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smcFanControl — Cool Your MacBook Pro
Clodas writes, "smcFanControl 1.1 is a simple GUI that lets you control how fast each fan spins on your MacBook, MacBook Pro, or Mac Mini. The temperature of my MBP when idle averaged around 63 degrees celsius. After running smcFanControl 1.1, my temperature dropped to 43 celsius within 10 minutes of use. This now allows me to sit my MBP on my lap, something I was unable to do previously since the machine got so hot. I have my fans set to spin at a minimum of 3000 RPM and I still don't hear the fans spinning. Apple by default has them set to 1000 RPM. I really recommend smcFanControl 1.1 for any that feel their MB, MBP, or Mini are too hot to handle."
I really recommend smcFanControl 1.1 for any that feel their MB, MBP, or Mini are too hot to handle.
Finally! I can use my Mac mini on my lap again.
Recharging your MacBook twice as often or testicular cancer? Which would YOU choose?
from the smell-of-burning-thighs dept.
I believe they make a cream for that.
I reset my fan seed to 6000 to see how cool my laptop could get, and its amazing getting cooler then most PCs I owned, whose fans are 10x as load. I would pay for this app if it was a commerial program!
...
I wonder how it works, I'd love to see the source code for it
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Personally, I prefer the fans not to run at all (very quiet). Will this damage the hardware?
(Unless I am doing something intensive)
Wasn't it the original Mac that was delayed for a long time because Steve Jobs insisted that if it were really a good design, it wouldn't even need a fan to keep it cool?
For Windows users, Speedfan lets you do this on nearly every desktop computer. For some reason Speedfan generally doesn't work with laptop computers, though.
I think this heat problem was generally regarded as a major source of delay for the merom macbook pro's as a simple update wasn't going to cut it this time -- the whole interior had to be redesigned to allow for better cooling. Let's hope they got the problem fixed. I also wonder why the fan speed wasn't considered an adequate fix -- is there something inherently unstable about this? Don't fan's in other laptops run that fast?
I'm glad that people are talking so much about computers' heat output. The last two PC notebooks I've owned have been little heat boxes. Even my desktop machines do a good job of turning the office into a steam zone. I suppose it's nothing new - the TI-99/4A used to heat up the surrounding area pretty noticeably. In fact if you touched the top of case with your fingers, it could practically burn you.
It's nice to see with latest stuff from Intel and AMD, power consumption and heat output are considered almost as important as raw performance. I hope that trend continues. I mean, the point of owning a computer so that you can use it, and it's hard to use one when it's frickin' baking your thighs and steaming up the room like a damn sauna.
I'm able to not turn on the furnace in my apartment in Missouri until February because I just use my computers to heat my bedroom.
I am trying this program and at first set the fan speeds to 3000 RPM as the OP suggested. That resulted in what I consider fairly loud fan noise. So now I'm trying 2000 RPM. It is still audible compared to the near silent default at 1000 RPM. I'm not sure the noise is worth the extra cooling, as a prefer to put my notebook on a table when I use it.
I think it would be even better if you could unvervolt the MBP. My 2.26GHz Pentium M Sonoma system used to run very hot (95C) under full load (e.g., mprime); by undervolting from 1.35V to 1.18V, I've cut that down to 75C. Not only does this solve a heat problem; my fans are also quieter (since they are under less stress), and I have a substantial power saving to boot (recall, power consumption scales as voltage squared).
1000 posts. Hmmm, maybe I should get out more...
Tubal-Cain smokes the white owl.
And how long does your battery last between recharges now?
The question is whether the fans will be run past their expected/rated lifetime before the computer has.
As we all know- small fans (CPU fans, chipset fans anyone?) don't last very long. That's precisely why they're only run when necessary. Given the MB/MBP's thermal output, Bad Things will happen if those fans fail- probably no worse than it shutting itself down or crashing. Still won't be good for it.
That said, keeping the fans on a very low speed to maintain a cooler temperature will improve general component life.
Please help metamoderate.
Come on!
:P
MacBook Pros will never be cool!
- RG>
Hey pal, this isn't a pleasantforest, so don't waste my time with pleasantries!
How it works (the simplified 2 mile high view)- Sitting over inside the microprocessor is a diode, that is at the same temperature as the microprocessor chip. The forward biased voltage of a diode changes with temperature. With some signal processing, you can turn that into a temperature number.
The temperature is available for readback over a serial bus. (SMA,SMB, I2C, the original was SMA if I remember correctly) A software routine reads the temperature and makes the call "cool me off" or "at desired maximum temperature" which gets turned into a number that gets loaded over the bus back to the TAFI chip. That number gets dumped into a DAC, which becomes the voltage for powering the DC motor fan.
Presto! Variable speed fans dependent on how hot the microprocessor is!
Before that, all the PC's had fans that ran full blast 24-7-365.
Whoever did the software better realize that they are messing with the thermal management system and could seriosly fry their computer, if they set things up to not cool enough. So like any hardware hack, YMMV and you are taking a chance of doing permanent damage to the machine.
The fan motor, in comparision to the processor, does not suck that much juice, so I expect that it won't change battery run time in a big major way. A little, but not gobs.
www.effectiveelectrons.com "chips that work" Analog, RF, Mixed Signal
I'm not trolling, I'm seriously interested in getting a macbookpro. However, if it gets hot enough so you can't put it on your lap, that is a major turn off. My pentium M fujitsu t4010 may get a little hot, but not so much that you can't put it on your lap. Are the heat issues with the macbookpro exaggerated?
Get em' while their hot..
What a hack... You think after you've dropped a couple of bills on a brand new computer it would be designed to work correctly.
Seriously guys...why can't Apple make a laptop that doesn't double as a Friallator? It seems that with all that computer power available in a laptop, the system could do a better job at adjusting fan speed... perhaps on the power control panel there should be various settings... simmer, roast, boil and flame (Apple with Sony batteries only). Alternatively, Apple could come out with a line of cookware design to work with your laptop.
From http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=23896 1
Instructions are a few posts below the linked post.
Open the application bundle, navigate to Contents/Resources and voilà! Source code.
Is my MBP defective? Currently FAN1 is at 6000RPM and FAN2 is at 0. hrrmmmf
is there any significant effect on battery life from the fans spinning faster?
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1. Enjoy your job
2. Make lots of money
3. Work within the law
Choose any two.
I have my fans set to spin at a minimum of 3000 RPM and I still don't hear the fans spinning.
I strongly suggest you get your hearing checked --- at 3000rpm, they're very audible (though not as bad as most desktops), at least in my 15" Macbook Pro. They're still audible at 2000 even, but not as much.
Since I picked up a Macbook Pro a couple weeks ago, the heat issue drove me NUTS. But I held out knowing that something like this was bound to come up sooner or later, and voila, here it is.
I've set the minimum RPM to 2000, and it's simply amazing the difference it's made, the area above the function keys is now just warm, instead of "burn-your-finger-instantly-hot"
It now feels like the quality laptop I expected for $2k...
they're
Er, wouldn't it just be better to have a thermostat?
That right there is why I read /.
I installed the new fan controller and it does help. Battery life isn't affect THAT much. The biggest thing prior to installing this was replacing the faulty battery. That was the main cause of the heat that I saw.
[%] Cingular Ringtones
Now I can pull more dust and grit into my machine. Let's see how long it will be before the lens in the CD-ROM gets cataract.
What?
I'm also a Brit. I knew what he meant.
Pretty imaginative use for the word, I thought.
Can't speak for iBook vs. MacBook, but I still recommend a PowerBook over the current MacBook Pro. It's lap-safe and the 12" model is smaller and looks better than the MacBook. Then again, I'm a programmer/scripter, so I don't have much call for extreme processing power. Most of my work is done in text editors. I doubt I'd notice a speed difference in vi on a MBP...
How much longer the battery lasts on a single charge when you increase the fans speed three folds? With laptops, battery charge is always an issue. Thus, you need to balance out the battery life per charge, the safety of the user and the tolerance of the CPU/hardware to temperature. Rightly or wrongly, Apple decided that the temperature is safe enough for lap uses though somewhat uncomfortable, is acceptable for the power saving, and the hardware can withdstand it. It has got nothing to do with the ability to regulate the temperature.
People will complain when their laptops only works 2 hours on a charge. You can then increase the battery size, but then people will complain when their laptops weigh 5 pounds and is 3-inch thick. People will always complain and tradeoffs will always be part of the design.
And in answer to all your other questions: no, your ass is not a world renowned encyclopedia.
So there you have it. Apple can sit back and relax while others fixe their "hot MacBook" problems. I think anyone who uses this app should return their machine to the store and claim a cooler machine or their money back. If we simply install a tool and then be happy, when is Apple ever gonna fix problems like these?
I actually waited for the release of the MacBook Pro before deciding to buy a refurbed PowerBook 12". The only new feature that impressed me was the magnetic power cord, and I figured I could do without that and also without the extra processing power. I was looking for a reliable laptop with a smaller footprint: 15" was larger than the dying Toshiba I was using, and I didn't want to commit to first generation technology.
So far, I'm pleased with my decision.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Shhh, or someone will make it into shareware. This appeared on digg a few days back, and started with a tutorial showing how to do this through the manipulation of some files in your System Library. A script was later released, and now this full blown GUI.
Sig: I stole this sig.
To get the drive to spin down, you have to stop all processes that are writing to it unnecessarily. The solution is to stop the syslog process. If the machine is working fine, then there is no reason to keep syslog going, then set the spin down time to 2 minutes. That will also increase battery life by a large amount. I do that on my Notebook. Using a RAM disk won't make any diff - most things end up in RAM pretty soon - the memory manager on modern UNIX systems will take care of things for maximum performance, so you don't need a RAM disk.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
No, don't turn the fans off. You'll actually experience discomfort when typing, since hot air will rise through the keyboard in some spots, burning your fingers. You need a minimal amount of air flow to prevent that.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
I have my fans set to spin at a minimum of 3000 RPM and I still don't hear the fans spinning.
Get your hearing checked. Seriously.
The bits on the bus go on and off... on and off... on and off...
An article that actually has something incredibly useful to me. Guess there's always a first for everything on /.
Much as this tool is cool and much needed, the one at http://www.lobotomo.com/products/downloads/Fan%20C ontrol.zip is much better. Installs as a preference panel and allows you to set thresholds for temperature in your MBP. Doesn't really give direct fan control, but does give you "baseline" control and allows you to tune the thresholds built into the machine.
Granted, I've only been running it a day or so, but it's awesome. If I'm in a relatively noisy environment (coffee shop, etc) I can crank up the fans to make sure my mac's nice and cool. If I'm at home in the quiet I can crank it down.
Also, if you've installed the Processor Preference panel you can switch off the second core in the CPU allowing better battery runtime and get rid of the "CPU whine".
Hey, the MBP isn't perfect... it was and still is Apple's first attempt at an Intel notebook. The Macbook actually improved on the MBP in terms of "polish" because Apple had a chance to really work the kinks out of that one. The Merom based MBP's promise to be much more polished, and hopefully impressive.
However, despite all the misc problems I've had (nothing critical, just minor irritants), the initial quality out of the box and ongoing quality of the machine FAR exceed anything I could've gotten out of a Dell. The screen doesn't flex at all unless you put significant weight on it, the iSight works like a champ for web-camming with my friends... generally this is one really great piece of kit. It needs tweaking... so what? Do did my last Dell, HP, Toshiba, Sony etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum.
I'm one of the brave souls who took apart their MBP and reapplied the thermal paste in reasonable quantities. Problem was, with the stock application heat wasn't transferring properly to the copper tubing from the processors. Unfortunatly, the thermal sensors are on this copper tubing so the problem becomes two-fold. Heat isn't being properly dissipated from the processors, and the computer thinks it is cooler than it really is, so the fans don't kick in when they should. Once the thermal paste was reapplied and everything was put back togother, I noticed my fans would come on more often or even come on full speed at times, which is a noticable sound. As a result, the MBP noticibly cooler to the touch and CoreDuoTemp reports a much cooler cpu.
Similes are like metaphors
I've only had a few times where it was uncomfortable on my bare skin. It's never been bad through jeans. It can get pretty warm when doing a lot of heavy stuff, like games or riping dvd's. That said, this program seems to be making all the difference. If it gets hot, just bump the fans up for a while.
I would like it if they made this a control somewhere that you could easily ramp up and down all the time. Like a hotkey to run the fans hard for 5 mintues to cool things down, or a slider in a widget...
Since leakage and resistance scale with temperature, its possible the power savings of a lower temperature offset (at least partially) the extra power costs of a higher RPM.
Well let's see. An ordinary sort of DC fan such as you might find in a laptop might draw 50mA. At 12V, this is 600mW. The battery in the MBP 15" has a capacity of 60Wh, meaning that it could run the fan for 100 hours. Alternately, suppose that using your lappy, you draw 20W with no fan activity, so the battery lasts 3 hours. Now run the fan 100% of the time, you're pulling 20.6W, and the battery lasts... 5 minutes less. I wouldn't worry too much. :)
www.increw.com has a kernel extension called SpeedIt, which makes Intel Macs "correctly" light sleep when they are supposed to. Apple claims this is automatically handled entirely by hardware, but the increw.com guys claim this isn't so.
On my MPB, the SpeedIt kext alone reduced the CPU temperature by 5-10C when idle.
Keeping SpeedIt running and adding smcFanControl took the temperature down by another 13C! My MPB is now running a CPU temperature of about 33C, which is a big improvement for me...
I'm not sure about an Usenet or email group, but the Apple support forums aren't all that bad. You don't generally get too many rude "RTFM" responses, and not all the questions are that basic, either. The basic forums can be very basic ("how do I get email?"), but there's some fairly technical questions that get answered from time to time as well. It's more of a question-and-answer format rather than a general reference guide, so I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for, but it might be worth making an account on.
At any rate, if you have a question regarding your mac, it's almost always worth searching there before you start looking elsewhere, because in many cases you'll find other people with the same problem -- oftentimes, other people with the same unresolved problem, but at least you'll know you're not alone.
http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa
The MacNN forums are also good reading, although I think you will find it to be a little more rough around the edges -- if you ask a dumb question there, you'll get a lot more "RTFM" than on Apple's official forums. But on the bright side, stuff doesn't get censored by Apple in the same way that it occasionally does on the official ones.
http://forums.macnn.com/
You might also want to consider subscribing to a dead-tree magazine; some people may disagree but I find that MacWorld puts out an interesting article or two most months, and the 'Marketplace' section in the back often turns up interesting products. If you spend a lot of time online, it may be old news to you by the time it reaches your door, but if you aren't, it might be worth it. If you have a friend who subscribes they generally have very low-priced "add a friend" subscription deals.
Hope this helps.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
That does not make me want a Mac. I have a Pentium M in my notebook which can throttle 8 states - it works as a 600 MHz processor whenever more is not needed (powernowd does it) and the fans are NOT switched on at all until it's been running at full power for thirty-odd seconds. It was trivial to set up (emerge one service, add it to local.start).
Having 63 celsius when idle and constantly running the fans are both unacceptable to me.
IIRC the fan controllers on the macbook pros are PWM, not voltage controlled.
Most fan controllers with an I2C interface since, I can't remember, have been PWM in my experience.
This is a good thing, because running a fan at reduced voltage produces a non-linear relationship with power consumed and air moved. PWM is more linear since it uses the momentum of the blades to keep it running at a target speed, pulsing power into it as it slows down. I've also heard PWM increases the fan's life expectancy... but I don't know if there's any merit to that.
THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
It uses IOKit to walk a device tree looking for fan-like things. It enumerates them, and lets you set or read a series of RPM thresholds (min, max, target). The GUI is built on top of the CLI program that does all that.
THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
Fans draw very little power compared to processor, screen, and harddrive in the laptop. I would actually be more concerned about the excessive heat shortening the battery's (not to mention the other components) lifetime than the extra few watts the fans are going to draw at full speed.
The College I will attend next year requires that I have a laptop. I am definetly choosing apple, but have the thermal paste and heating issues been addressed? Should I just get a Macbook and hold off on the 15inch Macbook pro? Just pm me
i agree
And, for when build quality isn't enough of a torment: mooing sounds from the unexorcised cattle spirit within.
So much for Rev. A rush-'em-out-and-pray hubris. Unfortunately for early adopters, word is getting out on these slipshod notebooks and the resale value is going to tank.
Well I laughed anyway
I can not believe how much of a difference that made. I own both a 15" and 17" MBP. The 17" MBP has slightly high heat but you can deal with it. However, the 15" was like sticking your hand on the tail pipe of a bus. This app dropped the temp so much I can actually put it on my lap now! Whats even better is that the keyboard isn't on fire anymore (not really on fire, just felt like it)
until (succeed) try { again(); }
By InCrew Software aims to let you do just that. Shame it's not feature complete (but it's also GPL.)
http://www.increw.com/speedit.html
I'm also a programmer, btw, and having two cores makes compiling large projects and working with intensive IDEs like netbeans with jboss much, much faster.
People may be interested in what I believe is a better implementation:
Fan Control
It's also free and the source is available under the GPL.
Fan Control installs itself as a Mac OS X Preference Pane, and includes a daemon that always runs to apply the desired fan settings instead of requiring an interactive application to be open for the settings to be applied (as is the case with smcFanControl). It also shows a nice graph of the temperature thresholds, current fan speeds, current temperature, and allows you to modify upper and lower temperature thresholds as well, while still using Apple's model for automatic fan control.
As far as I can see the fans are working.
I don't know anyone who actually has their laptop in their lap, and if the machine is working then it's not too hot.
You know, I'd love to see if someone could develop a similar app for the PowerPC-based Macs (iBooks, PowerBooks, etc.) because while I can still use my laptop when it tops out at 150F, I'd love that fan to kick in a little lower. Let's face it, when you have a big lithium ion brick in a small, carefully (and barely) ventilated box with a hit metal block, wouldn't YOU like to keep that battery cooler?
Rawr