This is a specific, common case of the cause above.
video encoding, finding faces in iPhoto.Īpps or other software running in the background is consistently consuming CPU.Īdobe Flash, the technology used to deliver some animated ads in web pages and most web video is consistently using CPU. Software functions that consistently use CPU are being used, e.g. There are at least several possible causes for the MacBook Air high heat and noisy fan: MacBook Air Heat Issues and Fan Noise Causes Ive had a reader send in a video of his MacBook Air i5 with a loud fan. Complaints of the MacBook Air heating up, overheating and fan noise are not restricted to the Intel Core i7 MacBook Air. The fan noise and heat issues are affecting the i5 MacBook Air as well. Heat and Fan Noise: Just the MacBook Air i7, or MacBook Air i5 As Well? If your MacBook Air is getting too hot, there are some possible fixes below. (If you have a higher MacBook Air 2012 / 2011 bottom case temperature, please take a screenshot and leave a comment below.) Both processors are on the same silicon chip in the new MacBook Air.
This benchmark was running Half Life 2 Episode 2, which works both the main processor and the graphics processor both of which generate heat. The hottest temperature on the bottom of the case Ive seen quoted is 105F / 41C (AnandTech). If you have constant fan noise, and your MacBook Air is not doing heavier activities, your Macs System Management Controller (SMC) may be confused.
iStat Pro will also measure the internal temperatures of your MacBook Air.
You can check your MacBook Airs fan speed with the free iStat Pro dashboard widget. The highest fan speed on my late-2010 MacBook Air is 6500 rpm. In a hotter room, the fan will need to run faster. The room temperature will affect how fast the fan will need to run to keep the MacBook Air cool. Playing or editing video, particularly HD video Using web sites with animation (Flash) or video, Fan noise is like sweating its a response to strenuous activity.Įxamples of activities that make the MacBook Air busier are: This is a normal cause of fan noise on the MacBook Air MacBook Air is busy, fans are keeping it cool. At higher speeds, you can easily hear the fan. The fan then runs faster to keep the Mac cool. When the MacBook Air is busy it generates more heat. Some people, in a very quiet room, with very sensitive hearing, may be able to hear the fan at the minimum speed.
If you put one ear to the keyboard, you can hear the fan. On my late-2010 MacBook Air 11 inch, the minimum speed is 2000 revolutions per minute (rpm).Īt this minimum fan speed, during use, the fan cant be heard by most people. The fan runs at or above a minimum speed while the MacBook Air is running. The MacBook Air fan runs constantly by design. The exhaust port is behind the keyword, at the screen hinge. The fans job is to keep the MacBook Airs chips from overheating by pushing hot air out the exhaust port. The MacBook Air has one fan inside it, at least in the late-2010 & mid-2011 models. First, lets start with a bit of background of why the MacBook Air get hot and why it has a fan.