How is the latest batch of MacBooks? Still overheats?

I was considering getting MacBook, but big turn off for me was when I touched the notebook at the store it was horribly hot, it was good for frying eggs on it. It took Apple couple of month to admit it's a huge problem and I am just wondering if it has been addressed in the newer batches?

 

I don't think so - I just went to my local Apple store last week to see if Apple has made any improvements on the MBP, but it seems as if they haven't - it runs horribly hot, and after about a half-hour to an hour of usage, you aren't able to touch the exterior casing until it cools down.

 

well those are probably still rev 1 models, I don't think they replace them everytime when new revision comes out... that's why I am wondering if anyone who bought one recently noticed any difference.

 

No, they were the updated versions - I asked virtually every sales person in the store just to be sure, including the manager.

 

i have a W8612 revision MBP, and it doesn't exactly overheat. Yeah, it gets warm, but not to the point where touching it burns you or anything. I believe the overheating issue was indeed addressed.

 

I wouldn't say the notebook would burn you or anything, but it definately gets uncomfortable to use in your lap and especial after putting the notebook through its paces.

 

i would say it's pretty close to being a notebook that "burns". At least from the rev 1 experience

 

The first MacBooks certainly ran much hotter than the revised versions, but I still think that even the revised versions run hot.

 

the one that ive played with was a little warm, but not hot like everyelse says.

 

It still gets very hot

 

ah that's really too bad... nice design, but heat problem is a huge let down

 

k, anyone who has one, or access one at a store that has internet, go online to apples site, go to downloads, and download the istat nano widget and install it. It has temp monitors which can tell us once and for all how hot it actually is running. Not just personall preferenece for heat.

Plus as many people who can should do this so we can see if there is a variance between mbp's.

 

Is this HOTNESS coming from the 1.83 one or the 2.0 one? I am seriously considering the Macbook Pro, and I am willing to accept a 1.83 and only 128mb of ram on my video card if it might limit the heat. If they all are hot then might as well get the fancy one.

 

Just tried it and the temperture section doesn't work for either the istat nano or istatpro on my MacBookPro. I'm looking now to see if there is anything else similar to it.
FWIW, my Macbook gets hot, but not uncomfortale.

 

Anyone else who got one recently?

 

Does it make a difference which OS you're running? What screen brightness are you using?

 

I just got one last Friday. Build W8613. Seems to be the lastest build. I took home the 1.83Ghz version of the MBP. To address the heat issue, I had the MBP on my lap last night. Used it for about an hour. I was just wearing a pair of boxer shorts. (Sorry for the visual). Did not bother me one bit. Didn't get any warmer or hotter than any other notebook I've used.

As such, there is no heat issue on my MBP.

 

I have the same model number as you and mine is freaking hot. Not sure what you do differently, but try holding your hand on the bottom by the LCD or anywhere but the lowest part and you will fill tons of hottness. I really doubt your number 13 is so mild compared to my 13

 

Don't get me wrong, if I leave the notebook on a chair or seat, come back, and sit on the area where the notebook was just sitting, its VERY warm. I had a Dell x200 before getting the MBP. Both notebooks are extremely light and extremely thin. The Dell x200 gets/got a lot warmer than the MBP. It's just the nature of the beast, IMO. Like I said, it hasn't bothered me, yet. I hope to think that it ever won't....

 

Any updates/latest on the MBP heat issue?

 

It seems to me that there actually never really was a heat problem. If you look around several coreduo notebook owners are talking about heat being a concern. You have two VERY powerful chips on 1 die. That is going to generate ALOT of heat, especially in a 1" thick case. I would not be worried about the heat in any of these notebooks until you start seeing them show ACTUAL signs of overheating (i.e. shutting down, flaky performance).

Oh, and in case you don't believe others are not concerned:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=61400
and that is one of the more hyped notebooks around here.

 

It seems to have calmed down, I think the later models are probably better in this regard

They will always seem hot to some, but I have seen one from the very first batches that runs very very cool so it seems to vary a lot. I would say there should be no major issues now.

Most of the fuss seems to be because it runs warmer than other notebooks simply because Apple designed it for silence, meaning it will get warmer.

 

I just got my black macbook two days ago and its running great. It does get warm on the bottom next to the ports, but not hot enough to burn ur fingers lol. CPU temperature is at around 51 C while web browsing and listenning to music. I bought one of those Coolermaster cooling pads and its perfect for the macbook. Knock off 5-10 degrees on mine.

 

I just got my black macbook two days ago and its running great. It does get warm on the bottom next to the ports, but not hot enough to burn ur fingers lol. CPU temperature is at around 51 C while web browsing and listenning to music. I have not yet heard the fan spin yet...I hope its working..lol I bought one of those Coolermaster cooling pads and its perfect for the macbook. Knock off 5-10 degrees on mine.

 

Thats the exact same thing with me.

I have yet to hear the fan spin, its only hot where the magsafe is, and I'm assuming its near the processor as well, everywhere else its cool.

Where did you get your cooling pad?

 

I went to frys couple of weeks ago to check out the macbook and at that time it was hot (not warm). Well, today I went back to frys to check out other nootebooks and while I was there I checked out the macbooks again. This time, I was told this is a new one(three weeks old) that they put up and there's also a white one too (last time there isn't a white one) and the heat was substantially cooler than the last one I have looked at. I also noticed the white one is a lil cooler than the black version and both were plugged in with power adapter.

 

I got mine at J and R here in NYC.

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.pro...6&JRSource=googlebase.datafeed.CM+R90NBC-ADAS

The left fan sits right under where it gets hot. And the pad is bent slightly for the air to circulate between the pad and macbook. The fans are quiet too. The pad also tilts up, so it makes typing more comfortable. I recommend it.

 

Actually if you take a look at the TDP ratings of Dothan compared to Yonah, the differences aren't as massive as you make them seem. For example, a T2500(2GHz) Yonah only needs to dissipate 13.1-31 watts of power(1) while a Pentium M 760(2GHz) needs to dissipate 10.8-27 watts of power(2). Considering that, why aren't many older designs of Pentium M's overheating? Probably because they designed something reasonable...stuffing all that into a 1" thick plastic shell and making it look nice is **** hard.....but im sure IF Apple revises the design of the MB and MBP's cooling system, it's possible to have a cooler notebook.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Core_microprocessors
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Pentium_M_microprocessors

 

Interesting, good find. I still believe it is not truly overheating. You do not hear widespread problems caused by heat, just that the case is hot. If you look at Mac forums powerbook owners say that the case would get hot in the same fashion. It seems evident that Apple uses the case as part of the cooling system.

 

Just got mine on the 21st and I can say it gets hot, but I haven't had any stability issues. I even tried doing a updatedb and putting my micro to the top and did not crash so im not that worried

 

Yea, it supposedly does. I have never used a PowerBook, but the guy at the University Tech Center says that the MacBooks adn Pros are not running any hotter than his 15" PowerBook G4, and he said that the Apple design had the PowerBooks and MBPs using the case as a way to disperse heat. I checked, and the MBP that he had on dislay (2.0GHZ, 256mb X1600, W8606 Serial #) was running much cooler than my previos two notebooks, both of which ran on desktop CPUs.