SwagVault MMO Blog

1. One Response to “Do you have any tips for running WoW on Mac?”

2. Mac laptops do tend to get pretty hot while running WoW, and by “pretty hot,” I mean “Could host your annual pig roast on top of a MacBook Pro.” I play on a late-2006 model MacBook Pro myself, so all I can say is — you have my sympathy. For some time now, I have lived in fear that my already-gasping graphics card was going to boil itself to death, and the fact that it is soldered to my motherboard and (probably) can’t be replaced is even better. Longtime readers of Shifting Perspectives already know that I’ve been out of the raiding game almost entirely since patch 3.1 hit, and this is one of the larger reasons as to why.

   Anyway, there are several things you can do apart from lowering your ingame graphics settings:

   Download and use smcFanControl: While you can (and should) use widgets to monitor your core temperature and performance, smcFanControl allows you to control your fans directly if need be. Crank ‘em as high they’ll go during your playtime if your laptop runs hotter than you’d like, but make sure to cancel the higher settings afterwards.
   External fan: Not always great, but every little bit helps. Tip: do not use the integrated mic with a fan trained on the computer unless you want everyone on vent to lose their eardrums and hate you.
   Cooling pad: These come in several different varieties. Try to get one that’s designed for a Mac so that the fans on it are located where it’ll make the biggest difference. The one that I see recommended most frequently for the MacBook Pro is the Targus Chill Mat, but it’s expensive. Readers with other recommendations here are most welcome.
   Keep vents and fans clean: You’d be amazed how much gunk can build up on a laptop, and dust bunnies trap heat like it’s their job. Compressed air should be used to get your vents free of accumulated muck, and you can get it at any office or computer supply store. If you’re comfortable opening your MBP’s case to clean the fans, there are guides on how to do it online; if you’re not comfortable, take it to an Apple Store and have the techs there do it. As Adam Holisky observed in backchannel discussion here, putting a Mac laptop back together after doing this is not for the faint of heart, and if you have any amount of doubt or reservation over your ability to do it, just take it to someone who does it professionally.
   Cap your framerates: you will notice a huge difference (or at least I did) by deliberately capping your framerates at 30 using the ingame command /console maxfps 30. I also noticed a difference dropping framerates as low as 25. Beyond that is when your eye will really start to notice a negative (or at least annoying) gameplay difference.
   If all else fails: Have someone look at, and possibly replace, your thermal paste. You didn’t mention your MBP’s year of manufacture, but some of the 2006 and 2007 models are common targets for complaints about absolutely insane heat generation, and the misapplication of thermal paste was traced to a number of them.
   If all else really fails: If you, like me, have done all of the above but can’t get through a 5-man without your core temperature exploding past 180 F/82 C, feel free to join me this weekend getting a new one. Disclaimer for all rabid Mac fans out there: Yes, Macs are lovely, ta rah rah, assorted enthusiastic noises here, but the heat issues related to this MBP model are really freaking annoying.

   Disclaimer for all rabid PC fans out there, if such a creature exists: I love you too. My other laptop is a Dell. Yay PC’s!

   Disclaimer to self from self: With our ability to wriggle out of potential negative comments, perhaps it is time to apply to law school or the local mob.

   By kyrios on Sep 27, 2009

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