I have a Apple MBP, 2.4 GHz with 4 gig of ram running Leopard with Fusion. Works great however the CPU load if really high. Mostly stays in the 70% range so this means the machine gets very hot. Is the normal and if not what might I being doing wrong.

Thanks,
A newbie in the mixing world.

Use the FIND function to search the forum, particularly look for posts by Tepmix -- I believe he has talked about CPU load before but mostly w/r/t PCs ...

Fusion will suck up your CPU power considerably, while making fairly light use of your memory. However, on the MBP with Intel Core Duo, I'm a bit surprised that you're hitting 70% most of the time. What year of release is this MBP? No, you should not consider this abnormal, depending on what you're doing, and Apple notes specifically in it's support areas that the temperature of your machine can get quite warm when used heavily.

See this Apple notice for further information:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1778

Make sure you have all the latest firmware updates for your system as noted here by Apple.

Also, you may care to open a terminal window on your machine (Utilities folder) and execute the command "top" at the Unix command line while Fusion is running a playlist to determine the breakdown of your CPU consumption. This will provide a listed breakdown, by percent, of live CPU consumption per process while you are working. In this manner, you may be able to determine what other unnecessary processes may be consuming CPU power and shut them down while Fusion is in use.

If you are concerned and unable to reduce the load and get the temperature down, you might consider getting a notebook cooler platform (with fans) for your MBP.

Thank you very much. Looks like what is happening is when Fusion is calculated bpm the CPU goes up. This MBP is one version behind what is in stores now.

Temp usually is around 160. Warm but within limits. I am going to get a cooling pad.

As a newbie I appreciate the help. Have always loved to dance and watch the DJ's. I saw Manny Lehmen and Lidia Prim live at CrowBar in Miami. They were fantastic. Both used MBP, an amazing amount of talent, vinyl and board that I never seen before.

Oh where can I go to get unmixed music free or at a reasonable cost.

DJxRay My real job is an xray tech.

A CPU temp of 160 is bit warm for my taste. In my standard systems (non-laptop), I tend to have very powerful fans to keep CPU and overall system temperatures low. I have fans blowing on or drawing air directly across all my hard drives which keeps them cool and provides a very, very long lifespan.

However, laptops are not capable of cooling as efficiently as any type of standard case-based system (Apple or x86 based PC), which is one of the primary reasons that laptops fail more frequently than case-based systems.

I would definitely recommend a cooling pad or platform to extend the lifespan of your MBP. Macs are expensive compared to x86 PCs, so you should try to maximize your investment.

In terms of inexpensive and/or free legal MP3 file downloads, I recommend emusic.com, jamendo.com, and music.download.com. Although you will not find major label artists distributing through these online resources, you will find high quality, cutting edge independent artists, many of whom have become names in the electronic world as of late (particularly at emusic.com). The world of electronic music is becoming largely dominated by independent labels these days, so being first in line to play up and coming artists puts you on the edge of some of the most exciting new music out there today, IMO. It also serves to equalize the playing field for artists trying to get themselves known in the brave new world of digital distribution today.

Of course, I'm preaching a bit here, but I practice what I preach. Also, in terms of your audience, if you have good taste and are willing to track down the best new talent, they will find your music interesting and unique, setting you apart from the crowd. People frequently come to me during performance and ask me about particular artists they've never heard before. It's a gratifying experience, in that regard.

I MUST assume that's 160F!!! Either way, thats 71C, which shuts my laptop down. that is hot, not really warm

Yes, it is quite warm, albeit modern processors can usually take temps up to around 178F before it becomes a real serious problem. Shutdown times are usually configured in the bios/firmware and can be often be adjusted to accommodate the user. A setting to shutdown at 160 is an early, preventative setting, but one which may be wise, depending on the system. Nevertheless, CPU temps of over 150-55 can and will reduce the life of a processor over time. Best to try to keep the temp down, and also verify that your firmware is up-to-date on your Mac. Firmware problems on laptops related to cooling usually involve ACPI communication between the fan and the motherboard--your fan may not be coming on as frequently as it should or it may be functioning erratically.

Also, those slimline MBPs are not particularly efficient at venting--the fans have to work very hard to bring air into them and they are tiny. So, locate your small vent holes, keep them clear and do protect your investment with an additional cooling option like a pad/platform. Try to keep it off your lap directly when using Fusion as your body temp doesn't help with the cooling process. Fusion will continue to utilize a lot of your CPU power no matter what you do, so your machine will run warmer when using the application than it would in day-to-day use with standard applications.

Another consideration. If your system is still under warranty by Apple, it may be in your best interest to contact their support to try to rectify the temperature issue. You should be able to use the full capacity of your CPU (100% utilization) without ever reaching a critical temperature scenario.

If you are unable to resolve this on your own, it may have a hardware problem that needs fixing--the fan itself may not be spinning properly. Apple's support is far and away some of the best in the biz, so make use of it if you feel you can and should. They may actually instruct you to send it in for service if they deem the temperature rise excessive.

Anyone else out there experiencing high temps in conjunction with Fusion and their slimline MacBooks? Post your notices here. Some of these systems seem to have cooling problems as indicated by the Apple technical document indicated in the link above, and may require service. Watch out! Consistently high CPU temps can reduce your system life over time.