Live, MacBookPro, external monitor and CPU

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8E
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Live, MacBookPro, external monitor and CPU

Post by 8E » Mon Aug 06, 2018 5:49 am

Friends,I work mostly with my MBP (15 inch, late 2015) connected to the external 4K monitor (Benq 27).
The screen is wonderful.

But,
I have struggled with the excessive fan activity. Every time when I played a project with about 30 tracks (mostly synths and orchestral sounds) I get higher CPU temperature (not bad about 75C) and immediately the fan speed about 6500 rpm. I was forced to use headphones in order to stop that sound.

Just now I am testing the same project at home and playing it without the ordinary sound card, without the monitor, and only on the battery - my fan is not starting at all, and the temperature is just lower!!! Wow.

Add: I have tested to use both only dedicated AMD Radeon display card and "Automatic Graphic Switching" but no difference.

WHAT TO DO?
Does external monitor use extra CPU for rendering the display?
It is so stupid, because I really need the large screen...
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Stromkraft
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Re: Live, MacBookPro, external monitor and CPU

Post by Stromkraft » Mon Aug 06, 2018 7:57 am

Generally fans are for when you're driving the machine hard as you describe. Where is the computer placed?

If you have a dedicated graphics card this is always enabled when you use an external display. It's likely the graphics card that is generating extra heat. Unless you can make the whole machine a little cooler, as when using an alternative stand there's little you can do I think. Of course open it up and vacuum it twice a year or so.

Just to get it up on a stand will make internal cooling more effective. Even a stand with more fans may be a solution as more effective venting will mean fans have to run less often. You'd have to investigate how noisy and effective these are of course.
There may also be other types of cooling stands you could look into.
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JBlongz
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Re: Live, MacBookPro, external monitor and CPU

Post by JBlongz » Mon Aug 06, 2018 11:04 am

Display uses GPU which gets hot and causes the fan to run loud. If you’re room’s ambient temperature and air flow is inadequate, it adds to the temps. This causes CPU throttling to maintain safe temperatures. So if your computer is too hot, you won’t reach the true potential of your CPU clock.
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8E
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Re: Live, MacBookPro, external monitor and CPU

Post by 8E » Mon Aug 06, 2018 3:34 pm

Something is definitely wrong.
I have MBP at my desk on an alu stand. The fan starts very quick after I start with recording or playback.
At home I have MBP on the kitchen table directly. No fan, except very little after a while.

This is very strange.

I use the thunderbolt connection to the display port. It is the only 4k connection. There is also the HDMI port on both sides, but not the full 4k.

======EDIT:======
On the monitor (Benq) there is a setting switch to use DisplayPort v1.1 and v1.2
v1.2 I have used all the time, and I have got the full 4k at 60Hz.
Now I have switched into v1.1 and I get just 30Hz (lagging) and the display is much larger. I have adjusted the zoom in AL to 75% to compensate that.
Interestingly, the fan is not active at all now!!

That is what we call Mac Book PRO. Again, that is how Apple makes the "pro" things.
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fishmonkey
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Re: Live, MacBookPro, external monitor and CPU

Post by fishmonkey » Tue Aug 07, 2018 12:54 am

you were running a 4K display @ 60 Hz — of course that is going to drive your discrete GPU hard, and generate lots of heat.

this will cause the fans to spin up, and potentially cause CPU thermal throttling, especially if your room's temperature is not low. where do you think the computer should magically shed the heat to?

fan noise is one of the perennial problems of using a laptop for music production. for the machine to run cool, you can't push it too hard, you need lots of headroom.

btw, Apple tends to prioritise quietness over power with their laptop tuning, with the fans kicking in later.

it would be good for you to try some Windows laptops, it might help you stop carrying on like a pork chop.

8E
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Re: Live, MacBookPro, external monitor and CPU

Post by 8E » Tue Aug 07, 2018 7:28 am

fishmonkey wrote:you were running a 4K display @ 60 Hz — of course that is going to drive your discrete GPU hard, and generate lots of heat.
this will cause the fans to spin up, and potentially cause CPU thermal throttling, especially if your room's temperature is not low. where do you think the computer should magically shed the heat to?...
btw, Apple tends to prioritise quietness over power with their laptop tuning, with the fans kicking in later.
Wow. So Apple did that by purpose: creating a machine that can run full HD by creating extreme heat and fans running to the max. That must be a very clever design - offering that possibility to customers. congratulations!

Another option is to use, OF COURSE, @30Hz, yes, you can easily miss the click point since on the large displays the distances are much larger than on the lid. Try also that; it must be also done by a clever design. You can also afford getting seizures.

Just remember: Ableton is NOT GPU intensive. Just playback head running along music is not a big deal, what about working in a video editing environment with 4K @60Hz which is the standard today? By purpose and design MacBook Pro users will always get an extreme heat. Wonderful.

fishmonkey wrote: it would be good for you to try some Windows laptops, it might help you stop carrying on like a pork chop.
Excellent advice, really helpful.
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fishmonkey
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Re: Live, MacBookPro, external monitor and CPU

Post by fishmonkey » Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:54 am

laptops are compromise machines—you don't get the portability for nothing. the current generation of powerful CPUs generates too much heat for any slimline laptop to run them at full tilt for extended periods.

nowadays thermal throttling is normal behaviour for all powerful laptops apart from some beefy gaming laptops with massive cooling systems. it's not unique to MacBook Pros. your rants are ridiculous.

8E
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Re: Live, MacBookPro, external monitor and CPU

Post by 8E » Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:36 am

fishmonkey wrote: it might help you stop carrying on like a pork chop.
fishmonkey wrote: your rants are ridiculous.
I hope you are talking likewise using your real identity. Would be nice to meet you up.
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Tarekith
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Re: Live, MacBookPro, external monitor and CPU

Post by Tarekith » Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:07 pm

Let’s keep it friendly please.
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