[Helmling]

Sorry if similar issues have already been posted, but I didn't see any on the first page.

My 13" MBP is slowing down, particularly during graphics-intensive tasks like games. The mouse jumps around and the keyboard won't track all the keystrokes. I've fully updated the OS, and haven't installed anything new.

I'm trying a reinstall of Snow Leopard right now, but I'd appreciate any advice.

[Helmling]

Reinstall did squat. Still slows to snail speed with anything demanding.

[P]

Open Activity Monitor and check if anything is using lots of CPU in the background when this happens. Also check the amount of memory in use (Wired+Active compared to Inactive+Free) and that the HD is not getting full.

[chabig]

Originally Posted by Helmling 

My 13" MBP is slowing down, particularly during graphics-intensive tasks like games.

I wouldn't say the computer is slowing down. I'd say it's working hard. You wouldn't say it's running fastest when it's doing nothing, would you?

That said, I think more detail would be appropriate. What games? What are you trying to do in addition to the game? What programs are running at the same time as the game? How much RAM? Which machine? The more detail the better.

[Helmling]

Originally Posted by P 

Open Activity Monitor and check if anything is using lots of CPU in the background when this happens. Also check the amount of memory in use (Wired+Active compared to Inactive+Free) and that the HD is not getting full.

Well, that thing is a little hard to read, but as far as I can tell, nothing's drawing a disproportionate share of the CPU.

[Helmling]

Originally Posted by chabig 

I wouldn't say the computer is slowing down. I'd say it's working hard. You wouldn't say it's running fastest when it's doing nothing, would you?

That said, I think more detail would be appropriate. What games? What are you trying to do in addition to the game? What programs are running at the same time as the game? How much RAM? Which machine? The more detail the better.

Um, no, you fail to understand me. It is SLOWING DOWN. Once I've launched a graphics intensive program, the machine begins to respond in a sluggish fashion. Even keystrokes don't track. I'll type something and the cursor hangs back. Then, and I've never seen a Mac do this before, when I stop typing and wait for the text to catch up, some of it doesn't appear. It slows down so much that it doesn't process keyboard input. The mouse is equally bizarre. It will jerk and jump across half the screen in the game and then continue behaving that way after the game's shut down.

Hmm, even as I type this, the cursor is lagging (but not losing any characters yet) so it appears the problem is more general. I first noticed it (or rather my son did) in Spore, but then I used CS: Source and Civ IV: BTS to test it out further.

This is on a new 13" MBP, so these are not titles that should be taxing its limits.

I'm going to go ahead an call Apple if ONYX (which somebody on the Apple forum recommended) doesn't help.

[ibook_steve]

You didn't answer all the questions you were asked. How much RAM do you have in your machine? What speed is the machine? What programs are running when this is happening (besides the game) or is it happening all the time?

Better instructions should have been provided for Activity Monitor. To check for an app hogging CPU, open Activity Monitor and click the "% CPU" column header. That way, the app or process using the most CPU will be listed at the top. This way you can check whether it's a program you started or the system started that could be slowing things down.

But knowing how much RAM you have and what apps are running will really help to diagnose.

Steve

[Helmling]

Originally Posted by ibook_steve 

You didn't answer all the questions you were asked. How much RAM do you have in your machine? What speed is the machine? What programs are running when this is happening (besides the game) or is it happening all the time?

Better instructions should have been provided for Activity Monitor. To check for an app hogging CPU, open Activity Monitor and click the "% CPU" column header. That way, the app or process using the most CPU will be listed at the top. This way you can check whether it's a program you started or the system started that could be slowing things down.

But knowing how much RAM you have and what apps are running will really help to diagnose.

Steve

Sorry, I meant it's the standard specs on the new MBP. 4Gb and dual 2.4 cores.

And yeah, I get the idea on Activity Monitor, but I can't spot anything. I think it's time to call Apple, actually.

[Helmling]

Okay, now, this is interesting. I just tested it here at work really quickly, and Spore didn't lag this time. Major difference between work and home: my bluetooth mouse.

Maybe I just didn't let the game run long enough...