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Friday, March 08, 2013, 11:09 am
Users report fan speed issues with Apple's latest Retina MacBook Pros
Apple's newly refreshed MacBook Pro models with Retina displays may be affected by an issue that causes the cooling fan speed to unexpectedly spike, users say.Apparent problems with the latest Retina MacBook Pros were first highlighted this week by Geek.com. Users have also taken to a growing thread at the Apple Support Communities forum, where numerous Retina MacBook Pro owners say their system's fan will unexpectedly spin up to full speed while doing basic tasks, then will return to normal.
The user who started the thread, "jamezmbp," said they attempted to reset their computer, repair disk permissions, and even ran an Apple Hardware Test, all of which did not resolve the problem.
"It could be something to do with the SSD, as when I am making file transfers the fans kick up, without the temps increasing," they wrote in one post. "The fans also kick up at other times, but I've noticed it when making file transfers also."
YouTube user "oyinko" believes the issue may lie with the new Sandisk solid-state drive being used by Apple in its latest MacBook Pros. Apple made the switch from SSDs built by rival Samsung to Sandisk, and the change may have caused a conflict in fan management.
Those posting at Apple's official support forums say they believe the problem could be fixed with a software update. However, customers have had varying success obtaining information from Apple support officials, and some have received replacement hardware in an effort to address the issue.
Apple surprised last month when it refreshed its MacBook Pro with Retina display models with slightly faster processors and lower prices. The new models are between 3 and 5 percent faster than their predecessors, but are priced up to $200 cheaper.
 MacBook Pro
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Discount
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| 2.5GHz 13" (4GB/500GB HDD) | $1,199.00 | $1,099.99 | $1,096.08* | sold out | $1,112.78 | $102.92 | |||
| 2.5GHz 13" (8GB/500GB HDD) | $1,299.00 | n/a | sold out | n/a | n/a | $86.51 | |||
| 2.9GHz 13" (8GB/750GB HDD) | $1,499.00 | $1,398.99 | $1,357.02* | $1,499.00 | $1,374.00 | $141.98 | |||
| 2.9GHz 13" (8GB/1TB HDD) | $1,599.00 | n/a | on order | n/a | $1,559.00 | $52.82 | |||
| 2.9GHz 13" (8GB/256GB SSD) | $1,899.00 | n/a | on order | n/a | $1,799.00 | $153.01 | |||
| 2.3GHz 15" (4GB/500GB HDD) | $1,799.00 | $1,709.96 | $1,658.66* | sold out | $1,659.00 | $150.00 | |||
| 2.3GHz 15" (4GB/750GB/ANTI-GLARE) | $2,149.00 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $2,149.00 | $0.00 | |||
| 2.7GHz 15" (8GB/750GB HDD) | $2,599.00 | n/a | sold out | n/a | n/a | $82.82 | |||
| 2.7GHz 15" (8GB/1TB HDD) | $2,649.00 | n/a | $1,988.49* | n/a | n/a | $660.51 | |||
 13-inch MacBook Pros (MBP) with Retina
display
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| 2.5GHz 13" MBP (8GB,128GB) | $1,499.00 | $1,419.98 | $1,377.38* | sold out | $1,416.10 | $121.62 | |||
| 2.9GHz 13" MBP (8GB,128GB) | $1,699.00 | n/a | sold out | sold out | $1,599.00 | $100.00 | |||
| 2.6GHz 13" MBP (8GB,256GB) | $1,699.00 | $1,599.99 | $1,551.98* | $1,649.00 | $1,599.00 | $147.02 | |||
| 2.5GHz 13" MBP (8GB,256GB) | $1,699.00 | $1,539.99 | $1,435.59* | sold out | $1,479.99 | $263.41 | |||
| 3.0GHz 13" MBP (8GB,256GB) | $1,899.00 | n/a | sold out | sold out | $1,899.00 | $0.00 | |||
| 2.9GHz 13" MBP (8GB,256GB) | $2,199.00 | n/a | $1,551.99* | sold out | sold out | $647.01 | |||
| 3.0GHz 13" MBP (8GB,512GB) | $2,199.00 | n/a | $2,114.58* | sold out | $2,199.00 | $84.42 | |||
| 2.5GHz 13" MBP (8GB,512GB) | $2,499.00 | n/a | $1,648.99* | sold out | $1,849.00 | $850.01 | |||
| 3.0GHz 13" MBP (8GB,768GB) | $2,599.00 | n/a | $2,516.18* | sold out | $2,599.00 | $82.82 | |||
| 2.9GHz 13" MBP (8GB,512GB) | $2,699.00 | n/a | $1,745.99* | sold out | $1,849.00 | $953.01 | |||
| 2.5GHz 13" MBP (8GB,768GB) | $2,999.00 | n/a | sold out | sold out | $2,049.00 | $950.00 | |||
| 2.9GHz 13" MBP (8GB,768GB) | $3,199.00 | n/a | on order | sold out | sold out | $919.51 | |||
 15-inch MacBook Pro (MBP) with Retina
display
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| 2.3GHz 15" MBP (8GB, 256GB) | $2,199.00 | $1,944.99 | $1,842.99* | sold out | $1,879.00 | $356.01 | |||
| 2.4GHz 15" MBP (8GB, 256GB) | $2,199.00 | $2,079.99 | $2,017.58* | $2,199.00 | $1,999.00 | $200.00 | |||
| 2.7GHz 15" MBP (16GB, 256GB) | $2,499.00 | n/a | $2,419.18* | sold out | sold out | $79.82 | |||
| 2.6GHz 15" MBP (8GB, 512GB) | $2,799.00 | $2,249.00 | $2,230.99* | sold out | $2,199.00 | $600.00 | |||
| 2.7GHz 15" MBP (16GB, 512GB) | $2,799.00 | $2,628.98 | $2,570.48* | $2,799.00 | $2,599.00 | $228.52 | |||
| 2.8GHz 15" MBP (16GB, 512GB) | $3,049.00 | n/a | on order | sold out | $3,049.00 | $0.00 | |||
| 2.7GHz 15" MBP (16GB, 768GB) | $3,199.00 | n/a | $2,618.99* | sold out | $3,199.00 | $580.01 | |||
| 2.8GHz 15" MBP (16GB, 768GB) | $3,449.00 | n/a | $3,327.08* | sold out | $3,449.00 | $121.92 | |||
On Topic: MacBook Pro
- Deals: dozens of new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Retina configs at lowest prices anywhere
- Gazelle sees 171% spike in MacBook trade-ins ahead of WWDC
- B&H Photo celebrates release of iPhone and iPad apps with exclusive MacBook deals
- Amazon sells out of entry-level 13" Retina MacBook Pro amid rumors of slimmer model
- Dual-mic MacBook Air expected at WWDC, legacy MacBook Pro to remain without update
Previous Comments View All
This happens every time Apple releases a new computer. People forget that Spotlight is indexing their drive for the first few hours, causing other things to run slowly and the fans to come on.
I bought the Retina MBP when it first came out. No issues.
This happens every time Apple releases a new computer. People forget that Spotlight is indexing their drive for the first few hours, causing other things to run slowly and the fans to come on.
But its kicking the fans up even though the computer isn't getting hot. There must be something up with the firmware. I'm sure Apple is working on a fix for this issue. I've never seen nor heard a Mac spin the fans up just in case it gets hot while working. Its always when its getting hot. When the fans are spinning they aren't just spinning up a little, they're spinning up to over 6,000 RPM. That is a little extreme, especially since the computer itself isn't getting very hot.
But its kicking the fans up even though the computer isn't getting hot.
That's the point of the fans. They keep it from getting hot.
It could be a bug - and if it is, it will undoubtedly be fixed soon.
That's the point of the fans. They keep it from getting hot.
Computer fans are reactive - their speed is determined by the safe operating temperature range of the system. If the system is idle and running at 40C, the fans shouldn't try to drive the temperature of the system any lower. That would be a waste of power.
I bought the Retina MBP when it first came out. No issues.
Agreed. I ordered mine in late August with no issues. I get the blue screen of death on windows sometimes (use it for school). But it's nothing short of amazing. Knock on wood
This has happened to me a couple of times with my first gen retina MBP. My SSD is Samsung, so its not based on the maker of the SSD. When it does happen, I have to shut off my machine for a few minutes and reboot. That usually stops the fan. If I just do a normal restart, the fan continues to go crazy. Its definitely a software issue.
This brings back the memories of how my old Powermac G5 liked to go crazy, ramping the fans up to a full speed howl for no reason and not letting up until the system was restarted. As I recall, I wasn't the only person this happened to.
This is a non story.....One user reported a problem with a new machine. So how many have bought a new rMBP and are experiencing no problems......
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| Model | Price | You Save |
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| 11"1.3GHz/4GB/128GB | $964.18* | $34.82 |
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| 11" 1.3GHz/8GB/256GB | $1,255.18* | $43.82 |
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| 11"1.7GHz/8GB/256GB | $1,400.68* | $48.32 |
| 11" 1.7GHz/8GB/512GB | $1,691.68* | $57.32 |
| 13" 1.3GHz/4GB/128GB | $1,061.18* | $37.82 |
| 13" 1.3GHz/4GB/256GB | $1,255.18* | $43.82 |
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| 13" 1.7GHz/8GB/256GB | $1,497.00* | $52.00 |
| 13" 1.7GHz/8GB/512GB | $1,788.68* | $60.32 |
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| 32GB 4G Black | $559.00 | $539.99 | $539.99 |
| 64GB 4G Black | $659.00 | $659.00 | $629.99 |
Apple's newly refreshed MacBook Pro models with Retina displays may be affected by an issue that causes the cooling fan speed to unexpectedly spike, users say.