Have this machine, dont have the faulty 9600 issue. So its not the fans.
I did install some fan control software as everyone should do, because as the above poster wrote, Apples default SMC settings are insane. Perhaps the SMC was designed in degrees Fahrenheit and the people setting them were using degrees centigrade because the default setting is way off what it should be.
kastenburst, or anyone else for that matter, what kind of fan control software can you install? where do you get it from and how much does it cost? ...I'll be getting my MBP soon. Thanks
Fan Control 1.2 (It's free, link included)
For the 17" Unibody you need to set it to these settings:
Base Speed = 2000rpm
Lower Threshold = 60C
Upper Threshold = 81C
It directly edits the System Management Controller so you can boot straight into Windows and it will take effect in Windows automatically just like OS X.
No need to boot into OS X first the restart into Windows like you have to with SMC Fan Control.
It also modifys the fan speed automatically on a variable scale depending on heat, whereas SMC Fan Control has one set fan speed which you have to modify yourself every time you think your computers too hot.
Dont whatever you choose use SMC Fan Control on any Mac, its outdated software and dangerous for Unibodys for several reasons. It doesn't work in Windows, so your Macbook Pro ends up getting ridiculously hot without the fans coming on, and your 9600 graphics card quickly hits 90C and burns out, then you get green lines on your screen and come on this forum and whine.
I don't even use "Fan Control" and my temps are fine the way the are. The system automatically controls when the fans should go on and when the fans should turn itself off.
Handbrake will use every percentage of unused CPU time to encode.Thanks for the advice Kastenbrust. My CPU temp was up to 93 (running handbrake only which surely isn't particularly heavy usage?) and the fans were spinning in a worryingly unconcerned fashion at around 3,000.
I've just downloaded Fan Control & it's kicked them straight up to 6,000 and the temp has dropped to 74 within a minute. Phew!
Cheers.