Is smcFanControl safe to use?

[atarin]

I have seen other posts about this, but none seem to answer my questions. I'm sorry of this is the wrong place to ask (none of the other threads seemed appropriate to me), and if the post needs to be moved, please feel free to do so!

I have a white 2.16 iMac, and I noticed it was running hot, so I did a little research and I downloaded smcFanControl 2. I upped the fan speeds (CPU 2000, HDD 2500, ODD 1500). The machine runs a tad cooler, but I am wondering if this was a safe thing to do. If it is, I am wondering what the optimal fan speeds are for my particular iMac. Does anyone know? I would really appreciate the advice. If it's not safe, I will of course remove smcFan Control. Thanks! Oh, according to iStats, these are the current temps with the new fan speeds:

CPU A: 52 degrees
GPU Diode: 49 degrees
Ambient: 26 degrees (no, the iMac is not boxed in, and it does not feel that hot in here)
Memory Control: 46 degrees
HD Bay 1: 40 degrees
Optical Drive: 37 degrees
HD: 38 degrees

Are these safe temps? My CPU is cranking cuz I am doing SETI and Folding. Thanks!

 

[Mindflux]

Are deep fried chicken wings tasty?

 

[byakuya]

the HD temp seems a bit high (mine usually stays beneath the 30 degree celsius mark) but all other temps seem to be ok.

 

[big.birdd]

they're fine compared to mine, get get GPU temps 70+ sometimes, and Hd up to 60

 

[ADent]

I think smcFanControl is safer then Fan Contol. But the latter is more customizable.

 

[wackymacky]

The fan sppeds you have set are not excessive (well below tolerance) and they shouldn't "wear out", iF that's your concern.

A replacement fan is cheep to replace anyway compaired to the other bits and peices the fans are keeping cool. (CPU/HDD/graphics hardware etc.)

 

[atarin]

The fan sppeds you have set are not excessive (well below tolerance) and they shouldn't "wear out", iF that's your concern.

A replacement fan is cheep to replace anyway compaired to the other bits and peices the fans are keeping cool. (CPU/HDD/graphics hardware etc.)

Do you know how high I can increase the fan speeds to safely? Is there a benefit to increasing the speeds with smcFanControl over leaving the fan speeds alone?

 

[wakerider017]

I do not like messing with that stuff.

Your computer will be fine at it's stock settings.. I see no reason to mess with fan speeds.

 

[PMR]

I do not like messing with that stuff.

Your computer will be fine at it's stock settings.. I see no reason to mess with fan speeds.

so, increasing component life-span won't worth the trouble...if that's how you think, ok.

 

[wakerider017]

so, increasing component life-span won't worth the trouble...if that's how you think, ok.

Lol, increasing component life span? You gotta be kidding me!

Apple has engineers that figure out what temps things need to run at for maximum efficiency/life.

Your Apple will live much longer than you plan to use it...

I wonder how all those Macs in school ever survived for years and years with out any 'tweaking'.

P.S. - It is soooo rare to see a PC component take a dump with out cause. 99 times out of a 100, something will break because of a power surge, shaking the computer, etc.

P.S.S - You are MUCH more likely to damage a fan by running it at higher speeds. Those things WILL fail over time.

 

[Hmac]

so, increasing component life-span won't worth the trouble...if that's how you think, ok.

You've made quite a cognitive leap there...that the heat in the machine is so high that component lifespan is affected. That would be called "assuming facts not in evidence"....

 

[PMR]

Lol, increasing component life span? You gotta be kidding me!

Apple has engineers that figure out what temps things need to run at for maximum efficiency/life.

Your Apple will live much longer than you plan to use it...

I wonder how all those Macs in school ever survived for years and years with out any 'tweaking'.

P.S. - It is soooo rare to see a PC component take a dump with out cause. 99 times out of a 100, something will break because of a power surge, shaking the computer, etc.

P.S.S - You are MUCH more likely to damage a fan by running it at higher speeds. Those things WILL fail over time.

Ask anyone who knows that each time you increase temps by 10ºC in any electrical component, life span is reduced by +/- 50% in theory.

Now quit using basic sentences and google for evidence.

EDIT: better, i google it for you:
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cach...rcuit+temperature&hl=pt-PT&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=pt

Oh, and yes, this is applied to most of any kind of electrical component, not only capacitors and voltage regulators

 

[nickf]

I'd be wary of messing around the with default fan speeds.

Cooling your machine by a few degrees is unlikely to extend the useful lifespan beyond anything you'd notice anyway.

 

[PMR]

I'd be wary of messing around the with default fan speeds.

Cooling your machine by a few degrees is unlikely to extend the useful lifespan beyond anything you'd notice anyway.

The man in question runs F@H and SETI. So, there will be a lot of heat for a long long time

 

[nickf]

The man in question runs F@H and SETI. So, there will be a lot of heat for a long long time

Sure, but similarly we have 2000-vintage G4 in the lab that's on 24/7 for DNA shotgun sequence assembly and has never given us any trouble

I realise that that plural of anecdote is not data, but I'm still not convinced of the need to fiddle around with the default fan speeds to prolong useful longevity.

 

[HLdan]

Are deep fried chicken wings tasty?

Man does that sound good, who cares about the fan control, give me the chicken!

 

[wakerider017]

Ask anyone who knows that each time you increase temps by 10ºC in any electrical component, life span is reduced by +/- 50% in theory.

Now quit using basic sentences and google for evidence.

EDIT: better, i google it for you:
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cach...rcuit+temperature&hl=pt-PT&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=pt

Oh, and yes, this is applied to most of any kind of electrical component, not only capacitors and voltage regulators

Lol, you linked me to a site about capacitors!

Anyone who has had their mac fail due to a blown capacitor please raise your hand....

Ya... Pretty much no one...

Messing with your fan speeds is going to one thing for you... Make your computer louder, and put a lot more wear on those fans... Fans WILL go bad over time. I have had to replace dozens.

 

[wakerider017]

Sure, but similarly we have 2000-vintage G4 in the lab that's on 24/7 for DNA shotgun sequence assembly and has never given us any trouble

I realise that that plural of anecdote is not data, but I'm still not convinced of the need to fiddle around with the default fan speeds to prolong useful longevity.

Exactly!

No tweaking necessary here folks...

Apple's team of engineers know what they are doing. Your computer was designed to run at it's current temps..

Rejoice that you have a Mac, and it just works

 

[misterredman]

Those utilities are mostly used (and useful) for macbooks and macbooks pro, by people who wants to use them on their laps.

 

[Whoshnot]

Exactly!

No tweaking necessary here folks...

Apple's team of engineers know what they are doing. Your computer was designed to run at it's current temps..

Rejoice that you have a Mac, and it just works

I disagree.

I had an iMac G5 which died after only two years of use due to a logic board failure and I think high temperatures might have caused this (sometimes CPU temperatures rised above 70° C). I noticed no leaking capacitors so that couldn't have been the problem.

On my new iMac, I use smcFanControl to spin the fans a bit faster - thus providing much more efficient cooling - but they certainly don't reach the maximum speed possible, so I don't think the fans will worn out after while.

And even if some fans worn out after a while, replacing these will certainly be a lot cheaper than replacing a $800 logic board!

I refute your statement that Apple engineers know what they are doing. People at Apple choose form over function. They want to create very thin computers but then it is not a good idea to install hot G5 chips in them. They want to create very silent computers so they use low default fan revolutions, which is no problem at normal use but leads to much higher temperatures when processing CPU and/or GPU intensive tasks.

A mac just works? If it isn't fried to dead, that is...

 

[wakerider017]

Those utilities are mostly used (and useful) for macbooks and macbooks pro, by people who wants to use them on their laps.

Now that is a good reason to use this utility. I can completely understand

I disagree.

I had an iMac G5 which died after only two years of use due to a logic board failure and I think high temperatures might have caused this (sometimes CPU temperatures rised above 70° C). I noticed no leaking capacitors so that couldn't have been the problem.

On my new iMac, I use smcFanControl to spin the fans a bit faster - thus providing much more efficient cooling - but they certainly don't reach the maximum speed possible, so I don't think the fans will worn out after while.

And even if some fans worn out after a while, replacing these will certainly be a lot cheaper than replacing a $800 logic board!

I refute your statement that Apple engineers know what they are doing. People at Apple choose form over function. They want to create very thin computers but then it is not a good idea to install hot G5 chips in them. They want to create very silent computers so they use low default fan revolutions, which is no problem at normal use but leads to much higher temperatures when processing CPU and/or GPU intensive tasks.

A mac just works? If it isn't fried to dead, that is...

Chances are ridiculously high that your logic board failure had NOTHING to do with heat.

Number 1 cause of hardware failure is surge. I can't even remember how many electronic devices I have had destroyed by surges. (A lot) Hell, on my old HP laptop in 1 years time, I had the ethernet fail twice, and the motherboard fail once, all from power surges.

Other big contributors are:

• water
• humidity
• dropping/shaking

Refute my statement all you want. Go ahead, reject reality & substitute your own..

[Sarcasm]
Sure, Apple is building devices that they know will fail in 2 years because of heat, But at the same time are selling 3 year applecare warranties.

Sure, A multibillion dollar company has idiot engineers working for them that do not know how to properly build a computer. They don't know how to build computers, just pretty paperweights.

Sure, Apple build LOTS of heat sensors (that can be seen with 3rd party software) in every iMac to monitor the temps and adjust fan speed accordingly (fans speeds are increased during your so called "processing CPU and/or GPU intensive tasks.") just for the fun of it... They don't actually have any function...

But wait, a godsend... smcFanControl!!!! ZOMG!!! PWNZERS!!!

WOW now I can totally make my computer run like a gillion years longer..

[/Sarcasm]

Sorry, but I don't want new users reading this thread and end up feeling like they need this utility...

ya...

 

[Whoshnot]

Chances are ridiculously high that your logic board failure had NOTHING to do with heat.

Number 1 cause of hardware failure is surge. I can't even remember how many electronic devices I have had destroyed by surges. (A lot) Hell, on my old HP laptop in 1 years time, I had the ethernet fail twice, and the motherboard fail once, all from power surges.

Well, I should have been more specific. My logic board does still turn on, but it no longer makes a video connection, thus making it impossible to boot. If the logic board was indeed struck by a power surge, then it probably would not turn on at all.

Other big contributors are:

• water
• humidity
• dropping/shaking

Since I live in Sweden at the moment (which last time I checked does not have a tropical climate), never dropped the computer and always transported it in its original box, I doubt these are the reasons for the logic board failure.

[Sarcasm]
Sure, Apple is building devices that they know will fail in 2 years because of heat, But at the same time are selling 3 year applecare warranties.

Dude, why the sarcasm? It almost feels like you have a broken iMac G5 laying around which can only be used as a paperweight from now on ... Oh wait, that's my situation!

Sure, A multibillion dollar company has idiot engineers working for them that do not know how to properly build a computer. They don't know how to build computers, just pretty paperweights.

Don't be naive. Apple is not perfect. I admire your devoted loyality to this company, but they certainly made many mistakes in the past, and there is no guarantee that these will not happen in the future (remember the frozen iMacs hmm).
After all, there is a reason why Apple switched from desktop CPU's (the G5) to laptop CPU's (e.g. Merom) in the iMac. Apple did not just moved from an isolating plastic enclosure to a heat transferring aluminium case for aesthetics. So at least they learn from their mistakes.
The figures speak for themselves: I had CPU temperatures of over 70°C CPU in the G5 iMac (which is a lot higher compared to the 30°C in the alu iMac I have right now). Hard disk temperatures could rise over 60°C (38°C in the alu iMac). And that just can't be healthy...

Sure, Apple build LOTS of heat sensors (that can be seen with 3rd party software) in every iMac to monitor the temps and adjust fan speed accordingly (fans speeds are increased during your so called "processing CPU and/or GPU intensive tasks.") just for the fun of it... They don't actually have any function...

Well, there's the problem. Without smcFanControl I never reached a higher fan speed, even when processing these intensive tasks. In fact I had a kernel panic after playing a game for over an hour a few week ago, the iMac itself felt very hot, yet the fans where still spinning at their default speeds!
And apparently I am not the only one: http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=5636427#5636427

Sorry, but I don't want new users reading this thread and end up feeling like they need this utility...

ya...

For the record, I never implied that all users should install smcFanControl, that just depends on which tasks you perform on your computer. The default fan speeds do the job when doing basic office stuff. In my case however...

 

[PMR]

nuff said

 

[wakerider017]

Well, I should have been more specific. My logic board does still turn on, but it no longer makes a video connection, thus making it impossible to boot. If the logic board was indeed struck by a power surge, then it probably would not turn on at all.


Since I live in Sweden at the moment (which last time I checked does not have a tropical climate), never dropped the computer and always transported it in its original box, I doubt these are the reasons for the logic board failure.


Dude, why the sarcasm? It almost feels like you have a broken iMac G5 laying around which can only be used as a paperweight from now on ... Oh wait, that's my situation!

Don't be naive. Apple is not perfect. I admire your devoted loyality to this company, but they certainly made many mistakes in the past, and there is no guarantee that these will not happen in the future (remember the frozen iMacs hmm).
After all, there is a reason why Apple switched from desktop CPU's (the G5) to laptop CPU's (e.g. Merom) in the iMac. Apple did not just moved from an isolating plastic enclosure to a heat transferring aluminium case for aesthetics. So at least they learn from their mistakes.
The figures speak for themselves: I had CPU temperatures of over 70°C CPU in the G5 iMac (which is a lot higher compared to the 30°C in the alu iMac I have right now). Hard disk temperatures could rise over 60°C (38°C in the alu iMac). And that just can't be healthy...


Well, there's the problem. Without smcFanControl I never reached a higher fan speed, even when processing these intensive tasks. In fact I had a kernel panic after playing a game for over an hour a few week ago, the iMac itself felt very hot, yet the fans where still spinning at their default speeds!
And apparently I am not the only one: http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=5636427#5636427



For the record, I never implied that all users should install smcFanControl, that just depends on which tasks you perform on your computer. The default fan speeds do the job when doing basic office stuff. In my case however...

Props to you for taking the time to dissect my post...

I love how you attribute the failure of your motherboard and kernel panics to heat with ZERO evidence to back it up.

And yes, power surges can (and often) only destroy parts of the computer, while leaving other things undamaged...

 

[srichart1]

Poison

Props to you for taking the time to dissect my post...

I love how you attribute the failure of your motherboard and kernel panics to heat with ZERO evidence to back it up.

And yes, power surges can (and often) only destroy parts of the computer, while leaving other things undamaged...

Still writing with your poisonous pen are you Wakerider? It seems that it's just the newbies that you downgrade on this forum. Grow up!