Fans work more while in Windows

[ZiggyPastorius]

And it's not even a pun!

When I boot into Windows on my Macbook, the fans go crazy, and run a lot faster, a lot longer, and a lot more often than when in Mac OS X. Also, in Windows, even doing similar tasks, my battery lasts much less time in Windows than in OS X, and I'm just curious...Is this something to do with the way the Operating systems handle fan speeds and battery? Is this something I can help? Thanks guys.

 

[Tallest Skil]

You've just encountered firsthand OS X's ability to power manage and control hardware.

 

[BileGhost]

My MacBook can last as much as 4 times longer in Leopard than it can in XP. Thats just windows for you.

 

[clevin]

You've just encountered firsthand OS X's ability to power manage and control hardware.

thats bogus.

The only reason this is happening, is because apple's hardware drivers for windows, offered with bootcamp, do not include power saving features.

Windows power management is just as good as OSX and Linux. To say OSX power management is 200% more effective is just dishonest. Get any PC laptop with same capacity of battery, you won't see any of these problems.

 

[ZiggyPastorius]

thats bogus.

The only reason this is happening, is because apple's hardware drivers for windows, offered with bootcamp, do not include power saving features.

Windows power management is just as good as OSX and Linux. To say OSX power management is 200% more effective is just dishonest. Get any PC laptop with same capacity of battery, you won't see any of these problems.

Not saying you're wrong, but my (now my mom's) Inspiron, has never had as long of battery life as my Macbook, and is also louder.

But, is there any way I can control the fans and stuff while in Windows?

 

[M4CBOOK]

my friends toshiba only lasts 1hr before it dies

 

[BileGhost]

Windows power management is just as good as OSX and Linux. To say OSX power management is 200% more effective is just dishonest. Get any PC laptop with same capacity of battery, you won't see any of these problems.

My friends brand new dell laptop running vista only lasts max 2 hours. I can make mine, running OS X, last up to 8.

 

[clevin]

My friends brand new dell laptop running vista only lasts max 2 hours. I can make mine, running OS X, last up to 8.

first, to claim your mac laptop last 8 hrs is a joke, you can poll here and see how many people get 8 hrs out of the battery. My MB never lasted more than 4 hrs from day 1.

second, do understand that most pc laptop makers does not use high capacity batteries in most low to middle priced products.

Not saying you're wrong, but my (now my mom's) Inspiron, has never had as long of battery life as my Macbook, and is also louder.
But, is there any way I can control the fans and stuff while in Windows?

Thats simply because most pc laptops do not come with as high capacity batteries as macbook.

search google give me this http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/index.html about inspiron fan control, many other result as well, you can check them out.

For your MB, Im not sure if you want to do so, most CPU, Graphic card has step-wise technology to allow them run at lower speed when not in heavy use. Apple's windows drivers don't offer this, so all your hardwares are always at full speed, in this situation, just reducing fan speed might not be a good solution.

 

[pinktank]

It also uses more processing power while idling which throttles the fans

 

[ZiggyPastorius]

first, to claim your mac laptop last 8 hrs is a joke, you can poll here and see how many people get 8 hrs out of the battery. My MB never lasted more than 4 hrs from day 1.

second, do understand that most pc laptop makers does not use high capacity batteries in most low to middle priced products.


Thats simply because most pc laptops do not come with as high capacity batteries as macbook.

search google give me this http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/index.html about inspiron fan control, many other result as well, you can check them out.

For your MB, Im not sure if you want to do so, most CPU, Graphic card has step-wise technology to allow them run at lower speed when not in heavy use. Apple's windows drivers don't offer this, so all your hardwares are always at full speed, in this situation, just reducing fan speed might not be a good solution.

All right, thanks for the help. It's not terribly annoying (i.e. I can live with it) and I can keep it plugged in.

 

[BileGhost]

first, to claim your mac laptop last 8 hrs is a joke, you can poll here and see how many people get 8 hrs out of the battery. My MB never lasted more than 4 hrs from day 1.

It depends what you are doing. You can take steps to make your battery last longer: one app at a time, and if like me, that app was something that uses little resources, such as preview, you will get a lot more out of your battery than say playing games.
Disabling dashboard, or just removing any resource consuming apps (like the gmail one... that was definatly unexpected for me) can also increase your battery life.
Disable bluetooth, and if possible, airport. They both drain your battery.
Dim your screen, I have found if I sit in direct sunlight, having the backlight off makes minimal difference to having it on. But out of the sunlight you cant see a thing...
And I swear my batery lasts longer when spaces is disabled, even if I'm only using one space.

Used normally, nothing disabled, and a couple of apps running, 4 hours sounds about right. I currently have nothing disabled (I only disable stuff when I know I need the battery power), 3 apps open, and backlight on nearly the top setting, and I have 3 hours of life left. Oh and I've already been using it for an hour and a half.

Thats simply because most pc laptops do not come with as high capacity batteries as macbook.

Got citations to back that up? Any idea how many cells in a MB battery? I have searched the internet wide and could not find out...

 

[clevin]

It depends what you are doing.

There is no need to using these essentially meaningless data, nobody use it that way, then what does that mean anything to any normal user?

MB has been benchmarked by numerous websites, magazines, nobody ever claim it can last 8 hrs. I don't think there is anything about that can be argued.

Got citations to back that up? Any idea how many cells in a MB battery? I have searched the internet wide and could not find out...

?? isn't that simple? apple's website said MB's battery is 55whr, The one I used with windows vista, acer aspire 3680, which lasts 2 hrs, is 48whr, dell inspiron 2000 is 40whr. Not to say pc laptop don't use high capacity batteries, just most cheap ones don't.

 

[BileGhost]

There is no need to using these essentially meaningless data, nobody use it that way, then what does that mean anything to any normal user?

Sorry but I use it like that. For example, when I go to the library to study, I have a pdf document open in preview, and all the before mentioned things disabled. I get 8 hours. And my MacBooks not even new anymore. However, I have also heard of macbook batteries dropping to below 20mins battery time in only 6 months of use. Just be sure to cycle your battery correctly.

MB has been benchmarked by numerous websites, magazines, nobody ever claim it can last 8 hrs. I don't think there is anything about that can be argued.

Hows this:

Apple's official estimate of the battery life of all "non-Pro" MacBook models prior to the currently shipping "Early 2008/Penryn" systems was an impressive six hours. However, the company estimated 3.5 hours while using wi-fi and 2.5 hours of DVD playback.

Thats 6 hours. Disable the things I mentioned before, and you will get 8. Most I have ever got: 8:15

 

[clevin]

Hows this:

Thats 6 hours. Disable the things I mentioned before, and you will get 8. Most I have ever got: 8:15

........ you didn't realize that 3.5 and 2.5 is "one, or the other"? and you add them together?

and are we talking about real test? or you just take whatever company's ads say? Apple over claiming battery life of their laptops is a tradition. Just like every other laptop makers, maybe even more.

again, make a simple poll and ask MB users their battery life.

PS, this still has nothing to do with OS power consumption, you can go check www.notebookreview.com for all the detailed review of both windows and mac laptops.

 

[BileGhost]

No, thats 6 hours with wi-fi disabled. 3.5 with it enabled. Oh and my battery currently says 20%, 1.5 hours remaining. And thats with wi-fi enabled.

 

[atlanticza]

lol. I misread your title! Thought you meant that "fans" of windows OS work more! Well I use both OSs I certainly have to in Windows as it's a more "reluctant" and lethargic to perform than Mac OS.