MacBook Overheating: How to Stop & Prevent It? [Why a Mac Gets Hot?]

MacBook overheated? Quick diagnosis and solution!

It is normal for MacBook to get hot when used, especially when running large applications or 3D games. But if your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro is overheated to automatically shut down, you need to fix the problem. This may be due to insufficient internal heat dissipation of MacBook, software problems that lead to excessive system load, or failure of Mac cooling system components. This guide will help you find out why your MacBook is overheated and provide precautions.

The reason why MacBook overheated?

Heat is generated when current flows through various components and circuits inside the MacBook. All electronic devices generate heat to varying degrees. In most computers, CPUs and GPUs generate the most heat, so they usually have their own heatsinks and fans. It is normal for a moderate MacBook to have heat, but your MacBook should never be so hot that it will automatically shut down immediately.

Makes of MacBooks that continue to overheat may include:

• Overuse CPU and GPU: Extraordinary load on MacBook CPU and GPU caused by intensive applications and games and using too many browser tabs can cause it to overheat. High RAM usage leads to insufficient memory from the machine, which can also lead to cooling problems.
• Software Problem: If your MacBook resources are occupied for no reason, it may be due to software errors or crashes that cause it to take up system resources (such as CPU capabilities and RAM). Malware and viruses can have similar effects, so we recommend that you learn how to clean up malware on your Mac.
• Poor heat dissipation: Your MacBook needs cooling space. If its vents are blocked, the internal cooling system inside the machine will not be able to drain heat or suck cold air as expected, and your laptop will overheat quickly.
• Dust buildup: The cold air sucked by the MacBook fan contains dust and other tiny debris that accumulate in the system's vents and fans over time. If cleaned out of time, this can also cause ventilation problems, causing your Mac to keep heating up.
• Hardware failure: A component in a MacBook cooling system (such as a fan or radiator) fails or breaks, causing the machine to quickly heat up and crash.

How to prevent Mac from overheating?

A Mac that keeps shutting down due to overheating is useless, if you want to know how to stop your MacBook from overheating, we recommend you try the following solution:

1. Close resource-intensive and unused applications
2. Using a lightweight browser
3. Update your software
4. Cleaning your MacBook
5. Reapply thermal grease
6. Manage your login project and start agent
7. Reset SMC
8. Adjust the battery settings
9. Manage graphics settings

1. Close resource-intensive and unused applications

One way to easily lower your Mac temperature is to turn off resource-intensive and unused applications. In the Dock on your Mac, find running programs you are not using and close them. Next, find out which applications are taking up all resources on your Mac, and then close the applications you don't need for the moment, as follows:

1. Open Activity Monitor from the Follow the App > Utility.
Select the
2. CPU tab and click the %CPU column to sort all applications by processor usage.
View the top of the list that uses a lot of CPU capabilities. Select the application you are not using for the time being and click the
3. X button.
Click
4. Forcibly exit to close the program.

Remember that closing an app does not always clear all its data from Mac's RAM. So, the accumulation of old data will happen over time, which slows down other applications and increases the temperature of your MacBook. To resolve this issue, use MacKeeper's memory cleaner to clear unnecessary data from RAM:

Open
1. MacKeeper and select the Memory Cleaner tool.
Click
2. to open to activate Memory Cleaner .
Select
3. Clean memory to clear old data and free RAM.

2. Use a lightweight browser

Many Mac users don't realize how power-consuming modern web browsers are. Google Chrome, for example, is notorious for overusing RAM, which can reduce the efficiency of your Mac and lead to more fan noise and more heat. Try to use a lighter browser instead. Here are some good options:

• Safari: Apple's native macOS browser is optimized to run as quickly and efficiently as possible on your Mac. This means that it is not only faster than most other browsers, it is also more CPU-friendly and consumes less RAM.
• Brave: If you are looking for a valid browser that also blocks ads and trackers by default, we recommend Brave. It is lightweight to your system and helps protect your data.
• Firefox: As one of the oldest browsers, Firefox has made significant improvements in performance and efficiency over the years. It may not be as lightweight as Safari, but it is an excellent third-party option worth considering.
• Opera: While it is not as popular as other options, Opera is another third-party browser that has been around for a long time and has made great strides in becoming more efficient in recent years. If you don't like other options, we recommend you try Opera.

(The following steps are similar to the original text. To avoid duplication, the detailed description of steps 3-9 is omitted here, and only the title and pictures are retained)

3. Update your software

4. Clean your MacBook

5. Reapply thermal grease

6. Manage your login project and start the agent

7. Reset SMC

8. Adjust battery settings

9. Manage graph settings

The consequences of overheating of MacBook?

You will notice it quickly when your MacBook is overheated. The laptop's fan will start spinning faster and it will also be louder. The MacBook's case may also feel significantly hotter when you use the keyboard. A certain level of warmth is normal, but if your MacBook overheats quickly and becomes a problem, you may notice some warning signs:

• The fan starts to make too much noise and will not slow down after a few minutes.
• The MacBook's case becomes too hot to touch for more than a few seconds.
• Mac's performance becomes lagging and slow.
• Your MacBook suddenly shuts down on its own for no reason and cannot be started.
• You see a graphic failure on your MacBook screen.
• Heat may affect your hard drive, preventing your Mac from booting.

How to check the temperature of a Mac?

macOS does not provide an easy way to check the temperature of a Mac. You can use the terminal to check the CPU (processor) temperature of your Intel Mac, but there are other thermal sensors inside the MacBook. Additionally, this command does not work with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, and M4) Macs. Fortunately, there are a lot of free third-party apps that let you check your Mac's temperature. Here are some popular choices:

• Macs Fan Control: Provides a lot of temperature feedback and the ability to manually control the fan (be careful).
• Fanny: Allows you to quickly view the temperature of the app in the menu bar.
• Hot: Displays many different temperature measurements for various internal sensors.

Summary

We have covered some simple steps you can take to stop your MacBook from overheating. Hopefully one of these is the solution you are looking for, but remember that you can also avoid MacBook overheating by keeping your hard drive clean and using MacKeeper to remove unnecessary background processes.

You can also use MacKeeper's memory cleaner to get your Mac to take a breath at any time. With just one click, it closes unwanted background processes, freeing some RAM for you immediately. When your Mac is overheated, this may be exactly what you need to let it cool down.

FAQ

Can MacBook get damaged due to overheating?

Yes, overheating can damage sensitive internal parts of your MacBook. However, many built-in security measures will slow down or turn off your Mac before it overheated.

Will MacBook overheat in the sun?

Yes, exposing your MacBook to direct sunlight will increase its temperature to a point where it will overheat quickly.

Is it normal for Macs to overheat?

Most Macs may warm or even feel hot during resource-intensive processes and when charging. This is good because a little warming does not cause any damage and the temperature usually returns to normal in time. However, it is not normal for a Mac to overheat to shut down on its own.

How to prevent your Mac from overheating while playing games?

It is normal for a Mac to warm up while playing games, especially in games with high-quality 3D graphics, which can put a lot of stress on your CPU and CPU. However, your computer should not overheat when playing games. If this happens, you should check out our instructions for keeping your Mac cool.

How to cool your MacBook?

There are many ways to cool your Apple laptop. Includes closing resource-intensive applications and unused browser tabs, avoid direct sunlight, and remove internal dust. You can also buy laptop radiators that help by blowing cold air on the bottom of your MacBook.

The above is the detailed content of MacBook Overheating: How to Stop & Prevent It? [Why a Mac Gets Hot?]. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!