Hot & loud MacBook Pro with Zoom app running from its quick test.

[antdude]

Hello,

I noticed 13" 2020 Intel MacBook Pro (MBP)'s fan gets loud and warm when running a quick https://zoom.us/test with the launched Zoom app. After exiting the app, then MBP got quiet and cooler. Is this normal? I never had this problem before upgrading macOS Ventura to Sequoia six days ago. Apps and OS are up to date.

Thank you for reading and hopefully answering soon. 🙂

[lancetlc]

Hey @antdude 

It's not entirely normal for your 13" 2020 Intel MacBook Pro to suddenly get loud and warm with a simple Zoom test after a major macOS upgrade, but it is a common symptom reported by users with Intel Macs after installing new macOS versions like Sequoia.

What you can do:

1. Check Activity Monitor: The best way to see what's happening is to open Activity Monitor (in your Utilities folder) while running the Zoom test.

   • Look at the CPU tab and sort by % CPU. See which process (e.g., Zoom, kernel_task, Spotlight, or WindowServer) is using the highest percentage.

   • High CPU usage by Zoom or other processes (often going over 100% on a multi-core Intel CPU) indicates the software is causing the heat.

   • High usage by kernel_task is often the system actively trying to throttle the CPU to cool itself down, which is a common response to excessive heat from other processes.

2. Wait for Indexing: If you see high CPU usage from processes like mdworker or mds (related to Spotlight) or a lot of I/O from the Energy tab, the system is likely still indexing. Give it a few more days, and try to leave the Mac awake and plugged in overnight for a few nights to let it complete.

3. Try Browser Version of Zoom: As a temporary workaround, try joining a meeting through your web browser (like Safari or Chrome) instead of the desktop app to see if the CPU load is lower.