How can I run my Macbook's fan as fast as possible?

pbrenning said:

Hi, can someone please tell me how I can force my MacBook Air's fan to run at full speed all the time, to keep it as cool as possible. Currently I'm using smcFan Control but it still adjusts the fan speed to the CPU Load. With the Fan Control prefpane it's possible to set a minimum fan speed of no more than 3500 RPM.
Thanks for any help.

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That's a good way to damage your MBA and void your warranty. Don't do it, even if you could. Your MBA knows how to manage temperatures and fans, without you interfering.

pbrenning said:

I don't have a warrenty anyhow, but why would intensive usage damage the fan? I just want to keep the MacBook as cool as possible, since it's an my lap most of the time.

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The fans aren't meant to be on at full speed all the time. Your Mac will maintain temps in the normal operating range without you doing anything. If it's too warm for your lap, set it on a hard surface.

pbrenning said:

But at least for short periods of time it would be helpful to run the fan at max rpm instead of waiting for it to slowly increase speed.

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The Intel processors used in Macs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent damage if they truly overheat (around 100C/212F - 105C/221F, depending on your processor). iStat Pro will give you accurate readings of your temps and fan speeds, among other things.

Unless there is a rare defect in a Mac, most temps are well within the normal operating range, considering the workload being put on it. Websites with Flash content, games and other multimedia apps will put higher demand on the CPU/GPU, generating more heat. This is normal. If you're constantly putting high demands on your system, such as gaming or other multimedia tasks, expect temps to rise and fans to spin up accordingly. It's just your Mac doing its job to maintain temps within the normal range.

Your fans are always on when your Mac is on, spinning at a minimum of 2000 rpm (for MBPs) or 1800 rpm (for MBAs, MBs and minis). They will spin faster as needed to keep temps at a safe level. If they're spinning up without increased heat, try resetting the SMC. PRAM/NVRAM has nothing to do with these issues, so resetting it will not help. Also, make sure you don't block the vents, which are located at the rear, near the hinge.

Learn about the fans in your Mac
Apple Portables: Operating temperature

pbrenning said:

thank you, but i'm aware of that. i was just asking for a way to set the fan to max rpm manually for a few minutes, since the default settings increase the RPM slowly.

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No, there's no way to do that. The default settings work just fine. They don't need to be on max rpm to keep it cool in most circumstances. When they need to spin faster, they will. You do not have to manually manage your fan speed.

Not sure exactly, but I have a similar issue... How can I keep my heart beating as fast as possible? I want to be ready for any emergency, and I figure if my heart is racing at, say, 250 beats per minute, I won't have to warm up first if there's any trouble. I've tried energy drinks and those no-doze pills, even cocaine, but I just can't keep it above 180. Also, my left arm is KILLING me. Can anyone recommend a good hacksaw?

Les Kern said:

Not sure exactly, but I have a similar issue... How can I keep my heart beating as fast as possible? I want to be ready for any emergency, and I figure if my heart is racing at, say, 250 beats per minute, I won't have to warm up first if there's any trouble. I've tried energy drinks and those no-doze pills, even cocaine, but I just can't keep it above 180.

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If it slows down, you may have a faulty connection between your heart and your car battery. Check your cables.

Les Kern said:

Also, my left arm is KILLING me. Can anyone recommend a good hacksaw?

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I trust only Home Depot for all my medical tools and supplies. Here you go.

Whenever I set I set SMC FC to max it stays there. If you're running the Fan Control pref-pane they're probably interfering with each other, I've found that it you have both it will use the fan control pref-pane settings and ignore SMC FC.

Put some pants on, instead of worrying about increasing the fan speed.

I know where you are coming from. However, my MBP rarely gets so hot that it is uncomfortable. I used to have a Dell that would get smoking hot.

So if you are open to suggestions other than using the fans - what I have used in the past is a lap desk. The one I had was basically a white board attached to a pillow. Worked really well for me.

pbrenning said:

i won't feed the troll. Seriously, using the notebook won't damage it. If i were to use it only to play games the fan would still spinn fast too. The MacBook is intended to be able to withstand USAGE.

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GGJ's not a troll, and you would do well to pay attention to the advice you're given by members here (especially those who have been around a long time with many helpful posts). The MacBook is designed to withstand usage. What you're describing is changing the way it's designed to work. It's not designed to handle what you're describing, and the fan will wear out faster (by a large margin) if you run it constantly at full speed.

jW

How can I run my Macbook's fan as fast as possible?

you could mod your case, make holes in the plastic? obviously take it apart propperly

Mal said:

GGJ's not a troll, and you would do well to pay attention to the advice you're given by members here (especially those who have been around a long time with many helpful posts). The MacBook is designed to withstand usage. What you're describing is changing the way it's designed to work. It's not designed to handle what you're describing, and the fan will wear out faster (by a large margin) if you run it constantly at full speed.

jW

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someone who says that you will damage the fan by running the fan at max is trolling.
the fans use ball bearings, they are not going to die from running max speed nor will it shorten its life span "by a large margin". the only time it will start to die is when the lubrication drys up or some other means.

Ace134blue said:

someone who says that you will damage the fan by running the fan at max is trolling.
the fans use ball bearings, they are not going to die from running max speed nor will it shorten its life span "by a large margin". the only time it will start to die is when the lubrication drys up or some other means.

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So I'm a troll, and so is GGJstudios? And somehow you know better than either of us or Apple?

Fan motors die, and running them at full speed constantly will speed up that process. If you don't understand the simple concept of friction and wear on a small motor (despite the ball bearings that you obviously think have magical properties), then at least realize that some of us prefer to give accurate advice and don't like being called trolls for doing so, especially when we've contributed to the boards for a long time.

jW

The fastest possible speed of ~6200rpm can be manually set with smcFanControl to "run all the time". I'm not sure the hardware is physically capable of more. Even if it is, it's probably not at all safe for the system. If you're looking for extra comfort, get a laptop cooling pad.

pbrenning said:

Hi, can someone please tell me how I can force my MacBook Air's fan to run at full speed all the time, to keep it as cool as possible. Currently I'm using smcFan Control but it still adjusts the fan speed to the CPU Load. With the Fan Control prefpane it's possible to set a minimum fan speed of no more than 3500 RPM.
Thanks for any help.

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Think about it buddy, constant movement causes friction, friction the ball bearings in the fans are not used to, and will wear out fast. PLus that's constant current running through your board to power those, which will kill your battery quickly. Bottom line, stupid idea and let the MBA handle it's on fan control.

If you really want to do it, iStat Menus (which is like $20) lets you manually set the fans to maximum in the menu bar. It also comes with a ton of processor and temperature monitoring stuff, which is cool. I only use it to boost them to maximum on a long 3D render because lower temperatures tend to increase performance a bit. I would recommend letting it handle itself most of the time, though.

Mal said:

So I'm a troll, and so is GGJstudios? And somehow you know better than either of us or Apple?

Fan motors die, and running them at full speed constantly will speed up that process. If you don't understand the simple concept of friction and wear on a small motor (despite the ball bearings that you obviously think have magical properties), then at least realize that some of us prefer to give accurate advice and don't like being called trolls for doing so, especially when we've contributed to the boards for a long time.

jW

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apple doesnt make their fans, they get it from manufacturers. Fans do not die from running full speed. and the majority of fans that die usually are from the oil in the bearings drying up which can easily be fixed. i have a backup machine that has panaflo 2500rpm fans and they have been running at that speed for 6 years straight. you're going to tell me they are going to die if i run the spec the manufacturer rates them at? please, shows hardware is not your strong suit. hell, i saw an ancient server a few years back with metal fans(that actually will cut your fingers off) and it was still running.

Using SMC Fan Control

I have a Mid 2012 MBP Non-Retina 2.7Ghz, 8Gb RAM, 1Tb HDD.

This is the very best that i could get personally in the Apple retail store (So it should handle a lot.). I play Minecraft and within minutes of starting it it would reach 200-215+ degrees. I decided to download SMC Fan Control and i manually set the fans to run at 3000-4500 rpm's only when running known intensive applications such as Minecraft, and instantly i noticed my computer would not get nearly as hot (170-185). Other than that I leave the fans to their stock configurations. Is even this minimal use damaging to my Mac or its fans?

xtrreflex said:

I have a Mid 2012 MBP Non-Retina 2.7Ghz, 8Gb RAM, 1Tb HDD.

This is the very best that i could get personally in the Apple retail store (So it should handle a lot.). I play Minecraft and within minutes of starting it it would reach 200-215+ degrees. I decided to download SMC Fan Control and i manually set the fans to run at 3000-4500 rpm's only when running known intensive applications such as Minecraft, and instantly i noticed my computer would not get nearly as hot (170-185). Other than that I leave the fans to their stock configurations. Is even this minimal use damaging to my Mac or its fans?

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I think alot of people use smcFanControl this way. Some may argue that any such use of fan control can shorten the life of the fans. While this may be true, the question is by how much. You may still end up upgrading to a new MBP before the fans ever fail.

If you want to avoid the issue all together you can get a regular lap desk or a cooling lap desk and leave the fans alone.