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MacBook Pro 15 Retina AMD very noisy?!

Z

zerophreak

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 30, 2015
21
0
Hi,

I got the latest MacBook Pro 15" Retina with i7 @ 2.8 GHz + AMD GPU. Whenever I start an App like Counter Strike Source via Steam or even just watch a YouTube video the MacBook fan starts becoming loud.

The MacBook is 2 days old and already has problems processing games from 2004 and YouTube videos? Its 15°C here, in my room maybe 20°C so it can't be the heat of the environment...

Any idea?

Cheers
 
zerophreak said:
Hi,

I got the latest MacBook Pro 15" Retina with i7 @ 2.8 GHz + AMD GPU. Whenever I start an App like Counter Strike Source via Steam or even just watch a YouTube video the MacBook fan starts becoming loud.

The MacBook is 2 days old and already has problems processing games from 2004 and YouTube videos? Its 15°C here, in my room maybe 20°C so it can't be the heat of the environment...

Any idea?

Cheers
Click to expand...

Any sort of games will cause the fans to spin. Even Minecraft.

If you're using Chrome, no surprise there either.

If you're watching 4K videos on YouTube, no surprise too.
 
It should be totally quiet when watching 1080p Youtube vid in Safari, but a 4K vid in Chrome - now that's different. :D

CS Source - the Source engine doesn't have a FPS limit, so no matter how simple the scene is, your GPU is always doing its best and getting pretty hot. If you don't like it this way, it's easy to limit the FPS to a lower value (a stable 60 FPS maybe) and give the GPU some rest. It's done via the ingame console - "fps_max 60", ENTER and enjoy.


------------

yjchua95 said:
Even Minecraft.
Click to expand...
Same thing with Minecraft. But this one is even more elegant - the FPS limiter in Minecraft is in the Video Settings, a simple slider meant to be USED.
 
Hmm then I may switch to safari again... Counter Strike: I activated VSync so its 60 fps anyway but yeah your hint is quite good...

So my only problem left is that boot camp windows doesn't detect the AMD :( I wanna play GTA V!!!!
 
It is certainly a bit noisier than the Nvidia model. I guess the AMD card doesn't like high temperatures very much, so the fan ramps up faster. But it also run cooler and definitively performs better, so I'm fine with it.

----------
zerophreak said:
So my only problem left is that boot camp windows doesn't detect the AMD :( I wanna play GTA V!!!!
Click to expand...

Try installing the driver mainly from your bootcamp folder. Its somewhere under AMD/Display or something like that. It seems that some people have issues with Bootcamp driver. For me, everything auto detected and worked flawlessly.
 
I just got the 15" MBP with dedicated graphics. This is my first ever mac product.

I added a win10 install via bootcamp.

When playing blizzard games (starcraft 2, heroes..even hearthstone) in Mac OS, the fans become really loud. I played 1.5 hours of Heroes of the Storm last night. 1920x1200 resolution. LOW graphics options with Vsync enabled. After 1.5 hours, my battery went from 100% to 6%.

I have not tested battery life when bootcamped into Windows 10, but I will say that Heroes of the storm does not even get the laptop warm while in windows. No fan noise, very little heat. So I suspect it will be better with battery life as well.

I will be sticking to Bootcamp for gaming.
 
How did you install windows 10 in bootcamp? I'm trying to install Windows 10 on my 15in 2015 MBP. I partitioned the drive as Grid and then attempted to install. Windows gives me an error that it can not install because it thinks its set up as Master Boot and not Grid. I Exited and checked and it is on Grid. I had windows format that partition and make it NTFS but I get the same error.
 
zerophreak said:
Hi,

I got the latest MacBook Pro 15" Retina with i7 @ 2.8 GHz + AMD GPU. Whenever I start an App like Counter Strike Source via Steam or even just watch a YouTube video the MacBook fan starts becoming loud.

The MacBook is 2 days old and already has problems processing games from 2004 and YouTube videos? Its 15°C here, in my room maybe 20°C so it can't be the heat of the environment...

Any idea?

Cheers
Click to expand...

Mine becomes very noisy (due to the fan) when I plug in an external monitor via HDMI. Have you tried that? I'm using the AMD 2015 15" rMBP
 
Cuniac said:
How did you install windows 10 in bootcamp? I'm trying to install Windows 10 on my 15in 2015 MBP. I partitioned the drive as Grid and then attempted to install. Windows gives me an error that it can not install because it thinks its set up as Master Boot and not Grid. I Exited and checked and it is on Grid. I had windows format that partition and make it NTFS but I get the same error.
Click to expand...

You need to burn a copy of the ISO image from Microsoft then use BootCamp Assistant to complete the install. If you just use Disk Utility to partition the disk you will run into errors like that.
 
zerophreak said:
Hi,

I got the latest MacBook Pro 15" Retina with i7 @ 2.8 GHz + AMD GPU. Whenever I start an App like Counter Strike Source via Steam or even just watch a YouTube video the MacBook fan starts becoming loud.

The MacBook is 2 days old and already has problems processing games from 2004 and YouTube videos? Its 15°C here, in my room maybe 20°C so it can't be the heat of the environment...

Any idea?

Cheers
Click to expand...
Gaming requires power.

Power generates heat.

Heat needs to get extracted.

Fans work harder.

That's just how computers work. You could use the game's built-in FPS limiter though, that way you wouldn't spend processing power for frames that you won't see (IE your monitor works at 60Hz, anything more than 60FPS is wasted).
 
My 2015 rMPB with the R9 is not any more noisy (fans stay at same RPM) for the same tasks regardless of whether or not I'm hooked up to my 2010 30" Aluminum ACD. Maybe because it's only driving a 2560x1600 resolution?
 
Played a good hour plus of heroes and noticed slight heat and the fans on the whole time. (new 15 top specs) I expect it to run a little hot and with the fans.
 
Does anyone have a problem where whenever i skype on my macbook pro 15 inch retina display with AMD, the fan speed increases very fast?
 
zerophreak said:
Hi,

I got the latest MacBook Pro 15" Retina with i7 @ 2.8 GHz + AMD GPU. Whenever I start an App like Counter Strike Source via Steam or even just watch a YouTube video the MacBook fan starts becoming loud.

The MacBook is 2 days old and already has problems processing games from 2004 and YouTube videos? Its 15°C here, in my room maybe 20°C so it can't be the heat of the environment...

Any idea?

Cheers
Click to expand...

this makes me so glad I went with the 13" RMBP, it runs totally silent for 90% of things and fans only kick in with intensive 3D gaming. I've been amazed, I can run 4K video natively on external 4K display via HDMI and the laptop is totally silent, not even an idling fan noise, to me this is such a relief as I hated fan noise.
I can also run rather intensive programs like logic pro in total silence (ala RMB). At last I can have loads of tabs open and run youtube video full HD on external display with total silence from laptop, apple to give them credit have made a great improvement on this, as previously I had a 17 inch MBP from 2010 and there is constant idling fan noise which is not too loud, but they ramp up with even one video on youtube running for over a minute and so on.

Also basic games ported from iPad such as reckless racing, dungeon hunter, even the old starwars games on the app store run in total silence.

(it is the entry level 13 inch with 250GB ram - I supposed this performance is one benefit from not going maxed out on all the specs, personally I would rather have this silent operation for the majority of tasks than super power with constant annoyance of fan noise (which can be really annoying while making music or listening to videos)

in terms of higher end gaming I've actually managed to get 50 fps playing batman arkham city at 720p on medium graphics and it looks great, that was measured on windows 10 bootcamp, but game runs just as smooth on mac - grid also runs really well at HD 720p with antialiasing on, but of course when you start running these games the fans then kick in quite loud
 
Last edited:
yjchua95 said:
Any sort of games will cause the fans to spin. Even Minecraft.

If you're using Chrome, no surprise there either.

If you're watching 4K videos on YouTube, no surprise too.
Click to expand...

not on the 13 inch RMBP - starwars jedi knight 2, knights of the old republic run in total silence, also basic iPad ports like reckless racing dungeon hunter run in total silence - first computer I've had which does this - also it runs 4K on external 4K display with total silence
 
tyzjames said:
Mine becomes very noisy (due to the fan) when I plug in an external monitor via HDMI. Have you tried that? I'm using the AMD 2015 15" rMBP
Click to expand...

wow I have the 13 inch and I can run 4K video on a 4K display via HDMI and the laptop is totally silent - I have been really impressed by this - I suppose the fan problem is a trade off with having a higher end processor, maybe to do with the quad cores
 
MBHockey said:
My 2015 rMPB with the R9 is not any more noisy (fans stay at same RPM) for the same tasks regardless of whether or not I'm hooked up to my 2010 30" Aluminum ACD. Maybe because it's only driving a 2560x1600 resolution?
Click to expand...

is the 15 inch always running fans idling? 13 inch is totally silent 90% of time
 
VesselA said:
is the 15 inch always running fans idling? 13 inch is totally silent 90% of time
Click to expand...
The fans are always running on either the 13 or 15's, always. At idle speed they are inaudible though.

If you never hear your fans on your 13", you definitely bought too much computer for your needs.
 
snaky69 said:
The fans are always running on either the 13 or 15's, always. At idle speed they are inaudible though.

If you never hear your fans on your 13", you definitely bought too much computer for your needs.
Click to expand...

wrong, on the 13" it is utterly silent for most tasks, you can put your ear to the side and you hear nothing - I tested this with internal monitor app and it confirmed it they went all the way down to ZERO.
I can run as many web tabs as I like without any fan noise, I can view 4K video on my 42 inch 4K external display with no fan noise at all from machine, I can view full HD on youtube on external display with no annoying fan noise, I can run logic pro, photoshop, dreamweaver with no fan noise at all. - The 13 can definitely be used for advanced computing needs without hearing the annoying fans at all. It is only with intensive 3D gaming or prolonged exporting/importing they kick in.
If you are perceptive this removal of annoying ambient noise and ramping up and down from 90% of tasks is a wonderful blessed relief.
 
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JackieInCo said:
And at those fan speeds, you do not hear them.
Click to expand...

what if you put your ear right up against machine, is it possible to hear them running at all? Also at what point do your start noticing the fans - what about running full HD youtube, many web tabs, full screen on external display, would that ramp them up on the 15" have you noticed?
 
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