Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

bigdaddysheikh · May 21, 2007, 06:45 PM

Hey,

I got this MBP 1.83, when I plug in the battery and it is charging it becomes immensely hot. The metal area above the keyboard and below the lcd screen is firing hot. I am unable to keep my fingers on there for more than 30 seconds. I would hate to sue apple

but it is hot. Is there a way to check the temperature for this and maybe a way to cool it.

My MB was never this hot, it is to the point where I am unable to rest my hands near the left speaker. This is ridiculous.

peeb · May 21, 2007, 07:06 PM

If you cannot stand to touch it, that is too hot. Call Apple.

slpdLoad · May 21, 2007, 07:18 PM

Well you're in good company. Anything laptop Apple makes out of Aluminum has been just as hot as you describe for the past three or four years.

peeb · May 21, 2007, 07:25 PM

Really? My pb 1.67 runs a little hot, but not so hot I cannot keep my fingers on it - this sounds unusual.

bigdaddysheikh · May 21, 2007, 08:03 PM

Oh man,

My MBP has cooled down now, it is a bit better now but still hot--->getting warm stage.
I am a bit dissapointed with the way apple has done this. I remember going to the apple store in downtown Toronto and this lady approached a macbook, she touched and it and yelled. I have also seen that blog about the guy who cooked eggs on his macbook.

Aint that something, ahhaha.

ibook_steve · May 21, 2007, 08:03 PM

People, read the message: above the keyboard and below the LCD? That's where the heat is released through the vents. Of course it's going to be hot there. But why would you normally be putting your fingers there in the first place? Is there a process in Activity Monitor that is running at a high CPU %?

Steve

ibkc · May 21, 2007, 08:04 PM

This is a little utility that enables you to set the temperature point at which the fans come on:

News

Mithras · May 21, 2007, 08:19 PM

Yeah, smcFanControl is great. I set my fans to run constantly at about 3500 rpm, and it keeps the laptop much cooler for only a slight increase in noise.

peeb · May 21, 2007, 08:19 PM

I have not seen any indication that 'too hot to touch' is normal. Warm, yes. Hot? Maybe, but not to hot to touch. I do not believe this is normal.

Simon · May 22, 2007, 03:13 AM

The CD MBPs are certainly hotter than the C2Ds, especially those with the 100 GB 7200 RPM HDD option.

I'd use smcFanControl to increase the fan RPMs if you're not comfortable. That said, even though my CD MBP can become really warm at times, I never felt it was "too hot to touch" as some people have put it.

brapper · May 23, 2007, 11:58 AM

I have to say that I was worried about the heat of my Macbook Pro 2.33GHZ prior to purchase but, unless I'm playing a video game in Windows, it would be unfair to say it is any warmer than my Powerbook 1GHZ. Apple seems to have done a good job of reducing heat since the 1.83GHZ Pros.

bigdaddysheikh · May 25, 2007, 10:31 AM

I have been monitoring the temp of my MBP recently for the past 5 days. the avg has been around 62-68 degrees celcius with regular usage. IE running my applications etc... I set the fans to 3000 rpm to reduce the heat to 55-58 range.

Anyone else notice similar temperatures?

markponcelet · May 25, 2007, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by bigdaddysheikh

The metal area above the keyboard and below the lcd screen is firing hot. I am unable to keep my fingers on there for more than 30 seconds.

On my MBP 17", that metal strip is always extremely hot ... unless my processors have been relatively idle. It seems unusual if you're not used to modern laptops, but I assure you: this is the area that gets hot on all recent models of Macbook Pro and Powerbook. (Just try doing something graphics-intensive, and then you'll really feel some heat up there.

The keyboard, on the other hand, should only ever become warm. If it becomes uncomfortable, something is wrong. Also, the underside can really cook. I have gotten close to burning myself while playing games and forgetting to put some sort of insulating material between me and my MBP.

To paraphrase an old shampoo commercial: the burning sensation means it's working!

rehoot · May 25, 2007, 04:25 PM

If you don't already have an application to see the temperature of you CPU, you might want to download an app that can do it. I don't have a MBP, but this app might work:
Hardware Monitor: Description

There might be other apps that do the same thing on a MBP.

I live in a hot climate and I rarely use air conditioning. I put a little 10 inch fan near my PowerBook and it helps to keep the computer cool.

PeterS · May 25, 2007, 10:14 PM

Don't know if this is relevant. I seem to recall some time ago reading about a manufacturing fault which left a plastic covering blocking the rear air vents inside some notebooks which prevented the fans expelling hot air.

Might be worth considering.

Sorry if this is a red herring.