Fake MacBook pro. How to Fix MacBook Pro Overheating

How to Fix MacBook Pro Overheating

It’s natural for a MacBook Pro or any Mac to become warm during normal use. But, if your MacBook is running very hot, it’s probably not okay.

There are many possible reasons out there. In this article, I’m going to show you some common causes, along with practical solutions on how to fix the MacBook Pro overheating issue.

I’ve been using MacBook Pros for ten years and have experienced this problem many times even on my new MacBook Pro. Hopefully, you’ll be able to solve the overheating problem by applying some of the techniques listed below.

• Why Does Mac Overheating Matter?
• How to Know Whether Your MacBook is Overheating or Not?
• MacBook Pro Overheating: 10 Possible Causes Fixes

• 1. Your Mac’s Got Malware
• 2. Runaway Apps
• 3. Softer Surfaces
• 4. Dust and Dirt
• 5. Web Pages with Flash Ads
• 6. SMC Needs to be Reset
• 7. Spotlight Indexing
• 8. Fan Control Software
• 9. Fake MacBook Charger
• 10. Bad Computer Habits

Why Does Mac Overheating Matter?

Nobody is comfortable working on an overly heated computer. It’s a psychological thing: We tend to be worried and panic when it happens. In reality, the main consequence is that your hardware (CPU, hard drive, etc.) can get damaged when exposed to constant overheating. Typical symptoms of this include slowdown, freezing, and other performance issues.

Even worse, your MacBook could shut down automatically if the temperature is really high. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that it protects your hardware from potential damage. The bad thing is that it can cause data loss.

How to Know Whether Your MacBook is Overheating or Not?

Frankly, there is no definitive way to know if your MacBook is just getting hot or overheating. The best way is to trust your instincts. When your Mac warms up to a point that makes you uncomfortable, it’s probably overheating.

Another way to quickly validate your judgment is by looking up the CleanMyMac Menu. You’ll know if it shows a “High disk temperature” warning.

By the way, CleanMyMac is a fantastic Mac Cleaner app that allows you to free up memory, remove unused apps, disable unnecessary login items, plugins, etc. which could help ease overheating issues and improve the overall performance of your Mac. Read our detailed review for more.

You might have been told to use a third-party app such as iStat or smcFanControl to monitor your Mac system stats, CPU temperature, or manage fan speed. Personally, I think that’s not a good idea for two reasons. First, they may not be accurate as you think. Here’s what Apple officially said in a support ticket:

“…these utilities are not measuring the external case temperature. The actual case temperature is much lower. Never use third-party applications to diagnose possible hardware issues.”

Secondly, fan speed control software actually has the potential to damage your MacBook. Because your Mac knows how to adjust the fan speed on its own when needed, manually overriding the speed setting could cause problems.

MacBook Pro Overheating: 10 Possible Causes Fixes

Please note: the solutions below apply to a Mac that is still operational when it heats up. If your MacBook Pro shuts down itself due to overheating and won’t turn on, wait for a couple of minutes until it cools off and then restart the machine.

Your Mac’s Got Malware

Yes, Macs can get spyware and malware. Although macOS has integrated security protection against malware, it isn’t perfect. Plenty of junk crapware and phishing scam software targets Mac users by bundling useless apps or redirecting you to fake websites. Apple names a few here. While it’s unlikely they cause serious system issues, they will tax your system resources, which can lead to overheating.

How to Fix It: Remove Malware.

Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as it sounds because it’s unrealistic to manually review each app and file you’ve stored on your MacBook Pro. The best option is to use an antivirus software like Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac.

Runaway Apps

Runaway apps, in other words, are third-party apps that demand more system resources (especially CPUs) than they should. These apps are either poorly developed or caught in a loop, which can drain battery power and CPU resources. When that happens, it’s just a matter of time before your MacBook starts overheating.

How to Fix It: Pinpoint the “Culprit” via Activity Monitor.

Activity Monitor is a built-in utility on macOS that shows the processes that are running on a Mac so users can get an idea about how they affect a Mac’s activity and performance. Click here for more info.

You can open the utility via Applications Utilities Activity Monitor, or do a quick Spotlight search to launch the app.

To figure out what is to blame for the increase in your MacBook Pro’s temperature, simply click the CPU column, which will sort all the apps and processes. Now pay attention to the percentage. If an app is using close to 80% of the CPU, it’s for sure the culprit. Feel free to double-click on it and hit “Quit.” If the app becomes unresponsive, try Force Quit.

Softer Surfaces

How often do you use your Mac laptop on a pillow or on your bed? What’s comfortable for you may not be wise for your MacBook. It’s a bad idea to put your Mac on a softer surface like that, as there will be inadequate air circulation under and around the computer. Even worse, because the fabric essentially absorbs the heat, it will make your Mac even hotter.

How to Fix It: Adjust Your Computer Habits.

Remember, sometimes the best solution is also the easiest. Place your Mac on a stable work surface. The four rubber feet on the bottom will ensure there is enough air circulation to dissipate the heat your Mac generates.

You may also want to get a laptop stand (recommendation: Rain Design mStand Laptop Stand, or this X-stand from Steklo) to elevate your MacBook Pro and cool it off better.

Also, check the “Pro Tips” section below for more tips.

Dust and Dirt

Similar to softer surfaces, dust and dirt in your Mac — especially in the fans — will make it warmer. This is because Macs rely on vents to dissipate heat. If the vents of your MacBook are filled with a lot of stuff, it’s bad for air circulation.

Don’t know where the vents are? On older MacBook Pros, they’re located in the hinge area right under your display and above the keyboard. The old Retina MacBook Pro also has vents on the underside.

How to Fix It: Clean Fans and Vents.

First, you can use a little brush to remove dust and dirt. You can also use compressed air, but be careful as it might damage your MacBook’s components. Be sure the compressed air doesn’t spit out any water.

For those of you who are using an old MacBook Pro, you can also consider opening it up and cleaning internal components like fans and CPUs. This video shows how:

Fake MacBook Charger

A normal charger for a MacBook Pro includes three main parts: AC power cord, MagSafe Power Adapter, and MagSafe connector. It’s always good practice to use the original ones that came with your Mac. If you bought one online, it could be fake and might not work well with your MacBook Pro, thereby causing the overheating problems and other issues.

How to Fix It: Shop from the Apple Online Store or Local Retailers.

It’s often not so easy to spot a fake MacBook charger, but this YouTube video shares a few awesome tips. Check it out. Also, try to avoid shopping from online marketplaces, other than the official store, for Apple components. Don’t be lured in by lower prices.

Bad Computer Habits

Every computer has its own limit. You should know what your MacBook Pro is and isn’t capable of. For example, if you are holding a 2015 model MacBook Pro with a spinning hard disk drive, chances are it won’t be powerful enough to deal with too many processes at the same time. If you run photo/video editing software as well as other apps simultaneously, it won’t take long for your Mac to heat up.

How to Fix It: Know your Mac and Treat It Nicely.

First of all, check Apple logo About This Mac System Report to get an idea of your computer’s hardware configuration, especially Memory, Storage, and Graphics (see the screenshot below). Try not to run too many apps unless you have to. Turn off fancy animations that may tax precious system resources. Restart more often, and let your Mac sleep for a while as you do.

Final Words

I hope you find this troubleshooting guide helpful. For Apple fans, MacBooks are like our working partners. Overheating issues aren’t good for your computer, surely you’re not happy about them.

Fortunately, the problem doesn’t occur for no reason. I’ve shown you then of those above, and their respective fixes. It’s unrealistic that you’ll implement all these solutions, and it’s very unlikely you’ll have to do so. However, they should give you some clues about what might be causing your MacBook Pro to run hot.

Any other tips you found that work great to fix the MacBook Pro overheating problem? Leave a comment and let me know.

89 Комментарии и мнения владельцев

In my case, it said the TuneIn app was causing coreaudiod to prevent sleep. Check that it is off. “pmset.g” can tell a lot! Also, add the “PreventingSleep” column to Activity Monitor. Reply

Bought this thing used a couple years ago and it’s been fine until now. That said, I’ve owned plenty of 70’s Chevys that took a LOT more (and were a lot more fun) to overheat. Thanks for all the advice and guidance I hope I can figure out where the thermostat is in this thing and where to add antifreeze. Reply

#2 about the runaway apps and the instructions worked immediately! There was one that was over 800% CPU that I had to force quit. As soon as I stopped it, my computer cooled down and now is not even warm! Thank you so much for your help! Reply

I recently bought a 4000 MacBook pro (October 2020). Whenever I connect the laptop to my external monitor (Apple monitor 24 inches, 2008 dvi model) the idle temperature goes from 35-40 to 60 degrees. The GPU AMD Radeon Pro 5500 is the component that heat up the most. I wait for instruction and an hardware/software fix. Reply

Thank you. The Mac installed email app was showing a crazy percentage in the Activity Monitor when I used the suggestion you shared in #2 above. Much appreciated and will keep the other suggestions in mind as well! Reply

Hi, Very helpful article! I noticed that you said that fan-controlling apps could hurt the computer, but I assume that this is only if the app limits the fans and makes them run slower than the built-in automatic control. So if it made the fans go to max rpm (for my own pleasure) when the built-in wouldn’t do anything then it wouldn’t hurt, right? Thanks in advance! Reply

I assume yes. But we never know. Max RPM can help avoid the overheating issue, but may cause other problems (especially those that are not so obvious). Reply

My MacBook Pro 2014’s fan was running continuously until I checked the Activity Monitor as suggested above. Most of the activity shown was caused by Google’s Backup Sync which was showing well over 100% of CPU’s time. The fan stopped immediately I quit this app. Just another reason to avoid letting Google get its claws into your computer. They’re worse than Apple! Thanks softwarehow.com Reply

Very helpful article/website. Thank you. I have a mid 2012 MacBook Pro still running Mavericks with 16 GB memory. 1. Can I use a vacuum attachment to suck out dust from the vents? 2. Should I upgrade my Mac to Mojave or a different OS? 3. I use the Mac for normal home activities-no gaming or other app hogging stuff Thank you for your assistance Reply

Yes, but do it with care. 2. Better see this Apple guide to confirm https://support.Apple.com/en-us/HT212551 3. Same here Reply

Wow… My MacBook Pro has returned to normal. THANK YOU. Issue solved, Runaway Apps was the trouble. Reply

I’ve been noticing my MacBook Pro overheating recently; it’s a little over a year old and I had the same problem with my old MBP (it was part of why I upgraded). I use my laptop 8 hours a day to work from home, and have been for the last 5 months straight due to Covid-19. Normally, I’d only used it for weekend shifts and worked in office the rest of the time. I’ve taken to setting my MBP on a towel-wrapped ice pack when the fans start whistling and it gets hot, ensuring that vents are still clear for proper ventilation, which has been working to quickly cool it. Will this method case damage to my internal components, and is a 40-hour work week too much for my MBP to handle? It’s still warrantied under Geek Squad at Best Buy, but I don’t want to be forced back to the office with Covid in our area if I don’t have to. It’s a 13-inch, 2017, 2.3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5, 8 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 1536 MB, running macOS Catalina 10.15.5 Reply

I appreciate this article, so thanks, it’s thorough and helpful! One question though… are there any pieces of hardware on an aged machine that can just be worn out and cause overheating? I know my question shows my ignorance, but like a motherboard or something of that nature? My MacBook pro has a solid state HD, is (I think close to, 8 years old – don’t remember when Apple switched) and operates absolutely fine, just overheats, particularly when software like video or news pages on chrome are running. Can never follow click – bait ads, as those pages are so busy, the fan is very high on within 30 seconds. Reply

Cleaned the fan as suggested and did the SMC reset on a machine that was getting uncomfortably hot. Worked a treat. I think it may have been the fluff blocking the vents because I can now hear the fan gently purring away and the machine stays cool Reply

Wow! Thank you very much! I was so worried about what was wrong with my MacBook Pro since it is less than a year. I got the culprit – runaway apps and phew.forced quit and all is good now. Didn’t believe it would work. This is very useful. Big THANK YOU! Reply

This is just a small note, not a huge deal. It would have been nice to know CleanMyMAC is a subscription app. It popped up at me mid-scan after downloading and it just felt eerily like a trap (yes I got it from the Apple Store and not a third party). Reply

Just brought son the MacBook Pro 2020 this week, it’s very hot underneath and the Touch Bar is hot too, should I bring it back Reply

Apple tech saying heat is not an issue millions of posts online and dedicated videos even 3rd party software made for the heat issue.On the 2019 i9 16 inch. Apple can’t even admit it.they got hot….why ? I just purchased a Mac book pro i9 upgrade 64 mb and gets supper hot I’ve owed and 2012 MacBook Pro and and 2017 MacBook Pro and run adobe premiere and mpc software none have ever got as hot as the new 2019 model and fans louder than my home AC.called tech support the had me do different things even reinstall the OS tech support said we ll send you a new one that’s not normal …got the New one and of course before I even install anything fans are kicking on and is running at 45c and and to make things better when I returned it they said because they charged me 0.00 for the exchange I wasn’t going to get a refund for the original 4300 I spent …they wanted to keep both macs and my money …even tho I returned both macs and they already have them both I’m their Possesion.MacBooks as still the most powerful but techs support sales and customer service from Apple are trash and they will lie to you just to get you off the phone.to Apple your just a number I hate Apple support and care I have to stick with MacBook pros but I will tell everyone I know the night mare senerio I was put in and how they tried not to refund me when they had received my returns at this point still no computer and they stoe my money haven’t gave it back …oh and MacBook Pro 2019 with the i9 chip is trash.buyer beware Reply

I have never had this problem with PC but with Apple MBP. The minute I use iMovie it would overheat and my screen will fade out to white. Until I placed it on top of an Air Purifier that blasted out cold air and my screen came back on again. I anticipate it will happen again but will now try to use less Apps to prevent it from overheating. I guess find ways to limit overheating, raise it high so there is air coming below, clean the dust, use fans and be weary which Apps uses high CPU. Reply

Thank you so much, JP. I used the activity monitor and found that my new printer was running an app in that was using 100% CPU…yikes!! I turned it off and the fan shut off and the computer was fixed in 10 minutes. BTW, I am 51, so If I can do it anyone can……lol. It does tell you how good your directions are. thanks again, Lisa Reply

Force quitting the “crashpad_handler” immediately stopped my computer from overheating. The fans were going non-stop and I was afraid the computer would catch fire. Reply

Number two runaway apps was a great idea. I had an app that was using over 90% and I didn’t even know it. My computer immediately turned the fan off and cooled down. Reply

I loved this article, thank you! I had a question though regarding stands where the MacBook stays closed. I use a stand I bought off amazon and hook it to 2 external monitors. Do you think this can contribute to it possibly overheating? Do you recommend using these? Or would it be best to keep the MBP open while using it to help the air circulation through the keys. Using a late 2015 retina MBP here. Thanks! Reply

Hey mate, i am using MacBook pro early 2011, recently have upgraded RAM to 28GB = 16 GB New Battery I have SATA hard drive(which comes with the laptop). Question: Laptop is overheating; no automatic shut down though. So whats causing my laptop to heat. Fan is working fine. My doubt: 1.Malware; 2. Thermal Paste or 3. Is it combination of SATA drive and 16 GB RAM causing it to Overheat. Please help me out. Reply

Amazing article!! Solved my problem fast. Via Clean My Mac. I did not know about that feature. It went from 180 degrees to 117 degrees in 3 minutes! Just by quitting Keyboard Maestro. Thank you! Reply

Macbooks have poor design to begin with…. Metal absorbs the heat and just regula web browsing.I can feel the heat coming through the keyboard. chasis …. It is unacceptable in my opinion.I have a thinkpad t420s and the chasis is so good. I feel no heat from the top. a bit on the bottom but MacBook is like boiling water comared to my lovely thinkpad. do not get me started on the keyboard.I do not enoying the web browsing on that computer-MacBook that is Reply

Very helpful! Thanks for the effort. AdBlock extension for safari was spotted heating my MacBook Pro and draining the battery like crazy. Stopped the extension, et voila! Reply

Hi I have a MBP 2011 that is running very hot even after I put new thermal paste on and cleared out the dust build up in front of the fans. Now the screen comes up with flickering lines after the chimes and eventually they stop and I get a grey screen. I cant seem to get it into safe mode either any ideas? Reply

Interesting what Apple writes about third part fan apps. When i bought my MacBook pro smoke came out in less then two weeks after the purchase. It was brand new. When i brought it back to the store all they did was install smcfancontrol saying that because they couldn’t find a hardware problem, they were allowed to ‘fix’it with software. People can probably guess, my next machine wasn’t Apple. Reply

Thanks, JP, for your article above! For my 2011 MBP the Activity Monitor was the solution, and I can’t believe it was Dropbox that was showing 110% usage! Even though I use that app frequently, I shut that crap down right away, and the fans and heat have stopped. Can’t imagine what Dropbox is doing in the background that needs that much juice. I shoot photos semi-professionally, and earlier this year I signed up for the Adobe suite. I was advised to have 16G of RAM available, so I upgraded from the 8GB that I had. Still those fans were going nuts and the heat off the keyboard was alarming. Thought it was Photoshop and Lightroom, but perhaps not. Hopefully this knowledge will help if and when this issue arises again. Reply

Mine MacBook Pro was heating up in 10 minutes of active browse surfing. Not talking about when rendering final cut projects. I even opened it’s back cover and put in front of a cooler. Not a single method in the internet helped. SOLUTION: ta-daaa-m! – disassemble fans, add silicone grease to the pin, assemble. Works cool. Reply

ok please don’t take this wrong but on you’re advice listed in this article. I purchased the advertised laptop cooler. It works but only on electricity. It uses up battery power very quickly! As does the mac running on battery power without the fan on intensive computer programs. Now I have a MacBook Pro Core i7,16GB memory,512gb ram. I have Windows 10 and OSX Mojave running with boo camp. There is one thing you failed to mention TSR’s and free disk space for spare room to work programs with. Physical Heat and Humidity of your environment (heat here is very bad where I live past two years). I am not an expert user so I really need to do something about this. I have no tech support and this is my only source of education and fun. Reply

Hi, I bought 2018 MacBook Pro the same day connected to LG external monitor 4k. It had overheat and noisy to luckily its withing cooling period so Apple replaced it. I ran and running just two application one is google (gmail) and another one YouTube 4k test video (LG 4k external monitor). After 40 minutes its quite hot in the above touch bar and both the speaker side. Now I am unable to use the external monitor. Please let know your suggestion. Thanks, Senthil Reply

Hi have burned out two times the amd video card on my MacBook pro 2011. (with motherboard defect) and after the first guaranteed motherboard change. for the second i have payed a laboratory to change the video chipset… the repair job also done leaving always on one fun without osx control. but it’s not a definitive solution. Another solution when you don’t need graphic power. is to use GfxCardStatus to select to use only the integrated graphics to heat less the laptopAnd the definitive solution is to place one big fun on the top and one on the bottom Reply

Thank you so much JP. Very good and useful information. Love my MacBook Pro and need to make it last. Reply

Hi I just bought a 13 inch MacBook Pro and on my first run it’s feels really hot. I don’t really know if it’s ok, but my neighbor has the same one for a few months and he’s doesn’t get as hot. Is this ok? Or should I take it back to the store? Thanks! Reply

Excellent and thorough article! I followed tip #2 and went to see which program runs the most % of my CPU, and turns out that an insignificant app that I extremely rarely use called “Remote Mouse” (transforms your iPhone into a mouse basically) was using 99.6% of my CPU! I was baffled to say the least! had to unable the “open automatically” option, my fans are much more silent now Reply

Hi JP, I am a new MacBook owner. My Mac has recently been getting hot quickly after minutes of just being on. I’ve only had it about a month, and it has just recently been doing it. I downloaded the CleanMyMac X app and it cleaned and did not sense any malware, I do not know where to go from here. I try to stem away from any bad sites, but may have stumbled across one. I’m worried because I do not have money to replace this so I need help please! Reply

I am in the same position as you, MacBook Pro new, And here i am looking for information to know if its normal the overheating pffff and i think this in the normal and theres nothing to do to make it better, cause i already tried all this things and the heat goes. Reply

I have a Mac Pro desktop and the fans never turn on. I’ve used the Mac Control ap and checked that all the fans can manually be turned on and working. When I use a taxing program such as photoshop or adobe bridge the computer shuts off without warning and then when I turn it back on it will only turn on for a few mins and then shuts down continually. Any ideas how to repair or fix? Thanks Reply

I’m on my 3rd 2019 MacBook Pro due to overheating issues. The third one same problem. I think there’s a pretty big design problems as I have used Macs for years and never had any issues. Reply

This is my second MacBook Pro 2019. It has overheating issues and had to be send for repairs. What a waste of money! Reply

I think having a 3rd party application like MacsFanControl for instance, is a great idea! It is VERY accurate at telling you what the internal sensors are reading the temperatures as being instantly so you can keep an eye on things. As for them not being able to read the outside temperature of the case, well, I don’t really need to know what the outside temperature of my case is. I’m worried about the inside of my MacBook Pro Retina frying. As for Apple saying it’s not a good idea because of this random can’t read case temperatures (which again doesn’t matter) maybe they should have designed a computer that could cool itself in the first place so we all wouldn’t be running around with 4,000 overheating machines that they can’t so much as put decent thermal paste in. Reply

The problem with overheating is systemic to the design. Apple has valued design over functionality. By gluing many of the components in to the chassis of the system, and sealing it up super tight in an aluminum case, there is no room for thermal cooling. Thats why the “kernel_task” was introduced with an aggressive “pretend CPU consumption mode” – it’s forcing the system to starve other CPU intensive services in an effort to slow down the computer. This in turn helps to cool down the computer. One thing to note – Mac Books were designed to be run in an “open” mode – not closed with external monitors. I run my MBPR with 2x thunderbolt 27″ displays. I don’t want a dinky 15″ display – so I keep it closed. I have CONSTANT overheating problems because of this. I elevated my laptop on little feet to keep it from sitting directly on the desk – promoting airflow below it. That didn’t do it. So I bought two cheap USB fans and blow cool air under the laptop. That helps – until the house gets to over 85 degrees (crappy AC ….). Then it goes nuts on overheating. Sadly – if like me – you use your laptop in a closed mode – and use it heavily – you may very likely need a “laptop cooling pad” to sit your MBPR on to keep it cool. It’s a sad statement of most Apple products where design is paramount at the expense of actual operability. This isn’t an “anti-Apple” statement- just fact. I’ve used many (dozens) of manufacturers laptops. Apples are consistently fraught with the most problems due to their design paradigm. Reply

FlickR Uploader. Great article! Went to Activity Monitor, and realized FlickR Uploader was 90%-110% of CPU usage. Shut down FlickR Uploader, and cooling fan was down to normal within 3 minutes. Reply

I’m a 76 year old computer illiterate. I use it on a soft surface but am sure to make the fan is clear by propping it up on a tissue box. When it over heats I close the laptop leave it plugged in and turn it off. I don’t turn it back on until it’s cool — about five minutes and the fan has turned off. That works. It only over heats when I’m using Pintrest or YouTube. Not when I’ reading a book or writing emails. All your suggestions leave me totally confused. Help! I guess I should just go to an Apple store. Will they help me without paying? (I’m poor and my MacPro is at least five years old) I live in San Francisco so If anybody is around and willing to help, I’ll make a home coooked meal for you! Reply

I run serato DJ application on my MacBook pro and it only takes for half an hour or less for MacBook pro to trip off suddenly and sometimes it get’s very hot please I need holp on how to fix this issue thanks Reply

Had a lot of issues with mac overheating until I found Turbo Boost Switcher. Free and pro (to support) are available. Disabling Turbo Boost reduced a looot the cpu temp and fan speed :). Reply

Hi, I currently have a 13 inch 2017 MacBook Pro. It has a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5, 8 GB 2133 MhZ LPDDR3, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 1536MB. I am running Version 10.14.2. I often play CS GO and run at about 60 fps. I don’t know much about computers, will my computer shut down if it gets too hot? I’m worried that this may be an issue. Thanks Reply

sir I purchasenew Apple MacBook Air 15 days back. today I want for lamination after lamination my MacBook continuous running fan and not show me the charging battery logo and not indicated on charger wire. pls give me the solution.thanking you. Reply

I have had the same problem as Gustavo. I really did not like Windows and always dreamt of owning a MacBook pro, but it overheats, the search feature is totally backward my god its like Windows 95. Trh fknding an important file or email. Now my MacBook pro that is maybe 6 months old will not switch on any more I rememeber high temperatures and wonder if it even had a fsn in it. Hope their guarantee is better than the search and performance. It will be my last mac Reply

hello, excuse me why not the app, it’s like this, mmm in activity monitor, system 20% user 20% and idie 50%, it’ s normal?please solution for me sir. thanks. Reply

Hi I have recently got MacBook 2019 13 inch, it really gets hot when I do programming using xcode and simulator in it, specially when i am starting to run the app Reply

Hi non of this helps. When I work in iMovie, no other app is runing. My MacBookPro Retina 2012 starts overheating, fans are loud. My Mac is clean inside, no dust. I have to quit the app for fans to stop. I beleve Apple has made iMove terible deliberately because Final Cut Pro doesnt have this problems and works fine but it costs way to much! Reply

JP, thanks for all your effort to provide all of the good information’s. It is always worth it to keep read the updates from you. Reply

My 2nd MacBook Pro in a week, both overheat ridiculously when running a Microsoft Zoom meeting. The entire computer grinds to a halt and the battery dies out. Reply

I had that problem, too. I contacted Zoom and they had me go thru the regular, predictable path of upgrading my version of their software. For a while I opted to avoid using the video camera when I could. I definitely needed to limit my other applications and disconnect peripherals (specifically external drives). These days our team meetings are kept short when possible, and when they need to be longer, we go without the video camera or use Google Hangouts and keep the number of tabs open on Chrome to just the few necessary for the meeting. Reply

This article was so helpful. Thank you very much. My MAC has been overheating for a couple days now, and I have done everything from updating all software to freeing space in the memory. I just tried the activity monitor and found that google chrome helper was using 200%. I’ve quit it now and it is silent once again. So I say, thank you very much. Reply

Dear JP, I’m glad to revert that thanks to your reply to Gustavo in October 2017, I have been led to solve the problem of my MacBook Pro overheating the entire evening – your tip about the possibility of having a third party app still running made me realise that a game called Roblox was still running for the past 4 hours, which I then recalled that I started hearing the MacBook’s fan turn on around that time. The battery literally drained twice during this evening. As soon as I quit this Roblox game, the fan reduced its speed within the first 30 seconds until it came to a complete stop, and the MacBook started cooling down within the first two minutes. I’m glad I was led to this site so I could read this most useful tip. Thanks again! Reply

Hi Valerie! You’re welcome, and thanks for your input here as well. Many macOS related issues are complex. it’s always good to see other fellow Mac users share their own experiences and solutions. Reply

I have the same problem with Roblox! It makes my laptop heat up in less than 5 minutes of playing it! Reply

Would increasing the memory help with over heating. Mine does this if I am on certain web sites. Reply

Maybe.My MacBook Pro has 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 in RAM and is now with an SSD, it still heats up quick while browsing certain magazine websites (with super heavy flash/video ads). I think you might be interested in getting a plugin called Adblock Plus, which helps automatically block flash ads on a web page. I tried the plugin before and it definitely helped ease my Mac a bit. But those magazine sites were aware of this and they had developed a tool that’s able to detect whether or not you’ve installed Adblock (or similar alternatives), and some even chose to block the content you’re trying to read and ask you to remove Adblock Reply

Hey mate! Today, I closed the lid of my MacBbook before leaving class, and put it in a padded bag. When I got home, the MacBook was really hot, and the fans were on. It’s since cooled down, but now it won’t turn on at all! The power cord lights up when I plug it in, but that’s all the response I can get out of it. I don’t know what could’ve caused it to heat up so much in the bag (it was in there for two hours). Have I permanently damaged my MacBook? Thanks. Reply

Hi Gustavo! Sorry for the late response. Not sure if you’ve resolved the issue (hopefully you do!). I don’t think your MacBook is damaged, because there are many possible reasons why it can’t be turned on. I’d suggest make an appointment with Apple Genius Bar or call Apple customer services (if you happen to encounter similar issues in the future). Normally closing the lid will put a MacBook to sleep mode right away and most services will be turned off automatically, except that the hard drive will spin down (if it’s an HDD). In your case, there could be third-party apps were still running and over-consuming the Mac system resources, plus the bag has limited space for venting heat – your laptop body temperature might quickly increase. By the way, if you’ve fixed the issue, kindly share with us the solution? Thanks, JP Reply

I had the exact same problem as Gustavo, and I fixed it by doing the SMC reset that you described in your article. Thanks JP, because among many articles, yours is the one that guided me to the right solution. Reply

We had a similar issue — placing the MBP in a carry bag when the fan was still running. Later the display wouldn’t come one, so we took it in and had it diagnosed. Without even telling them what happened, the Apple tech said “Do you put your laptop in a bag when the fan is running?” Nailed it. They confirmed that the display was shot from overheating. Now we allow it to cool down first. But we spent ~1,100 on the new display. (We paid 3k for the laptop, so we figured this was better than replacing it.) Hard lesson to learn. Reply

That’s a great question! I don’t use case or keyboard covers on my MacBook Pro, so can’t speak of whether they would lead to heating issues. My hunch is as long as they don’t block the vent area, should be good. Also, I heard that there are covers that allow ventilation, you may turn to the manufacturer to figure out. Reply

Hi there, would like to share my experience here. Lately, my MacBook Pro has been heating up and I improved my temperature reading once I removed my casing. I was using UAG casing, no doubt It’s a properly vented casing, but somehow the heat is trapping the heat dispersion on this aluminium device. I wanted to use protective stickers but skipping the idea. Using it ‘naked’ is still the best way to go. Informative article here. Keep it up! Btw, followed some of your tips here and it helps! Reply

A woman my age is prone to hot flashes, so when my MBP warms up I can barely touch it, and WHOOSH, I’m cooked. Your suggestion about soft surfaces was such a help, because I write in bed, a lot. Thanks for the help! Reply

It’s curious that on a very thorough article like this you did not mention the probable most common reason for overheating: gaming. Maybe the limits, “do’s and don’ts” of Mac Pros for gaming deserve an article alone. I play some Steam games (CS:GO, Civ 6, Football Manager) and my Mac (Pro, 2017, running Sierra 10.12.5) is constantly overheating. I wish I could understand the real impact of this on the long term of the computer. But nevertheless, it was a great, very informative read. Thanks a lot! Reply

Hi Leo, Thanks for your feedback. I can’t really speak of how badly gaming would lead to MBP overheating. To tell you the truth, I rarely play video games on my MacBook (though tried a couple of times on a friend’s machine, playing NBA 2K series) That said, I can imagine many large games are usually resource hungry while running, and you can often figure that out by taking a quick look at “Activity Monitor” (as introduced in Fix #2). But thanks for sharing your experience anyway. Btw, are you interested in writing an article on the topic? Cheers! Reply

If you play games on a Mac Book pro you would most likely grill the inside of your computer which would lead to crashes and system failure. DON’T DO IT. It is used for business purposes. Reply

Probably the high temperatures will melt the welds and the motherboard will no longer work… good luck Reply

It kind of works this way. The electronic is very susceptible for high temperatures. It simply deteriorates through the time. Reply

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Huawei MateBook X Pro is a MacBook Pro copy that’s better than the original

Huawei has finally done it. With the MateBook X Pro, the company has created a laptop that’s a shameless copy of Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro, but that’s easy to forgive because it’s just so damn good. It’s better than the original in numerous ways, and lags behind only when it comes to certain details.

I’ve spent roughly 10 days with the MateBook X Pro, mostly using it as my main work machine, and this is the first time in ages that I seriously considered permanently moving back into the realm of Windows laptops.

I’m not taking the easy route when comparing Huawei’s new laptop with the 13-inch MacBook Pro (which happens to be my primary work laptop). Besides the similarities in the name and the fact that Huawei itself constantly compared the two during the device’s launch in Barcelona, it’s just very obvious that Huawei had one goal in mind: Build a device that’s exactly like Apple’s pro-grade laptop, only better.

Familiarly handsome

This starts with the design. The Huawei MateBook X Pro has an aluminum unibody that’s sturdy, solid and monolithic save for the ports on the sides, cooling gills on the bottom, and a Huawei logo on the back. My review unit was in mystic silver color (it also comes in space grey; sound familiar?) and there’s no two ways about it; it’s a dead ringer for the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

There are differences, though, and surprisingly, nearly all are in favor of Huawei. The MateBook X Pro has a gorgeous, 3,000×2,000 pixel LTPS touchscreen with uncannily thin bezels on all sides, including the bottom. Thanks to this, the MateBook has a 91% screen-to-body ratio.- the best ever seen on any notebook, according to Huawei.- and it looks stunning. Effectively, it’s a 13.9-inch screen stuffed in a body that’s roughly the same size and weight as the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro, and just a smidgen larger and heavier than a comparably equipped Dell XPS 13 (which also has a 13.3-inch screen).

To achieve this, Huawei did a clever trick: It moved the camera into the function keys row of the keyboard (no touch bar here); it pops open on a click and shuts closed when you click it again. Unfortunately, this means that the camera will have an up-your-nose angle; not absolutely horrible but not ideal (the fact that it’s just a crappy 1-megapixel one doesn’t help either). On the flip side, if you’re concerned about privacy, this is a great solution, as you don’t need to tape the camera over; just close it when you’re not using it and you’re safe from prying eyes.

The camera has a somewhat odd angle, but I had bigger beef with the picture quality, which is mediocre. Credit: STAN SCHROEDER/MASHABLE

The keyboard is rubbery and reasonably good with a decent amount of travel. I had no problems getting used to it, and I like the fact that it’s fully backlit.

On the left side, you’ll find two USB-C ports, one of which is Thunderbolt 3 compatible, as well as a headphone jack. On the right, you will find a single USB-A port. This is not a bad choice of ports, but another USB-A port or at least a memory card slot would make it amazing.

Two USB-C ports on one side (only one is Thunderbolt 3-compatible), and a single USB-A port on the other. Credit: STAN SCHROEDER/MASHABLE

Overall, when it comes to the design and usability, Huawei wins big overall but falters on some details. For example, the USB-C ports on the left side are poorly aligned and the trackpad isn’t as precise as I’d like. None of these issues are deal breakers, but they do add up.

Very, very big screen

And there’s that screen. It’s not the best screen I’ve seen on a laptop; for example, the MacBook Pro’s screen is a bit brighter, has more natural colors, and isn’t nearly as glossy. Also, I had to turn off automatic brightness control on the Huawei as it was just too quirky for my liking.

Huawei MateBook X Pro’s bezels make the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2017) look obsolete. Credit: STAN SCHROEDER/MASHABLE

But Huawei’s laptop definitely has the most attractive screen seen on a laptop, thanks to those crazy-tiny bezels. There’s no ugly chin like you’d see on a Dell XPS 13, either.- the bottom bezel is as thin as possible.

A screen that nice begs to be touched, and you can actually do it. I’m not a huge fan of touchscreens on laptops as they get dirty fast (Huawei says the MateBook’s screen is fingerprint-repellent), but the option is there.

The 3,000×2,000 resolution is probably too big for this screen size, but extremely high resolutions on portable devices are the fashion these days, and I doubt many will complain.

All in all, unless you work outdoors a lot and cannot stand glossy screens, the MateBook X Pro will not disappoint you.

Tons of power and solid battery life

Inside, the Matebook X Pro is an absolute powerhouse. I tested the most powerful variant, with an 8th gen Intel Core i7-8550U processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, Intel’s UHD 620 graphics chip paired with dedicated, Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics, and a 57.4Wh battery.

There’s also a fingerprint scanner (seamlessly built into the power button), and some nifty details, such as a power adapter that’s pretty compact; roughly double the size of the ones you get with smartphones.

It can be tough for a laptop processor to power such a huge screen resolution, but I’ve had no issues with the MateBook X Pro. In my work, which mostly consists of having tons of Chrome tabs open, it performed admirably.

As for battery life, I couldn’t get nowhere near the advertised 12 hours; the battery was good for half of that number most of the time. For comparison, note that my 13-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro nearly never lasts me more than 4 hours. Note that the MateBook X Pro comes with Huawei’s proprietary power-saving software which probably helped in this department.

Uncanny sound and other little things

The sound of the MateBook X Pro deserves a special mention, as it left me speechless. Thanks to some Dolby Atmos magic, it expands the sound stage far wider than the laptop’s actual speakers (all four of them); so much that I involuntarily twisted my neck, looking for speakers that weren’t there. It’s a trick, and after a while you get used to it, but it is impressive, especially in songs with a lot of separate, trebly sounds (like a funky rhythm guita). Play it to someone and they’ll ask you where you hid the rest of the speakers. Past this, the MateBook X Pro’s sound is far from perfect; it’s got that tinny thinness you’ll hear on most laptops of this size, and bass is definitely very limited. But it’s still far better than the sound on the MacBook Pro.

This is the mystic silver color; the Huawei MateBook X Pro also comes in space grey. Credit: STAN SCHROEDER/MASHABLE

Then there are all the other little details that you wouldn’t expect from a company like Huawei, who doesn’t exactly have a long track record when it comes to building laptops. The keyboard is backlit and spill-proof. The laptop has four built-in microphones. The fingerprint sensor is very fast; Huawei says it only takes 1.9 seconds to log into the system from sleep state, and while I don’t think it’s quite that fast, it’s definitely not too far from that number. A lot of thought has been put into this device.

Possibly the best laptop out there

The Huawei MateBook X Pro is not perfect, but it trumps the competition in most areas. It has that innovative camera placement, fast fingerprint sensor and an extremely thin-bezelled screen, which places it ahead of competition. The specs are top notch, the design is beautiful (if derivative), the battery life is great and the sound is impressive (though not in all areas).

Drawbacks include a relatively small number of ports, odd angle of the camera and overly glossy screen (though some users might like it). And when I compare those to what this device has to offer, I’d be more than prepared to live with them.

All of this would be meaningless if the MateBook X Pro cost a fortune, but it doesn’t. The top model (the one I’ve tested) costs €1,899 (2,336). That’s significantly less than the typical European price of a top-specced 13-inch MacBook Pro, which has a weaker processor and graphics and less RAM memory. A comparatively equipped Dell XPS 13 costs a hundred or two bucks less, depending on the market.

If that’s too much, though, there’s also a variant of the MateBook X Pro with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, and MX 150 graphics for €1,699 (2,090), or an even cheaper one without the discrete graphics and with only 256 GB of storage for €1,499 (1,844).

Huawei MateBook X Pro

• Huge screen with tiny bezels
• Top-notch specs
• Camera never needs to be taped over
• Impressive sound
• Screen too glossy
• Camera has an odd angle
• Another USB-A port or a memory card slot would be great

The Bottom Line

It’s a blatant copy of the MacBook Pro, but it’s also better in almost every single way. If you’re looking for a Windows laptop, the Huawei MateBook X Pro is a great choice.

I bought fake Apple products on the Temu app — and it was a disaster

For those who aren’t familiar with the Temu app, it’s a trending destination to shop for all sorts of things, from fitness gear and home decor to clothing and beauty supplies. But like some other large-scale online marketplaces, Temu sells knock-offs of iconic tech devices. To put it bluntly, you can find fake Apple products — most for less than 15 — available on Temu.

While none of the products in question are explicitly listed using Apple’s product names, they did come up when I searched for things like “Airpods” and “Apple Watch.” In many cases, there are multiple versions of these err, inspired items. What’s more, the product listings state that the products have been purchased through Temu customers thousands of times.

Curious to see how fake Apple products compare to the real thing, I bought four different items from Temu that looked like they belong on shelves at the Apple Store. Two weeks later, an orange package with the Temu app logo arrived. Here’s what was inside.

Clear MagSafe iPhone 14 Case

The best iPhone 14 cases sold from Apple are usually great quality, though they can be pricey compared to what you’ll find on Amazon or even from reputable third-party casemakers. Yet on Temu, iPhone cases can be purchased for less than 1 — take the Magsafe Magnetic Wireless Charging Clear Phone Case (0.98 at Temu), for example.

From the image, this case appeared identical to the Apple iPhone 14 Clear Case with MagSafe (39 at Walmart) I use. But in person, the product isn’t quite as similar. Rather than one large cutout on the bottom like Apple’s case, the Temu case features cut-outs for the speakers and charging port. The MagSafe icon is also printed onto the back of the case, which looks a bit cheap. When I held the case up in the light, I could see the individual magnets, too.

Still, if aesthetic details don’t usually bother you, you might not find fault with this case. The case seems protective enough, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s prone to yellowing (here’s how to clean a clear phone case just in case). For a mere 0.98, it’s not the worst thing you could buy, I guess.

Airpods

I’ve seen dozens of fake Airpods over the years, and over time, they’ve improved in terms of appearance. In fact, the Wireless 5.0 Headphones With Wireless Mini Charging Case (7.18 at Temu) look like they could’ve been sold from Apple. The product seemed to be inspired by the Apple Airpods 3, although I had the Apple Airpods 2nd Gen (99 at Amazon) on hand to compare performance.

Pairing the fake Airpods to my iPhone was simple enough, though I did get a notification that my phone could not verify that they’re true Airpods. This is a message I assume Apple put in place to dissuade people from peddling phony Airpods as the real thing.

Even without the warning, I would be able to distinguish the Temu earbuds due to their terrible audio quality. They don’t stand a chance against any of the best wireless earbuds, and truthfully, I don’t think anyone’s ears deserve to be subjected to the hollow cacophony. The disservice they did to Billie Eilish’s crooning is outright offensive.

I noticed that the case’s lid seemed easy to snap off, too. One hard drop and the case would certainly break, whereas Apple’s charging cases can handle being roughed around a bit. Unless you plan to wear these in earbuds like jewelry — as in, just for show — I would get any of these best cheap earbuds under 25 instead.

Apple Watch

While some budget smartwatch companies have borrowed design inspiration from the Apple Watch’s iconic squircle design, I hadn’t seen a true knock-off until the “Smart Watch” (13.98 on Temu). It didn’t come packaged in an elongated rectangular box like the Apple Watch Series 8, but inside, the product had a lot of similarities in terms of looks. Plus, the included strap wasn’t horrible, and the overall feel was surprisingly comfortable.

The interface featured preset watch faces that mimic actual watchOS 9 faces for Apple Watch. I didn’t struggle to navigate the watch as much as I thought I would, and could even test out a few apps. The watch has SpO2 and heart rate sensors, and while neither were accurate, I appreciated the attempt.

That said, unlocking certain features required that I download an app onto my smartphone through a QR code on the box. I’ve always been wary of sketchy apps, and I wouldn’t be making any exceptions for this smartwatch that comes from an unknown source.

Apple Watch Ultra

The Temu-sourced “Ultra” smartwatch (19.98 at Temu) is one of the most insulting products I’ve ever seen. Sure, at a quick glance, you could mistake it for the rugged Apple Watch Ultra (799 at Best Buy). But it doesn’t take a detective to see that the device is nothing more than a shoddy attempt. For one, the back details are entirely printed on, including the fake exposed screws. The words around the health sensor are hilarious, and I can only assume the word “campaign” is actually meant to say “camping,” which is an activity the Apple Watch Ultra is known for.

Getting the orange silicone straps on was a struggle, and misleading given the box displayed a Band that looked like the Apple Watch Alpine Loop. Once I had it powered on and around my wrist, things only worsened. The display was pretty laggy and practically unusable, erratically switching screens and watch faces (several of which seem to have complications, but nothing happens when you tapped on them.)

I even tried tracking some steps around the office, and the data was entirely inaccurate. It appeared that more functionality could be offered by pairing the phone to my smartwatch and downloading a companion app, but I did not feel comfortable connecting this poor excuse for a smartwatch to my smartphone.

Should you buy fake Apple products on Temu?

After my experience, I cannot recommend buying fake Apple products on Temu. The tragedy of it is that there are excellent budget brands in these categories. Sure, you won’t have the Apple “look,” but there are wireless earbuds and smartwatch makers who excel at delivering important features at a fraction of the cost.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t buy anything on Temu. In fact, I spent 50 on Temu for some random items with no regrets. But the knock-off products came with few redeeming features, and lots of worry when it came to pairing them to my smartphone. So, if you are going to buy fake Apple products on the Temu app, I would stick to items that don’t pair with your phone, such as cases, lanyards and other accessories.

MacBook Pro 2021: News, Price, Release Date, and Specs

Tim Fisher has more than 30 years’ of professional technology experience. He’s been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.

In This Article

New MacBook Pros arrived in October 2021. They lost the Touch Bar but gained MagSafe charging, the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, an upgraded Liquid Retina XDR display, and new ports.

MacBook Pro 2021 Release Date

Apple officially announced the new MacBook Pro on October 18, 2021. Pre-orders went live that day, and general availability started October 26. You can order the latest MacBook Pro from Apple.com.

MacBook Pro 2021 Price

The 14-inch model comes in two versions:

• 1,999: 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 16 GB memory, 512 GB SSD storage
• 2,499: 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16 GB memory, 1 TB SSD storage

There are three 16-inch models. Each includes a 10-core CPU, but the other specs differ:

• 2,499: 16-core GPU, 16 GB memory, 512 GB SSD storage
• 2,699: 16-core GPU, 16 GB memory, 1 TB SSD storage
• 3,499: 32-core GPU, 32 GB memory, 1 TB SSD storage

MacBook Pro 2021 Features

Love for the Touch Bar in the previous MacBook Pro isn’t something everyone agreed on—some adored it, and some hated it. It’s clear where Apple stands now that they’ve removed it in the 2021 models. Physical function keys are the new norm.

MacBook Pro 2021 Specs and Hardware

Massive design changes didn’t take place with these MacBooks. Compared to the previous iteration, there’s a similar overall design, but with smaller side bezels and no MacBook Pro logo. And, of course, no Touch Bar.

There are, however, several internal changes. Apple is moving away from Intel chips, so the MacBook Pro 2021 uses Apple Silicon. The 14-inch model runs the M1 Pro chip, and the 16-inch model lets you choose between the M1 Pro and M1 Max, depending on the version you choose.

The M1 Pro, according to Apple, delivers up to 70 percent faster CPU performance than M1, and up to 2x faster GPU performance. With M1 Pro, you can hook up two Pro Display XDRs, or three Pro Display XDRs and a 4K TV with M1 Max.

MagSafe has arrived as well. This wireless, magnetic charging method was introduced with the 2006 MacBook Pro but was phased out due to USB-C. Recently, Apple upgraded the tech and included it in the iPhone. This newer version (for the iPhone) doubles the power output to 15 W, so you can expect faster charging on the MacBook Pro, too. Fast charge lets you charge up your MacBook to 50 percent in just 30 minutes.

The MacBook Pro has a Liquid Retina XDR display. Featuring the mini-LED technology used in iPad Pro, this display brings up to 1,000 nits of brightness, 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. ProMotion technology provides an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz.

The 2021 MacBook Pro also has Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SDXC card slot, an HDMI port, a headphone jack that supports high-impedance headphones, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0.

The Latest News About MacBook Pro 2021

You can get more laptop news from Lifewire. Below are current rumors and other news stories about this MacBook Pro: