CPU on Mac running 95C

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marek405

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Message 105315 - Posted: 5 Sep 2021, 20:33:55 UTC

Hi Team,

Loving BOINC! One issue I've run into though is after the installation and usage of BOINC for several days, my CPU temp runs @ nearly 95C. That's too hot. So far:
- I've attempted at setting my profile to only harness 15% CPU max
- I've tried snoozing it (in the menu bar up top).
- I've tried uninstalling, completely. I even removed the recommended files that exist there.

It seems that no matter what I do, my Mac runs hot with full fans on, all the time now. Not sure why it's doing that now. I don't want my laptop to burn up.

Help! (and apologies if this is discussed already).
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Profile Jord
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Message 105316 - Posted: 5 Sep 2021, 22:29:36 UTC - in response to Message 105315.  

First of all, try cleaning its insides. Especially if you have pets, as the intakes will be flush with dust. Usually, even on a Macbook you can take the backside off, or at least some of the openings through which you can change the battery and RAM. Cleaning can be done with compressed 'air" (which isn't compressed air but a compressed inert gas of sorts), a toothbrush and (carefully) a vacuum cleaner.
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marek405

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Message 105319 - Posted: 6 Sep 2021, 13:45:28 UTC - in response to Message 105316.  

Thank you for your response.

Oh, I definitely thought about that, but it kicked off once I installed BOINC (I've had the same laptop Macbook for 9 years--early 2013 model). I also can switch over to Microsoft Windows, using BootCamp, which is a software to allow me to dual boot Microsoft as well.
On the "Windows" side, this doesn't happen. The fans do not run, as they don't need to. If I game on the Windows side, they will normally kick on as they would. So I'm pretty sure I've isolated it to the Mac OS side. Thus, I suspect it has something to do with a background activity. Even when I run activity monitor (TaskManager for Windows), it does not show any major process running and eating up a lot of CPU. However, my readout of the CPU continues to rise up until about 95C.

With that said, I will take off the back panel to clean regardless. I just have a strong feeling it won't solve it.

I'm wondering if there's some residual files from BOINC that reside on the Mac after an uninstall. Or if there's a deeper issue someone's experienced when running BOINC. I'm afraid, since it's my main machine, and I just replaced the battery. I don't want to have to do a completely reinstall of Mac OS, but I'm hoping that would solve the problem.

Any other ideas, team?
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Profile Dave
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Message 105320 - Posted: 6 Sep 2021, 15:05:28 UTC

I've had the same laptop Macbook for 9 years-


Nine years is a long time for any computer, laptop or desktop without cleaning out the dust.

Last time I cleared the dust from a laptop, temp under full load dropped from 75C to 70C.

Gaming doesn't stress the CPU anything like as much as running tasks on all the cores using BOINC. For a fair comparison, install BOINC on Windows and have tasks running on all four cores. If that doesn't get the fans running on Windows, then I might believe it is OS related.
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marek405

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Message 105325 - Posted: 7 Sep 2021, 2:13:40 UTC - in response to Message 105320.  
Last modified: 7 Sep 2021, 2:16:39 UTC

Hmmmm. I definitely feel like I'm getting to the root of this....

Turns out when I unplugged the laptop, the processors slowed down & the fans didn't need to run so much. So it's a setting... which brings me to another problem...
Why--when I set the settings to have it run at NO more than 25% CPU, is it still running at full speed? It's as if only half the settings are being listened to, so to speak.

In other words, BOINC knows to run processes (and suspend them) based on if I'm charging my battery or not. However, the moment I plug it in...all systems go. It runs at full blast, regardless of what settings I set?

Maybe my Mac OS has some weird setting that tells it to run all processors when it detects a plug in? Right now, I have it unplugged, and it's completely fine. But once I literally plug it in, I know it's going to run at full blast and get hot again.
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marek405

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Message 105328 - Posted: 7 Sep 2021, 2:45:52 UTC - in response to Message 105325.  
Last modified: 7 Sep 2021, 2:47:40 UTC

https://imgur.com/q9pPCkR
This first image shows everything running on activity manager. User is 90%.

I simply unplug it.

This second image shows the user % drop to 4%.
https://imgur.com/ugWoubF

I don't even have BOINC manager installed anymore....do I need to leave it running for a day or something to get "rid" of the residual work / tasks?
Do I need to somehow "de-register" myself from world community? or rosetta@home?

By the way, I have beater computers dedicated to running these tasks. I really like BOINC. I like the concept of all of us working together. But man, I don't want to fry my main computer!
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Profile Keith Myers
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Message 105329 - Posted: 7 Sep 2021, 2:58:11 UTC - in response to Message 105328.  

The BOINC Manager does not run your tasks. The Client does. The Manager is just a simple GUI interface to the real client program that runs BOINC. If you haven't stopped the client process then BOINC is still running on your PC.

You can just leave the client running without the Manager. There is the boinc command utility to control the client from the Terminal instead of using the Manager.

You can remove your unwanted projects either from the Manager or through the boinccmd utility. You can suspend those projects also by either method.

https://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Boinccmd_tool
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marek405

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Message 105330 - Posted: 7 Sep 2021, 3:08:20 UTC - in response to Message 105329.  

Thank you for the response and time you spent on this.
So I just checked my activity monitor, and I'm looking for ANY remnant of BOINC client. Nothing. Nada. All remnant files are completely deleted. I went searching for anything BOINC related and deleted it.

Secondly, I did a little more digging into that boinccmd_tool and tried my hand at getting the thing to quit. "command not found." (I'm not too, too familiar with programming, but can copy and paste into a terminal window).

BOINC seriously broke my computer. It's running (as we speak) at 95C again with it plugged in. And no throttling attempts seem to make it work.
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Les Bayliss
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Message 105331 - Posted: 7 Sep 2021, 11:15:20 UTC

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marek405

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Message 105332 - Posted: 7 Sep 2021, 12:18:08 UTC - in response to Message 105331.  

Thank you. I did try those 9 items.
I have a feeling I'll close this topic, as I'm pretty sure it's some kind of setting either in the client that's left over from BOINC or Mac OS switched a setting internally.
I think I'll do a factory reset of Mac to fix this issue. Hoping that works. It probably will.

Thank you, all, who tried to help me fix this problem! Good community on here. I'll definitely keep my legacy / old computers recycled by running BOINC 24/7 on those.
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marek405

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Message 105333 - Posted: 7 Sep 2021, 20:26:53 UTC - in response to Message 105332.  

Attention, Everyone!

I figured out the problem. I had downloaded a nasty "Fahclient_v8" file from FOLDING@Home, of all places. It was overclocking my CPU on its own and literally forcing me to mine crypto with it. Yes, I had gotten a virus/malware. Everything is completely fine with my computer now.

I wanted to bring everyone's attention to this, as I had initially thought something was messed up with BOINC. No, it was just the dark side of the internet at work. Now, let's keep daydreaming science with our computers. Reinstalling BOINC on my Mac! Thank you all who looked into this.

Please be aware, there are viruses/malware that are looking to use our machines to mine alongside our projects.
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Profile Keith Myers
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Message 105336 - Posted: 7 Sep 2021, 23:49:49 UTC - in response to Message 105333.  

That's not a virus. That is the Folding@home client.
FAH DOES NOT use BOINC.
It is a standalone project with its own rules and controls.
It is a reputable project but it will take control of your PC unless you use its web based controls to change its behavior.
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marek405

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Message 105337 - Posted: 8 Sep 2021, 2:11:05 UTC - in response to Message 105336.  

Apologies again for my ignorance. FAH just took up a lot of resources and I wasn't aware of that. Sorry again!
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ProDigit

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Message 106040 - Posted: 9 Nov 2021, 0:44:03 UTC
Last modified: 9 Nov 2021, 0:46:00 UTC

FAH only uses CPU resources. I don't know of any Boinc project that can use the M1 GPU for data crunching.

If you run FAH, and your system still overheats, try checking the Bios.

If you can't do it, check out this video.
I have no M1, so I can't attest to if this works or not:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIHpb1T6LRo

it seems to disable turbo boost, and allows a higher base boost/lower turbo boost, by manipulating the CPU's TDP. While the script seems to be made towards the more modern CPUs hitting 100W, the person seems to be using it on an older M1 CPU.
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Message boards : Questions and problems : CPU on Mac running 95C

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