MacBook – Is it normal for a MacBook Pro to run so hot

macbook protemperature

I have a new MacBook Pro 16" and I've noticed the physical temperature between the touch bar and the screen is really hot to the touch and with a thermal gun measures 105 degrees F. The same location underneath is also just as hot. Reading the internal sensors the temp hovers around 150 Deg F and when the system is in control of the fans they appear to be barely running. When I override them and speed the fans up things will cool down but that seems a bit strange that the system control to allow the internals to get that hot.

I've tried doing an SMC reset and that didn't help. It also doesn't matter if I'm charging it or not it will still run as hot. I have it sitting on the top of my desk with a lot of space around it for good circulation.

If I'm doing non-cpu or non-gpu intensive operations:

  1. Should the temperature be that high if all of the airflow systems are working correctly?
  2. If the components would normally generate that amount of heat shouldn't the fans speed up without having to be forced to?

enter image description here

Best Answer

See here for info on how to get the specifics for your processor.

150F is an OK temperature for the processor to be running at. Here's a nice guide on everything you need to know about intel temperatures.

System control for the fans generally tries to balance the need for the fans with the noise made by the machine, meaning the fans are left off for as long as possible. But the designers know the thermal limitations of the CPU and have measures in place in software to protect it against thermal damage, so you shouldn't be worried about it.