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DESCRIPTION
smcFanControl... Control the fans of every Intel Mac to make it run cooler.

smcFanControl lets the user set the minimum speed of the build in fans. So you can increase your minimum fan speed to make your Intel Mac run cooler. However in order not to damage your machines smcFanControl doesn't let you set a minimum speed to a value below Apple's defaults.

WHAT'S NEW
Version 2.2.2:
  • Offical support for every so far released Macbook, Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, mac mini included
  • Fans of iMacs, MacPro’s are read out on first startup. For official support of iMac/MacPro in a future release please send me your ModelName and min/max speed for every fan.
  • The fan to be displayed in the menubar can be chosen now
  • All known memory leaks fixed
  • Spanish localization included
REQUIREMENTS
Intel Mac with Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

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SCREENSHOT

Developer:Hendrik Holtmann
Downloads:411,661
  - Version d/l:126,755
Utilities:System
License:Free
Date:21 Apr 2009
Platform:Intel

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smcFanControl User Reviews (90 posts)Write A Review
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Dec 9 2009

NEENJA  I'm running an early 2008 Macbook Pro Intel 2.4ghz core 2 duo..

I noticed that when I boop up my mac, before running smc, istat pro shows my fans running at rougly 2000rpm. I set my "default" smcfancontrol speed at 4000rpm.

When you quit smc, isnt it supposed to set it back to regular default? Which my guess would be 2000rpm, since that is what the mac started with upon bootup. This is not the case, I quit smcfancontrol and check istat, it is still saying that the fans are at 4000rpm.

Is this a bug?  
(Version 2.2.2)

praisebury
0
[ 1 Reply - Reply ]
Replies:
Dec 9 2009

NEENJA  UPDATE:

I restarted the mac thinking it would revert back to default fan speeds (2000rpm) and it didnt, it is still stuck at 4000rpm.

The only way to get it back to 2000rpm is to do a SMC reset.

Is this normal?  
(Version 2.2.2)

praisebury
0

Dec 7 2009

RUBAIYAT  Won't install on my White iMac 24" 2006.

I found http://www.derman.com/iMac-Fan-Control to give better control.  
(Version 2.2.2)

praisebury
0
[ Reply ]
Dec 4 2009

WYRML0RD  Greetings,

This Rodian is wondering if the SMC Fan Control 2.2 that I downloaded is doing the trick. I have a 2006 Mac Mini with the Snow Leopard OSX, and had the logic board replaced, but now the fan is on full bore at all times. The SMC is telling me that the fan is running at ~5500 rpm's, and I turned down the settings as low as possible, but still loud and cranking!

Thank you for any insights,

WL  
(Version 2.2.2)

praisebury
0
[ Reply ]
Nov 24 2009

STRUTTER82  Does what it says it does! Try it!  
(Version 2.2.2)

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0
[ Reply ]
Nov 22 2009

YABA-DABA-DO ;-)  This tip/hint is for the person that says smcFanControl resolved his/her noisy machine. As the story goes about 9 months ago my 20"imac was making and awful noise and i started asking around and figured out it was my right side case fan. My machine was still under factory warrantee so i took it in and sure enough thats what it was. The technician told me the bearing mechanism failed, so by turning up the rpm has some what temporality masked what is a serious problem with your machine!..;-)  
(Version 2.2.2)

praisebury
+1
[ Reply ]
Oct 18 2009

CDRATES  My mac was making horrible noises and this did the trick to get my fan under control.  
(Version 2.2.2)

praisebury
-1
[ Reply ]
Sep 5 2009

DR. GIRLFRIEND  Ordinarily, smcFanControl is a very good app, but I'm having an issue in Snow Leopard that I'd like to make others aware of: SMCFC randomly shuts down without warning. This has happened numerous times after a reboot or after waking the computer from Sleep. It's happened on a clean install of Snow Leopard and I didn't notice until the temps were running quite high on (Original 2006 MacPro) and my fans kicked up a few decibels on their own, alerting me to the problem.

Please note: I don't this this is SMCFC's fault; I think this is a Snow Leopard bug as I've noticed other instances of the O/S not remembering various preferences (keyboard modifier keys, Wacom tablet settings, etc) or apps that I've set to open automatically at login. Hopefully Apple will have a fix soon. In the meantime, keep an eye on your system because SMCFC isn't 100% stable on Snow Leopard yet.  
(Version 2.2.2)

praisebury
+4
[ Reply ]
Sep 4 2009

L0XBY  If you have an Intel iMac, I would recommend this instead:

http://www.derman.com/iMac-Fan-Control

It allows you to adjust the rate at which the fans speed up by setting the lower/upper threshold.  
(Version 2.2.2)

praisebury
0
[ Reply ]
Aug 26 2009

JERSUCH  Hi, I installed the app on my new macbookPro with core2duo processor.

when i set the settings to High RPM and saved it, it activated and i hear the fan accelerating but when it has reached 5000rpm it reduces it speed automatically back to the default macs speed.

what can i do about it?

is there a fix?

Also i only see the exhaust and no other fans, is this normal?

thx   
(Version 2.2.2)

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0
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Aug 17 2009
****.

POOHSTICK  Re. smcfancontrol: I like Apple menu menu, but found installation not so perfect. In these days of spyware, I need every reassurance of integrity, this app seems a bit tatty (hence not so confidence building). But it seems to work well.

My use is on 09 Mac Pro 8 core on Leopard 10.5.8. I find that playing any sound roasts the CPU. The smallest sound play can cook Core A up to 90C. Internet radio (Firefox or Safari) can leave temps high (this under virgin Leopard 10.5.8) until app quit. However Quicktime Player sound causes temp jump until sound stops, then temps decline.

This seems a serious MacOS bug.

Testing with 100% load on 16 cores for several minutes only got the temperature up to 61C (no smcfancontrol).

I made 3 settings for smcfancontrol, names 1, 2, 3, ... Each higher fan settings. So I can easily boost fan as temps rise.

My setting 3 is:

EXHAUST 889

INTAKE 889

BOOSTA 938

BOOTSB 800

It would be useful if i could see my setting number in the Apple menu.

Anyone have pointers to temperature limits for Nehalen CPU?

Or links to info relating to 2009 Mac Pro sound/heat problems?

I like smcfancontrol, thumbs up to developer and I hope he continues to refine it. I'd quiet like to see a graph of historical fan speeds overlaid with temps, but perhaps this is more in Temperature monitor's domain.

Of course I'd like fan speed to automatically respond to hardware temps, but that is the OS's responsibility. Apple seems buggy or weak in this area.  
(Version 2.2.2)

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0
[ 1 Reply - Reply ]
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Sep 18 2009

MVANDERGRIFT  I'm glad you wrote this comment. I thought I was the only person having problems with my 2009 Mac Pro 2.93Ghz (4 core). Any sound playback through any application drives my CPU up well into the 70Cs. The BOOSTA fan does not increase to cool the CPU. I've had several kernel panics while the CPU was this hot. Intel's documentation indicates that 75C is past the safe operating temperature for the chip.

Let me know if you find any information on this problem.

Thanks!  
(Version 2.2.2)

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0

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