How To

MacBook Pro Overheating? How to Fix it

Written by John

During use MacBooks and other computers tend to be warm but at times overheating does happen. The latter is not an issue that should be ignored. If your MacBook Pro is extremely and is even hard to lay a finger on, you need to get help. How can you deal with MacBook pro overheating? Read on and learn how to take resolve this issue.

An overheating Mac should never be ignored. It should be corrected as soon as possible. It is risky to the well-being of the machine. The fans are particularly very noisy and the machine can crush. This can lead to the loss of unsaved data or worse, all the data in the Mac. The first thing to do is to find out what is causing the Mac to overheat. There are various methods you can use and we will be looking at them. Thereafter, we will look at different ways of fixing an overheating Mac.

First Steps in Stopping an Overheated Macbook Pro

1. Check the Macbook Pro’s Fan

The first and most noticeable signs of an overheating Mac is a noisy fan that runs on high speed all the time. The fan is always on, suddenly running more and makes a lot of noise. This is usually due to the overheating which causes the fan to try to work even harder to cool the machine. In other cases, the fan may be broken and not working properly. In the latter case, replacing the fan may be all you have to do to solve the problem.

2. Check Activity Monitor

Check Activity Monitor

A runaway app is one that uses up too much of the resources the Mac has. These are often in a caught in a pool where they drain CPU, memory and power resources leaving other apps with little to use. These usually cause Mac’s speed to reduce and later on overheating starts. To check these runaway apps and stop them you can use the activity monitor.

To open this, go to "Applications" then "Utility" then "Activity Monitor". Once there, click on the CPU column and check for apps that are using up more than 80% of the CPU. These are the ones causing the laptop to overheat. Double click on these apps and click on quit. You will notice an instant improvement in performance and the laptop will cool down.

3. Using Third-Party App

Cleanmymac on Mac

CleanMyMac 3 is an app that has many user-friendly tools. These are very handy in ensuring that the Mac remains at its optimum performance. To deal with the issue of MacBook Pro overheating, CleanMyMac has a tool that can be used to check the temperatures. This way you can know when to take action. CleanMyMac also allows users to set a smart health alert that notifies them when the temperatures are not so "healthy".

How to Fix MacBook Overheating Issues

1. Reset SMC

Reset SMC

The system management controller (SMC) in your Mac is responsible for controlling, among others, the thermal management of your MacBook and Mac fan control. Therefore, resetting it could actually solve your MacBook Pro overheating problem. You need to reset SMC when you have fans running a high after High Sierra update or even for no reason at all. How do you reset it?

1. Shut down the Mac by using the Apple Menu.
2. When completely shut, press "shift+option+control" keys on the keyboard and the power button simultaneously. Hold for 10seconds.
3. Release all keys.
4. Power the Mac up by pressing the power button and the SMC will have been reset.

2. MacBook Hardware Test

Faulty fans will not do their job of cooling the computer and the result is an overheated Mac. How do you check Mac’s Fans to know if they are working effectively or not?

1. Remove all peripheral devices and switch the Mac off.
2. Power the Mac on and press the key "D" on the keyboard. This will open the Apple Hardware Test or Apple Diagnostics depending on the Mac you are using.
3. A test will be carried out and the results of hardware state given.
4. Reference codes related to the cooling fan will be seen starting with PPF. If you see any of these, take the laptop to a service provider and you will get further advice on what to do.

3. Remove Apps using High Resources Using Activity Monitor

An overheating Mac could be due to one "naughty" app that is "selfish" and wants to keep all the resources to itself. Stopping this app will resolve the issue of an overheating MacBook Pro.

The process of using the activity monitor to remove runaway apps using the activity monitor has been described above. However, it is important to note that this process does not remove the app from the machine. It only stops it from running. This is often enough to correct overheating issues but if the app keeps misbehaving it is best to uninstall it.

4. Use Energy Saver Settings

In the energy saving mode, some apps will not be run unless it is really necessary. This means that energy will be saved and with the computer running a few apps, overheating will be resolved. In particular, switching the video cards preferences so the one running is the one that drains the battery slower helps cool the computer.

Energy Saver Settings

To adjust energy saver settings, go to "System Preferences" from the Apple menu. Then click on Energy Saver and choose to automatically switch graphics modes and other power saving modes.

5. Clean MacBook Pro Fan

With time dust and dirt accumulate on your Mac’s parts including the keyboard, motherboard, and fans. When the fans are covered in dirt and dust, they are unable to cool the machine effectively. They need to be cleaned and they will most probably regain their efficiency. Use something that can blow off the dirt on the blades and a dry piece of cloth to wipe off the dust from vents.

6. Disable Flash

Flash videos and advertisements are very demanding and often load automatically. What this means is that they take up too many resources of the computer causing overheating. The simple solution is to disable flash in the browsers that you use.

The steps to disabling flash differ depending on the browser you are using. However, this is usually a plugin that can be easily disabled as would any other plugin. In Safari, use the Preferences tab to disable flash.

7. Stand for MacBook Pro

Ventilation is very important in the heating and cooling system of your MacBook Pro. Overheating is often due to poor ventilation, that is, the hot air vented out by the fan has nowhere to go to and roams inside and near the Mac causing it to overheat.

The solution is to get a stand that is specifically designed for the MacBook Pro. This will have vents in all parts that let hot air out and this will lead to better ventilation which solves the issue of overheating.

8. Remove Malware

Malware is one of the main causes of overheating in Macs. You can introduce viruses, worms and other kinds of malware to your computer by shared drives, online browsing, and many other methods. Though different malware has different effects on your computer, most cause the computer to slow down and overheat. Removing this and any other malware will bring the Mac back to low temperatures of operation.

How do you remove malware? Get a reliable anti-malware application that is capable of keeping your computer clean. Choose one that will not only remove existing malware from your MacBook Pro but also prevent any future attacks.

Bottom Line

With so many solutions to your MacBook overheating, there is no reason why you should just sit there with a Mac that is scorching to the thighs and emitting noise as loud as that of a plane taking off. Promptly look into what may be causing the overheating and then resolve it using an ideal method. No matter what is causing the excess heat, you will surely find a solution from the ones above. If one method does not work, try the rest and you will eventually resolve the issue. You will be able to enjoy a cooler and quieter Mac within a short while.

3 Comments

  • This is garbage, no matter what I do I am always having problems with overheating MacBooks, it doesn’t matter if it’s brand new or a bit older this is an issue apple has refused to fix because they know you will just go buy a new computer to fix it. Theses solutions do not fix the problem

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