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(possibly?) heat problems while running 3D studio max on 15" MBP, looking for ideas.

R

Robly

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 3, 2008
13
0
I'm currently running a 15" 2.8GHz Macbook Pro (late 2008)

As we all know, they like to get rather warm! Especially while running boot camp (using vista ultimate). I would have hoped that a processor of this level would be able to make light work of Autodesk 3D Studio Max, especially since the feeble laptops at university seem to manage fine, if a tad slow. However, I appear to be sadly mistaken, since unpredictably there is a complete freezeup - at random, seemingly, from any task to moving an object, applying a texture, rendering. The more I press on in one session (having to restart, obviously), the faster it seems to freeze, which has driven me to the assumption that it is to do with heat. If I leave it off for a while to cool down, it seems to take longer to crash.

I'm currently using SMC fan control to keep fans at 6200rpm for the duration
I also have my Macbook sat on a Targus "chill mat for mac", one of those active ones with 2 fans in it.

Yet still no joy. I'm rather urgently looking for suggestions, whether to do with cooling down operating temperature in Windows, or any knowledge as to whether it is another problem in boot camp.

Thanks in advance.
 
jav6454

jav6454

macrumors Core
Nov 14, 2007
22,303
6,257
1 Geostationary Tower Plaza
Robly said:
I'm currently running a 15" 2.8GHz Macbook Pro (late 2008)

As we all know, they like to get rather warm! Especially while running boot camp (using vista ultimate). I would have hoped that a processor of this level would be able to make light work of Autodesk 3D Studio Max, especially since the feeble laptops at university seem to manage fine, if a tad slow. However, I appear to be sadly mistaken, since unpredictably there is a complete freezeup - at random, seemingly, from any task to moving an object, applying a texture, rendering. The more I press on in one session (having to restart, obviously), the faster it seems to freeze, which has driven me to the assumption that it is to do with heat. If I leave it off for a while to cool down, it seems to take longer to crash.

I'm currently using SMC fan control to keep fans at 6200rpm for the duration
I also have my Macbook sat on a Targus "chill mat for mac", one of those active ones with 2 fans in it.

Yet still no joy. I'm rather urgently looking for suggestions, whether to do with cooling down operating temperature in Windows, or any knowledge as to whether it is another problem in boot camp.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Waaay too much cooling power for you laptop to suffer under heat stress. More likely it's Vistas fault (wouldn't surprise me). Check vista and see if it has problems.
 
R

Robly

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 3, 2008
13
0
I was hoping to avoid "going nuclear" and reformatting to downgrade, but I'll give it a try - fancied doing it for a while after all.

I'll see how it goes and let you know if it crashes again! Should probably run cooler on XP too I'd imagine.
 
2

22Hertz

macrumors regular
Oct 20, 2007
116
0
Let us know how things turn out.
Im debating whether to put Windows on my Macbook Pro or not, and heat is one of the issues I mainly concerned with.
 
R

Robly

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 3, 2008
13
0
Update: ditched vista, and spent a while firing up XP.

Pros: don't need to download an excess of service packs and hotfixes for applications. 3D Studio Max runs cooooool - haven't tried running Empire: Total War yet, that was a real culprit for turning my MBP into a very expensive frying pan. Was rendering in 3D for a good 3-4 hours today, and touching to the top left of the keyboard (my test of heat) it seemed no warmer than running a movie in leopard. Very happy so far!

Cons: Watch this space.

Let's just say boot camp seems much more... comfortable, shall we say, with XP.

This is purely about heat - keep in mind my fans were still on 6200 and my MBP was sat on a chill mat (makes a difference of 4-5 degrees celcius).

So whether it's fixed my 3DS Max crashing problem is TBA - but if it happens again, I'll be sure to post - but here's hoping XP holds all the answers!

Thanks again for the suggestions.
 
R

Robly

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 3, 2008
13
0
Further Update: Tried running Empire: Total War, first naval battle I enter, it crashes after about 5 minutes - touch test would indicate frying pan problem. Ah well, guess you can't have it all, seems there's just no way to keep MBPs cool under that kind of pressure! Sometimes I wish that they'd use all this money we spend on these machines to make a cooling system that works!
 
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