HACKER Q&A
📣 rememberlenny

Good tools to identify processes making laptop hot?


Every Macbook Pro I've had becomes very hot when not doing anything.

Is there a way to identify what processes are causing this, and kill them if they aren't important?

  👤 Someone Accepted Answer ✓
There’s a “Using Significant Energy” list in the battery menu (https://www.macrumors.com/2017/01/16/mac-display-brightness-...)

“Activity Monitor” can tell you which processes use the most CPU time (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201464)

Both correlate decently with “make laptop hot”.

👤 helph67
I'm aware that some Compaq (HP) laptops suffer similarly due to poor design. Their problem IMHO is that DUST being drawn in by the fan cannot escape. Progressively it covers internal components which heat up. Standing laptop on a cake "cooler"* can help keep it cool. This helps improve the flow of air under the laptop AND increases the distance from the desktop.

* Small raised metal tray with rods in horizontal grid.

👤 sloaken
I suspect, not to be mistaken for knowledge, if you slowed your clock down by 10%, which would not be noticeable if you are not doing anything, it will run cool.