Temperature tolerance of MacBook Pro?

We are planning a project in Death Valley national park for mid-July or August, and I am trying to find out if my laptop is going to get fried out there (literally), or if i will be able to use it during the trip (we are shooting video and plan is to digitize and edit in the evenings). Does anyone know if there is a maximum external temperature beyond which it just doesn't work...? thanks!

The only temp that will force a shutdown is if the CPU hits about 100 C (212 F)... the boiling point of water. While under normal circumstances the CPU will not get this hot even under a heavy load... that is somewhat dependent the ability of the internal fans ability to keep the system cool. If you're going to be in 120 F climates... that doesn't give nearly the cooling that say a 70 F room would. Apple's official specs state the following:
# Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
# Storage temperature: -13° to 113° F (-24° to 45° C)
# Relative humidity: 0% to 90% noncondensing
I would expect you would easily exceed the 95 F mark during mid July or August in Death Valley... being the hottest possible time of the year to be there. You're looking at temps that would likely climb higher than even the "storage" tolerances. LCD panels can also run into issues at high temps in these ranges... although they will usually revert to properly functioning when they cool down.
Unless you absolutely must have you MacBook with you... I would suggest an inexpensive netbook. Besides the heat... you have sand and dust to contend with as well. It's really about the worst environment for a notebook short of a lake.

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Temperature of your macbook pro

hi guys,
can I know what's your normal and highest temperature of your macbook pro
the late 07 15'' macbook pro, the one right before the unibodies.
??

The highest temp I've seen is just under 180F when trying the "Prey" demo. Usually stays around 120-140F in normal usage (browsing, spreadsheets, etc). It will hit around 155 when watching TV show episodes via the internet. Watching video podcasts in Front Row will seldo runthe temps ove the "normal" range.
I'm very conscious of the heat and take care to never block the bottom of the case or the exhaust vent at the display hinge on the rear edge. Some people use these computers on pillows, blankets, or in their lap and loose the beneficial effects that the case bottom affords, It's designed as a big heat sink--let the air get to it. I also do not run the MBP with the lid closed when it's attached to an external monitor. A lot of heat can escape through the keyboard.
If you are not blocking the case bottom or vents and are still getting overheating, it's time to check Activity Monitor (AM) to see if you have any runaway processes. If you've not run AM before, you need to change the "show" option form its default of "User Processes" to "All Processes." Click the "%CPU" column to sort by processor usage. With no user applications running, the top percent reading should be under 5-10.
The "Prey demo caused excessive writing to system.log and that ran my temps up, even after closing the program. Something bad going on there. I removed the demo completely, cleared system.log and all was sweet again.

What are the maximum temperatures for my MacBook Pro?

I have this MacBook Pro (3,1). I know there are maximum temperatures at which the system will shut itself down in order to prevent damage. I know this because I have seen it happen a couple of times
When I run Windows, apparently the OS doesn't care to throttle power in order to reduce dangerous heat like Mac OS X does. I now have a program that monitors CPU and GPU heat when I run Windows 7, and it will sound an alarm if they reach a pre-set ceiling.
My question is, how do I know what the emergency shutdown temperature is so I can set the alarm limit appropriately (low enough to trigger before catastrophe, but high enough that it doesn't trigger when things are still okay)?
This page from Intel seems to be telling me that the CPU should not go above 100°C ...does that seem like the number I'm looking for?
Nvidia doesn't seem to say anything about temperatures on the product page. User forums seem only to speculate on what is or isn't safe with no real specifications to back them up.
How can I find these numbers, either from Intel & Nvidia, or from Apple? Or, is there a general ceiling that I can go by to make sure my alarm warns me before an emergency shutdown?

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How can i check the temperature of my macbook pro

Hi, my Macbook pro, purchased in November '13, seems to get quite warm when streaming videos or using skype. I understand that these are heavy on the VPU, but it seems to get a lot warmer than my other PC notebooks. The fan was audible for the first time ever today. Is there a trusted app that can be used to measure core temps?

There are many.
iStatPro is a widget for the Dashboard.
Temperature Monitor is one such app.
Google, try the app store.

What is the normal temperature for a MacBook Pro?

I have a mid 2010 2.4 ghz core i5 Macbook Pro. And i fell that the temperatures get really hot, i installed a application to check and the temperature of my machine is around 90 degrees Celsius after just using it for 15 mins and thats in higher RPM (4000 while default if 2000). Is that normal?

I.ahuja,
“normal Web surfing” can be GPU-intensive; for example, watching videos is a GPU-intensive task.
Regarding the benefit, again, it depends on one’s typical use. If you run apps which are disk-bound, then replacing the HDD with a SSD would be of benefit.

Operating Temperature Limit for MacBook Pro

The specifications, for MacBook Pro, mention that the operating temperature is 10 to 35 Deg C. Does it mean that MacBook Pro will not function above 35 Deg C? Is it recommended to operate MacBook Pro always in an air-conditioned environment? As I plan to buy for the 1st time, I seek an answer.

You will find that if you use applications that are CPU intensive the internal temperature can go over 100 C. This actually is within the safe operating parameters of the MBP. Should the temperatures become excessive, there are heat sensors that will activate a shutdown so that no damage will occur.
You might download from the Internet a utility called iStat pro that will show you the internal temperatures of your MBP and the fan speeds. You can then correlate this information with Activity Monitor data and determine if the temperatures are normal for the given circumstances.
Ciao.

Faulty temperature sensors on Macbook Pro Retina??

I got a Macbook Pro Retina 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 16GB ram with solid state driving running 10.8.2 about 3 weeks ago and for the most part it's run quiet, even when I would use it on my lap and it would get a little hot, the fans never got really fast. Last night I ran Folding@Home for the first time and the fans got really loud. Now, this didn't surprise me as I was using a program that probably uses a lot of the CPU. I shut down and left my machine off all night. This morning the fans turned on ~15 seconds after startup. No programs running, and the computer is on a cool surface and is cool to the touch, but the fans are going crazy. So and reset the SMC (at least I think I did, shut down, power cable in, held contro, option, l-shift and power for at least 10 seconds, although nothing happened that indicated that there was a reset). Problem persists. Computer is COOL, fans start up almost immediately. So I installed SMC fan control to monitor my temperature. Upon startup it read at room temp, then spikes up to 200 F and the fans jump up to ~4500 RPM. Now, there is NO WAY that my machine is that hot right when I start it up, it's completely cool to the touch and has been sitting on a marble table in a cool room. Has anybody else been having problems like this?

thanks for the reply. I ran the AHT by rebooting and holding D. While a ran the test there was no fan noise. The test found no probems. After restart the fans speed up again. Since my last post I've installed the iStat widget. My temperature (F) and fan speed readout is as follows:
HD: Macintosh... 112
CPU/ Heatsink     122
Airport Card          121
Enclosure Base     92
Enclosure Base 2     92
Enclosure Base 3     85
GPU                       140
GPU Diode               155
Right Fan          ~5500 RPM
Left Fan               ~5900 RPM

Color temperature issue on MacBook Pro Early 2011

From 10.8.1 I have a problem with my Macbook Pro.
When switching the video card from integrated to discrete, changes the color temperature of the monitor which is more blue.
The 10.8.3 does NOT solve the problem! I have read that the cause could be the Samsung SSD 830.
I have read several post but no one has found a solution!
How do you make it clear to Apple that this problem is widespread and ask for a fix?

I had the same problem - it lasted for about two weeks: I posted here, on the Photoshop forum (because, of course, the discrete card kicks in when you run Photoshop).
A handful of other users posted here and in the Photoshop forum as well. For most - if not all - of us, the problem just vanishes after a couple of weeks. I've no idea why - I only know that it occurs on a variety of models, that it's easily reproduced, and that it just simply 'goes away' after a while.
Give yourself at least two weeks - if you're still having the problem, call back.
There's no magic update or trick that I know of - you can, of course, use gfxCardStatus to use only the integrated card, but that's just a temporary fix until, well, the problem solves itself.
Clinton

High temperature problems with macbook pro 13"

hello all
it is my first macbook pro i am new on macOS, i i bought it since 5 months at Appel store
MacBook Pro
Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014
Processor 2.6 GHz Intel Core i5
Memory 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Graphics Intel Iris 1536 MB
Software OS X 10.9.5 (13F34)
however i remark when i play on Facebook game like criminal case or show video on youtube it seems that my laptop gets high temperature and my battery runs out quickly, is it normal behaviour ? i need advise there are any application can show me what internal temperature of my laptop ? what can i do to resolve this situation

is it normal behaviour ?
Yes. Videos are processor-intensive actions, and gaming is even more so.
There is nothing you need to do, other than provide adequate air circulation so that the MBP can dissipate heat properly. The aluminum case is specifically designed to do that, so it's normal for it to feel quite warm. Don't use cases or "skins" because they will impede heat dissipation, and don't be tempted to install some clever hack to make its exhaust fan run faster. That will just draw more needless dust inside.
If the MBP gets too hot it will reduce its processor load automatically, and if that fails to reduce its temperature it will simply shut down on its own.
You should consider upgrading to Yosemite. It's completely subjective but all my portable Macs seem to run cooler with Yosemite than they did with Mavericks. Their battery life is much greater though. That's not subjective, I measured it. If the battery life is greater they are almost certainly running cooler.
Back up your Mac prior to upgrading OS X, as a precaution against the unexpected. To learn how to use Time Machine read Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac - Apple Support.

What is a safe temperature for my Macbook Pro to be at before I should worry?

My laptop (Macbook Pro) has a temperature of about 55 degrees celcius. Is this a problem? Also, what is the temperature in which I should begin to worry about the laptop and it overheating.
Please answer.

No, it's probably not anything to worry about. If the computer becomes dangerously hot it shuts down automatically. Depending upon a specific model, CPU, what is loaded at the time the temperatures can range between 30º and 90º C. Playing certain games or performing processor intensive activities can drive up the operating temperatures. Keep the computer well ventilated, don't use it in a room where the air temp is about 85º F without very good external cooling, don't use it for long periods at very hight temperatures.

What is the hottest safe running temperature for a MacBook Pro?

So I've been having issues with my laptop crashing repeatedley and I ended up putting it down to overheating (from feeling the base/black strip) and do I downloaded a widget for dashboard which tracks CPU temperature and I'm runnin fairly consistently at 70-95, sometimes up to 103 degrees or so. Figure this can't be good for it, and from my reading it should be running at about 60 degrees or so. So how hot is too hot, and how do I go about cooling it more than the fans at 6300rpm?

The MacBook Pro isn't adverse to periods of high temperature, but it's always good to avoid them. 170 degrees F is an acceptable upper level, but you'll want to find ways to lower the heat.
1. Don't use your MBP on your lap. You'd be surprised how common this practice is; this raises the temperature of your laptop by twenty degrees, constantly. Use your MBP on a table.
2. Avoid intensive operations for long periods of time. It's okay to use your machine as it's supposed to be, but a MBP isn't a desktop computer. Intersperse high-temperature use with low-temperature to let your MBP cool a bit.
3. Download an application like SMC Fan Control http://www.eidac.de to help you manually increase the fan. If you have a more recent Mac, look for http://codykrieger.com/gfxCardStatus GFX Card Status, which allows you to moderate graphics use on your MacBook.

Poor battery life and high temperatures on MacBook Pro Retina 15"

I'm having never-ending problems with poor battery life and high temperatures on a MacBook Pro Retina 15"
I took it in for service and they told me it needed a new logic board and replaced it. When I asked why they were vague about the reasons, they said "it just needed one, it failed some test". I now have the computer back and it runs the same way it always did. I bought this laptop because it was supposedly capable of high end video editing in 1080P (or so Apple's website claims) and also photo editing.
"The processor, graphics, all-flash architecture, memory, and display in the 15-inch MacBook Pro give you unprecedented mobile video editing capabilities. Super-responsive flash storage delivers up to nine streams of 1080p ProRes (HQ) content for multicam editing in Final Cut Pro X,3 while the latest quad-core processors on the 15-inch MacBook Pro decode multiple streams of video, and a powerful GPU renders millions of pixels onto the screen. With flash storage that offers up to four times the performance of a traditional hard drive,1 you can even edit four streams of uncompressed 8-bit 1080p HD video, right from the internal storage on your 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.4"
However, when I'm just browsing the web and emailing it runs quite warm and battery life is quite poor. Sometimes doing those same activities I would say it gets so warm it's almost uncomfortable to have on your lap and the fans are running fast enough to become noticably noisy. I'm also driving only one screen at and a time and I heard that the MacBook Pro can supposedly do three screens.
If actually try to do something like video editing with final cut pro the laptop gets really hot, the fans are on full blast and battery life drops to only an hour or two. I think when I rendered just a 3 or 4 minute clip once I got less than hour of battery life. I will have to time again.
Anyway most people (including the sales guys) are telling me no way this is not normal. When I play with demos in the store browsing the web they are not getting warm or hot to the touch. My friend's 2013 MacBook Air is also NOT getting warm to the touch doing the same activities.
I installed iStat Pro so I could check the temperature and fan speeds. I'm seeing temperatures of 70+ on the GPU, 85+ on the GPU diode and 65+ on the CPU heatsink along with elvated fan speeds above 5K which becomes noticeably noisy. I understand that might be normal for the most processor intensive tasks but it really doesn't seem right for just light web browsing and e-mailing. (I also may have viber and skype open but that shouldn't matter). CPU usage is usually running between 2-10% as this is all happening to.
Furthermore, straight from the specs:
Intel HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching
I am assume "GPU" and "GPU diode" are temp measurements on the discrenete NVIDIA video card, especially since MacBook Airs from the same and newer generatio do not have this reading. Since Apple Claims the graphics "automatically switches" it seems all the harder to believe the GPU is reaching 85+ when in theory it shouldn't even be activated. I mean, shouldn't the INtel HD Graphics 4000 be capable of simple web browsing and e-mailing? Especially with only one screen activated (be it it the internal or an external)?
What should I do here? When I asked the repair guys "OK well what is the normal operating temp range for the various sensors" they said "Sorry Apple doesn't provide that info".

Yes I have.
Just web browsing and basically doing nothing I'm hear a lot of aduible fans, I'm getting 85C+ on GPU diode, 65+ on cpu heatsink. I since installed anohter program that shows me not just the CPU heatsink but the cores and the cores are at 90C+.
Seems like a lot of heat for doing nothing. Not only that but I have these problems with no external monitor while on battery power too.
I don't know what to do. They already replaced the logic board. Others seem to get advertised battery life out of Apple products and not have products that get **** near hot enough to burn you while just web browsing or watching a movie let alone advertised tasks like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro.

MacBook pro 1.86GHz Temperature Reading

I'm just curious on what you all think because to be honest after reading all the stories about temperature of the MacBook Pro I decided to get the kernel hack for reading the temperature sensor.
With the MagSafe plugged in, brightness turned to full and the Better Performance mode selected I used it for some general web browsing and Instant Messaging. Also did some basic video editing with video recorded on the iSight. Left all this running for about 10 minutes and took a temperature reading.
The reading came out as shown here:
60 Celsius or 140 Fahrenheit.
After leaving on same settings but idle and not doing anything I took another temperature read out and discovered it only dropped to 59 Celsius.
Are those temperatures within reason?
The area above the F keys are hot to touch and bordering on untoucheable. Likewise for the area on the underneat of the laptop.
Everywhere else on the chassis seems to be moderately warm.
What are all your thoughts on the above temperature read outs?

The heaviest load would have been video editing. Under such a load 60 C is reasonable. The subjective temperatures you felt on the metal strip behind the function keys and on the case bottom are typical.
59 C after an period of inactivity following video editing is a bit high but doesn't necessarily indicate a problem. But if you start with the computer at ambient room temperature, do nothing or only very light work and the CPU stabilizes at 59 C that's somewhat high unless your ambient temperature is rather high. Sleep your computer for a time until it cools down, then resume it and monitor the CPU temps while at idle or low load for a good while.
I use an aluminum tilt stand when my MBP is on my desk, or will be in my lap for an extended period of use.
Plugged in, my light-duty (writing and Web surfing) temperatures typically range from the mid 40s to low 50s C. My keyboard and trackpad are not warm and the left palm rest area is at or about body temperature. So the computer remains comfortable to use. The CPU temperatures for comparable activity drop by several degrees. When I'm doing web surfing I'm usually selecting material for download, which results in more activity than just web surfing alone.
Even when I'm doing heavier duty work that frequently pegs the CPUs my computer remains comfortable to use. So I don't have a heat problem.

Simple Questions regarding temperatures for MacBook Pro

Hey,
I just bought a brand new Macbook Pro Mid-2012 2.9 Ghz, i7 Processor, 8 GB of ram, and 750 HDD. It's my first Mac I've bought I'm switching over from an overheating windows laptop.
Now my Mac gets extremely hot under light usage. First thing I did is get iStat to measure temperature. I also went into an Apple Store to get diagnostics done to make sure all hardware, sensors, everything is working and that test passed. Although I realized my Macbook never goes down 100F. Is that normal? All I have open is safari, finder, and maybe a few other apps. I've checked activity monitor and don't see nothing to high. So is 100F normal?
Another issue I have is with Chrome. I used Google Chrome a lot on my windows and I want to on my MacBook too, although when using chrome it gets very hot and very high temperatures such as 170-190F. I've stopped using chrome and use safari, and now I'm at 120F. Why does Chrome do that, is there a fix?
Also, when watching youtube videos using flash I also get very high temperatures such as 150-170F.
So are these temperatures normal? What temperature should my MacBook Pro be at? And what are good temperatures to keep my MacBook Pro at, meaning not exceeding it.
I'd love any opinions and helpful responses.
Thanks,
Jai

Yeah I know there isn't a normal temperature but I meant an ideal temperature to keep it running at, which you did answer to thanks.
But here's the deal, I only have been web browsing so far not even mail, and I never go beneath 115F. Especially when using Chrome, my CPU get's used a lot and I reach unto 170F when using chrome, but on safari I can go down to 125F for web browsing only. As we speak I'm on 128F.
Is there anything wrong?
(I forgot to add that when I took it into an Apple Store, one of the geniuses told me not to use chrome as its eating up CPU and heating my MacBook and told me to use Safari, if I wanted to run my MacBook cooler)

Macbook Pro Retina Display MAXIMUM temperature?

What is the MAXIMUM CPU and GPU ( each individually ) temperature for the Macbook Pro Retina Display before it shuts down as a result of overheating?, an exact number if you would know.
And what is another app that can control the fans speed other than SMC FanControl and Speed Fan? ( One that ACTUALLY makes the computer obey the RMP you adjust ).
And finally, does Mountain Lion 10.8.1 consume more power and heat it more than other OS's ?
I know all about how the Mac itself knows how to manage the fans and all that, I just need the answers to those questions.
Thanks

JoeyR wrote:
I'm guessing he meant "RPM" and made a typo...
Perhaps; we'll have to wait and see.
But since his concern appears to be overheating (as is mine), I don't think he wants to slow the fans down.
I have found that if an older Mac is migrated to a newer Mac, the preference file may need to be either hacked or deleted and recreated to get the fan speed settings to behave properly. Perhaps that's what's going on.

Temperature tolerance of MacBook Pro?

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