Chosen Solution
Hello! I have a early 2011 Macbook Pro and lately i started to notice that when my computer reaches high temperature (first signs start to show above 65ºc) i can see a dark shadow in a cone shape right above the CPU and GPU fans. I can only see them IF my screen image is black (in this case there is a difference between the black of the rest of the screen and the black of the “shadow”) or a dark almost black gray. The last scenario is the one that the shadows are most visible. If the screen image/color is lighter its perfectly normal. For example in the Solid Colours available on the wallpaper preferences, i can’t see the shadows with any of them, it must be darker then the darkest gray there. :D The higher the temperature the most visible the shadow is. If i’m doing some very intensive stuff and the computer is like 1 hour near 90ºc, then the shadows are easy to see on a dark background. As the temperature drops, the shadow tend to disappear. My first thought was that this could be the leds right above the heat exits getting dimm due to the hight temperature (they get brighter on colder situations), but i would like to know if this is a normal behaviour. Should i get worried that somewhere in the near future i will be short of 2 leds?! Anyway, here are 2 pics of the situation. The first one is with 80’ish ºc the second one is with 30’ish ºc. http://www.itzatez.info/Mac/hightemp.jpg http://www.itzatez.info/Mac/lowtemp.jpg Its a lot more visible in the naked eye. The camera didn’t make it justice. :) But even so, its perfectly visible. So, should i be worried? P.S. - After searching a lot, when the temperatures are low (about 30ºc), i can see that in the same spot of the left side shadow the screen is a tiny tiny tiny bit brighter there. Its really a faint difference and only noticeable when looking at it from like a 45º angle. And again only seen on very dark backgrounds. If i look at it from the normal straight angle i can’t see it. I tried to take a picture of this, but its so subtle that the camera didn’t picked it.
Your laptop is still under warranty. I would take it to the Apple Store. Make sure it gets on the hot side for them. There was a similar issue with the 2008 MBP. You can find that here. I would write down that Web address and take it with you to the Apple Store.
Just so everyone knows, LEDs dim under heat. No broken things, but that is just what happens. I don’t know why, but they just do.
i had the same problem with mine. I ended up getting the screen replaced free of charge by apple. this happened to me about 6 months after having my 17" MBP early 2011. seems fine now!
I had the same problem with my 2011 17" MbP. I simply cut a 2.5 inch strip of paper the width of my screen, folded it about .5 inches along the edge and placed it along the top back edge (below the screen, above/behind the keyboard) essential making a little manifold that diverts hot air from the fans away from the screen. Make shift, I know, but it seems to have solved the “dark spot” issue when my machine is running under heavy load.
