M5 Max Runs 8°C Cooler Than M4 Max, But Heat Remains an Issue
▼ Summary
– Apple’s 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models still use a single heatpipe and two-fan cooling system, which struggles to keep temperatures low under heavy loads.
– The M4 Max chip can reach extremely high temperatures of around 113 degrees Celsius when stressed, as demonstrated in a Cinebench test.
– The newer M5 Max chip, benefiting from Fusion Architecture and packaging improvements, runs approximately 8 degrees Celsius cooler than the M4 Max under the same stress test.
– Despite the improvement, the M5 Max can still exceed 100 degrees Celsius, indicating that a more significant cooling system redesign is needed for better thermal management.
– While Apple has introduced a vapor chamber cooling system for the M6 iPad Pro, there is no confirmed timeline for a similar upgraded cooling solution in future MacBook Pro models.
Apple’s latest MacBook Pro models continue to face thermal challenges, with the new M5 Max running approximately 8 degrees Celsius cooler than the M4 Max under heavy load. This improvement stems from Apple’s advanced Fusion Architecture and refined packaging technology, yet both chips can still exceed 100 degrees Celsius during intensive tasks. The company’s reliance on a single heatpipe and dual-fan cooling system in its 14-inch and 16-inch laptops appears insufficient for managing the extreme heat generated by these powerful processors.
In a recent thermal stress test conducted by a popular YouTube channel, the limits of both chips were evaluated using the Cinebench multi-core benchmark. The M4 Max, featuring a 16-core CPU configuration, reached a scorching 113 degrees Celsius at the sensor level. Meanwhile, the newer M5 Max, equipped with an 18-core design that includes six super cores, peaked at 105 degrees Celsius. This represents a meaningful, though not revolutionary, step forward in thermal management.
Surface temperature measurements also reflected this incremental gain. The exterior of the MacBook Pro housing the M4 Max warmed to 48.7 degrees Celsius, while the chassis containing the M5 Max measured slightly cooler at 46 degrees Celsius. These figures demonstrate that while the internal silicon operates at dangerously high temperatures, the external user experience is less extreme, though still noticeably warm.
The core issue remains Apple’s conservative cooling apparatus. The existing design struggles to dissipate the immense heat produced when the processors are fully utilized, such as during video rendering, complex simulations, or sustained gaming. The efficiency of Apple Silicon is undeniable, but physics dictates that moving this much computational power into such a slim form factor will inevitably generate heat. Without a more aggressive cooling solution, these thermal ceilings are likely to persist.
Industry rumors suggest Apple is exploring new thermal technologies for future devices. The recently launched iPad Pro is said to incorporate a vapor chamber cooling system, a method far more effective at spreading heat than traditional heat pipes. Many observers hope this innovation will make its way to the next generation of MacBook Pro laptops, potentially with the anticipated OLED display models. A redesigned thermal architecture could finally allow these high-performance chips to sustain their peak speeds for longer periods without throttling.
For now, the M5 Max offers a measurable thermal advantage over its predecessor, which translates to slightly better sustained performance and a cooler chassis. However, users pushing their systems to the absolute limit should expect these machines to become quite hot. The pursuit of power in an ultra-portable design continues to present a significant engineering challenge for Apple.
(Source: wccftech)
