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Sad day. I returned my MBP
- Thread starter wrxpert
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How hot is hot? All modern laptops are many times hotter than they used to be. Is this definitely a defect you observed or just something you weren't used to?
Bad thermal paste application is a known issue - I'd bet my hat this is what's wrong with the OP's laptop.
Some people on this forum seem to have a habit of trying to find half baked excuses for computers with problems (like the recent bad monitor thread), and they will probably get defensive if you try to say there was something wrong with your computer - but if I was I would have tried Applecare first, maybe with a printout of the thread here where many people have this problem.
Some people on this forum seem to have a habit of trying to find half baked excuses for computers with problems (like the recent bad monitor thread), and they will probably get defensive if you try to say there was something wrong with your computer - but if I was I would have tried Applecare first, maybe with a printout of the thread here where many people have this problem.
FWIW, some folks consider the thermal paste excuse to be half-baked too. 
http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2006/05/23/thermal-paste-question.html
http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2006/05/23/thermal-paste-question.html
If you're going to build a high-end laptop out of heat-conducting metal, it's gonna get warm. Think about it.
But seriously, it makes a huge difference to get these things up off the desk. The first few days I had my MBP, I noticed the entire case would warm up after being on for a few hours. Now I have it on an mStand and only the back two corners warm up enough to notice. I also went from 55-57C at idle to 50-52C. That extra bit of circulation really matters.
But seriously, it makes a huge difference to get these things up off the desk. The first few days I had my MBP, I noticed the entire case would warm up after being on for a few hours. Now I have it on an mStand and only the back two corners warm up enough to notice. I also went from 55-57C at idle to 50-52C. That extra bit of circulation really matters.
If you're going to build a high-end laptop out of heat-conducting metal, it's gonna get warm. Think about it.
But seriously, it makes a huge difference to get these things up off the desk. The first few days I had my MBP, I noticed the entire case would warm up after being on for a few hours. Now I have it on an mStand and only the back two corners warm up enough to notice. I also went from 55-57C at idle to 50-52C. That extra bit of circulation really matters.
Isn't the exhaust now just out of the back though? Why does elevation matter if the vents aren't on the bottom? (Need to re-check mine when it arrives tmrw, but I thought this was the case)
If it was just about hot enough to burn you then it's in spec
No, seriously, what were you doing to get it very hot? I assume running the CPU, GPU or both at full load? Had the fans kicked in? (On mine the fans take a little while to kick in, but go right up to 6000rpm when they need to.)
I play WoW on mine with the same settings as I use on the Mac Pro. DAMN it gets hot, but under that load I'd expect that.
I just don't like to think you might have returned a perfectly good machine But without some temperature readings I guess we'll never know.
No, seriously, what were you doing to get it very hot? I assume running the CPU, GPU or both at full load? Had the fans kicked in? (On mine the fans take a little while to kick in, but go right up to 6000rpm when they need to.)
I play WoW on mine with the same settings as I use on the Mac Pro. DAMN it gets hot, but under that load I'd expect that.
I just don't like to think you might have returned a perfectly good machine
But without some temperature readings I guess we'll never know.
Well, yes the vents are at the back, but a LOT of heat comes through the bottom of the case. If there's good ventilation under the notebook then it's going to stay cooler.
FWIW, some folks consider the thermal paste excuse to be half-baked too.
http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2006/05/23/thermal-paste-question.html
There is a slight flaw in James Duncan Davidson's (author of above article) methodology. He used a completely different MBP to obtain his base "unmodified" MBP temperature readings. He should have taken his base readings from his MBP which he modified, prior to modification, then modified it and obtained the new "modified MBP" readings from his MBP again.
James Duncan Davidson said:
He also doesn't state what model MBPs are being used or their fan speeds. Greg's unmodified MBP could be a completely different model or revision from the model James modified. Since this information isn't posted we are simply left to speculate.
Who is to say what the true difference in temperature between Jame's unmodified and modified MBP would have been? Contrary to Jame's statement above, his comparison amounts to an apples to oranges comparison.
Called Apple
.
I called Apple, asked for a Tech.
Asked him about Laptops being so hot.
He actually said that they no longer call them "Laptops"
He also said that because they are hot, they are doing their job, disbursing heat.
Is that a crock... or the truth.
.
I called Apple, asked for a Tech.
Asked him about Laptops being so hot.
He actually said that they no longer call them "Laptops"
He also said that because they are hot, they are doing their job, disbursing heat.
Is that a crock... or the truth.
.
I called Apple, asked for a Tech.
Asked him about Laptops being so hot.
He actually said that they no longer call them "Laptops"
He also said that because they are hot, they are doing their job, disbursing heat.
Is that a crock... or the truth.
The "they no longer call them Laptops" comment is marketing rubbish, but there is a kernel of truth to the disbursing heat comment.
I'd swap it, not take it back.
My CoreDuo has extreme heat (to the extent where anything touching any metal surface on the entire laptop slowly gets charred).
Yet, I'm pushing for a replacement. I don't feel at all comfortable with the machine itself (knowing it's a fire hazard, along with all the other faults), but OS X is what I want to stick with. Hence, I'm really going to kick up a fuss with Apple. I don't expect a 'top of the range' £1.5k laptop to be like this...
My CoreDuo has extreme heat (to the extent where anything touching any metal surface on the entire laptop slowly gets charred).
Yet, I'm pushing for a replacement. I don't feel at all comfortable with the machine itself (knowing it's a fire hazard, along with all the other faults), but OS X is what I want to stick with. Hence, I'm really going to kick up a fuss with Apple. I don't expect a 'top of the range' £1.5k laptop to be like this...
The MacBook Pro's case is aluminum. Obviously it is going to conduct heat better than, I'm assuming, a plastic case. This helps with heat dissipation and obviously is part of the MBP's style.
I don't see where the problem is. You returned your MBP because it dissipated heat better and ran cooler than another PC laptop when they were both under heavy load? Umm, personally that would be a good reason to keep it not return it.
My MBP never gets unbearably hot while on my lap (C2D, 2.33 Ghz). Granted, I never run a real CPU-stressing test while on my lap, but I have done Photoshop/web design work and it's never been that big of a problem. One thing I would suggest for anyone who likes to have it on their lap is to look into Thermaltake's iXoft. There have been reviews over the net that state it lowers temps between 5-10 C, and it completely dissipates the heat so you won't feel heat anymore once it's on your lap. I should be getting mine at the end of this week so I'll post my thoughts on it once I get it.
For what it's worth, when that article was published, there weren't any utilities that would show the CPU temp or fan speeds. The only "revision" of MBPs out at that time were the original ones, and Apple hadn't then addressed the CPU whine issue.
The temps that he took on Greg's were on par with what most others were reporting on the forums here and over at Apple's MBP support area.
Weren't there different CPU speeds offered at that time?
We know from all the different CPU temps posted on this forum for the same model MBs and MBPs that different physical machines can have widely varying thermal properties and behaviors.
Perhaps there were even different processes and applications running on either system? All of these items would impact the base temperature of both systems used in this test.
Without knowing what James' MBPs base temperature was prior to him reapplying his thermal paste we cannot honestly know how much his modification improved his MBPs temperature.
I realize it was just an oversight, but it would have been so simple for him to use a single MBP for testing and document all the pertinent facts such as CPU model, speed and the processes and services running at the time.
It doesn't surprise me at all that his results are much less impressive than many of those posted on this forum by users who have reapplied their thermal paste. His data is faulty.
I got a new Macbook Pro 17" (pictures here) and the first thing I noticed is that this machine gets unbelievable hot in the short part between the keyboard and screen. You can definitely burn your fingers there. My wife asked me if they shipped me a prototype. I had to explain that it is a very fast machine.