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Hi, I just recently upgraded my Mid-2010 MacBook Pro 13” to 16 GB of RAM (2x8 GB), as well as a 500 GB SSD and lastly, a new replacement battery (all new components). I currently run High Sierra 10.13.6 on a 2.4 GHz processor. All upgrades went well (my first attempt - thanks to all for detailed videos!). What I’`m experiencing now is a somewhat intermittent heating up of the upper left-hand corner, the magnetic DC power connector area, of the laptop. The heat (heating up) can cover approximately over 1/4 of the keyboard area (figure “ESC down to fn” and from approx. &7 and to near the space bar). Basically my left leg takes the heat. My question is what could possibly be causing this intermittent heating. I do not have any taxing programs running, just Firefox or Safari with at times, multiple tabs opened. Activity Monitor doesn’t show any culprits that I’m aware of (then again, I am still learning the ins/outs of A.M.). I’m wondering if I should purchase and replace the MagSafe DC-In Board as well as the MacBook Pro 13" Unibody and MacBook 13" Unibody Fan. I mention the fan because it hasn’t kicked on recently when I had AM processes running over 162% CPU (MRT was the culprit - free version of Malware Bytes that I hadn’t fully deleted). I did go in remove the fan and gently cleaned the area (definitely had dust). My current magnetic power cord (original Apple) works and charges fully, no problem. So to sum up: What could be causing this intermittent heating up of the upper left hand quadrant of the board (right now as I type this, things have cooled down)Should I be concerned or just monitor the situation until…Should I buy and replace one or both the MagSafe DC and the fan; and finally, if I do buy both, can I just buy the used fully tested parts on iFixit and are the used fully tested covered by the same warranty as new? I was just hoping to keep my mid-2010 MBP running for a while longer (1 yr+) while I watch the new MBP market offerings. Thanks in advance. TG Pro Screen Shot:
Update (08/08/2019) Hi DAVID (whoops, not Dan) - Good timing. Was thinking I should post an update. So, I did install your suggestion of TG Pro which I purchased - I had to in order to get an actual status on the “Diagnostics” section of the app (although probably not the most revealing of detailed data I’m thinking). I’m going to post a screen shot of the “hottest” my MBP got. I have many screenshots over the last few weeks. In my quick estimate it seems to run hot in upper left section of laptop whenever I’m streaming any video content that is actively loading (stopping/starting). I continue to monitor with TG Pro and I think this may be the norm given that it is 9 yo. Any thoughts/feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks. BTW, the fan never kicks on with new replacement parts (RAM, SSD & battery). And yes, I have reset SMC since my original post. Maybe things are okay although still on battery sensor/northbridge learning curve. TG Pro Screen Shot embedded in my original question (above). **
Who’s SSD did you install? I would install a good thermal monitoring app like TG Pro it will allow you to see more clearly what’s happening with your thermal load and the fans. Lets start there when you see the system getting warm take a snapshot of the main window making sure all of the sensors & fan are visible, post it here for us to see Adding images to an existing question Update (08/30/2019) Hi Mary, The heat you are feeling in the top left corner is the DC-In board which if needed can be replaced. Often the contacts get damaged so the MagSafe’s power has to force its self through the build-up which then heats up the connector. Some heat is expected! It’s when it get overly warm we need to worry. A common issue I see is fake chargers cause arcing which builds up carbon on the sockets pins. They should be gold in color and the plastic should be smooth and not melted. Make sure you are using a real Apple charger and the chargers MagSafe cable & connector is not damaged as well. References: Lacking safety features, cheap MacBook chargers create big sparks this is what damages your systemOEM MagSafe Chargers vs Cheap Imposters: Teardown for TruthCompared: Fake vs Genuine Apple Magsafe Chargers If you do need to replace the DC-In Board here’s the guide MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2010 DC-In Board Replacement
You did not mention about the battery. Did you install the after market battery or original battery? There are many sellers say “OEM” doesn’t mean their battery is properly made. I have seen many battery failed within a few days and machines over heated. Make sure it is original battery only. Unplug the battery and boot it up with AC power to see if it heats up.