I'm a developer and often times I need to compile some packages or maybe even run some codes for couple of hours.
Recently I have noticed that whenever I use Homebrew to install something, it defaults to source, and compilation causes my CPU temp to go around 98 Celsius . Some of the compiles are quite long, couple of minutes, and I'm worried this might harm my MacBookAir.
Michiel's correct in that if the computer gets too hot, it'll shut down automatically. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you can check out smcFanControl and Fan Control.
smcFanControl lets the user set the minimum speed of the build in fans. So you can increase your minimum fan speed to make your Intel Mac run cooler. However in order not to damage your machines smcFanControl doesn't let you set a minimum speed to a value below Apple's defaults (MacUpdate).
Some MacBooks and MacBook Pros are just to hot for daylong use. Fan Control adjusts the minimum fan speed depending on the current CPU temperature. For safety, it leaves the original automatic fan speed control intact (lobotomo).
And remember, if your computer ever gets to 660.4°C, don't leave it on your lap, unless you want liquid aluminum all over you.
UPDATE:
I found another tool called CoolBook that
lets you monitor the frequency, voltage and temperature of the CoreDuo / Core2Duo CPU. Registered users can also change the frequency and voltage of the processor.
Here's a list of features that are listed on the site:
This seems like a useful tool, but it does not support Lion and Mountain Lion, and does not work on Intel i3, i5, and i7 processors.
A MacBook Air gets hot, just like any other laptop, although 100°C is relatively hot (if not, almost the maximum a Mac can handle).
There are reports where users complain about their MacBook Air temperature flirting with 100°C, so you're not alone.
Things you can do to prevent getting the Mac too hot is making sure you haven't covered his ventilating holes. Place it on a flat, hard surface (no lap, pillow or blanket as developers tend to do. At least, that's what I do once in a while :-)).
Other things you can do is make sure you don't run too much applications at the same time, or you could use a laptop stand to get extra fresh air under your Mac.
Or if it's really bothering you, you can always invest in a professional laptop cooler.
What you should keep in mind is the MacBook Air will shut itself down when there is any chance of damage. So you've got nothing to worry about. Your Mac won't get harmed.
Damage of the type that "computer just burns" is unlikely, as Macbooks have protections against overheating. What should be the concern is increasing aging rate. Computer parts have mean time between failures (MTBF) that often depends on temperature at which the part is being operated. So there is always "a chance of damage", which increases with the temperature, and it is manufacturer's choice which temperature to allow/disallow.
Another thing that is CPU temperature is 98 degrees, it is quite possible it has already thermal-throttled to avoid damage.
I would take some action to cool it down - clear the insides, replace thermal paste.
more info: eeweb.com/demonstrated-mtbf-and-temperature
From my personal experience, there are risks with excessive heat. The CPU has relatively complete temperature control settings, such as frequency reduction, to protect it from burning out, but the motherboard does not have. And because the macbook fan is slow to respond to temperature increases, It is possible for the motherboard to burn out due to excessive temperature. Let me tell you something that happened to me.
I never cared about macbook temperature before until the motherboard of my own macbook pro burned out. That day I put the computer on my stomach, laying in bed watching a movie, then for a split second the computer went black and I can't turn on it again. The next day I took it to the service center and the repairman told me the motherboard was broken. I used to expect it to at least automatically shut down when it got too hot, but it turns out that macbook pro does not have such a protection mechanisme. I think macbook air won't shut down with extreamly high temparature either.
If you want to reduce the temparature, it is recommended to use a fan control programs such as mac fan control(download link crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control) to increase the fan speed. It works fine so far. As I mentioned, the macbook fan is slow to respond to temperature increases. Fan control software can improve this problem by increasing the fan to high speed when the temperature is relatively high. But because I just tried one kind of fan control software(mac fan control), I cannot give more suggestions about how to choose a better fan control software.
Don't worry about the temperature of your macbook... use it without any thought.
