Should I be worried about 98°C CPU temperature on MacbookAir?
I'm a developer and often times I need to compile some packages or maybe even run some codes for couple of hours.
Recently I have noticed that whenever I use Homebrew to install something, it defaults to source, and compilation causes my CPU temp to go around 98 Celsius . Some of the compiles are quite long, couple of minutes, and I'm worried this might harm my MacBookAir.
- Should I be worried about this 98°C CPU temperature on MacbookAir?
- And if so, how can I fix that?
Solution 1:
Michiel's correct in that if the computer gets too hot, it'll shut down automatically. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you can check out smcFanControl and Fan Control.
smcFanControl:
smcFanControl lets the user set the minimum speed of the build in fans. So you can increase your minimum fan speed to make your Intel Mac run cooler. However in order not to damage your machines smcFanControl doesn't let you set a minimum speed to a value below Apple's defaults (MacUpdate).
Fan Control
Some MacBooks and MacBook Pros are just to hot for daylong use. Fan Control adjusts the minimum fan speed depending on the current CPU temperature. For safety, it leaves the original automatic fan speed control intact (lobotomo).
And remember, if your computer ever gets to 660.4°C, don't leave it on your lap, unless you want liquid aluminum all over you.
UPDATE:
I found another tool called CoolBook that
lets you monitor the frequency, voltage and temperature of the CoreDuo / Core2Duo CPU. Registered users can also change the frequency and voltage of the processor.
Here's a list of features that are listed on the site:
- Reduce heat (presumably by optimizing fan speed)
- Reduce fan speed (presumably by lowering fan speed)
- Extend battery life
- Improve performance
- Fine tune your CPU
This seems like a useful tool, but it does not support Lion and Mountain Lion, and does not work on Intel i3, i5, and i7 processors.
Solution 2:
A MacBook Air gets hot, just like any other laptop, although 100°C is relatively hot (if not, almost the maximum a Mac can handle).
There are reports where users complain about their MacBook Air temperature flirting with 100°C, so you're not alone.
Things you can do to prevent getting the Mac too hot is making sure you haven't covered his ventilating holes. Place it on a flat, hard surface (no lap, pillow or blanket as developers tend to do. At least, that's what I do once in a while :-)).
Other things you can do is make sure you don't run too much applications at the same time, or you could use a laptop stand to get extra fresh air under your Mac.
Or if it's really bothering you, you can always invest in a professional laptop cooler.
What you should keep in mind is the MacBook Air will shut itself down when there is any chance of damage. So you've got nothing to worry about. Your Mac won't get harmed.