Chess CPU usuage

[virtual]

I went to play chess today, the default chess.app in the Application folder and it would drain the CPU.

So I opened Activity monitor to see what was going on. It wasn't the chess app that was the problem, but the process sjeng which was using 99% CPU. Is this process which "talks" to you? I looked in the processes and it was set so that it wouldn't speak the moves.

Does anyone else have this problem who managed to fix it, or have any suggestions as to what to do?

Thanks,
virtual.

 

[manosaurus]

The chess program is a very processor intensive one. That is just how it is. I remember calling Apple once for a problem with a computer I had and the rep. wanted me to run a few slected applications to max out the cpu. The rep. had me run the iTunes visualiser and chess at the same time to max the computer out. The higher difficulty setting the higher the cpu usage too.

What is the "problem" exactly though? Surely you are not playing chess and also editing video at the same time so what does it matter that chess hogs so much of the cpu?

 

[virtual]

The chess program is a very processor intensive one. That is just how it is. I remember calling Apple once for a problem with a computer I had and the rep. wanted me to run a few slected applications to max out the cpu. The rep. had me run the iTunes visualiser and chess at the same time to max the computer out. The higher difficulty setting the higher the cpu usage too.

What is the "problem" exactly though? Surely you are not playing chess and also editing video at the same time so what does it matter that chess hogs so much of the cpu?

The problem is that the temperature goes to 70+ degrees celsius, and the fans come on to 5,000+ RPM.

And I run no other software which could be described as CPU intensive. Probably Colloquy is the next intensive app

 

[iMeowbot]

So I opened Activity monitor to see what was going on. It wasn't the chess app that was the problem, but the process sjeng which was using 99% CPU.

Sjeng is the underlying engine for the chess app.

 

[virtual]

Sjeng is the underlying engine for the chess app.

Yea, I know, a simple Google search found that out. But is it normal for the CPU to go to 100%, temperature to rise to 70+ celsius, and fans spinning 5,000+ RPM?

 

[Arne]

Yea, I know, a simple Google search found that out. But is it normal for the CPU to go to 100%, temperature to rise to 70+ celsius, and fans spinning 5,000+ RPM?

Yes it is absolutely normal. Chess is a very difficult game for a computer. It has to calculate a lot so it will use the CPU very intense.

 

[iMeowbot]

Yea, I know, a simple Google search found that out.

And a simple reading of the linked material would have answered your question.

But is it normal for the CPU to go to 100%, temperature to rise to 70+ celsius, and fans spinning 5,000+ RPM?

Of course! It's not simply trying to make legal moves, it's trying to beat you. As explained over there, the Sjeng engine was written for competition, it's not just a toy. The program doesn't merely "guess", future moves (both its own and the opponent's) need to be evaluated too. In effect, each move is preceded by playing out a bunch of hypothetical games and weighing the odds (past evaluations can be stored, but there are limits to that).

 

[Scarlet Fever]

on a MacBook, 100% of the CPU is only using half its resources