[redhot_nyc]

My Black MacBook Core 1 Duo is great.... I love using it with the exception of the HEAT. It's the hottest laptop ever by a long shot. And I've had a Wallstreet, Lombard, and 1400cs. I can't use it on my lap.

The fan doesn't mooo, whine or otherwise annoy me. I keep it running at 4658rpm full-time.

Should I go back to my Toshiba R100... ? It ran unbelievably cool. Fan only came on when rendering video. But I'd have to use Windows or Linux and take a big performance hit. Seriously, the heat is so bad that I'd go back to Windows.

[frdmfghtr]

Some units shipped with the back vents covered by the plastic film used to keep out debris during manufacturing. Check that the vents aren't still covered by the plastic.

This might sound a bit odd, but try it out--instead f holding your knees close together when using it on your lap, try separating your knees so that the bottom feet are on your thighs--this will keep most of the bottom free for air flow, and may help it run cooler. While there are no vents on the bottom, airflow will help keep the bottom cool by allowing the heat to radiate out.

[frankthetank966]

Last night my battery was about to run out so I plugged this puppy in and I swear it felt like an inferno hit the machine. It felt like it just came out of the oven. And the plug was relatively hot as well.

[redhot_nyc]

I just don't understand why other laptop manufacturers (including ones manufactured at the same plant, I would imagine) can keep the heat under control - most of the parts are identical so I would guess that Apple's cooling design leaves a lot to be desired.

Not only is it too hot to use on my lap, it's sometimes too hot to pick up! - not exactly nice when you're rushing out somewhere.

I'm definately contemplating leaving Apple until they can produce a normal laptop.

[Nivag]

have you run the firmware update? that cooled my MacBook loads.

As for you saying you're thinking of leaving Apple cause they can't make a normal laptop, Apple doesn't make Laptops any more. They make Portables and Notebooks.

I'm sure it says in the book that comes with the MacBook not to use it on your lap.

[frdmfghtr]

From what little I've seen of Windows-based laptops/notebooks/whatever you want to call them, they may run cooler, but they tend to be physically bigger and/or thicker with more vents in the casing. My MacBook, compared to a similarly-sized (screen-wise) Windows notebook, is much thinner.

Your Toshiba may go against everything I said, so feel free to correct as necessary.

Is running hotter a trade-off for style and portability? Some will say yes, others will say no. I value portability, as I rarely use my machine on my lap; although when I do, I have yet to experience uncomfortable heat. Seeing as the high temperature today in central Wisconsin is expected to be about -2 F, I may WANT my MacBook to run hot!

Anyway, iStat Pro also tell me at the moment that the enclosure bottom is about 89 F. I put my hand on it, and while warm, it is far from uncomfortable. I've never seen it get above 100 F, and that woul dbe after an hourof two of World of Warcraft.

If you can, find somebody else with a similar MacBook (or go to an Apple Store) and do a side-by-side comparison, comparing temperatures. If the other one feels equally hot, then you can say that it's "normal." If not, perhaps your machine has blocked/bad heatsinks or some other defect.

The plug will get hot, yes--remember it's charging the battery and supplying the computer at the same time. When charging a freshly-depleted battery, iBatt2 tells me that the amount of power being used to charge the battery is starting at about 30 W - nearly half the power supply's 65 W capacity. Given that iBatt2 also tells me that the battery is supplying, on average, 17-20 W in normal use on the battery, I would venture that a slightly brighter screen and boosted processor performance drive that number to 25-30 W when running on AC. Your power supply is providing nearly maximum rated power and will get hot.

[LagunaSol]

Based on my personal experience, I don't understand all the heat-related fuss. I've only had my MacBook a few weeks, but it's the first-gen model (original CoreDuo) and it feels no hotter to me in daily use than my old iBook or my employer-issued Compaq laptop. And the Compaq laptop sounds like a vacuum cleaner in relation to the MacBook.

I can easily use my MacBook on my lap in bed or on the sofa with no discomfort at all. I do not use it when plugged into the wall, however.

The MacBook is the best portable I've ever used. Though I can't wait for an eventual "super portable" from Apple using flash memory instead of a traditional hard drive.

[darom]

I have the same heat issues as the OP. I will check iStat for the temp readings on my MacBook (CoreDuo). I am wondering if this is related to the carelessly applied CPU/heatsink thermal conductive compound (too much of it). The laptop performs fine with no freezes, all latest firmware patches have been applied.

[Chaoticjoe]

Hmm. I never thought it was hot. It gets up to about 105 degrees F doesn't it? Besides, if our temperature is 98 degrees, how can a computer a small matter of degrees hotter be so irritating?

[ChasingApple]

Hmm, I have a Core 2 Duo 2Ghz Macbook and I feel very little heat coming from it. I use it on my lap for hours with no discomfort at all. Are you sure there isn't a problem with yours?

[Chaoticjoe]

Yeah, same. Well, I don't actually have one but I've used my friend's.

[PSXBatou]

So long as I am using my CD MBP for basic things such as email or web browsing the temperature has not been too bad. However when i loaded UO in to Crossovers it heated up pretty hot pretty darn fast. I still haven't been through one of our typical hotter than hell summers here, so that will be the true lap test

[tinkered]

Comparing the temp of a CD or C2D to a Pentium M is silly. Pentium M's were cool and slow. If you want a cool running, lower performance Mac laptop, buy a G4.


If you want to compare laptops compare a Dell Latitude D410 to a Macbook. They are of similar size and both have CD’s. In my experience they are both hotter than the low-voltage Pentium M’s. Notice that Dell discontinued the x series of laptops because the small form couldn’t keep a CD cool and the small Sony laptops do it with core solo’s.

You could always turn off one core. I bet it would run cooler. In the end higher clock speed and 2xcores are going to run hotter that slower single core computers.

[xpsonic]

does anyone run icyclone or a program similar to it and tell me what their average temp is just on idle in F. I just would like to know if mine is running hot, or normal or whatever. just a curiousity issue haha.

[monkeybrain]

Can't you just carry some heatproof mat with you or something, and use that between the macbook and your lap?

[frdmfghtr]

Here is what I have on my C2D right now, running Firefox and iBatt2:

CPU A 116F
Heatsink A 113F
Heatsink B 111F
Enclosure bottom 84F
Northbridge 2 111F
Northbridge 1 109F

Fan 1800 RPM

When running World of Warcraft, the fan spools up to over 6000 RPM and the CPU stabilizes at about 150F. When I close WoW, it quickly drops to below 130F and the fan spins down accordingly.