Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team
While it is normal for a computer to become warm during periods of heavy usage, if your computer becomes hot to the touch, you may have an overheating issue on your hands. Overheating can cause your machine to freeze or abruptly turn off, and if ran at excessive temperatures for prolonged periods of time, the lifespan of your computer can be shortened dramatically. This guide will walk you though different ways to help lessen or eliminate heat issues on your MacBook.
Most laptop computers have easy-to-spot ventilation areas where heat is expelled from while they are in use. Your MacBook computer has a less-obvious ventilation area around the rear screen hinge.
Ensuring this area is free of dust, debris, and other blockages is the easiest way to make sure your MacBook is able to expel heat in the way it was designed. Use compressed air to clean around this ventilation area to help keep your computer running cool.
Most electronic devices need space around them to ventilate heat properly. This is especially true when it comes to laptop computers. While having the freedom to move about with your MacBook is incredibly convenient, using it in certain locations or situations may prevent it from being able to properly dissipate heat.
Activity Monitor shows the processes that are running on your Mac, so you can manage them and see how they affect your Mac's activity and performance.
There may be occasions when a piece of software on your Mac will crash or become unresponsive and take up too much CPU or memory. The best option is to go to the Activity Monitor and see what’s causing the congestion.
Items in the list can be arranged alphabetically or numerically, by clicking each heading at the top of the column (Process Name, %CPU, CPU Time, and so on).
Many MacBooks have both an internal graphics processor and a discreet graphics processor. When automatic graphics switching is enabled, your MacBook will switch to the internal graphics processor. When this happens, it can save power, but also puts an extra load on your CPU causing it to heat up. You can turn this option off to use the discrete graphics processor which may cool your CPU temperature but use more power.
Not all MacBooks will have this option available.
If you have performed all of these steps and still have concerns with excessive heat, or are still experiencing issues with overheating, you may actually have a hardware issue that requires service or repair.