MBA 2011, fans kick in heavy in low-settings SC2

klb. · Aug 6, 2011

Hey.

I bought 13 inch i5 and really like it. But when I try to play starcraft 2 the fans almost instantly kick up to 6500 rpm and stays there untill I quit the game. And it's LOUD. It doesn't matter if I turn all setting to the lowest, still the same thing (starcraft 2 is very playable on low-medium settings btw, except the noise). Does it do this for you guys and are there a fix? The game just use about 20-25% of the cpu btw.

Also, mouse behavior sucks on OSX, haven't really used a mouse before this despite using OSX for about 4 years. It feels so much more natural on windows, I've tried "Decalerator" from the mac app store and it gets better but not as good as on windows.

Stangs55 · Aug 6, 2011

klb. said:
Hey.

I bought 13 inch i5 and really like it. But when I try to play starcraft 2 the fans almost instantly kick up to 6500 rpm and stays there untill I quit the game. And it's LOUD. It doesn't matter if I turn all setting to the lowest, still the same thing (starcraft 2 is very playable on low-medium settings btw, except the noise). Does it do this for you guys and are there a fix? The game just use about 20-25% of the cpu btw.

Also, mouse behavior sucks on OSX, haven't really used a mouse before this despite using OSX for about 4 years. It feels so much more natural on windows, I've tried "Decalerator" from the mac app store and it gets better but not as good as on windows.

The fan kicking in doesn't really surprise me. Remember the MBA's GPU is built into the flipping motherboard...so we don't need that heating up.

As to the mouse...a more informed OS X user will have to chime in...but I can tell you that as a primarily Windows user who has used a Mac as a secondary computer for about a decade, I've always found the mouse in OS X a little bit....off (not sure exactly what the word is, but it's never seemed to track as naturally as Windows).

Vantagecb · Aug 6, 2011

Is it acceleration? Try moving your mouse slowly, then move it the exact same distance at a much quicker rate and compare the distance on your screen.

go4theko · Aug 6, 2011

macbook air's not built for gaming. fans will run loud especially when pushing the intel hd 3000

johannnn · Aug 6, 2011

klb. said:
I bought 13 inch i5 and really like it. But when I try to play starcraft 2 the fans almost instantly kick up to 6500 rpm and stays there untill I quit the game. And it's LOUD. It doesn't matter if I turn all setting to the lowest, still the same thing (starcraft 2 is very playable on low-medium settings btw, except the noise). Does it do this for you guys and are there a fix? The game just use about 20-25% of the cpu btw.

SC2 has no frame rate cap and the gpu has to work his ass off. Some people therefore add frameratecap=40 frameratecapGlue=30 in ~/Documents/Blizzard/Starcraft II/variables.txt. You should try if it makes any difference.

klb. said:
Also, mouse behavior sucks on OSX, haven't really used a mouse before this despite using OSX for about 4 years. It feels so much more natural on windows, I've tried "Decalerator" from the mac app store and it gets better but not as good as on windows.

I have always used USB Overdrive X with great success with several mices (set to max speed and no acceleration). You could at least try the demo version. Although I haven't tried it on Lion, if that is what you're using.

alexandero · Aug 6, 2011

The culprit is most likely not the CPU, see details here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1200452/

I'd appreciate if you could try the same things and let me know if you end up with different results.

PaulWog · Aug 6, 2011

poobear said:
SC2 has no frame rate cap and the gpu has to work his ass off. Some people therefore add frameratecap=40 frameratecapGlue=30 in ~/Documents/Blizzard/Starcraft II/variables.txt. You should try if it makes any difference.

I have always used USB Overdrive X with great success with several mices (set to max speed and no acceleration). You could at least try the demo version. Although I haven't tried it on Lion, if that is what you're using.

The variables.txt doesn't seem to exist on OS X Lion. I've spent many hours trying to find it. I followed guides, enabled seeing hidden files, searched and searched... to no avail.

@OP: That's just the way it is with SC2. If you check your heat you'll be even more alarmed. You'll spike up to around 95 celcius, and then you'll level out (due to processor throttling) at around 88-90 celcius (with occasional spikes).

johannnn · Aug 6, 2011

PaulWog said:
The variables.txt doesn't seem to exist on OS X Lion. I've spent many hours trying to find it. I followed guides, enabled seeing hidden files, searched and searched... to no avail.

Sorry, it got moved in a patch

"(Mac only) Moved StarCraft II data files and settings from the Documents folder into the Application Support folder."

So go to "your name" -> Library -> Application Support -> Blizzard -> Starcraft II.

PaulWog · Aug 6, 2011

poobear said:
Sorry, it got moved in a patch

"(Mac only) Moved StarCraft II data files and settings from the Documents folder into the Application Support folder."

So go to "your name" -> Library -> Application Support -> Blizzard -> Starcraft II.

I went to "Paul's Computer". Went into "Macintosh HD". I then went into Library. I then went into Application Support.

The Blizzard file does not exist there.

So I went into the Blizzard file through a different route, and I still can't find the variables.txt in it. When I open it I see ".DS_Store", "Battle.net", "Blizzard Downloader.ini", "com.blizzard.StarCraft II Retail.prefs", and "Starcraft II". But inside any folder there isn't the variables.txt

EDIT: I FINALLY GOT IT! How was it soooo hidden. My god. Are Apple products always this difficult to work with?

johannnn · Aug 6, 2011

PaulWog said:
I went to "Paul's Computer". Went into "Macintosh HD". I then went into Library. I then went into Application Support.

The Blizzard file does not exist there.

So I went into the Blizzard file through a different route, and I still can't find the variables.txt in it. When I open it I see ".DS_Store", "Battle.net", "Blizzard Downloader.ini", "com.blizzard.StarCraft II Retail.prefs", and "Starcraft II". But inside any folder there isn't the variables.txt

That's not the library folder of your user. In finder, click cmd+shift+G (Go to Folder) and paste "~/Library/Application Support/" to open the library folder of your user. Alternatively, open Terminal.app and write "open Library" and hit enter.

futbalguy · Aug 6, 2011

PaulWog said:
EDIT: I FINALLY GOT IT! How was it soooo hidden. My god. Are Apple products always this difficult to work with?

Well you were looking in the wrong place. Dont know how that is Apple's fault. Also, you arent supposed to be editing that file unless you know what you are doing so its probably good that they hide it so well.

And its normal for the computer fans to kick in during games since the GPU is heating up.

PaulWog · Aug 6, 2011

futbalguy said:
Well you were looking in the wrong place. Dont know how that is Apple's fault. Also, you arent supposed to be editing that file unless you know what you are doing so its probably good that they hide it so well.

And its normal for the computer fans to kick in during games since the GPU is heating up.

It is Apple's fault though... I tried going everywhere. I tried searching. I tried turning off invisible things. It was made so impossible to find that I didn't think it even existed.

Fact of the matter is it's next to impossible to navigate this computer when it comes to anything like that. My god it's hard.

johannnn · Aug 6, 2011

PaulWog said:
It is Apple's fault though... I tried going everywhere. I tried searching. I tried turning off invisible things. It was made so impossible to find that I didn't think it even existed.

Fact of the matter is it's next to impossible to navigate this computer when it comes to anything like that. My god it's hard.

If you follow instructions it's not complicated.

Yes, the users library folder is hidden but that is so that new users don't make a mess of their systems.

alexandero · Aug 6, 2011

Guys, the frame cap will most likely not solve the problem. The easiest way to tell is if you launch SC2 without logging in and checking CPU load / fan speed a minute later.

If the idle SC2 battle.net login screen eats 20% of the CPU, then the problem is not related to the GPU or a framecap.

japanime · Aug 6, 2011

poobear said:
That's not the library folder of your user. In finder, click cmd+shift+G (Go to Folder) and paste "~/Library/Application Support/" to open the library folder of your user. Alternatively, open Terminal.app and write "open Library" and hit enter.

An easier way to find your user Library folder is to option-click the Go menu item when in the Finder. The Library folder will be among the choices in the resulting drop-down menu.

eyespii · Aug 7, 2011

Give steermouse a try for your mousing needs. Fixes the weird acceleration problem that macs have with mice. Play with the accel and tracking speed to get it where you want it.

Anyone know of an equivalent Piece of software that does the same thing? Steer mouse is great, but it's $20.

klb. · Aug 7, 2011

Thx guys!

I ended upp installing windows 7 through bootcamp and run sc2 there. The fans still kick in but, I think, slightly less so then on Lion. And it runs better and the mouse works as I want it to without having to buy a $20 software.

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MBA 2011, fans kick in heavy in low-settings SC2

klb.

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Stangs55

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Vantagecb

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go4theko

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johannnn

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alexandero

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