Hey all. I have a early model unibody MBP 15" and it has serious problems with overheating when using Windows 7 in Boot Camp. I've looked around and pretty much resigned myself to that fate because it seems Windows just can't regulate the internal temp like OS X. I'm looking at buying a 21.5" iMac soon but I'm worried that I'll have the same problems with Boot Camp. Is an iMac likely to experience similar problems or is the overheating issue only common with laptops?
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Will an iMac overheat with bootcamp?
- Thread starter manymanyfish
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hmm, i have a 27", but i assume the 21.5 inch is the same story. The iMac's have very good cooling. I've never once seen my temps get high enough to even warrant fans speeding up (and i game in windows), and if the need arises, I'm sure the fans are more then capable of cooling the computer sufficiently.
Edit: Sorry, didn't see that Intell beat me
Edit: Sorry, didn't see that Intell beat me
Thanks guys. I figured the iMac would have much better cooling but it doesn't hurt to double-check first. I'm definitely sure my MBP overheats because it forcibly shuts down and everything. My whole reason for Boot Camp is gaming so it's good to hear there are no problems with that, I might spring for the 27" too if I can manage it.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
Lubbo Fan Control has helped my Mac Mini survive Windows 7. In Power Options, start with balanced plan and make sure Link Power Management is at least moderate, minimum CPU is 5% and cooling is set to active. If you are gaming and want to maximize GPU performance over CPU, then set maximum processor to 99%. That will turn off speed step.
This isn't Windows' fault. That is, if it's happening in Windows, it should happen in OS X, too. The fan speeds are controlled by the SMC, which is a separate and automatic part of the logic board. OS X is capable of changing the fan speeds, but it all happens automatically. Therefore, if your machine is shutting down in Windows, then something is necessarily wrong with the hardware. For example, your CPU may need to have the thermal paste reapplied, or one of your fans may not be spinning at all.
Im not the OP of that quote you had, but i do happen to know that windows is more aggressive with turbo boost or something that makes the temperatures more unstable (up and down fast) and therefor the fans can not catch up to how fast the temps. go up. So he decided to use a fan control software to get his fans "ahead of the curve"
All I know is that in windows the fans are spinning at max speed (6000 rpm) and my MacBook still shuts down from overheating when put through basic gaming. It doesn't do that in OS X. I've no real idea why, but it is annoying.
The question is : do you game in OS X ? I mean, if you aren't doing anything intensive in OS X, it doesn't rule out a hardware problem.
I've played in Bootcamp a lot on a MacBook Pro (older one though), some games that were clearly pushing the limits of the hardware, never had any overheating problem.
Fan and temperature control, like mentionned earlier, are managed by the logic board, and even if Windows would tax the computing power more, it is not supposed to go to overheat. I mean, your computer is not supposed to overheat when using it, even to the max. If they put so much computing power into the MacBook Pro its because it is supposed to work when you use it all. (Unless you overclock of course...)
Really, I think there is simply something wrong with the Hardware.
I've played in Bootcamp a lot on a MacBook Pro (older one though), some games that were clearly pushing the limits of the hardware, never had any overheating problem.
Fan and temperature control, like mentionned earlier, are managed by the logic board, and even if Windows would tax the computing power more, it is not supposed to go to overheat. I mean, your computer is not supposed to overheat when using it, even to the max. If they put so much computing power into the MacBook Pro its because it is supposed to work when you use it all. (Unless you overclock of course...)
Really, I think there is simply something wrong with the Hardware.
I'm not sure that's true. My brother had an intel Mac Pro that he briefly used for gaming in boot camp, back when boot camp was "beta" (but still an official, for customer release, like Siri is now). His Mac Pro wouldn't run ANY fans at all booted in windows, other than the fan on the graphics car (which was independent and hardware control by the aftermarket GPU). As a result, he had massive overheating issues.
In OSX it never had any issues running the fans at whatever speed was necessary.
... which implies to me that the fans, at least in the past, were OS controlled...
I do game in OS X (to the limited extent that I can), and I'm often pushing hardware limits there as well. I usually have to set the graphics settings to the lowest possible to make things playable, and the fans kick into high gear when I do, but in never actually overheats.
I'm not ruling out a hardware problem but there is a distinct difference between gaming in OS X and in Windows. Maybe Windows just overuses the chips on its own while OS X has the sense to keep the clock speed as low as possible. I don't purposely overclock though.
I'd already decided to upgrade to an iMac either way but I wanted to ensure that other people weren't having a similar problem with their iMacs.
I'm not ruling out a hardware problem but there is a distinct difference between gaming in OS X and in Windows. Maybe Windows just overuses the chips on its own while OS X has the sense to keep the clock speed as low as possible. I don't purposely overclock though.
I'd already decided to upgrade to an iMac either way but I wanted to ensure that other people weren't having a similar problem with their iMacs.
Well, as I obviously can't guarantee that the iMac won't overheat in Windows, as there is a possibility of it happening to any computer. I can, however, say that I am 99.99% sure you will not have a single problem with overheating. I am also 80% sure you won't even hear a peep out of your fans on the iMac. It has very good cooling. I know I've never heard a peep from mine. Whether its 5 hours of WoW in OS X, a few hours of Battlefield 3 in Windows 7 (which runs great IMO), or even CPU and GPU stressing in both OS's, not a single peep...ever. have fun, i hope you enjoy your new iMac, as I'm quite sure you will
have fun, i hope you enjoy your new iMac, as I'm quite sure you will I just recently got SWTOR and bootcamped my 24 inch Imac. (08 i believe) It runs great until you play for about 3 hours or so. Then the machine crashes, to the point where i need to power down. After I power back up it will last only 30 min, then 20 and so on. However when i allow it to cool (next day) it will run solid for another 3 hours etc etc. I was hoping it was something as simple as over-heating because when I play WOW on the OS-X side I never crash, never. After reading these posts, i am concerned the issue is not overheating, however, to the touch, the computer is HOT when in windows. That being said, I am not the most technically sound person and was wondering if anyone could shed more light on the subject. Also is it advised to download one of the suggested fan controls for when i am gaming in widows?
Thank you for any responses
Thank you for any responses