If you own anApplecomputer, especially a modern one, then you’ve probably come to notice how particularly thin these machines have become. Despite that, mostMacsstill sport internal cooling fans to keep theCPUandGPUtemperatures in check.
By default, Apple’s internal cooling fans run as silently as possible for a quiet user experience, but this isn’t without its caveats. Thinner machines like theMacBook Proaremore susceptible to heat soakbecause the cooling capabilities of such a compact chassis are limited; this is something you’ve undoubtedly felt while the machine sits on your lap during intensive tasks.
While most people overlook it, heat soak can be bad for several reasons, including:
Fortunately, you can mitigate these concerns by managing your Mac’s fan speeds manually with a free third-party app dubbedMacs Fan Control. With it, you can achieve preferable CPU and GPU temperatures and benefit from the long-lasting results.
How to manually set your Mac’s cooling fan speeds
Upon launching Macs Fan Control for the first time, you’ll notice that the interface encompasses both fan speed controls and a place to monitor real-timehardwaretemperatures:
By default, my Mac’s cooling fans run between 2,000-2,100 RPM at idle, and that’s great. But Apple’s fan curve tends to be somewhat lax as CPU and GPU temperatures climb, resulting in higher temperatures than you might want.
By clicking on theCustom…button, you can enter your own fan RPM value, like so:
you may apply custom fan speeds to both fans if necessary, one for the CPU and one for the GPU:
Note: not all Macs have dual fans, so your mileage may vary.
Upon closing the Macs Fan Speed interface, the app hides in yourMenu Bar, where it’s always readily accessible:
From here, you can still manage your Mac’s fan speeds and access the app’s preferences, but you won’t be able to see your Mac’s hardware temperatures unless you click onShow Macs Fan Controlfrom the drop-down menu.
Speaking of preferences, Macs Fan Control doesn’t come with too many of them. You can:
After configuring a higher fan speed on your Mac, fan noise becomes more audible, but the core temperatures of your machine drop significantly. For me, this is a fair trade-off. As a computer-building enthusiast, I prefer to see lower temperatures, but your use case may vary.
One thing to keep in mind is that higher fan speeds equate to additional power consumption. That said, you’re able to expectbatterylife to take a hit if you aren’t using an AC adapter while manually-managing your fan speeds. If you have a Mac desktop such as theiMacoriMac Pro, then battery life isn’t really an issue; you’ll only need to deal with a little more fan noise.
Regardless, if you want to see cooler temperatures, experience more comfortable computing on the couch, and enjoy longer-lasting Mac hardware, then Macs Fan Control should be the next thing on your list of apps to try.
Macs Fan Control can be downloaded for free for both yourmacOSandWindowsBootCamp partitions. You can grab it from the download links below:
Will you be managing your Mac’s fan speeds manually from now on, or are you satisfied with Apple’s stock fan curves? Let us know in the comments section below.
