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Building a macOS app to know when my Mac is thermal throttling

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Re: Building a macOS app to know when my Mac is thermal throttling

#111

Post by beaugunderson »

xenonite wrote: post #49
e40 wrote: post #43

He could get notarization and code signing for free if he puts it into Homebrew. I would love to get it via that distribution mechanism.

This is great to hear. Is there a similar free way for getting Windows signatures?

I have not found one since the CA/BF voted to require hardware security modules for signing certificates. The cheapest option for an individual is via Microsoft, $10/month and a relatively painless identify verification lets you do cloud signing. They have enabled and disabled signups for the individual option, though, and it's unclear if it will be there permanently. Other options are ~$300/year and up. Also annoying is that Azure cloud signing works on GitHub Windows runners but not GitLab ones.

Re: Building a macOS app to know when my Mac is thermal throttling

#112

Post by anonzzzies »

tombert wrote: post #58

I had the 2019 Macbook Pro i9, so I think a function to determine thermal throttling could be written very simply: function isThermalThrottling() { return true; } Seriously, I loved that computer for the most part but I was a little annoyed that I paid a lot of money for the i9 CPU just to get worse performance than the i7.

I had that one with 64gb: got a new one twice but could not get it to act normal. It just got so incredibly hot, it was uncomfortable. It was one of my worst hardware purchases.

Re: Building a macOS app to know when my Mac is thermal throttling

#113

Post by Lord-Jobo »

LoganDark wrote: post #74
tyre wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be cool if the bottoms of MacBooks weren’t flat and instead wavy or rippling to increase surface area. There are probably a lot of cool designs (ayyyyy) you could machine in.

Is there a value to increasing surface area on the top or bottom case of a MacBook? I'd imagine most of the thermal management is achieved by fan-directed airflow through the internal heatsinks and convection through the keyboard.

Well the MacBook Air has no fans so it’s a different beast from a design perspective. If I recall, at least with an earlier m series MacBook, notably improved performance could be gained by inserting a thermal pad between the chassis’ bottom panel and the compute module. Apple probably didn’t do this in an effort to avoid uncomfortably hot temperatures contacting people’s thighs.

Re: Building a macOS app to know when my Mac is thermal throttling

#114

Post by Centigonal »

shalomv wrote: post #108
tombert wrote: post #58

I had the 2019 Macbook Pro i9, so I think a function to determine thermal throttling could be written very simply: function isThermalThrottling() { return true; } Seriously, I loved that computer for the most part but I was a little annoyed that I paid a lot of money for the i9 CPU just to get worse performance than the i7.

I had the 2019 MacBook Pro i9 too. Applying thermal pads to the VRM module fixed the throttling problem. It was like a brand new computer, the one I thought I was purchasing. After buying it, I regularly had throttling issues. Nothing seemed to help. I tried all the recommended tricks but wasn’t getting anywhere. (I had two external monitors and using adobe creative suite back then.) I came across some forum posts ab…

I did the same mod on my 2019 MBP 16, and I got two more years of useful life out of it in exchange for nearly burning myself a few times when watching a movie or running some kind of CPU-intensive task with the laptop touching my body (even through a t-shirt or jeans!). Eventually, the airflow from the cooling fans started to weaken and the display flex cable started to get a bit squirrely on me. I'm on a 14" M-series MBP now, and it's freakishly quiet and efficient.

Re: Building a macOS app to know when my Mac is thermal throttling

#115

Post by tombert »

anonzzzies wrote: post #112
tombert wrote: post #58

I had the 2019 Macbook Pro i9, so I think a function to determine thermal throttling could be written very simply: function isThermalThrottling() { return true; } Seriously, I loved that computer for the most part but I was a little annoyed that I paid a lot of money for the i9 CPU just to get worse performance than the i7.

I had that one with 64gb: got a new one twice but could not get it to act normal. It just got so incredibly hot, it was uncomfortable. It was one of my worst hardware purchases.

Mine was also 64GB. I was working at Apple at the time and I had a discount that I wanted to maximize, so I went onto the shop website and maxed out literally every option available to me. Total damage ended up being like 4 grand.

I don't remember it being super uncomfortably on my lap, though I almost exclusively wear very thick jeans so maybe I was somewhat shielded. It did get super hot.

Despite that, I did actually like the laptop a lot; it had a nice heavy weight to it, which was actually good for me since it felt very firm when I typed on it on my desk, and the keyboard was nice to type on. It benefited from low expectations because the laptop it was replacing was an Asus that was such a piece of shit that I swore a blood oath that I would never give Asus money ever again, which I have not broken.

Re: Building a macOS app to know when my Mac is thermal throttling

#116

Post by ksec »

motoboi wrote: post #106
ksec wrote: post #70

I really wish Apple uses Vapour Chamber cooling for next MacBook Air M5. On my MacBook Pro, I have come to the conclusion that Apple priorities low noise level over heat dissipation. And I have my Mac fan control to have a minimum fan speed.

Vapor chamber only helps with bursts of usage. It’s just that the heat gets transferred faster. Transferred where is the correct question to ask. To the aluminium body is the answer. Now, how much time it takes to heat that body completely (ie: to reach equilibrium with the environment) and once in equilibrium, how much joules (or watts) can the body dissipate into the environment without burning the person’s lap is…

I am aware of that, I am of the opinion that MacBook Air provides too little time for bust usage. Or in a perfect world Apple could make the MacBook Pro super thin but with fan. Right now I think the Air is better in terms of weight.

Re: Building a macOS app to know when my Mac is thermal throttling

#117

Post by LoganDark »

Lord-Jobo wrote: post #113
LoganDark wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a value to increasing surface area on the top or bottom case of a MacBook? I'd imagine most of the thermal management is achieved by fan-directed airflow through the internal heatsinks and convection through the keyboard.

Well the MacBook Air has no fans so it’s a different beast from a design perspective. If I recall, at least with an earlier m series MacBook, notably improved performance could be gained by inserting a thermal pad between the chassis’ bottom panel and the compute module. Apple probably didn’t do this in an effort to avoid uncomfortably hot temperatures contacting people’s thighs.

Oh, I saw that video too!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnllZYEhvDQ

It's really cool that performance cores are the same between base, Pro, Max (, Ultra) chips of a generation. That really feels like Apple did it right.

Re: Building a macOS app to know when my Mac is thermal throttling

#119

Post by c0wb0yc0d3r »

xenonite wrote: post #49
e40 wrote: post #43

He could get notarization and code signing for free if he puts it into Homebrew. I would love to get it via that distribution mechanism.

This is great to hear. Is there a similar free way for getting Windows signatures?

I’m not super familiar with windows code signing anymore but fewer people care about it on windows (because it isn’t required). It’s definitely a small hurdle to be sure but I think you’d really only lose out on enterprise users at that point. I think code signing might only matter if the installer is built in certain ways (i.e. it’s an exe instead of using an msi to install, if someone knows better please correct this).

If your target is enterprise users convince IT users of its value and they will eventually make exceptions in their orgs for it no matter what signed or not.

Re: Building a macOS app to know when my Mac is thermal throttling

#120

Post by amelius »

nottorp wrote: post #6
amelius wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can move to a colder place or turn the room temperature down.

In the northern hemisphere you can just open a window at this time of the year. Remember to put your coat and hat on!

They didn't say anything about that in the adverts.
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