pfp=SEARCH

OK you don't have to go to Compusa.. infact don't.. but it online.. Compusa rips you off.. BUT... Look for something like that.. It'll help keep your MBP about 15 degrees cooler.. Which can make a big difference in the life of your laptop.

Good luck

Don't get the Antec, get the Targus model they have in the store. The width of the MBP causes the bottom surface to make contact and create suction rather than airflow. The Targus model is a lot better about this on oddly-shaped laptops.

It still doesn't address the core issue of poor grease, which will cause heat to flow through the logic board more often, shortening the lifespan of the logic board, with or without the cooler.

 

[Soisauce001]

It still doesn't address the core issue of poor grease, which will cause heat to flow through the logic board more often, shortening the lifespan of the logic board, with or without the cooler.

I agree totally.. The cooling pad is better than NOTHING but then again it still doesn't solve your long term problem... Eventually your logic board will fry because of the heat..

Maybe you can walk in the Apple store, print out a copy of their manual and show them the amount of thermal grease that it says to use and then tell them that you don't want them to use that MUCH.. explain to them why.. Tell them you don't want to open your 2000 machine and void warrenty but you do think they should use less thermal grease.. Maybe that'll work..

If you B*tch enough maybe they'll be nice to you... i don't know.. I'm sorta sick of dealing with apple (On this issue)..

Don't get me wrong tho.. I still like Apple.. just not the way they are handling the MBP issues..

 

[iKat]

I got my MBP on Friday (5/5) and I've barely had any problems. After the firmware update, the "cpu whine" did begin.. but it was only loud enough for me to hear if I stuck my head down by the keyboard. Heat has not been a problem for me and my MBP averages between 35 and 40 C. As for any of the other whines, etc.. nothing. I am more than pleased with my MBP, and if there is an issue, I'm sure apple will get on it ASAP... hopefully.

 

[Mojo67821]

Heat is ok on mine, i could say that it's no hotter than a *warm* cup of coffee after an hour of use. iStat widget shows my temp ranging from 40-45C.
I got it yesterday so maybe they have addressed the heat issues.

About the whine, i get it too from time to time and only when doing specific things like moving a window or dragging something with the mouse, but its not that annoying and i have to be in a completely silent room to hear it.

I had read that the temperature sensor system on the MBP is INDEPENDENT of the OS, which means that you can not read it with any type of program. The only sensor that isn't is on the toshiba made hard drive. I have a program which is supposed to read all available sensors and that is the only one that it reads.

Do you know what IStat is reading from?

 

[Krevnik]

Maybe you can walk in the Apple store, print out a copy of their manual and show them the amount of thermal grease that it says to use and then tell them that you don't want them to use that MUCH.. explain to them why.. Tell them you don't want to open your 2000 machine and void warrenty but you do think they should use less thermal grease.. Maybe that'll work..

If you B*tch enough maybe they'll be nice to you... i don't know.. I'm sorta sick of dealing with apple (On this issue).

I have tried this with the Apple Store, and with 3rd party guys. Stuff like this is sent back for repairs, rather than done in-Store... and even then, the stores would need to get an exception from the repair center to get permission to do that, and to do it in the store.

So right now, the best options are to do it yourself (I did... worked out quite well), or to complain to AppleCare's call centers and get Apple to take an official stance other than "It is within spec".

 

[excalibur313]

I had read that the temperature sensor system on the MBP is INDEPENDENT of the OS, which means that you can not read it with any type of program. The only sensor that isn't is on the toshiba made hard drive. I have a program which is supposed to read all available sensors and that is the only one that it reads.

Do you know what IStat is reading from?

It's a firmware thing. A guy from applecare said that apple could come out with a firmware update that allowed you to control the speed of your fan. The program is just reading that info from the motherboard but the control mechanism to turn on at a certain temp is totally firmware based.

 

[Mojo67821]

It's a firmware thing. A guy from applecare said that apple could come out with a firmware update that allowed you to control the speed of your fan. The program is just reading that info from the motherboard but the control mechanism to turn on at a certain temp is totally firmware based.

Interesting. you mean that Istat can read the temps on my computer? I just installed it, and I'm getting all of the cpu readings, but nothing for fans/temps. Does anyone have any idea why?

I'd like to have some way to monitor my temp, with all of this overheating brewhaha going down. (yes I said brewhaha)

 

[Soisauce001]

hey if you want a temp reading on you MBP.. check this out... i was using Istat but it only measured my HDD.. This measures the processor temp.

http://macbricol.free.fr/coreduotemp/

Supposedly...