MacBook Pro 13" (keeping it cool while watching videos??)

Is there a way to keep my Macbook Pro 13" cool while I watch videos online? I already have it on a cooling pad and when I am watching videos online it gets as hot as 91*cel/194*fer Is there anything that I can do to get it to run cooler while playing games or watching video online?

 

There isn't much that can really be done aside from what you are alread doing. My 2011 13" model gets pretty toasty when watching Flash videos. I normally operate it in clamshell mode hooked up to my HDTV but I always open up the display when I hear the cooling fan click in. The funny thing is that can fire up a 1080p h.264 mkv video and the cooling fans won't turn on at all yet a 480p Flash video causes it to warm up.

The cooling pad isn't going to do much though as the MBP's vent (assuming you have a 2010 or 2011 model) is located at the display hinge. A cooling pad is just blowing slightly cooled air at the outer aluminum and not actually into the MBP.

 

get one of those window fans and stand it behind your macbook so it blows into the hinge. =p

 

Yeah I am a 2010 MBP 13" and I am using a Swissgear dual fan cooling pad. I do notice a difference when I am using it. Just when watching online videos it goes back up. Since there isnt much that can be done, is it possible to re-paste the CPU or GPU heat sink?

 

I resorted to handing my husband my bottomplates and having him drill holes in them.

 

Yeah I dont think I want to go that route and have holes in the bottom of my MBP. To risky for me. LOL

 

I was randomly surfing the net yesterday and came across something that is actually a cooling pad. It doesn't have any fans but rather some type of electrical cooling system which conducts (via touch) the lower temperature to metal cased notebooks. It was around $100 so I didn't even think about it. Also, given the humidity where I live, I would hate for any condensation to build up on or in my MBP. It was also designed for computers that attach to our machines but it could be used with a notebook.

I think I also came across some ceramic solution but it relied more on absorbing any heat rather than actually cooling it.

The best solution I have come across is my current setup. I have my MBP on a metal corner shelf unit. It sits on the third shelf (there are four total) and air can pass freely below and above the MBP. I have a small desk fan that sits right next to it and blows cool air directly into the back of my MBP (like what has already been described). I then keep the lid open (closing the lid, starting clamshell mode, and opening the lid won't turn the built-in display back on) so warm air can escape through the keyboard. I think I have heard the cooling fan come on once or twice with this setup and that was when I had HandBrake going encoding a video (which was relying on both cores and all four threads of my processor).

 

that seems excessive.. my 2010 13", and my current 2011 17" get no where near that just playing videos, flash or otherwise... maybe into the 70s max, but 91? never... it barely does that when the machine is maxed out, not just playing a video or two.

 

Well my MBP 13" got as hot as 93*cel/207*fer before the fan kicked on. Once the fan kicked on it went down to 87*cel/190*fer These numbers were all while I was watching online video. Is that the normal range? Can I do a re-paste on the CPU/GPU?

 

a peltier cooler? it would DEFINITELY not be portable. the amount of juice those things can pull is just too great for notebooks. not to mention the size of the heatsink

 

The OP never mentioned about wanting a portable solution. I was just throwing out other types of cooling pads I have come across. I don't think it was a peitier cooler either as it was something specific from the manufacturer of the data collection unit sitting in one of our RO machines (though it might have been a re-branded as many manufacturers in this type of industry do that).

 

maybe someone already mention this.
since the fans start to spin at appropriate speed a little bit late, you may try use smcFanControl to cool it down.

just giving out alternative.

 

Is it safe to use smcFanControl? If I turn the RPM up to high will it damage my MBP?

 

What part of it gets to 91C? That's on the upper end of safe, I'd be concerned. I hear some of this years MBP's had incorrectly applied thermal grease, it could be that. Maybe talk to someone in an Apple store.

 

I'm not confirmed whether it will damage the MBP or not, but until now, I never heard someone damage their fans due to smcFanControl (if anyone has the bad experience with smcFanControl, do share). anyway, its not likely you will be running in higher rpm all the time. only when viewing those video or when the temp reading is higher correct?

if you worry about the default rpm speed, you can always just quit the smcFanControl and shutdown. the next time you turn on the mbp, it will use the default speed unless you have the smcFanControl running as default startup item.

I'm currently have two smc fan software installed. one is smcFanControl (rarely use since my cpu hardly reach 60 when youtubing , lotsa of tabs, itunes. ranging at 40 ~ 50), another one is Lubbos (for bootcamp. very useful when I need to gaming. love the min and max threshold option).

 

My MBP 13" is a 2010 model.
CPU A Temp Diode gets to 91c CPU Core 1 gets to 87c and CPU Core 2 gets to 85c

 

something else is going on with yours.. maybe you need to pop the bottom and clean out some dust bunnies. I have a 13" 2010 model and it runs very cool. I've never seen it hit 90 even when gaming.. it usually maxes out in the high 80s at most.

 

Well I opened up the bottom panel and there wasnt alot of dust built up on the fan. But I got some Blast away dust remover and blew out whatever was there and also all around the board. Nothing really came out. I am still having the same problem.

Here is a picture of my temps that it is showing while the online video is playing.

 

does yours also run hotter when playing 720p/1080p Flash (88C+) than playing games (70-85 C)?

 

I havent tried to play any games on it yet. But yeah, when I am playing flash video online 720p/1080p it gets to those temps I posted.