Parallels makes my Macbook Scream

[mleibowi]

When I'm running XP using parallels, my fan starts going nuts! Its around 6200 RPM!!! I literally opened one document using parallels, and the fan just ramped itself way up. I'm getting the iLap, so maybe that will help with heat dispersion? Any thoughts? Is this normal?

 

[eXan]

When I'm running XP using parallels, my fan starts going nuts! Its around 6200 RPM!!! I literally opened one document using parallels, and the fan just ramped itself way up. I'm getting the iLap, so maybe that will help with heat dispersion? Any thoughts? Is this normal?

Open Activity Monitor and see if any process is taking too much of CPU %.
Get iStat Pro widget and check the temps.
Search the forum to find normal temps for your MacBook model.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

I use boot camp to do any task work in windows because when I use VMWare my computer wigs out.... I only use VMware on rare occasion.

 

[mleibowi]

I think my macbook was overheating. I got the ilap, and it seems to have solved my problems. The fan isn't going nuts the CPU temp isn't too hot 56C.

 

[Consultant]

VMWare takes up good amount of processing power to run, CPU usage is high even on MBP with 4gb of ram. I would assume Parallels would be the same.

Keep in mind you are runing 2 OS, and one of them is really inefficient.

 

[iFizz]

Umm...yeah. Maybe you should use BootCamp instead of Fusion or Parallels on a low-end MacBook. It's not exactly a hi-performance workhorse. Just my opinion.

 

[mleibowi]

I didn't realize a 2.4GHz penryn processor with 4Gb of RAM and 250GB HD was so low end???

 

[eXan]

I didn't realize a 2.4GHz penryn processor with 4Gb of RAM and 250GB HD was so low end???

In the current Mac line-up it basically is ...

 

[mleibowi]

ok- but it should be able to handle parallels, no?

 

[eXan]

ok- but it should be able to handle parallels, no?

Its not handling "Parallels", but its running 2 major OSes at the same time.

But its does handle it, doesnt it? It just taxes the CPU so fans spin faster to cool it. I dont see whats your problem is

 

[mr.stinki]

That's odd, I've got a late 2007 macbook (2.2GHZ, 2GB RAM) and i can open up VMware without the fans roaring. I can actually run it for a while without making my macbook scream...

 

[mleibowi]

Well, my problem was that my macbook was getting extremely hot when running parallels. To answer Stinki's question- it wouldn't start screaming when I first opened parallels- it would start after running it for a while. The iLap stand seems to have helped dispurse the heat much better and the fans aren't going nuts anymore. Thanks for all your comments, esp from the Russian!