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harrisjamieh · Jun 7, 2006, 12:12 PM

Yes, I know the whole heat thing has been done to death, but I haven't really read a definitive answer.

During operation of my MB, after about, say, an hour, I literally cannot keep my hand on the bottom of my MB, under the ports, for more than 10 seconds as it is literally burning hot! Is this seriously normal?

I seem to remember a KB article or something, saying about heat, but I dont know if it said anything about it being incredibily hot, which does essentially prohibit normal "laptop" use.

crispin14 · Jun 7, 2006, 01:17 PM

has it overheated on you yet?

maybe youre over-sensitive to heat?

harrisjamieh · Jun 7, 2006, 01:30 PM

Nope hasn't overheated as in shut itself down due to heat.

I really don't think I am over sensitive to heat, I actually have a relativly high thresh-hold for heat compared to a lot of people I know

The Grammaton Cleric · Jun 7, 2006, 02:27 PM

I have a 17" MBP. I'm not really new to mac, but this is the first mac I used as a daily machine. I'm used to my older 17" sony vio with a 1.2Ghz Pentium M. That notebook could get hot enouph were it would burn my legs, but I had to be really hammering the CPU for awhile to get it up there. This MBP is hot all the time. I can not have it touching my skin.

b11051973 · Jun 7, 2006, 02:57 PM

You are over sensitive to heat. It does get warm, but I set mine on my lap, when I'm in shorts, all the time. It doesn't get that hot.

harrisjamieh · Jun 7, 2006, 03:14 PM

I don't know to whom that was directed, but if me, then you can't generalise like that - my MacBook could be 30% hotter than yours as far as either of us know.

bkpbc1 · Jun 7, 2006, 03:46 PM

A lot of the time I like to use my MB on my lap, but I usually can't do it for more than a few minutes but it does get burning hot and my legs are bright red afterward. Mine is really hot too, but it hasn't shut down from it - is that happening too?

harrisjamieh · Jun 7, 2006, 03:59 PM

Nope its not shutting down, its just most people are saying 'the heat is bearable', and without wanting to sound like a moaning troll, the heat from mine really is not bearable

jokell82 · Jun 7, 2006, 08:45 PM

Mine has been on my lap for the past hour, and the bottom has become quite warm but it's not uncomfortable. I have a feeling some machines are getting much hotter than others...

jere_69 · Jun 7, 2006, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by b11051973

You are over sensitive to heat. It does get warm, but I set mine on my lap, when I'm in shorts, all the time. It doesn't get that hot.

I'm wondering how you can make that statement considering you don't even know the temperature of that particular laptop.

stuffedmonkey · Jun 7, 2006, 09:30 PM

I can use mine on my lap - it gets quite warm, but never too hot to touch. I think tempature measurements would help. Do you access to any kind of thermometer?

Dr.Michael · Jun 8, 2006, 08:38 AM

You cannot touch it if it gets warmer than 60 degrees (C). 60 is not much if you look at the processor specs.

The bottom of the MacBook is directly connected to the heatsink. There it can get warmer than you can touch without a danger for the internals (of the MacBook, not yours).

I guess the answer is: This thing can get hotter than a human being can sustain. Things like that should be sold as a cooking plate, not as a portable computer. Its within specs, but harmful to your health.

n8236 · Jun 8, 2006, 03:50 PM

After reading numerous threads about this heat issue, i've come to the conclusion that people just live with it. And here's how I deal with it.

I've psycologically allevaited myself of the thought the "overheating mbp," so I don't use my hands to touch or find the hottest spot. And when I do place the mbp on my lap, it hangs over the sides, not sitting on the hottest area (the ram cover). The heat can become uncomfortable even at that position, but I seriously can't find myself in a lot of situations where the mbp is on my lap for a long period of time

I've learned to love it for its sex appeal, form, and functionality. Its shortcomings don't even come close to the heat issue, and mine idles at 70*C

Agent69 · Jun 9, 2006, 08:01 AM

You guys really need to get this "laptop" mentality out of your head; they are not laptops anymore. From the MacBook Manual:

"Using Your MacBook

When you’re using your MacBook or charging the battery, it is normal for the bottom of the case to get warm. For prolonged use, place your MacBook on a flat, stable surface. Do not leave the bottom of your MacBook in contact with your lap or any surface of your body for extended periods. Prolonged contact with your body could cause discomfort and potentially a burn.

The bottom of the MacBook case functions as a cooling surface that transfers heat from inside the computer to the cooler air outside. The bottom of the case is raised slightly to allow airflow that keeps the unit within normal operating temperatures. In addition, warm air is vented from the slots in the back of the case."

cambro · Jun 9, 2006, 09:18 AM

I have a 1.83 MBP (1.5 Gig RAM) and it really doesn't get hot at all. Warm yes, but not at all hot. I've also rarely heard the fans (only came on when I was in target disk mode and transfering 41 Gigs worth of data). I do, however, have the #&@%$# whine and a weird "popping" noise that sounds like thermal expansion when the computer first starts going after being off.

If your MB is overly hot, be sure there is no plastic film covering the rear grill (just below screen).

photoeditor · Jun 9, 2006, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by Agent69

You guys really need to get this "laptop" mentality out of your head; they are not laptops anymore.

I don't think that's entirely fair. Certainly the Powerbooks have been plenty hot for several years and have been marketed as portables or notebooks and NOT laptops, and Apple users already either know better than to use it on legs and bedding or simply don't care about the level of heat you get from a Powerbook.

A defective MacBook is heat of a different order, however. The MacBooks I have seen in the store run the gamut from "consistent with a Powerbook" to "I wouldn't dare set this thing on anything other than a metal surface." When you have a variation between a majority that idles in the 40s and maxes out in the 70s celsius wise, but a sizeable minority that idles in the 60s and 70s and maxes in the 80s or 90s, there is a problem, and hopefully one that the manufacturer will address quickly. People should not be expected to put up with a computer that will wear itself out quickly and damage the furniture it is placed upon. At 90 degrees you will risk damaging the finish on a proper wooden desktop.

Given the data Apple themselves have presented about performance per watt, the MacBook should be "consistent with a Powerbook" on heat output. The idea was very clearly to get more power from the same wattage -- not place a Chernobyl on every desktop.

JasonA · Jun 9, 2006, 10:37 AM

I ran mine for about two hours last night sitting on my lap. It was certainly quite warm, but not enough to make me uncomfortable.

HouseSold · Jun 9, 2006, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by JasonA

I ran mine for about two hours last night sitting on my lap. It was certainly quite warm, but not enough to make me uncomfortable.

After an hour at the keyboard, we are supposed to take a break for 5 minutes, according to all the ergonomic authorities.

After an hour of intense keyboard interaction, our MacBooks get seriously warm. Less so when we use our CoolPads http://www.coolpad.com/ .

Last evening, we experimented by sleeping one MacBook without closing the case (we always shortcut this by pressing the power button once briefly and when the dialogue selection appears, press the keyboard letter 'S' for sleep)

It cooled remarkably quickly (LCD screen open) in only about 5 minutes (our snack break time)

We now consider more intense heat as time for a break, for us and the MacBook. FWIW.

Maybe not what everyone wants to hear, but warm is a fact, unless we'er just surfing with the display at minimum brightness; now where's that backlit keyboard?.

YMMV

Yakov · Jun 9, 2006, 02:57 PM

mine is warm, especially on the underside top left of keyboard (under the "esc" key) but it's not a problem to use at all.

rhashem · Jun 9, 2006, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Agent69

You guys really need to get this "laptop" mentality out of your head; they are not laptops anymore. From the MacBook Manual:

Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit.

Don't apologize for Apple. When I found my Inspiron too hot to comfortably use on my lap, I didn't try to find excuses for Dell. I criticized them for making a shitty product.

Hell, at least my Dell was hot because it was a desktop-replacement. This thing is supposed to be a low-end portable. If its getting to hot to comfortably use on your lap, then its a design flaw, plain and simple.

Xmas2Dump · Jun 9, 2006, 05:02 PM

Has anyone measured what temperature the bottom of their macbook gets to? The maximum here was 55C in the bottom upper left area.

k squared · Jun 9, 2006, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by rhashem

Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit.

Don't apologize for Apple. When I found my Inspiron too hot to comfortably use on my lap, I didn't try to find excuses for Dell. I criticized them for making a shitty product.

Hell, at least my Dell was hot because it was a desktop-replacement. This thing is supposed to be a low-end portable. If its getting to hot to comfortably use on your lap, then its a design flaw, plain and simple.

Shutting down from over heating is a design flaw. Dissapating heat is not.

My Titanium G4 400 MHz got just as hot as my MB 2.0 Ghz does now.The difference is an extra core and 1.6 MHz. Chips are getting hotter. Deal with it.

nickw311 · Jun 9, 2006, 11:28 PM

Mine certainly gets hot but not unbearable. I normally wear long pants though....

jaybert · Jun 9, 2006, 11:39 PM

Originally Posted by k squared

Shutting down from over heating is a design flaw. Dissapating heat is not.

My Titanium G4 400 MHz got just as hot as my MB 2.0 Ghz does now.The difference is an extra core and 1.6 MHz. Chips are getting hotter. Deal with it.

sorry, but other brands which are running core duos do not get this hot.

I had a IBM T60, which has the core duo as well, as well as a integrated graphics call, and I could run it on my lap all day without it burning me and getting hot.

Just because it happens on an Apple does not make it right or correct.

cezar · Jun 10, 2006, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by cambro

I have a 1.83 MBP (1.5 Gig RAM) and it really doesn't get hot at all. Warm yes, but not at all hot. I've also rarely heard the fans (only came on when I was in target disk mode and transfering 41 Gigs worth of data). I do, however, have the #&@%$# whine and a weird "popping" noise that sounds like thermal expansion when the computer first starts going after being off.

If your MB is overly hot, be sure there is no plastic film covering the rear grill (just below screen).

I have a 2.0 MBP that will not restart after an hour. I initially ran it for about an hour, and then shut it down. Within 5 minutes the cooling fans were at maximum, with the sleep light on. I then opened the cover to allow it to cool, and the fan speeds did lower.

However, now an hour later, the fans are still running on low, and my MBP is still in sleep mode. And I am unable to restart it. My room is a comfortable 70 degrees. Any advice? (BTW this never happened before)

amazing · Jun 10, 2006, 01:08 AM

cybertoots: sounds like the MB has a kernel panic, nothing related to heat. Hold the power button down for 15 seconds, that should power it off. Restart right away, should be fine, if not, post back here.