Playing WORLD OF WARCRAFT on my MBP makes the fan run non-stop!! How bad is that?

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I play World of Warcraft and after about 10 minutes the fan comes on and is audible...it stays on until I exit the game.

What are the chances of my MBP overheating/catching fire? etc?

Is it a big deal that the fan runs like that?

Please advise.

Thanks
 
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it should be fine. you just need to worry about it when they dont turn on then you might have serious problems. ;) mine does the same thing when i play games and i havent had any problems sine june. i look in to my dashboard and it shows that the fans are at close to 55000 rpm. dont worry it can handle it.
 
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ummm...are you sure? Should I get some sort of cooling device or something for it??
 
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Games should be a PC thing IMHO. Even if it runs on laptops you can never get the same experience.
 
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you should be fine dont worry
 
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Why is the fan running? To keep the system cool? Are those cooling pads worth the $$?

Or can I put it on one of those stands?
 
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yeah, but that's not what I am asking....

That's right, and I apologize for going off topic, but it's just something to keep in mind if you planning on getting games -- notebooks in general don't have the same kind of cooling and ventilation ideal for gaming.
 
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Why is the fan running? To keep the system cool? Are those cooling pads worth the $$?

Or can I put it on one of those stands?

I got a Griffin iCurve notebook stand for my prev. notebook that would run hot (AMD!!). Now it's called the Elevator -> http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/elevator/ It would definitely help.

But of course, the downside to it would be that you'd probably need external keyboard and mouse since everything is elevated.
 
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I gotta side with 2Hit on this. Running games that have high demands of your graphics card and cpu just aren't good for a laptop's longevity. That's a LOT of heat for such a tight space being generated, even if the fans are working overtime to alleviate it. I'd get a stand with additional fans to help out if you plan to play such games regularly for extended periods.
 

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Have played WoW on my MBP on numerous occasions at 4-6 hour stints. Along with lots of video encoding and other high useage requirements over the last year now.

You start ramping up a video card and the fans are going to throttle up. This is normal, don't worry. Same thing happens in a desktop rig. Typically it won't be sitting a foot from your ear, so it's not as noticeable.

You could get a stand. I went for the iLap. Works well, as when I am playing, I'm usually sitting in my recliner with the MBP on my lap or occasionally in bed. And it definitely will get too warm to keep it sitting on your lap for hours at a time playing WoW.

Can't say as I agree that using your hardware to it's full potential isn't good for it's longevity. This could be said about anything. Only use a device to half it's potential and it will probably last longer than using it to it's full potential. This statement could be made about a shovel.

There is the thought that if you're purchasing a rig primarily for gaming, get a desktop, and I agree. However, I would not agree with diminishing the useage of your machine simply because it is a notebook. The MacBook Pro has either been designed to be able to use the hardware or it hasn't. I prefer to take the former view. If I can't use the hardware, then might as well have gotten the MacBook and saved myself $1500.

Just as a side note: Have a P4 3.4 that has been running at 3.9Ghz for 4 years come Feb. (and on air) with a video card that's overclocked by 100Mhz and going into it's 2nd year. The CPU has hundreds of hours running at 100%. Am a firm believer in using to it's fullest whatever hardware, equipment, tools, etc. that I have paid my hard earned $$ for.
 
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I also play WoW on my MBP!

I have one of these: http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=355998

It does help with the cooling; the down side is that I have to open it from time to time because the plug on the unit itself is horribly mounted and normal shifting makes it come loose, and then you cna't plug it in. It makes a great stand an gives you more air to work with even then, and it's very light.
 
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I play games via Bootcamp and my fans run a lot, but it seems to be ok. If it gets too hot, your computer will shut itself off. I guess I'm not as worried about longevity though since I have Applecare and will probably purchase something new before that runs out.

But heat is definitely bad for your battery. You should think of pulling that out and running on the wall adapter when you're getting your system hot from gaming.

Personally, I think those chill pads are a bit of a waste. Just find some way to elevate your lappy so air can pass under it and heat can disapate and you should get nearly the same result. I took some adhesive foam material I had laying around and made 4 little "feet" about 3/4 of an inch high for my MBP to sit on and that has done wonders.
 
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It's perfectly normal. Playing games puts your Mac under the most load it can be put under, the entire system will be working flat out, the Processor and graphics especially and this creates a lot of heat.

The heat needs to be displaced so its perfectly normal for the fans to be at full speed. Like someone else said it would be more of a worry if they didn't kick in at all.
 

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