MBP getting very hot Alright, so I think this is a fairly common problem with apple products that have closed in fans: I have a 2012/13 Mac Book Pro 15" that I got 5 months ago with the following specifications:


Processor:  2.7 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory   :  16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3  
Graphics :  NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1024 MB
Software :  OS X 10.9.1 (Mavericks)


I mainly use the system for programming, email and other work/school related projects.

My main problem/concern with it is how hot it gets right above the function keys and on the bottom of the computer. I have tried cooling pads &amp; fans but they don't seem to make much of a difference by any means. I don't have excessive processes running either, for the most part I'll have a text editor, terminal and a web browser running. 

Does anyone have solutions? And is it odd to see this happening with such a relatively new system?
I would also recommend the advice about using Activity Monitor to see what is using the processor and understand why the computer is getting hot.

A MacBook Pro is made from metal and the case conducts the heat well. It might feel hotter than it really is. 

There are a number of temperature sensors in the laptop which can easily be read by software. A search on the internet showed this application which you could use to read the sensors and may give you some idea of where the heat is coming from (although it is probably going to be either the CPU or GPU): http://www.bresink.com/osx/TemperatureMonitor.html