overheat and no fan sound

Question

overheat and no fan sound

MacBook Pro Retina fans NOT spinning up

I have Googled this problem and keep coming up with results of the exact opposite problem. Most people say they have overactive fans. However, on my 15 inch MBP retina, the fans refuse to spin up. I don't know if they not spinning at all or just barely. I hear no sound coming from the computer and I don't feel any air coming out of the vents. My MacBook is fully updated running OS 10.15.6

Simply browsing the internet in Google Chrome will cause the MBP to reach temperatures where the top of the keyboard/base of the screen area is too hot to touch. It has also shutdown on me before, which I assume was a result of overheating. It seems that no matter how hot it gets, the fans spin up, at least to an audible level. Also, leaving Activity Monitor running in the background shows that the processor rarely exceeds 5-10% capacity, so it shouldn't be generating that much heat. I do live in a hot and very dusty environment, but indoors (I never use my computer outside) it is about the same as anywhere else.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Aug 12, 2020 3:18 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

neuroanatomist

Level 9

50,185 points

Aug 12, 2020 8:10 AM in response to Community User

If your CPU is running at ~10%, that's not enough load to spin up the fans beyond base speed (1,500-2000 rpm). However, the CPU/GPU can still get quite warm (60-70 °C), particularly when using Chrome which is a known resource hog (Google has acknowledged this and promised fixes coming soon). The CPU and GPU sit right under the area above the keyboard/touch bar, meaning that's where most of the heat goes. FYI, the typical human threshold for thermal pain is ~61 °C. So, don't rest your fingers there!

Point is, I believe your Mac is behaving normally. With the fans at base speed, there's nothing to hear and no air flow to feel. You can use a utility to monitor your fan speeds if you're curious, personally I use iStat Menus.

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Answer 2

HWTech

Level 9

60,650 points

Aug 12, 2020 11:31 AM in response to Community User

To test the fans and the rest of the cooling system run the Apple Diagnostics.

You can also try an SMC reset.

If you laptop is powering off, then more likely you have some sort of software issue. Run EtreCheck and post the report here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper. Also disconnect external devices in case one of them is causing your laptop to power off.

Otherwise, I agree with @neuroanatomist. These laptops do run hotter than older models and general Windows laptops.

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overheat and no fan sound

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