iTunes and unexplained CPU heat???

CHUD was popular on G5s for various reasons, to 'nap' a processor, to disable a cpu or core (helpful if debugging a cpu kernel panic). It is safe to install,, and you will find it on any system with Xcode.

ADC Membership required for download.
https://connect.apple.com

DESCRIPTION The Computer Hardware Understanding Developer Tools (CHUD Tools) are designed to help hardware and software developers measure and optimize the performance of Macintosh systems running their products under Mac OS X. All of the CHUD tools fully support the latest in Macintosh hardware and software.

http://developer.apple.com/tools/performance/
http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Developer-Tools/Apple-CHUD-Tools.shtml

... ran into this: +extend the life of SSDs by disabling indexing+

Another key part of the performance and responsiveness was our collaboration to optimize Intel Solid State Drive technology for Windows 7

A feature called SMT parking allows Windows 7 to take advantage of Intel hyperthreading technology for "better performance on hyperthreaded, multicore Intel processors," wrote Joakim Lialias, an Intel alliance manager, in a blog entry on Microsoft's Web site that was posted late Wednesday.

Apple has changed the basic architecture of its upcoming Mac OS X 10.6 OS, code-named Snow Leopard, by introducing new features that tap into the processing power of multiple CPU and graphics cores. A number of enhancements allow the OS to divvy up tasks for simultaneous execution across cores.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/168969/microsoftintel_design_windows_7_to_bespeedy.html

I've "delved" into xcode a few times, but only used it once via good advice from Francine on how to locate and delete a wallpaper that kept showing up mysteriously. I'm not sure if I have it on this one or not, I don't think so, I tried to keep the install very lean. But like Terminal which still makes me very uneasy to use, xcode was something I feared messing with. I should have on my G5s I guess, I would be familiar with it now.

Excellent to hear that about SL. I'm pinning a lot on a 25 dollar upgrade.

Turning off indexing... forgive my ignorance but we, Macs, can do that too, right?

Spotlight. One of my pet peeves.

CHUD could be installed on its own, at least in the past, maybe that has changed. And it has its own BitTop to see what is going on in addition to Activity Monitor or 'top' in Terminal.

Nothing to fear, they say, but fear itself. Yes?

Low and behold, just launching AfterEffects brings my CPU Temps into the middle 80s with one stuck at 92.
Wait a minute... lol, having launched Mail and Safari too, all the temps are dropping again... now with AE still open the temps have dropped to the high 50s.

Ok, so launching AE apparently caused the temps to spike but they settle down after a few minutes. I'll see what happens when I render.
I'm not going to pursue this much more, just wanted to see what a heavy hitter would do.

Nothing to fear, they say, but fear itself. Yes?

Um,... if it's not broke, don't fix it? I'm still trying to tell if this particular situation regarding temps is aberrant or not.
And SMC Fan Control is still not recommended, is that correct?
I know that has nothing to do with chud or xcode, but with this it seems an option, though not one I was advised to try.

Anyway you win, I'm already a member, I'll download xcode and see what I'm missing. Too persuasive, Hatter, too too, lol. 🙂

Edit: Or should I be downloading chud as well. Yes, I believe so.

Message was edited by: Samsara

Putting some load and stress so heat goes up and fans kick in and respond can have the effect of the system working to bring the temps back down, but would take a couple minutes to take effect. Barefeats in one of its benchmark tests.

Yes, I wasn't watching my fans... cant fit all that HM reads on my 2nd display. This is all leading back to itunes and qt so far. I think you were right from the start, Hatter. For some very odd reason, Apple hasn't, what... ? Optimized their own apps for us?

Well, too odd to think about anymore... Working with AE brought the temps back about to 89c again, and they stayed there throughout.
Go to report that here, launching Mail and Safari (with HM open too) and the temps almost immediately start to drop.
Loa, you owe me an Advil... 😉

And for my final weigh in,... launching QT to play what I just rendered, it's hardly raising the temps at all. The other day it was a 10-12 degree change, now maybe two... Ugh, got nowhere quickly.

Before I got my Mac Pro, Mini and iMac I used an old MSI laptop with Leopard (I know, not legal, but I made up for it, didn't I? Ordered a MBPro now, too, so I have one Mac out of every line..).

Anyway, Leopard didn't support fan-control and speedstep on that machine. Every time the temperature of the Core2Duo 1.83Ghz CPU in that thing came above 93 degrees celcius it would instantly power down.

Hi Loa,

After that I needed oxycontin anyway, so don't worry about it. 😉

Others here will be able to give you answers to that because I just don't now. It seems to me, like my excessive amount of RAM, that almost nothing puts much of a strain on the processors. I really don't get it at all.
I've used Activity Monitor with a few apps and it just shows a very mellow,... oh too weird... I just opened itunes and started playing a song and AM showed nothing, absolutely no activity for the CPUs.
I am awake, aren't I? Coffee! Qualudes! Morphine! Crackerjacks!