MacBook Pro 2011 15" Battery going down while playing WoW

Radellaf: If you're suggesting that no MBP could possibly draw 85w without melting down or setting its surroundings afire, there are a lot of posters in this thread whose MBPs are ready to prove that theory wrong, right here in the real world.

I'm more interested in what the profiler says about the power draw of the problem machine. The question is whether that computer is drawing more, and/or is the charger not able to provide rated power. However, in general, I doubt a MBP could dissipate 85W internally for more than a short time, but charging the battery doesn't count, nor does power provided to external devices. But, that discussion isn't really germane to the OP's problem.

Yes, it is pretty irrelevant how and why the MBP can draw 85W or not, but the obvious fact from the many responses here is that the 15" MBP is not capable of running "forever" even when plugged in. Which can be a pretty big deal for some users, if you for example use your MBP to do some "serious" work (like video editing or running several VM) and then you are pretty much forced to stop working after x hours because the battery is fully drained. Which means that some applications (e.g. letting the MBP run at home while you are away for several days, because you want to VPN into it from wherever you are) won't work. Essentially, you bought a computer, but sometimes you cannot use it because it has run out of juice, even though the power supply has pretty much unlimited power available from the socket in the wall.

It just seems like a design flaw to me. Every other notebook I've ever seen works like this: run on battery - you get x hours of work, then you have to recharge. Use the notebook when it is plugged in - you can work forever, no matter what applications you use on the notebook.

...the obvious fact from the many responses here is that the 15" MBP is not capable of running "forever" even when plugged in.

This statement needs a qualifier:

The 15" (and 17") MBP is not capable of running "forever" under very heavy loads even when plugged in.

It will indeed run indefinitely while plugged in under the loads to which most users typically subject it. But if 24/7 video encoding or 3D gaming around the clock is on your "to do" list, it's the wrong computer for you, and Apple hasn't been forthcoming about that or taken any substantial steps to change it as the computer's power requirements have increased.

Not that anyone thought it was an OS issue, but this problem continues with Mt. Lion. We have the 2.3Ghz Early 2011 MBP 15", and experience this "normal" problem.

The genius bar confirmed this battery drain was "normal", I would argue "normal but bad".

I have been testing the gfxCardStatus to disable the AMD discrete card, and that seems to help.

In my view they should have made a bigger power supply, especially if that's all it takes for a fix. When you throw down $2500+ for a Macbook "Pro" that they pitch to run their very own Final Cut etc, and it can't do that for a whole work day, that is a failue in engineering design. I would not call 70% CPU usage heavy loads.

Guessing the new NVidia equiped machines dont exhibit this problem, as I don't see similar posts.

This is still a major problem and I would like to add two new dimensions that I did not see in the threar earlier.

First, my 2011 MBP 2.2ghz was bought about 14 months ago and the battery is completely dead - it says "replace now" and does not function at all. This means that I have no choice in this matter as to whether to "leave it in" or "take it out", that makes no difference as it serves absolutely no purpose as of right now other than to build my biceps... admittedly much needed.

Second, I bought a TB display about 8 months ago which requires full-time discrete graphics card, even when I close the lid on my MBP, I now believe because I exclusively use Chrome, but that's small potatoes.

I now have a 14 month old, $2500 computer (RAM upgrades, SSD, optical drive removal and replacement, etc.) that runs at the speed of a 2005 white MacBook - regardless of whether I use the TB display, the built-in, peripherals, etc. anything.

This is a failure of design that needs to be rectified with a solution that does not require a $130 new battery, which will only last 8 more months before needing full replacement again.

Simply unacceptable. It's not about money, it's about acceptable design ideas, and in this lone case, the 2011 MBP at least, is a total failure.

Bump.

This is a design failure that needs a response.

Is there a better way to contact Apple directly? I have spent more than enough time with Apple"Care" on the phone.

Bump.