Strange CPU spikes, fan speeding even on low demand applications
Metin:
This is an Early 2013 with 16GB RAM which seems to strain intermittently even when there is no major demand. I replaced the thermal paste already, made sure there are no dust blockages, and we have a new battery installed. My friend, who owns it reports that even after those measures:
[quote]I've been using the Mac, and I'm still having huge CPU spikes, sometimes at idle, or just when using basic applications like Spotify and YouTube...
The fan is still coming on all the time, and there is quite a bit of heat for running low demand programs
Alongside that, I was playing a game (civilization 5) for about 10 minutes, a relatively low to moderate demanding game from 2010, and the whole game actually crashed, amidst the heat and the fans etc.[/quote]
He will be sending the machine to me to see if I can get to the bottom of it, and my first shot at it will likely be another SSD with a fresh install of Mojave, instead of Catalina which is on there right now.
I was wondering if there are some other likely culprits I could hunt down?
=== Update (12/08/2020) ===
Hi Dan , thank you for taking the time to look at it, I very much appreciate you doing this.
The SSD is an original Apple native SSD which I had transplanted from an 2012 13”retina into this 15”machine.
So is also 8years old.
If the heat sink is faulty, then there should be some residue of the liquid by the seams visible under my scope, right? Well, I could always switch it out for a heat sink from a known good machine.
I do not have the machine here in front of me right now, it is being mailed to me as we type.
Here are some reading my buddy Cole took: he wanted to use it to create high resolution videos and audio recordings, but the fan noise made him suspicious.
[image|2276303]
[image|2276302]
[image|2276301]
=== Update (12/08/2020) ===
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@danj, Hey Dan, back to this early 2013 A1398, with the fan spikes. My buddy sent it back to me to replace the "Fledgling" and see if that helps. Long story short, Canada Post lost the parcel, it ended up travelling to the far north, read cold, finally came here after 7 weeks on the road, did not even boot. Replaced the Fledgling, did the resets, and it booted. However, to make sure I was not returning a damaged machine I did run ASD. Came up with 12 errors in the Video controller, see images. 2 Questions: a:Could this have been result of the cold detour, or more likely the issue with the up-spinning fan in the first place? b: And does this look to you like I might just change the appropriate chip on the logic board and have another chance of a working mac? I can replace simple caps, but am still unsuccessful at more-than-6 prong connections...Since it is compromised, I have nothing to lose but inexperience, as far as soldering components goes.....[image|2322128][image|2322132]
+
@danj, Hey Dan, back to this early 2013 A1398, with the fan spikes. My buddy sent it back to me to replace the "Fledgling" and see if that helps. Long story short, Canada Post lost the parcel, it ended up travelling to the far north, read cold, finally came here after 7 weeks on the road, did not even boot. Replaced the Fledgling, did the resets, and it booted. However, to make sure I was not returning a damaged machine I did run ASD. Came up with 12 errors in the Video controller, see images. 2 Questions: a:Could this have been result of the cold detour, or more likely the issue with the up-spinning fan in the first place? b: And does this look to you like I might just change the appropriate chip on the logic board and have another chance of a working mac? I can replace simple caps, but am still unsuccessful at more-than-6 prong connections...Since it is compromised, I have nothing to lose but inexperience, as far as soldering components goes.....
Strange CPU spikes, fan speeding even on low demand applications
Metin:
This is an Early 2013 with 16GB RAM which seems to strain intermittently even when there is no major demand. I replaced the thermal paste already, made sure there are no dust blockages, and we have a new battery installed. My friend, who owns it reports that even after those measures:
[quote]I've been using the Mac, and I'm still having huge CPU spikes, sometimes at idle, or just when using basic applications like Spotify and YouTube...
The fan is still coming on all the time, and there is quite a bit of heat for running low demand programs
Alongside that, I was playing a game (civilization 5) for about 10 minutes, a relatively low to moderate demanding game from 2010, and the whole game actually crashed, amidst the heat and the fans etc.[/quote]
He will be sending the machine to me to see if I can get to the bottom of it, and my first shot at it will likely be another SSD with a fresh install of Mojave, instead of Catalina which is on there right now.
I was wondering if there are some other likely culprits I could hunt down?
=== Update (12/08/2020) ===
Hi Dan , thank you for taking the time to look at it, I very much appreciate you doing this.
The SSD is an original Apple native SSD which I had transplanted from an 2012 13”retina into this 15”machine.
So is also 8years old.
If the heat sink is faulty, then there should be some residue of the liquid by the seams visible under my scope, right? Well, I could always switch it out for a heat sink from a known good machine.
I do not have the machine here in front of me right now, it is being mailed to me as we type.
Here are some reading my buddy Cole took: he wanted to use it to create high resolution videos and audio recordings, but the fan noise made him suspicious.
[image|2276303]
[image|2276302]
[image|2276301]
+
+
=== Update (12/08/2020) ===
+
+
@danj, Hey Dan, back to this early 2013 A1398, with the fan spikes. My buddy sent it back to me to replace the "Fledgling" and see if that helps. Long story short, Canada Post lost the parcel, it ended up travelling to the far north, read cold, finally came here after 7 weeks on the road, did not even boot. Replaced the Fledgling, did the resets, and it booted. However, to make sure I was not returning a damaged machine I did run ASD. Came up with 12 errors in the Video controller, see images. 2 Questions: a:Could this have been result of the cold detour, or more likely the issue with the up-spinning fan in the first place? b: And does this look to you like I might just change the appropriate chip on the logic board and have another chance of a working mac? I can replace simple caps, but am still unsuccessful at more-than-6 prong connections...Since it is compromised, I have nothing to lose but inexperience, as far as soldering components goes.....[image|2322128][image|2322132]
Strange CPU spikes, fan speeding even on low demand applications
Metin:
This is an Early 2013 with 16GB RAM which seems to strain intermittently even when there is no major demand. I replaced the thermal paste already, made sure there are no dust blockages, and we have a new battery installed. My friend, who owns it reports that even after those measures:
-
[quote]
-
I've been using the Mac, and I'm still having huge CPU spikes, sometimes at idle, or just when using basic applications like Spotify and YouTube...
+
[quote]I've been using the Mac, and I'm still having huge CPU spikes, sometimes at idle, or just when using basic applications like Spotify and YouTube...
The fan is still coming on all the time, and there is quite a bit of heat for running low demand programs
-
Alongside that, I was playing a game (civilization 5) for about 10 minutes, a relatively low to moderate demanding game from 2010, and the whole game actually crashed, amidst the heat and the fans etc.
+
Alongside that, I was playing a game (civilization 5) for about 10 minutes, a relatively low to moderate demanding game from 2010, and the whole game actually crashed, amidst the heat and the fans etc.[/quote]
-
[/quote]
He will be sending the machine to me to see if I can get to the bottom of it, and my first shot at it will likely be another SSD with a fresh install of Mojave, instead of Catalina which is on there right now.
I was wondering if there are some other likely culprits I could hunt down?
=== Update (12/08/2020) ===
+
Hi Dan , thank you for taking the time to look at it, I very much appreciate you doing this.
The SSD is an original Apple native SSD which I had transplanted from an 2012 13”retina into this 15”machine.
So is also 8years old.
If the heat sink is faulty, then there should be some residue of the liquid by the seams visible under my scope, right? Well, I could always switch it out for a heat sink from a known good machine.
I do not have the machine here in front of me right now, it is being mailed to me as we type.
Here are some reading my buddy Cole took: he wanted to use it to create high resolution videos and audio recordings, but the fan noise made him suspicious.
Strange CPU spikes, fan speeding even on low demand applications
Metin:
This is an Early 2013 with 16GB RAM which seems to strain intermittently even when there is no major demand. I replaced the thermal paste already, made sure there are no dust blockages, and we have a new battery installed. My friend, who owns it reports that even after those measures:
[quote]
I've been using the Mac, and I'm still having huge CPU spikes, sometimes at idle, or just when using basic applications like Spotify and YouTube...
The fan is still coming on all the time, and there is quite a bit of heat for running low demand programs
Alongside that, I was playing a game (civilization 5) for about 10 minutes, a relatively low to moderate demanding game from 2010, and the whole game actually crashed, amidst the heat and the fans etc.
[/quote]
He will be sending the machine to me to see if I can get to the bottom of it, and my first shot at it will likely be another SSD with a fresh install of Mojave, instead of Catalina which is on there right now.
I was wondering if there are some other likely culprits I could hunt down?
+
+
=== Update (12/08/2020) ===
+
Hi Dan , thank you for taking the time to look at it, I very much appreciate you doing this.
+
+
The SSD is an original Apple native SSD which I had transplanted from an 2012 13”retina into this 15”machine.
+
+
So is also 8years old.
+
+
If the heat sink is faulty, then there should be some residue of the liquid by the seams visible under my scope, right? Well, I could always switch it out for a heat sink from a known good machine.
+
+
I do not have the machine here in front of me right now, it is being mailed to me as we type.
+
+
Here are some reading my buddy Cole took: he wanted to use it to create high resolution videos and audio recordings, but the fan noise made him suspicious.
Strange CPU spikes, fan speeding even on low demand applications
Metin:
-
This is an early 2013 with 16GB RAM which seems to strain intermittently even when there is no major demand. I replaced the thermal paste already, made sure there are no dust blockages, and we have a new battery installed. My friend, who owns it reports that even after those measures:
+
This is an Early 2013 with 16GB RAM which seems to strain intermittently even when there is no major demand. I replaced the thermal paste already, made sure there are no dust blockages, and we have a new battery installed. My friend, who owns it reports that even after those measures:
-
“ I've been using the Mac, and I'm still having huge CPU spikes, sometimes at idle, or just when using basic applications like Spotify and YouTube...[br]
+
[quote]
+
I've been using the Mac, and I'm still having huge CPU spikes, sometimes at idle, or just when using basic applications like Spotify and YouTube...
-
[br]
+
The fan is still coming on all the time, and there is quite a bit of heat for running low demand programs
-
The fan is still coming on all the time, and there is quite a bit of heat for running low demand programs[br]
+
Alongside that, I was playing a game (civilization 5) for about 10 minutes, a relatively low to moderate demanding game from 2010, and the whole game actually crashed, amidst the heat and the fans etc.
-
[br]
+
[/quote]
+
He will be sending the machine to me to see if I can get to the bottom of it, and my first shot at it will likely be another SSD with a fresh install of Mojave, instead of Catalina which is on there right now.
-
Alongside that, I was playing a game (civilization 5) for about 10 minutes, a relatively low to moderate demanding game from 2010, and the whole game actually crashed, amidst the heat and the fans etc.”
-
-
He will be sending the machine to me to see if I can get to the bottom of it, and my first shot at it will likely be another SSD with a fresh install of Mojave, instead of Catalina which is on there right now. I was wondering if there are some other likely culprits I could hunt down?
+
I was wondering if there are some other likely culprits I could hunt down?
Strange CPU spikes, fan speeding even on low demand applications
Metin:
This is an early 2013 with 16GB RAM which seems to strain intermittently even when there is no major demand. I replaced the thermal paste already, made sure there are no dust blockages, and we have a new battery installed. My friend, who owns it reports that even after those measures:
“ I've been using the Mac, and I'm still having huge CPU spikes, sometimes at idle, or just when using basic applications like Spotify and YouTube...[br]
[br]
The fan is still coming on all the time, and there is quite a bit of heat for running low demand programs[br]
[br]
Alongside that, I was playing a game (civilization 5) for about 10 minutes, a relatively low to moderate demanding game from 2010, and the whole game actually crashed, amidst the heat and the fans etc.”
He will be sending the machine to me to see if I can get to the bottom of it, and my first shot at it will likely be another SSD with a fresh install of Mojave, instead of Catalina which is on there right now. I was wondering if there are some other likely culprits I could hunt down?