How much does coding and writing loops damage your computer? - Page 2

gnasher729 · Feb 1, 2013, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulimer

I am writing C and java code. My MBA needs to run 700,000,000 for loops, each time I click compile.

The fan is blowing out warm air and you feel heated on top of F1 and F2 keys.

How badly does this damage your laptop? Does it shorten the lifespan of your MBA?

I have the mid-2011 model 13-inch.

The fan is blowing out warm air because it is supposed to blow out warm air. Running at full speed, the MBA will turn about 35 Watt into heat. Your Mac has no problems doing that for days at a time. And I assume your code uses one core only, in which case you don't get near the maximum heat the MBA is built for.

Make sure you don't hinder the cooling. Keep enough empty space around the Mac, don't put it onto the carpet or on a blanket, don't put it on your radiators.

kulimer · Feb 1, 2013, 09:35 PM

"service battery" warning is now on. 192 cycles.

GGJstudios · Feb 1, 2013, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulimer

"service battery" warning is now on. 192 cycles.

The Service Battery indicator comes on if your battery is defective, or if your battery health drops below 75%, even if it's not defective. If you have AppleCare, have AppleCare check out your battery. Even if you don't have AppleCare, it won't hurt to have them check it out for defects. They sometimes make exceptions and replace a battery free, even if it's out of coverage.

The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ

MisterKeeks · Feb 1, 2013, 10:17 PM

What about Temperature Monitor

2IS · Feb 1, 2013, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrbobb

So you haven't executed the code yet, you are just compiling (translate text to binary) and creating an executable that the cpu can understand.

This question is like asking if you can hurt the car by running it hard. I suppose in older cars you can reeve it up beyond its design to damage it, but newer cars won't let you do that, it has a safeguard. Computers have built-in safeguards since day#1.

So are you building Stuxnet II?

Not a very good analogy. Engines having moving parts, friction as well as breakdown of their fluids over time, and you can/will wear down an internal combustion engine faster if you are always redlining it even with things like rev-limiters in place. And while solid state devices do also suffer wear and tear from things like electromigration, which is accelerated when things heat up, you're still looking at a life cycle that is well beyond what the useful life of the machine will be.

kulimer · Feb 6, 2013, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by checkitout

My car needs to run 700,000,000 micrometers each time I go to work.
No, it's not going to be damaged by that (except from underuse, because that is a distance that is best walked).

Comparing your car fan with MBA fan? That doesn't even make sense.

gnasher729 · Feb 6, 2013, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnasher729

Make sure you don't hinder the cooling. Keep enough empty space around the Mac, don't put it onto the carpet or on a blanket, don't put it on your radiators.

Here's an excellent story what happens if you don't follow this advice:

http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Human-Heat-Sink.aspx

curious80 · Feb 6, 2013, 04:58 PM

700 million loop iterations is actually a pretty small code - a few seconds at max (unless you are doing a lot of work per loop iteration). I have run much longer running computationally intense test codes on my macbook pro over last 3 years and never even thought about it causing an issue. Your laptop is likely to be stressed more by decompressing and playing a high def movie then this code.

JDB1983 · Feb 6, 2013, 05:55 PM

MBAs are only rated for 900m for loops, so take it easy or else Apple could refuse any warranty you have on it.

12dylan34 · Feb 6, 2013, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulimer

I am writing C and java code. My MBA needs to run 700,000,000 for loops, each time I click compile.

The fan is blowing out warm air and you feel heated on top of F1 and F2 keys.

How badly does this damage your laptop? Does it shorten the lifespan of your MBA?

I have the mid-2011 model 13-inch.

Naw. I left my old 2008 MacBook Pro doing renders and simulations for multiple days at a time and it's still ticking as a companion to my new iMac. Just make sure it can keep cool and you'll be fine.

ctdonath · Feb 7, 2013, 08:37 AM

A properly built computer will not degrade by "running hard". There's an upper limit to how much work it can do, and cooling systems etc. should be designed for indefinite operation at those levels. Even if the cooling system completely fails, normal technology will slow the processor to keep it operating within safe heat parameters.

My home-bound notebook computer's fan failed. I leave it running 24/7. The memory is anemic enough that modern software hits the disk-bound virtual memory hard. I've left it in this decrepit state, hoping that thru overheating and abuse it will just die already and give me an excuse to buy another computer. Three years later, it's still slogging along.

As 12dylan34 noted, people run CPU-grinding video rendering for days/weeks/months at a time with no ill effect. Distributed research tools like SETI@Home, Folding@Home, and prime-number searches keep millions of computers running hard continuously. Looping less than a billion times? Or even less than a billion separate loops? meh. So it gets a little warmer than you, mere human, find comfortable; the computer is literally just getting warmed up.

kulimer · Feb 12, 2013, 06:41 PM

I got a question, how do you know which 2GB memory is running youtube, which one is running your programming?

How do I know those 2 tasks are not done in one memory chip but two?

gnasher729 · Feb 12, 2013, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulimer

I got a question, how do you know which 2GB memory is running youtube, which one is running your programming?

How do I know those 2 tasks are not done in one memory chip but two?

1. Memory isn't running anything. Cores are running tasks.
2. You don't know, it changes all the time, it doesn't make any difference, and why would you care?

kulimer · Feb 12, 2013, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnasher729

1. Memory isn't running anything. Cores are running tasks.
2. You don't know, it changes all the time, it doesn't make any difference, and why would you care?

2. I am programming and listening to youtube, so I'm curious if youtube will slow down my program, if so, I'll listen something on iTunes.

ayeying · Feb 17, 2013, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulimer

2. I am programming and listening to youtube, so I'm curious if youtube will slow down my program, if so, I'll listen something on iTunes.

Running a second program will slow down your compile regardless if it's youtube or iTunes.

Mrbobb · Feb 17, 2013, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulimer

2. I am programming and listening to youtube, so I'm curious if youtube will slow down my program, if so, I'll listen something on iTunes.

If you are a programmer and u don't know, I worry.

help4desk · Feb 18, 2013, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulimer

I am writing C and java code. My MBA needs to run 700,000,000 for loops, each time I click compile.

The fan is blowing out warm air and you feel heated on top of F1 and F2 keys.

How badly does this damage your laptop? Does it shorten the lifespan of your MBA?

I have the mid-2011 model 13-inch.

Is this a joke?

kulimer · Feb 18, 2013, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayeying

Running a second program will slow down your compile regardless if it's youtube or iTunes.

So, I opened three 2 instances of Matlab, each running a simulation at full throttle, or at least the 6700rpm fan speed tells me so.

I opened Activities Monitor, under CPU tab, each Matlab is running 100% of CPU. I assume each Matlab uses one of two 2GB memory. Ok, fair enough.

But, when I open a 3rd Matlab, it's also running at 100% CPU. What's going on there?

ayeying · Feb 18, 2013, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulimer

So, I opened three 2 instances of Matlab, each running a simulation at full throttle, or at least the 6700rpm fan speed tells me so.

I opened Activities Monitor, under CPU tab, each Matlab is running 100% of CPU. I assume each Matlab uses one of two 2GB memory. Ok, fair enough.

But, when I open a 3rd Matlab, it's also running at 100% CPU. What's going on there?

You have more then 1 cores with your CPU... you do know that right?

kulimer · 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayeying

You have more then 1 cores with your CPU... you do know that right?

Yes, I do, smart pants.
The details are easily found here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/SP631

Now do you know what I am talking about?

simsaladimbamba · Feb 18, 2013, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulimer

Yes, I do, smart pants.
The details are easily found here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/SP631

Now do you know what I am talking about?

You have a dual core i5 or i7, which has two virtual cores/threads per physical core, thus your CPU can go up to 400 %.

kulimer · Feb 18, 2013, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simsaladimbamba

You have a dual core i5 or i7, which has two virtual cores/threads per physical core, thus your CPU can go up to 400 %.

That's really informative.

How do you know if you tasks are not crammed into one core?
Say, running 3 instances of Matlab simulation, each one takes about 5 hours.

I'd like to do something else on the MBA meanwhile.

kulimer · Feb 18, 2013, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by help4desk

Is this a joke?

No, it's not, which part of it do you find funny?

nephilim7 · Feb 18, 2013, 09:54 PM

Give your computer to a relative or passing stranger, it really doesn't seem to be your thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulimer

That's really informative.

How do you know if you tasks are not crammed into one core?
Say, running 3 instances of Matlab simulation, each one takes about 5 hours.

I'd like to do something else on the MBA meanwhile.

help4desk · Feb 18, 2013, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kulimer

No, it's not, which part of it do you find funny?

Computers are built to be used and sometimes stressed.
And a loop takes just some ms time.
I think that converting a movie with Miro would be equivalent so some billions of your loops, but after converting a full season of TNG my MBA 2012 is still alive and well....

Relax, even it fans run for a while it's perfectly OK, they are designed to preserve you MBA from overheating

Feb 1, 2013, 10:17 PM	#29
MisterKeeks macrumors 65816 Join Date: Nov 2012	What about Temperature Monitor __________________ Core Duo 1.83 Mac Mini, Dual 2.7 Power Mac G5, Dual 1.8 Power Mac G5, Dual 1.25 MDD G4, 1.6 GHz iMac G5, 900 MHz iBook G3, 800 MHz iMac G4, 500MHz iMac G3, 400MHz iMac G3
	0

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Feb 1, 2013, 09:35 PM	#27
kulimer Thread Starter Banned Join Date: Aug 2011	"service battery" warning is now on. 192 cycles.
	0

Feb 6, 2013, 04:58 PM	#33
curious80 macrumors newbie Join Date: Feb 2013	700 million loop iterations is actually a pretty small code - a few seconds at max (unless you are doing a lot of work per loop iteration). I have run much longer running computationally intense test codes on my macbook pro over last 3 years and never even thought about it causing an issue. Your laptop is likely to be stressed more by decompressing and playing a high def movie then this code.
	0

Feb 6, 2013, 05:55 PM	#34
JDB1983 macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2009	MBAs are only rated for 900m for loops, so take it easy or else Apple could refuse any warranty you have on it.
	5

Feb 7, 2013, 08:37 AM	#36
ctdonath macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2009	A properly built computer will not degrade by "running hard". There's an upper limit to how much work it can do, and cooling systems etc. should be designed for indefinite operation at those levels. Even if the cooling system completely fails, normal technology will slow the processor to keep it operating within safe heat parameters. My home-bound notebook computer's fan failed. I leave it running 24/7. The memory is anemic enough that modern software hits the disk-bound virtual memory hard. I've left it in this decrepit state, hoping that thru overheating and abuse it will just die already and give me an excuse to buy another computer. Three years later, it's still slogging along. As 12dylan34 noted, people run CPU-grinding video rendering for days/weeks/months at a time with no ill effect. Distributed research tools like SETI@Home, Folding@Home, and prime-number searches keep millions of computers running hard continuously. Looping less than a billion times? Or even less than a billion separate loops? meh. So it gets a little warmer than you, mere human, find comfortable; the computer is literally just getting warmed up.
	0

Feb 12, 2013, 06:41 PM	#37
kulimer Thread Starter Banned Join Date: Aug 2011	I got a question, how do you know which 2GB memory is running youtube, which one is running your programming? How do I know those 2 tasks are not done in one memory chip but two?
	0