Author Topic: Simple program to monitor your Macs fans.  (Read 5827 times)

elagache

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Simple program to monitor your Macs fans.
« on: February 01, 2014, 09:53:13 PM »
Dear WeatherCat Mac tinkerers,

Regulars to this forum will have noticed that I'm having some shakedown issues with the new(er) MacBook Pro I'm now using.  While trying to get a handle on what was causing my MacBook to make so much fan noise, I came across this little free application - Macs Fan Control:

http://www.crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control

It puts up a menu item that allows you quickly check on the status of your fans.  It also optionally allows to take control of the fans, either manually or by having it compute how much cooling is needed based on the temperatures sensors on your Mac's CPU and other devices.

I would be worried to mess with the Mac's own temperature regulation.  However, I was curious to know exactly what the fans were doing.  Since the price is right, I've installed it so that I can indeed check on exactly how fast those darn fans are spinning!

For Your Information . . . . .

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Randall75

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Re: Simple program to monitor your Macs fans.
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2014, 10:36:15 PM »
Hi Edouard
 I been using it since I got my new iMac
 I read about it in my MacWorld Book In get each month
Readsome where to turn them all the way up every few months for just about a minute to blow all the dust out of you mac and it does work then set it back to system control

cheers

 [cheers1]

Blicj11

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Re: Simple program to monitor your Macs fans.
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2014, 12:24:25 AM »
Just downloaded this and I like it. I used to use a free Widget to give me temperature and fans speeds but then the developer started updating the widget 4 or 5 times a week and I got tired of that. This appears to give me all of that plus control if I lose my mind and want to control fan speed myself.  :)

Thanks for the post, Edouard.
Blick


Steve

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Re: Simple program to monitor your Macs fans.
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2014, 04:09:43 PM »
Thanks Edouard,

I used a similar little menubar app two iMacs ago (my old aluminum framed 24") when the graphics was failing and the housing was getting almost too hot to keep your hand on. I had the fans blasting full speed 24 hours a day! This one has a nicer layout, but the other one had an option to save configurations, so you could easily switch from auto to full blast to whatever other settings you wanted to store. I'd looked for that one a year or so ago and couldn't find it, so I'm glad to have this one available now.

I like Randall's idea to blow out the dust every now and then!

Steve
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Blicj11

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Re: Simple program to monitor your Macs fans.
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2014, 04:46:09 PM »
Quote
I like Randall's idea to blow out the dust every now and then!

Steve, your comment inspired me to give this a try. I turned the fan on to Max RPM for one minute and it dropped the temperature of the CPU by 5 degrees F. I am unable to attest to the volume of dust emitted, but I feel better so mission accomplished.

Thanks Randall.
Blick


elagache

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Thanks gang! (Re: Program to monitor your Macs fans.)
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2014, 09:56:27 PM »
Dear Randall, Blick, Steve, and WeatherCat Mac tinkers,

Thanks for all the feedback!  Hmm, I also like Randall's suggestion of blowing the dust out every now and then!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Bull Winkus

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Re: Simple program to monitor your Macs fans.
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2014, 04:11:27 PM »
Hey guys,

Steve, was the one you're talking about SMC Fan Control? http://www.eidac.de

I think I learn't abount it fm you.  [rockon] Yeah /Buddy!

I'm still using it. Got it installed on both my machines. Was a little worried that it might get broken by Mavericks, but the author got out an update pronto.

I like it because it is really simple and doesn't muck with the Mac's own fan control except to tweak the minimum. Then the fan speed continues to modulate with the temperature variability.
Herb

Steve

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Re: Simple program to monitor your Macs fans.
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2014, 01:42:40 AM »
LOL! Yep, that was it. Thanks for sending it back to me.  :D



Steve, was the one you're talking about SMC Fan Control? http://www.eidac.de

I think I learn't abount it fm you.  [rockon] Yeah /Buddy!
Steve - Avon, Ohio, USA


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Blicj11

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Re: Simple program to monitor your Macs fans.
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2014, 01:46:29 AM »
Quote
Was a little worried that it might get broken by Mavericks, but the author got out an update pronto.

Doesn't look to me like it has been updated since 2012 and is pre-Mavericks. I'm not arguing that it doesn't work, just saying that the author has not updated his website for quite a while.
Blick


Bull Winkus

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Re: Simple program to monitor your Macs fans.
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2014, 11:44:56 PM »
Hadn't noticed, Blick. I checked the installed version using get info and it was 2.4. Perhaps his patch didn't require a recompile of the code.

But, it works greaT! I only have it on my SSD iMac for the menu bar temperature readout, but the older iMac has one of those video cards prone to fail. I've been keeping the minimum fan speed elevated on that one.

Herb
Herb