My workaround solution for the mbp heat issue

Hey guys,

Just thought I'd share a strategy that works for me, when it comes to reducing the temp for the mbp.

YOu need two things. Please keep in mind that method requires you to invest in a few things.

1) Bluelounge Cool Feet - 13$
Bluelounge - Cool Feet: Airspace for hot laptop

2) Targus Chill Hub XC - 40-50$
| AWE01US1 | by Targus


Method:

1) Attach the cool feet podiums to the corners of the mbp and keep in mind that the positions of these podiums should correspond to the corners of the cooling pad.

2) Place the cooling pad on your desk and place the mbp on top of it. Make sure it doesnt wobble on the cooling pad (the podiums will hold the mbp in place).

3) you can connect the cooling pad to the mbp via usb however, if u feel that you need to keep some of the ports free then just connect the usb cable to a plug (that has a usb port).

4) The two fans run on either medium or high setting. So depending on the temp of your mbp you can switch between the two.

Q) Why cant I just forget about the coolfeet podiums and just place the machine on top of the cooling pad?

Well I have tried this but the temperature drop was only around 5-10c and if you use the podiums then there is an air space sperating the bottom of the machine and the top of the cooling pad. Hence, there is sufficient space for air circulation. By this method the temp dropped by nearly 15c.


The major benefit of using this method is that there is no need for using SMC fan control. From my research I found that the life span of the in-built fans on ur mbp will be significantly reduced if you were to use SMC.

Prior to using this method I found that I can nearly fry an egg on top of my my mbp, especially on the left hand corner. But now, its pretty much cool to the touch.

Please note that, This not a 100% scientifically proven method. I thought of sharing this since It worked for me quite well. So if you were to buy these said items and you find that the method failed miserably, then please dont send me hate mails. Please use this method at your own risk.

Hope this helps with your heat issues.

 

I used four wooden spools from Michael's stores ($1.50 each) and a Radio Shack USB fan on closeout for $8.95. The laptop sits on the spools and the fan runs underneath the laptop. The fan speed is adjustable.

 

wow thats a much cheaper option. were you able to notice any difference in your temps afterwards?

 

I only use it when doing video editing on my system and, yes, it is noticeably cooler (my subjective opinion). My daughter uses this setup with her MacBook Pro all the time. Note that we use external keyboards and mice as you can't really type comfortably with it so high off the table.

 

cool Im in the same situation. I use my external trackpad and keyboard. Oh well guess you have to loose a bit to win something

 

I have always just used 2 pop bottle tops to fit around the rubber stopper on the back bottom. Works like a charm. But I have also machined holes underneath my MBP fans, so they actually pull more air through. My system runs underload about 15c cooler. I have had this done to 2 MBP's for well over a year on one, and about 8 months on another i7 version.

 

Thats kool. would you happen to have a pic of that?

 

That is an awesome idea, I think I'm going to have to get a spare bottom plate! and yes, pics would be great.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/app...tle-underside-case-mod-big-temp-decrease.html

I have done this mod a few times as well, works fantastic

 

Look interesting for my MBP because playing SC2 in 4vs4 matches sometimes the temps goes up to 80c with the fans at +5000RPM.

Exactly what you used to drill those holes? Im considering to buy another plate only to test (i want to survive with this MBP 2-3 years and i dont want some dead mobo before caused by heat problems).

 

I used a CnC router unit that I have access to, I believe newfie just used a center punch and a drill.

that aluminum is not too hard to drill you can even do a fine hole pattern with a dremmel

 

My MBP 13 only gets hot, extremely hot when I do anything on it while it's charging. The whole left side burns up. I try to avoid doing anything while it's charging. With the great battery life I can usually get through a whole day without having to risk using it while charging and burning my leg. I wish there was a software fix or fan fix that Apple could issue but that doesn't seem likely this late in the game.

 

by charging do you just mean plugged in?

charing is when the light on the power is amber... when its green its not charging, its just running off wall power and bypassing the battery.

I don't notice a temp difference in mine when its just plugged in and running without actually charging.... but you can always offset and keep it super cool controlling the fans yourself... still the 13" runs cooler than the 15's and 17's. it feels really hot but is usually still just at 70 - 75 C

 

I don't see why these workarounds are necessary, assuming they're talking about the uMBP models. As long as they are cleaned for dust and the laptop isn't running on a bed and charging, overheating should not occur. These "solutions" are missing the real problem.

 

I have three 2008 MBPs and a cooling solution does help to keep temperatures down under heavy CPU/GPU load.

 

My temps never climb over 80C in SpeedFan, even when gaming for hours in Win 7 Bootcamp.

My MBP also never feels very hot or anything on the top, only on the bottom, and even then not scalding or anything. Plus I have a case on it (that has breathing holes).

Am I just lucky in this regard? My Dell runs a billion times hotter than this thing.