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GPU overheating while playing games?

So I just bought the new MBP this morning, a little over and hour ago I finally finished installing Warhammer Online. Things seem to run smoothly (although with a few framerate spikes now and then) for about 45 mins when suddenly my screen goes black, the sound continues to play for a few seconds, then freezes. My computer then seems to reboot, shows me the gray screen and plays the OSX Startup sound, then goes back to a black screen. It stays like this until I press the power button, after which it will wait for about 10 seconds then finally shut off.

It seems like the GPU is overheating, although I could be wrong. I am playing with the laptop on a wooden desk by an open window.

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.5), Also running XP SP3

Posted on Oct 15, 2008 7:21 PM

22 replies

DLC_UT

Level 1

5 points

Oct 22, 2008 4:43 PM in response to DLC_UT

Now I think I wrote too soon. Crashed in Far Cry, hard.

This is a huge issue for me. I really wonder what is causing this.

Nov 20, 2008 6:43 PM in response to Virgil Nilson MBP

same problem here. black screen lockup with both apple and L2G drivers when gaming (in Vista).

kallepau

Level 1

0 points

Nov 26, 2008 12:55 AM in response to chieferich

Same here, but in Windows XP.

This needs to get out there, so we can know if it's a driver or hardware (let's hope not) problem.

Kevenly

Level 1

25 points

Nov 26, 2008 3:38 AM in response to kallepau

Rest assured this issue is not related to Windows or Boot Camp, but is a system-wide problem. I and others have the same problem with the 9600M GT in OS X. In fact, there is no game I can run in OS X on the 9600M GT chip without the black screen. Read up on this thread as well:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1767221

Nov 26, 2008 4:44 PM in response to Kevenly

Kevenly, is this a problem while in MacOS or Windows via bootcamp?

Kevenly

Level 1

25 points

Nov 26, 2008 10:21 PM in response to astroboy888

I only use OS X, not Windows/Boot Camp. People are experiencing the same problem regardless of which OS they are playing a game under.

samuel1

Level 2

150 points

Jan 1, 2009 1:39 PM in response to Kevenly

As I see it, this is a laptop problem, not a macbook pro problem. Everytime you build a laptop this thin with no room for big cooling systems, you have to be careful when working heavy with games. Don't play on your bed! That will cost you 15C in temps, thats huge. Get SMC fan control and get a windows fan control program to up the fans yourself. Play on flat solid surfaces.

By the way, the 9600M is not like the 8600M, its actually like the 8800, not hugely different but different.

GPU overheating while playing games?