Tips for loud fan noise/overheating?

Hi all, I know this is an audacity forum but I feel like people would have a lot of experience with this so I thought I’d ask if anyone has any tips or tricks for keeping the macbook pro fan from kicking on and making an incredibly loud noise in my recordings.
Of course I’ve done a google search and I monitor my activity so I can see how much CPU I’m using. I close out of all programs and my activity monitor shows about 20% or more CPU is being used to record in audacity, and less than 1% on all other apps since theyre closed. At this point I don’t think there’s anything else I can do in that regards, right, since its just audacity using up CPU?
I also looked into cleaning the fan but I have a macbook pro 2018 and i can’t seem to get the back off, but even if I could it looks like (in videos I’ve seen) the fans in these models are kind of jammed deep inside and arent as easy to clean as old models. Also, I’ve only had this laptop for 1 1/2 years, so I cant imagine it’s much dust.

I tried downloading this app Turbo Boost someone recommended, I don’t know if that helped. I’m also now using the free trial of TG Pro to see how hot my laptop is just to keep tabs. It seems if I break every few minutes or so it helps to lower the heat and slow the fans down, but even after a long break my laptop wont cool down enough to be as quiet as when I first start recording. I’m wondering if there’s a better solution than just frequent breaks because that clearly doesnt totally solve the problem.

I also cant move my laptop any farther away with my new setup, which didn’t even help much when I tried in the past.

Tips needed, thanks for your help!

Ani

You don’t have to take the bottom off to do a reasonable job of cleaning. I use a canister style shop vac and a super clean, or new paint brush.

You can look in the hinge with a powerful flashlight (or take it outside on a sunny day) and see the vents and deflectors.

MBAHingeVents.jpg
They should not be full of cat/dog hair or dust bunnies.

Make sure the machines are off.

On my Air and the older MBP, the bristles of the brush will reach the vents and knock the dirt loose so the shop vac can suck it all out. Go in to the hinge both directions, the back and the keyboard side.

MBACleanHinge.jpg
Using the same technique, you can clean around the keys and get rid of the dandruff, dryer lint, and graham cracker crumbs. I hit the keyboard four times. Left side, top, right side, and bottom of each key. I make that sound like a career move. I do all the tops, rotate the machine and do all the lefts, etc. The MBA is a pain in the neck because the far-up-right users key is the power switch. I manage to turn it on at least once while I’m cleaning. CHONG !@#$%^

MBACleanKeys.jpg
I’m not a fan of compressed air, canned air, or other sprayers. That just pushes the dirt further into the machine. Or you might do that after you hit it with the vacuum.

Koz

My really, really old Power Book used to crank its fans up at the worst possible time. I developed a method of throwing a towel over a chair, put the machine on the chair facing away from the performer. Of course, you can’t throw a towel over the machine. You could kill the machine like that.

My MBA will sometimes run its fans when I’m watching a Youtube presentation in HiDef for a long time with the screen all the way bright. But I can watch a local movie file all the way through with no noises…

Do you have a Solid State Drive or older spinning metal? Spinning metal drives get hot.

Koz

Tilting the base could offer more air flow; has anyone ever tried an ice pack?

I put extra stick-on rubber feet under one of my over-heating PCs to improve the airflow

Actually yes :nerd:

Peter.

Ah, good suggestion. Do you have a link for what you’re talking about? How tall are these rubber feet? Thanks!

How did the ice pack go?

Koz, will try the vaccuum method!

I’m not sure, probably a solid state drive since its a newer model? Macbook Pro 2018
Screen Shot 2021-08-06 at 12.28.49 PM.png

About 0.75 cm


They did stop it from overheating on hot summer days.

But now I run with an HP Envy that has a 256 SSD and an onboard 1TB spinning metal disk - so with the work done on the SSD the machine doesn’t get so hot.

Peter

Apple (upper left) > About This Mac > Storage.

Screen Shot 2021-08-06 at 9.13.34 PM.png
Koz

Here’s my storage. Thanks for the help.
Screen Shot 2021-08-07 at 12.32.51 PM.png

I have some little plastic pillows that are filled with some jelly/liquid. I can put them in the fridge for a while, and they will retain that cold for a long time. I use them in my portable ice chest. I would not want the “Rocky Road” to melt before I got it home.

IcePack-IMG_0468.jpg
I can see parking the machine on one of these for a recording. They are going to collect condensation, so be careful.

I can freeze them, too, but that wouldn’t be as effective because it can’t form to the bottom of the machine when it’s solid.

Koz

Hi all,
Okay so I did everything - I cleaned the dust out with a vacuum, then actually did get the back off and fully cleaned all dust and debris from the inside. I also got a little stand that tilts the laptop and offers a lot of airflow underneath it. I also cleaned out even more storage.

Still having the same issue. Any other ideas?

Thanks!