Benchmark test finds Core i7-based MacBook Pro reaches over 100 degrees celcius

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Date: Monday, April 26th, 2010, 05:57
Category: MacBook Pro, News

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As nifty as the new Intel Core i7-based MacBook Pro notebook is, the days of the toasty lap may have returned. According to a series of tests run by PC Authority, Apple’s new notebook was found to climb over 100 degrees Celsius when running the Cinebench application.

In the tests, the notebook’s metal shell proved ineffective at dissipating the heat as well as the similarly-equipped Fujitsu Lifebook SH760, which finished the same test at 81 degrees, and actually required PC Authority to run the MacBook Pro on its side to complete certain tests. The site thinks that Apple’s cooling solution may be inadequate for a Core i7.

If you’ve snagged the new MacBook Pro and have any feedback to offer on its operating temperatures (or heat dissipation tips), please let us know.

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  • 1001happy

    Incredible… 100°C is the temperature when water starts boiling (at sea level altitude). Now that's becoming reaaaally hot. Apple, do something!

  • ppd

    I have a 17″ MBP Core i7 and it generally runs *much* cooler than my previous machine, a 17″ MBP C2D.

  • Martin

    I have had my 15 in MBP core i7 and after prolonged use find it runs much cooler than my previous version. I have been using it for photoshop and other processor intensive tasks.

  • ianeisenberg

    This “study” is highly flawed and totally incorrect.

  • WG

    Runs cooler than any other of my Mac laptops

  • WaltFrench

    Echoing the experience of the others: my new 2.66 MBP is an utter delight to use up close and personal. The much higher throughput per watt means that comparable work—browsing or even my compute-intensive math, photo- and music-editing stuff— all runs net MUCH cooler.

    Regards the PCA article: meh. Long on attitude and short on analysis. I won't accuse them of cooking up phony tests but the writing and results wouldn't have been much different if they had. “Never assume dishonesty when incompetence is a possibility.” FYI, some of the obvious shortcomings that allowed them to cook up ;-) a scare headline.

    * The 100 degree result was for running under Windows, probably disabling Apple's carefully-worked-out GPU switching skill. OSX, the first choice of most MBP buyers, ran cooler.

    * The comparison Fujitsu was a 13″ laptop with a much less capable, and much lower-power GPU. (Fewer than half the pixels and still negative reviews for its mediocre gaming.) Between the CPU and GPU, the MacBookPro is spec'd for almost twice the thermal output and (I'll guess since PCA didn't show it), more than twice the throughput on graphics tests.

    * Why run Cinebench—a test based on heavy-duty 3D and rendering graphics—comparing a bantamweight against the heavyweight, and NOT report the actual work done, but only the amount of side-effect heat? A first-round KO and you're proud that the bantam sipped less water? Yes, it would matter if ordinary use causes high temperatures. But that's not what was reported, nor the experience of everybody who's chipped in here. I can't think of any graphics pro type who'd be happier for a cooler device that got no work done during a short battery life, versus one that worked hard and then got on with other things. Even if it got as hot as PCA forced it to do.

    In other words, O'Grady's readers can report the opposite of what was reported at the rat-ass PC Attitude site that O'Grady steered its users to: the MBP runs cool and quiet, performing like a champ while it does. It's a delight to use.

    Even for hours on my laptop.

  • Konker

    Is it too powerful?? My 15″ i7 stays at about 38 degrees C when surfing the internet and the CPU stays at only at 1% to 3% utilisation. When I watch a video the temp goes into the 40s and the CPU goes only to about 7 or 8%. I feel like it is too powerful for my needs. Perhaps I should have got a PC instead. Maybe I have bought a luxury car when a Trabant will do me just as good.

  • http://danlobo.co.uk Dan

    I always thought their are issues running Windows under Boot Camp. Is the heat issue one of them?

  • Pinmouth Gallantry

    I have a brand new 15 inch macbook pro with the 2.3ghz i7 quad core..the thing absolutely screams, and an added benefit is I no longer have to heat my office. Last night my wife and I chuckled as we sat around the molten aluminum blob after encoding Due Date. Can I pour cool water on my new MBP? I think it thirsty! LMNMBP! -Chuckles- you da man Walttoast