It is natural for all computers, desktop, laptop and even hybrid devices to generate heat when they are used. The Apple Mac is no exception. Whether you use the new MacBook, Mac Pro or an iMac, the device will generate heat. When the heat stays within acceptable limits, you need not be worried. However, you may find your Mac is heating up uncomfortably and hear the fan inside is whirring like a monster sometimes. When it does happen, it is time to take steps to resolve the overheating issue!
Why Your Mac is Getting Overtly Hot
Before you get into action for cooling down your Macbook Pro or iMac, it is essential to know the reasons behind overheating.
There can be several reasons. However, Apple is essentially making all of its Mac desktops and laptops more compact and svelte with time. When so many components are placed inside a small chassis and body, the heat generation can go up. When you overlook commonplace Mac heating issues, the result can be detrimental. Apart from performance hiccups, the battery life can get adversely affected. In the long run, hardware components can get damaged too.
Ways To Tackle Mac Overheating Issues
Below listed are the top ways to tackle a Mac that is heating up excessively.
- Monitoring The Temperature – It is important that you keep an eye over the Mac you use for detecting heating issues. While MacBook users can feel underside of the laptop getting really hot and iMac users can hear the fans whirring rapidly, these are not enough. You should ideally install MAC specific temperature monitoring software. These apps help you obtain information on various aspects related to the computer’s inside temperature. Examples are TG Pro and iStat Pro. You can pick from free and paid apps in this regard. As it is, such apps alert you when the inside temperature exceeds safe limit or the fan RPM drops.
- Using the Mac on Right Surface – This is a basic but vital measure to keep the Macbook’s temperature within safe limits. A lot of users find their MacBook Pro heating up simply because they keep it on surfaces like bed, couch. When you do so, the heat vents get blocked and the device becomes overtly hot. So, it makes sense to place the MacBook on a level surface, such as table or floor. When that is not possible or you are using it in flight or car, use a cooling pad to avoid overheating.
- Avoiding Heat Sources and Ensuring Proper Ventilation – Some users, especially those who use iMacs or Mac Pros are oblivious to the heating sources at times. If you keep the iMac in such a way that heat vents are placed too close to the wall, it may get hot. Keep any Mac away from all sources of heat. Avoid using the Mac in a place where room temperature is above 35 degrees Celsius.
- Eradicating Dust and Dirt – MacBook and Mac Pro users, especially those who are heavy users, often fail to notice dust and dirt has accumulated on heat vents of their computers. Dust is a big enemy of any computer. When the heat vents of your MacBook Pro get blocked by accumulating dust, it will turn hotter than usual. Make it a habit to clean the keyboard, heat vents and ports on your Mac with a fine brush. You may also use small vacuum cleaners and low speed setting.
- Getting Rid of Runaway Apps – If there is any runaway app on your Mac, this can lead to heating. This basically denotes an app caught in a loop. Such an app depletes battery faster and puts strain on the CPU, resulting in overheating. You can find such apps by opening the Activity Monitor and choosing All Processes> CPU. Any app that consumes over 70% of the CPU resources can be called a runaway app. Quit the app to bring down system temperature.
Summing it Up
Performing the aforementioned steps is likely to resolve your MacBook or iMac overheating issues. Apart from bringing down system temperature, these steps serve the purpose of preventive maintenance! However, a Mac that continues to get overheated after trying all the steps requires intervention of Apple support.