2018 MBP HOT! Chess causing 100% CPU usage???

[dspdoc]

Can anyone explain this?

 

[waquzy]

It has always been like this: this is me playing chess on the nTB 2017 MBP, and the fans kick in and laptop gets hot

 

[Ma2k5]

It has always been like this: this is me playing chess on the nTB 2017 MBP, and the fans kick in and laptop gets hot


View attachment 773276

101.8%!

 

[waquzy]

101.8%!

lol, I know, how is that even possible....

 

[cambookpro]

101.8%!

lol, I know, how is that even possible....

The % of CPU usage in Activity Monitor is relative to one core - this is loosely defined, as hyper threading can mean one core looks like two virtual cores to Activity Monitor. Therefore, maximum CPU usage can exceed 100% depending on what CPU you have. On a dual core hyperthreaded machine, the maximum usage would be 400%, for instance.

 

[dspdoc]

The % of CPU usage in Activity Monitor is relative to one core - this is loosely defined, as hyper threading can mean one core looks like two virtual cores to Activity Monitor. Therefore, maximum CPU usage can exceed 100% depending on what CPU you have. On a dual core hyperthreaded machine, the maximum usage would be 400%, for instance.

Understood completely, but still...! Kicking the fans on full speed and getting hot for chess?

 

[waquzy]

Understood completely, but still...! Kicking the fans on full speed and getting hot for chess?

Well it's just not your Mac, it happens to mine as well, if that is any consolation

 

[mcaswell]

Understood completely, but still...! Kicking the fans on full speed and getting hot for chess?

Could it be that it's an old app that perhaps hasn't been updated substantially in many years? In other words, maybe there are some aspects of the code that don't run efficiently on the newer processors, but the game is not high up on the priority list for the software engineers to revamp?

 

[waquzy]

The % of CPU usage in Activity Monitor is relative to one core - this is loosely defined, as hyper threading can mean one core looks like two virtual cores to Activity Monitor. Therefore, maximum CPU usage can exceed 100% depending on what CPU you have. On a dual core hyperthreaded machine, the maximum usage would be 400%, for instance.

Oh I see

 

[deadworlds]

Could it be that it's an old app that perhaps hasn't been updated substantially in many years? In other words, maybe there are some aspects of the code that don't run efficiently on the newer processors, but the game is not high up on the priority
list for the software engineers to revamp?

This would be my guess. Like you said could be using some old unoptimized code that is causing the issue.

 

[maflynn]

I recommend using the Volta App if you feel the laptop is too hot. Using the Chess app, I'm seeing temps in the 85c to 90c level with the pegged at 100%

 

[Feenician]

Looks like the chess engine is single threaded and probably hard at work precalculating moves (or just badly written and looping!). That core is likely seeing some high turbo speeds, at least at first.

 

[maflynn]

hard at work precalculating moves

I think its that, because when I do a move it doesn't expect, there's a bit of delay before it figures out what to do. I'm not saying I'm good at it, and I'm beating the computer, but rather in my ignorance, I'm making crazy moves that makes zero sense and thus confusing the computer

 

[Feenician]

I think its that, because when I do a move it doesn't expect, there's a bit of delay before it figures out what to do. I'm not saying I'm good at it, and I'm beating the computer, but rather in my ignorance, I'm making crazy moves that makes zero sense and thus confusing the computer

Ha. I see you’re from my school of chess playing!

It’s a common optimization for chess engines to precalculate, but it really speaks of the age of the chess app engine that it’s single threaded. It’s one of those tasks that lends itself incredibly well to parallelism.