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My 2019 16" MacBook Pro with 2.6GHz 6-core i7 processor on macOS 11.3.1 is constantly running hot at ~60°C even when the CPU usage is only 8-10%.
I've checked the ActivityMonitor, but no app is using excess amounts of CPU, energy, or memory.

I've obviously tried rebooting & updating my Mac. I also make sure my fans aren't blocked so there's enough room for air flow and I have cleaned the interior from dust.

What else can I do?

LinusGeffarth
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  • 60°C is not really hot. CPUs can actually exceed 100°C for short amounts of time. – X_841 May 18 '21 at 10:09
  • Yes but it's on 60°C for the whole night even though its in standby (and afaik nothing's running)...that wasn't the case until recently. – LinusGeffarth May 18 '21 at 10:11
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    Swap the charger to the other side. See https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/363337/how-to-find-cause-of-high-kernel-task-cpu-usage – Tetsujin May 18 '21 at 10:16
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    Wow, I unplugged my LG UltraFine (which also charges my Mac) from the right side and the fans immediately stopped spinning. I now plugged it into the left side, and they're picking up again...so it seems related for sure. I'll see if it goes down in the next hours. @Tetsujin – LinusGeffarth May 18 '21 at 10:42
  • There are two things at play: more pixels to push (i.e. graphic card runs hotter) and charging also creates heat. – X_841 May 18 '21 at 11:22
  • @X_841 yes, but that has been the fact for months, and the heat problem has appeared only a few days ago – I haven't changed a thing about my setup. – LinusGeffarth May 18 '21 at 15:59

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