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u235pu239 Author

Level 1

10 points

MacBook Pro heats up crazy while playing games

Hello all;

I know the heating up issue has been raised several times all over the internet. But none of the discussions has satisfied my the concerns I have with my system. So I am going to put my case a new, although I believe the answers are going to be the same as on other similar discussions.

I recently bought MacBook Pro (15 inch, 2.2 GHz, late 2011, OS X Lion) and also I am new to Mac. The system usually runs perfectly. I just have two issues:

i. Occassionally it freezes up when more then one apps are running. I have noticed this is usually when Firefox is running in the background. Also happened with Safari a couple of times.

But my main concern and query is the point no. ii (below)

ii. During the normal usuage the fans don't make a noise (even with multiple apps that are not burden on the RAM). The systems heat up is as normal as that of a PC while running on its normal situation. However, when I play games (like BioShock, Sims etc) Mac just heats up immensly and fans kick in. I have never seen/felt a computer get this hot before.

How do I fix this?

Posted on Mar 31, 2012 1:21 AM

Top-ranking reply

FrenchToast

Level 3

654 points

Posted on Mar 31, 2012 2:12 AM

Have you considered that your radioactive nickname/screenname could be the cause of this heating up...? 😁

All puns set aside, have you checked what graphics card is active during your intense gaming periods? Go to System Preferences, then do as suggested here: http://www.lancelhoff.com/switching-video-cards-macbook-pro/

You can also install a small utility called gfxCardStatus from this website; it'll let you toggle which graphics card you should use, depending on the use you're making of your computer.

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21 replies

u235pu239 Author

Level 1

10 points

Mar 31, 2012 9:47 AM in response to FatMac-MacPro

I have a plastic stand/tray for laptop. I'll try running a game on it for about an hour and see how it goes.

etresoft;giving up on torrents is kind of dififcult but I'll try to keep it down and download files I am sure are safe - which I usually do. Meanwhile, what is the best anti-virus for Mac?

Mar 31, 2012 10:19 AM in response to u235pu239

when playing a game a lot of the mac's resources are being used. try using a fan or else make sure that you have some free space around your mac so that it is ventilated.

u235pu239 Author

Level 1

10 points

Apr 1, 2012 6:58 AM in response to u235pu239

I played a 3D game as a test today. I placed the MBP on a hard surface. The fans didn't make noise but both ran at 6200.

Apr 1, 2012 7:26 AM in response to u235pu239

When the fans on my 2006 MBP run at 6,000 rpm, I can hear them loud and clear, but hey, as long as your machine stays cool, all is well. More interesting than the revs your fans are making would be the temperatures iStat displays when gaming, though.

u235pu239 Author

Level 1

10 points

Apr 1, 2012 8:15 AM in response to FrenchToast

during the gaming the temprature is usually double of the normal according to iStat.

Apr 1, 2012 12:01 PM in response to u235pu239

try buying a laptop fan or else use some books so that you MB is placed a bit higher thus letting more air through. However, even if the temp are twice as much you shouldn't worry to much. It is quite normal for temps to run high during game play

MacBook Pro heats up crazy while playing games