A YouTube video by Geekerwan compared the mini-LED MacBook Pro to the new PROLED XDR model using a smoke machine. With each MacBook’s fans running, you can clearly see how the internal design disperses heat: on the older model, heat exits and rises through the screen, while the PROLED pushes heat toward the back of the device through the hinge.
Geekerwan/YouTube
Expelling heat to the rear is no easy task and required an extensive redesign of the hinges and ventilation system. Not only does the new MacBook Pro do a better job of keeping heat away from the keyboard and screen, as Geekerwan explains, but the benefit isn’t simply better cooling capacity when working on the PROLED display. It also helps disperse heat better when the lid is closed and connected to an external monitor. To make the point, he tested both closed models and found a massive drop in performance on the older model as a result of thermal throttling.
Geekerwan also found that the fans spun faster and were quieter on the PROLED model. It’s unclear whether this is due to new hardware or software tweaks, but iFixit’s teardown found the same fan location under the logic board and nothing particularly noteworthy about the fans themselves.
Check out our 5-star review of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display.
