Otherwise perfect SR 17" MBP reaches 95 degrees Celcius under load. Applecare?

[milky23]

Hi there,
My 17" Santa Rosa MacBook Pro likes to heat up to 95 degrees Celcius before the fan kicks in when I do anything from turning on iTunes Visualizer or ripping a movie with Handbrake. Should such heat be expected when performing these tasks? Even now, the fans started to kick in but the machine is still up near 90 degrees.

How do I explain to AppleCare that yes, while the computer still runs, the machine shouldn't be running *this* hot?

Here's my situation: I just bought this machine about 5 days ago, still well under the 14 day exchange policy. I love 6-8 hours from the nearest Apple Retail store where I bought the machine, and thus, making the trip back is really an impossibility. Having spent around 3000 USD on this laptop, its hard to swallow such an extreme heat problem. How do I express this sentiment to AppleCare and ask them to replace my machine?

Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I'd run SMCFanControl but I don't think I should have to in order to keep my machine from nuking itself---seems more like a matter of principle that Apple should replace this machine.

 

[66217]

I think you won't have problems with AppleCare.

It is supposed to be safe until 100C, but it shouldn't be at that temp with only iTunes Visualizer open.

 

[milky23]

I wonder if some other people with 17" SR MBPs could run iStat with iTunes Visualizer and post their temperatures here after 5-10 minutes of runtime? Please?

 

[NewSc2]

just for ***** n giggles i tried it out with my 2.16C2D 15", and after 10 minutes of full-screen visualization, my MBP was at 61C.

I've seen it go all the way up to 82C ripping a CD in iTunes, for whatever its worth. It's also early morning here, so my room is pretty cool.

 

[miniConvert]

Is the heat really a problem? Is the computer so hot that even using it on a hard surface is uncomfortable for your fingers touching the keys or your wrists resting on the casing?

Or is the problem that you've looked at the temperatures, seen that they're rather high, and now you're worried?

If it's the latter, and you have Applecare, I'd advise you just ignore the issue. As you say, your SR MBP is perfect - why risk having it replaced with one that has more glaring issues? If the heat does result in problems further down the line then it will be Apple's responsibility to fix them.

 

[killerrobot]

On my merom, when temps rise above 60ºC I can feel it through the keyboard. Max, I think mine has ever gone was around 70ºC, after some heavy video editing. I can't imagine over 90. There seems to be a huge issue with heat and the SR -- this isn't the only post about it..

The problem -warning my personal opinion- with not doing anything about it now is that maybe it will fry itself "down the road" when Applecare is no longer available. Yeah it should with stand the heat, but not forever.

 

[eenu]

YAWN. Why do people keep starting these threads search the forum or google!

If your machine at 100% load does not exceed 100C its within spec. A lot of people don't seem to understand a number of things and one of these things is the surface your operating your machine on. I have been using it on a wooden desk and to start with the mbp runs at 38C..... as the wood heats it idles at 50-52..... wood does not dissipate heat so it remains at that temp....

On my aluminium iLap it sits and stays at 38C.....

EDIT: OP You need to load test this machine

 

[iW00t]

95 is kind of hot. Mine runs at around 77.

 

[milky23]

A product specialist from Applecare told me that iStat must be wrong - that there was no way the laptop could ever reach 95 degrees Celcius.

Urgh.

 

[iW00t]

A product specialist from Applecare told me that iStat must be wrong - that there was no way the laptop could ever reach 95 degrees Celcius.

Urgh.

iStat is 3rd party software. Why would Apple have to take its word for it? Seriously, look at it from their perspective.

Anybody can hack up a bit of code that says "100 degrees", show it to Apple, and get a free replacement laptop.