I can’t hear what you say, turn that fans down!

Although the Macbooks was designed to be an elegant machine and all-round performers, as an owner of one, I not only use it to be my Facebook machine, I also need it to run Photoshop and other craps that just too damn pushing the limit of my Macbook, then, heat.

And I know I’m not the only power users out there.

This is my MBPr mid 2012 that have wonderfully served me and still. But sometimes, it runs so damn hot that I worry about its durability. Everybody know that heat is bad for silicon, and my 3820QM turbo boost at 3.6 is a power generators under load. Download HWMonitor and have a look yourself. My CPU reachs 105C (220F)then throttles down when I tried to export my raw images out of Capture One (alternative to Lightroom, and I like them much better).

Just look at that thin flimsy heat sink.

Heatsink is the curved flat pipe that run above the fan and on the cpu and gpu.

Image under is where the air comes in , just shy of those two thin slits on each side. Just. not. enough.

In short, the MBPr have a weak cooling system, single thin heatsink and 2 fans try to draw air from 2 thins slits under the back of the machine. Note that the keyboard area is also a passive heat exchanger, so, don’t cover it, and of course, don’t cover the air “slit” on each side of the Mac (same go for any Unibody Mac out there). And after all. the 3820QM is really hot.

So , what can you/I do? well, don’t get high performance CPU in a Mac. Or, try to dip your Macbook in water. Maybe.

But I have a better way to do it, at least I think.

At first, let debunk one thing. The aluminum Unibody is not that good of heat exchanger. I ran benchmarks, and the bottom case won’t disperse heat as much as people think, open the case, you can clearly see why, the case is apart away from any component, and they even have non-conductive tape to prevent electronic short.

Look at the diagram, you can clearly see how airflow in the Mac working. Drawing air from the outside then blow the heat out of the heatsink fins, which gets heat it self from CPU and the GPU.

Why/How I did this?

Reason is that the fans are decent, but the heat pipe is just inefficient for the GPU and the CPU at the same time, especially when I tried to run Luxmark OpenCL rendering. I think if I can increase the heat exchange surface of the heatpipe — some kind of “fins”, I should be able to lower the temperature on the CPU and GPU as well. that’s my hypothetical theory. But I know fins won’t be possible, but I think thermal pad will work just as well, maybe even better.

Version 1, thermal tape covers 40% of the heat pipe, hard to take off case.

Bottom case

Don’t cut the fan holes like me, lol, it works, but you lose the ability to put in on your laps or it’ll suck all the dirt particles in. Also, warranty.You can clearly see the 1mm thermal pad that I cut down “precisely”, directly touch the head pipe of the Macbook inside when closes.

Version 2, thermal pad runs along heat pipe, cover 100% heat pipe, easier to take off.

How that help?

I ran Cinebench R15, export photos, export videos from Premiere and my Mac no longer reachs 100C (200F) but stay at a reasonable 80–85C(180F) and no longer thermal throttling, turbo boost all the way, then bottom case get extra warm. Now, my aluminum case actually exchange heat!

Should I do it?

I mean, you don’t have to do it. But I highly recommend to do it, especially if you are a power user, care about your Macbook and it already out of warranty, since the case screws don’t have sticker on them, and the thermal pad is non-residue removable at no cost (of course you get lower heat!), lower heat = longer durability.

You will need:

Internet to see the awesome guide (2013 model) or this (2012 model)at iFixit!

Either simple set of pentalobe p5 or a nice set of screwdriver like iFixit kit (recommend this one, life time warranty, not like your Mac).

thermal pad like this, 1mm is recommended, actually, needed.

scissors or hobby knife to cut the pad.

and some common sense.

Thermal compound if you think of changing the stock one as well (the stock one is pretty decent already btw) you gonna need

Just cut the thermal pad follow the heap pipe shape, as close as possible and avoid screws spot, and some parts that along the shape(check out my photo above), slap the case back on(oh, and remember to press firmly on the case along the tape inside, you don’t have to cut black original black protective like me) and you’re done. enjoy your awesome machine that actually runs as specs and cooler.

And this is my Macbook lol

edit: more links and more photos, updated.