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Comment by swiftcoder

10 hours ago

> MacBooks can be uncomfortable for lap usage if too hot

This was definitely the case in the Intel era, but I can't say I've had this problem since the move to Apple silicon

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swiftcoder

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luke5441  10 hours ago

I have an Air. Maybe active cooling prevents it from getting too hot. With the Air, the metal body is kind of the heatsink.

I can configure my Snapdragon plastic laptop such that the fan doesn't turn on, so the body being metal isn't a requirement for not turning on the fan...

  • p_ing  9 hours ago

    If the body was a heatsink, it would be extremely hot to the touch.

    https://hothardware.com/news/make-your-m1-macbook-air-perfor...

    • nandomrumber  9 hours ago

      From your link:

      Essentially the bottom cover of the MacBook Air becomes one large heatsink

      Anyway, the author claims:

      you are the type that likes to work with the MacBook Air on your lap it will be quite a bit more toasty than before.

      Does toasty mean extremely hot?

      The Apple M4 CPU is, if I recall correctly, capable of converting 20 watts of electrical energy in to heat, at full throttle.

      Is that likely to bring the back plate or a MBA above 45 degrees?

      You’re probably right, with sustained workloads it could.

      Everything’s a trade off.

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