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MacBook Pro Q&A - Published May 5, 2006
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Is there anything that I can do to make my MacBook Pro run cooler?
Please note that this Q&A referred to the original MacBook Pro models which were discontinued on October 24, 2006.
As mentioned previously, page 83 of the MacBook Pro User's Guide notes that:
Apple recommends that you have an Apple-certified technician install memory. Consult the service and support information that came with your computer for instructions on how to contact Apple for service. If you attempt to install memory and damage your equipment, such damage is not covered by the limited warranty on your computer.
Given that Apple doesn't recommend that you even upgrade the RAM yourself, although instructions are provided, it is clear that Apple would not recommend that you "tinker" with the internals of your MacBook Pro. EveryMac.com does not advise any action contrary to Apple's recommendation.
Nevertheless, one user posted a message inquiring as to why some MacBook Pro systems were warmer than others in the Apple Support Forum. Another user posted a subsequently removed message on the Apple Support Forum alleging that Apple used too much thermal paste on some systems. He claimed that opening the notebook, removing the factory supplied thermal paste in six areas and replacing it with less thermal paste made his MacBook Pro run at a lower temperature.
This is in direct contradiction to information provided by the official MacBook Pro "Service Source" guide for distribution only to Apple Authorized Service Providers. The internal document states that Apple Authorized Personnel should use a "0.2 - 0.3cc daub of thermal grease" in specific areas inside the system, in line with the amount used at the factory.
Regardless, since that time the Mac blogosphere has been abuzz with discussion about this third-party "modification" and whether or not changing the amount of thermal paste would help or harm the internal components of the system. Forum threads and blogs regarding this topic were available from Macintouch [no longer online], Something Awful (some content and images may be inappropriate for minors), MacRumors, Staind-Online, Technome, and no doubt others as well.
Perhaps one of the most in-depth postings is from "Down and Dirty MSOF", who provides high-resolution step-by-step photographs of the process that he used to remove the thermal grease provided by Apple and replace it with his own.
The author concludes that his MacBook Pro:
Runs cooler. Much cooler. . . Gone are the sweaty, clammy palms, the typing on a heat pad feeling, the amazed stares of those who touched the bar between the function keys and the display hinge to feel the bite of a working [MacBook Pro].
He also notes that the:
Fans run more often and can get relatively loud. . . Effect on battery life remains to be seen. Ironically, the harder the [MacBook Pro] is run, the cooler it gets now that the heat pipe temp sensor is actually seeing heat and running the fans accordingly. It is now at its warmest when at idle, charging. And I mean just warm to the touch.
Regarding the photos provided by the "Down and Dirty MSOF" website, the author of the respected XLR8YourMac commented:
Normally all you want is a very thin layer [of thermal paste] to just fill in any imperfections in the two mating surfaces (not create a "gasket"). You also want to make sure the mating surfaces are very clean [and do not have oil residue] from your fingers. I was shocked at the huge amounts shown in that photo gallery yesterday. Too thick a layer of thermal compound reduces the efficiency of the heatpipe (making the CPU run hotter). I'd still expect many fast notebooks to get "hot" in heavy use though. I wonder if the MacBook Pro owners that noted random shutdown/restarts had systems with very thick layers of thermal compound.
XLR8YourMac also provides a link to in-depth application instructions provided by Arctic Silver, a well known brand of thermal paste.
To reiterate, EveryMac.com does not recommend that you violate your warranty and potentially damage your MacBook Pro by attempting to reapply thermal paste in contradiction to Apple's recommendations both for customers and service providers. However, it does appear that there have been some users who have successfully reapplied the thermal paste in their notebooks to reduce the warmth of the keyboard.
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