Mac is overheating? What to do

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Whether it's the super-powerful Mac Pro or the thinnest, passively cooled MacBook, computers generate heat during operation, and there's no getting around it. This is normal as long as the temperature is within acceptable limits. But, if you hear the noise of a cooler working at full speed, and your hands start to burn with a warmed-up case, it's time to do something.

Laptops are primarily susceptible to overheating (due to their portability), but it is also not alien to monoblocks and stationary computers. So our advice will be useful to all, without exception, poppy breeders.

Why Mac is overheating

Before we start fighting overheating, we need to understand what it is. The reasons for the increased heating can be different, but in the case of Apple computers, it is usually a matter of too dense placement of internal components due to the compactness and lightness of the devices. Despite the increasing energy efficiency every year, when a large number of components are housed in a small case, heat generation inevitably increases. If you do not pay attention to the elevated temperature, then over time this will affect the life of the battery, and may also lead to damage to other components, such as the video chip.

How to avoid overheating

Check out resource-intensive applications

Mac apps are one of the biggest causes of overheating. Sometimes applications freeze or crash, loading the processor to the maximum and, as a result, causing increased heat generation. You can find hung and resource-intensive applications through the "System Monitor": all processes that consume more than 70% of the processor power are considered "gluttonous". If this is not the main tool you are working with at the moment, for example, Final Cut Pro, which renders the project, then it is better to complete the process. And the resources will be freed up, and the Mac will not be warming up so much.

Control the temperature

Temperature monitoring is very important if this is not the first time you notice the roar of coolers and burn your knees with a "hot" aluminum case. You can navigate by these signs (fan speed and case heating), but it is better to use a special monitoring tool.

One of the best profile utilities is iStat Menus 5. It provides the most detailed monitoring of all system parameters, including the temperature from all installed sensors. Additionally, it can be used to adjust the speed of coolers, as well as find out which applications are loading the processor.

Place your Mac on a solid surface

Seemingly banal advice, which is still neglected by many. Whether you work in bed or sit on soft pillows on the couch, you will almost certainly get the heat effect depending on the intensity of the work. This is because the air vents are blocked and the natural circulation of air around the Mac case, which is also a large additional heatsink that dissipates heat, is disrupted.

Therefore, if it is not possible to work at a desk, try to place the computer on solid surfaces. In bed, you can use a special stand, a table or just a large book placed on a pillow.

Avoid heat sources and poor ventilation

The previous tip was for MacBook owners, and this one is for iMac and Mac Pro owners. Some users do not attach importance to the correct location of their desktops, but in vain. For example, do not push your iMac tightly against a wall, as this will interfere with natural ventilation. Don't hide your Mac Pro under a desk or in tight shelves. There is no need to place computers near radiators, fireplaces or any other heat source. In addition, it is not recommended to use your Mac in rooms with temperatures above 35 ° C.

Don't forget about prevention

No matter how clean your room or office is, it still has dust that collects in your Mac's cooling system. Therefore, it is very important to regularly clean the dust - especially if you often work on the go - and replace the thermal paste. If you don't, dust will eventually clog the slots of the thermal interface radiator (or even the ventilation holes), and your Mac will turn into a noisy stove, which will not turn out to be anything good for you or for it.

You can clean the dust on the ventilation openings with a soft brush or a vacuum cleaner, having previously reduced its speed to a minimum. About once a year, your Mac should be cleaned with disassembly or at least removing the lid.

Bonus

"Tips are good," you say, "but with them, everything is clear anyway." What if my Mac gets warm while doing work tasks? How to reduce heating and its consequences in case of regular exercise?

Do not neglect regular warming up even up to 80–90 ° С. This is not a critical temperature, but if it lasts for several weeks or more, there is a possibility of negative consequences. Let me give you an example from my own experience. On my old MacBook Pro, I worked with text and photos, rarely loading it full. For 3, 5 years, I "specifically" loaded it only twice: during the passage of Diablo III and when editing the accumulated family video in FCP (both times in the evenings for several weeks). It would seem that it is not such a big load, but after two years it backfired with the failure of the video chip. On the new MacBook Air, I no longer do this, but do it differently.

Apple computers work with an emphasis on user comfort, so the cooling system begins to actively work when they reach relatively high temperatures. Usually coolers are not heard at all up to 70–75 ° С, and only then they start to spin up. You can change this behavior with the excellent free Macs Fan Control app.

We just need to select the required fan (if you have more than one) and change its control method by clicking the button "Based on the sensor". Next, we select the option "Based on the sensor" and select the hottest component (for me it is CPU Core, since the graphics are built-in). It remains only to set the maximum temperature and the temperature at which the cooler speed starts to increase. For me it is 65 and 45 ° C, respectively. The utility can be added to autostart at system startup and forget about overheating problems altogether.

By following the tips above, you will surely lower your Mac's temperature, which in turn will keep you from worrying about overheating. As a rule, simple common sense and periodic monitoring are sufficient for this. If the described recommendations did not help you and the Mac continues to roar and heats up like an oven, do not tighten it and contact the service center.