
Apple just released a cryptically named software update called "MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update".
It has a one-liner description - "The SMC Firmware Update addresses boot issues with the MacBook Pro"
After some googling, SMC, it turns out, stands for Systems Management Controller.
Looking it up on Apple's
15" MBP Developer Note:
"The 15-inch MacBook Pro uses an advanced system management controller (SMC) to manage thermal and power conditions, while keeping the acoustic noise to a minimum. The SMC is fully independent of the operating system." (emphasis ours)
Various reports on the web and our own experience shows that the MBP now runs appreciably cooler after the update. Using
CoreDuoTemp, our own MBP 1.83Ghz, for example used to run at 72 degress celsius (171 degrees Fahrenheit). After the update, it now hovers around 58 degress (136.4 degrees Fahrenheit) -
a full 14 degress celsius cooler (57.2 degrees Fahrenheit)!
We never did have the whine/mooing problems on our MBP, so we can't confirm if this update also fixes these problems, but there are reports on
Apple's Discussion forum that the whine/mooing is still present.
Digg it!!!