Game is running hot on my MacBook?

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Computers get hot when doing heavy tasks. Nothing surprising about it. No damage is done to your Mac unless it shuts itself down from overheating.

Download and install iStat Menus and set it to display the temperature in the menu bar. Getting to 90 degrees or so is normal if the computer is processing a lot, especially with a game - my MBP generally gets to about 85-90 when doing graphic-intensive tasks. Core 2 Duos are designed to function up to 105 degrees (Celcius), so as long as it doesnt hit that then its perfectly normal.

Games to require more possessing power, so more heat. You only have one small fan. The best you can do is install smcFanControl or similar and bump up the fan speed. I keep mine at 2550rpm all the time and I average 115*F. For games, GTA San Andres, I set it at 4000rmp and average 135*F. I have a 15" 2.4GHz with two fans though. A cooling pad with built-in fans many help too.

eXan said:

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Dont be an A**, these forums are here to help people. It is a well known fact that the macbook pro's tend to run extremely hot when running graphically intensive programs such as the sims 3. An hour of game time really will not harm your computer. There is not much you can do about it since it is the design of the computer and really is a pain. However, a few things you can do to try and keep your computer running cooler.

1. download SMC fan control, only use it while playing games and set the RPM to 6000 or a setting that you prefer. --do not leave the fans this high as it will cause then to ware down faster.

2. Put a cd case under the back half of your computer to allow more air flow. It sounds cheap but it truly does help.

Hope these work. Overall not much you can do about the heat issue. Just hope it dosnt burn a hole in your desk

With my Macbook and games, I have 4 small plush/bean bag cubes, one under each corner of the base. I have a small yet powerful fan than is USB-powered, and blows all hot air out of under the elevated laptop. I also have the Coolbook undervolting program, and smc fan control.

Perfectly normal for it to get very hot. As others have stated prop it up on something to improve airflow (even though this isn't necessary some people prefer to do it).

Also macs get no hotter then any other computer. People just think they do because the macs are aluminum which act like a big heat sink drawing heat away from the core components and into the case.

Don't worry you wont damage any internal hardware by playing games.

watch out in the passed I have burnt out hard drives playing games, On my G4 powerbook, playing Americas Army back in 2005, in 6 months I had over heated and destroyed my HD, Fan would not come on, and some times I would play 5 hours straight, the PB would get very hot, got the HD replaced under applecare, to only burn the next one out doing the same. (Apple also replaced the Fans and power modules).

Apple decided the next time to swap the PB out for a MBP (should clarify, logic board failed test after replace the 2nd HD, and seeing MBP was out, Apple ran out of logic boards for my PB model), so no more Americas Army, it only ran PowerPC.

I would recommend one of those cool pads so it can help take the heat away.