MacBook Pro in the Winter Cold

I've gotten used to the idea of taking the MacBook Pro outside, simply because of the soothing ambient effect. The only obstacle in doing that is usually the laptop's battery life. In the winter time, however, the main obstacle can be low, below-zero temperatures. These conditions make my usually sweating hot laptop dangerously cold and although it may seem that freezing air is beneficial for my slick aluminum companion, the truth is quite the opposite.

Internal MacBook temperatures stay above 20ºC,
despite having it outside in the ice cold weather.

As I already wrote before about a faulty nVidia GPU when talking about my MacBook Pro, the GPU temperature as seen on the picture seems too high to be viewed as regular in these freezing conditions, especially when compared to the CPU temperature.

In addition, if it does actually have a faulty GPU or other components, then exposing the laptop to extreme temperature shifts during its operation will significantly reduce its GPU's lifespan. Any non-unibody aluminum MacBook Pro model can be affected.

Hard Drive Issues

The same goes for its hard disk drive whose temperature of around 20ºC is almost pushing the limit of safe operating temperature. As the famous Google's research on this subject has shown, lower temperatures in hard disks are associated with higher failure rates.

The reason for that most likely lies in devastating contraction of materials that hardware components are made of during temperature shifts and their physical properties that favor warmer environments.

Of course, in the end it's still up to me to decide whether I prefer a healthier laptop or some fresh winter air on a peaceful sunny day. For now I'll stick to the latter.

What to do when it's cold?

The bottom line is that Apple's MacBook can survive a fair amount of cold winter air. Its components still get warm enough inside its aluminum (uni)body to operate properly and the chips inside it actually prefer colder temperatures.

The only thing you have to pay more attention to is the hard disk drive (if you have a SSD drive instead you're safe from the disk issue).

The default operating temperature range for hard disk drives is 5ºC to 55ºC (41ºF to 131ºF). Keep it in this range to avoid malfunctions. This applies only to a Mac that is turned on.

To keep an eye on the working hard drive in the cool air, check the laptop's internal temperatures with iStatPro or a similar application regularly and make sure that they are not outside the range of their working temperatures.

It is very important to avoid exposing the MacBook to sudden big temperature shifts (such as going from -20ºC to +20ºC instantly) as that can cause microscopic cracks in its tech components and considerably shorten its lifespan. The computer parts contract and expand with temperature changes and small cracks can form this way.

If you are carrying your Apple laptop outside (even if it's stored in a suitcase or a bag), make sure the MacBook is turned off before returning indoors and then let it "thaw" for a while before turning it on again. That should be enough to keep it safe.

And if you are actually hardcore enough to be running your MacBook outside when it's cold, don't forget to check its temperatures regularly. It could mean a difference between a working laptop and a dead one.

If you've got questions, extra tips or advice on MacBooks in cold winter conditions, please share them in the comments below.