Overheating in windows via bootcamp?

[7254278]

Hey guys,

Heres the deal. . . I installed windows xp pro sp 3 via bootcamp on my macbook air, however I dont have a leopard dvd so I just downloaded the drivers I needed(video and audio). Windows works perfectly. I installed a video game called freelancer, its quite an old game, from around 2001-2002 so its not very taxing, it runs perfectly on the highest setting. I started playing, about 35-40 mins in I pick up the air to move it and I realise the bottom is SCORTCHING, I mean I can only touch it for 2 or 3 seconds before it starts to burn me. Also every so often the video game has a huge drop in frame rate which lasts 2 or 3 seconds every 7 or 8 mins or so( not sure if this is related). Is my macbook air overheating? Am I in danger of causing irreversible damage to it? Shouldnt it shut down automatically if it over heats? Ive never felt it that hot while logged into OS X but then again I dont game on OS X. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[t19880821]

smcFanControl

Download that on OSX. The fan settings will stick until you shut the machine off. So if you have your fans running at 6k rpm, and you reboot into windows.. they'll still run at 6k rpm.

Windows-side, the fans don't kick in on time. And they don't spin as fast as they do on OSX. Not only that... but the MBA is small. It wasn't meant for any kind of gaming. It's not surprising that it overheats during gaming.

 

[7254278]

Thanks for the help. Anyone know anything I can do to fix this in windows?

 

[7254278]

I ran an program to check the temperatures, with max fans the temperature hits around 80-85C is that dangerously high?

 

[t19880821]

not dangerously high, but close to it. setting my MBP's fans to 6k rpm, then gaming on them for a long period of time... the temp never goes over 75c.

what exactly are you doing that causes the temp to go up that high?

 

[7254278]

not dangerously high, but close to it. setting my MBP's fans to 6k rpm, then gaming on them for a long period of time... the temp never goes over 75c.

what exactly are you doing that causes the temp to go up that high?

Just playing a game called freelancer which is not taxing at all because its an old game on windows xp. . . . I guess its because the air is so then, but I find it ridiculous that I cant run a 5 year old game without my laptop over heating.

 

[RITZFit]

sometimes just running youtube gets my mbp a little heated (usually makes the fans go ape**it)

 

[7254278]

sometimes just running youtube gets my mbp a little heated (usually makes the fans go ape**it)

Yeah but this had the computer BURNING, I could barely touch it. I have been running some more test and right now in OS X with nothing but safari and tomato torrent(a tiny program) running, smcfancontrol says its running at 55c with the fans going at 6200rpm, this also seems quite excessive, I just want to know if I should be worried about my computre frying while gaming in XP.

 

[RITZFit]

the computer should shut itself off once it reaches its threshhold temp (prob somewhre around 95C) to prevent serious damage. Mine actually did this once in xp. since then, I run a chill pad when I play games. no probs so far.

 

[eXan]

I ran an program to check the temperatures, with max fans the temperature hits around 80-85C is that dangerously high?

85 is perfectly normal for MBA.

 

[7254278]

85 is perfectly normal for MBA.

85C is normal? When should I start to worry?

 

[The Flashing Fi]

The Macbook Air is a thermal design nightmare. IMO, it's not well designed for anything that's beyond web browsing, e-mail, ect.

The game may be old, but it's still going to go full throttle at processing information.

If you have the fans maxed out, there's not much more you can do but getting a something like a thermal pad.

 

[eXan]

85C is normal? When should I start to worry?

when your machine starts to shut down.

 

[SolRayz]

I know on my MBP whenever I boot up Vista on my bootcamp partition the fans tend to go to max just idleing because I can hear them. I never quite understood that. Also if anyone knows of a good free fan monitoring tool for windows...maybe even a gadget that works please let me know.

 

[ayeying]

85C is normal? When should I start to worry?

110 deg C.

 

[MBA-MD]

110 deg C.

When mine hit 100 degrees celcius it just shut down. I am not sure what the deal is but I also find that the computer tend to overheat in Windows. Well, actually it's an equal opportunity overheater really, but it seems more in Windows.

I agree with the above poster, the MBA is a thermal design nightmare. This is what I have done so far:

1. Replace thermal paste
2. Fan cooler ( I think it's called a chill pad)
3. RMclock for Windows or Coolbook for Mac
4. Run TinyXp instead of a full XP version
5. Pray hard

These "patches" really will not solve the issue but at least makes it more manageable. Next, I plan on getting the ice pack or a frozen steak that I use for my joints and put it under the laptop.

 

[eXan]

When mine hit 100 degrees celcius it just shut down. I am not sure what the deal is but I also find that the computer tend to overheat in Windows. Well, actually it's an equal opportunity overheater really, but it seems more in Windows.

I agree with the above poster, the MBA is a thermal design nightmare. This is what I have done so far:

1. Replace thermal paste
2. Fan cooler ( I think it's called a chill pad)
3. RMclock for Windows or Coolbook for Mac
4. Run TinyXp instead of a full XP version
5. Pray hard

These "patches" really will not solve the issue but at least makes it more manageable. Next, I plan on getting the ice pack or a frozen steak that I use for my joints and put it under the laptop.

Why not just replace/repair your obviously faulty MBA?

 

[neoelectronaut]

...you replaced your thermal paste?

Congratulations on voiding your warranty dumbass.

 

[ayeying]

When mine hit 100 degrees celcius it just shut down. I am not sure what the deal is but I also find that the computer tend to overheat in Windows. Well, actually it's an equal opportunity overheater really, but it seems more in Windows.

My old MBA produced less heat in Windows then in OSX. But It didn't shut down even though it hovered at 109 deg C for about 30 minutes due to my stupid mistake of limiting the fan to 2500rpm and running iSquint lol. Didn't die, didn't sleep, just had a very very hot laptop.

 

[MBA-MD]

...you replaced your thermal paste?

Congratulations on voiding your warranty dumbass.

The name is DUMASS.

My warranty was voided for other reasons, but you had no way of knowing. The name calling is unwarranted - Who feels like the dummass now??

 

[neoelectronaut]

The name is DUMASS.

My warranty was voided for other reasons, but you had no way of knowing. The name calling is unwarranted - Who feels like the dummass now??

The way I figure it you should still feel like a dumbass for voiding the warranty on a $1800+ computer, no matter how you did it.

 

[MBA-MD]

The way I figure it you should still feel like a dumbass for voiding the warranty on a $1800+ computer, no matter how you did it.

Dude, seriously, you have no idea what happened. Why be a douche and start with personal attacks? I didn't attack you. Are you 12 or are you so pathetic that you can only attack people on an anonymous internet forum?

 

[neoelectronaut]

Dude, seriously, you have no idea what happened. Why be a douche and start with personal attacks? I didn't attack you. Are you 12 or are you so pathetic that you can only attack people on an anonymous internet forum?

Nah, I'm 22, pathetic, and only attack people on anonymous internet forums.