MACS FAN CONTROL APP: A REVIEW

Mac fan control app settings are great features. Normally, when your computer fans are not functioning properly, your system temperature is elevated. That is to say, it heats up easily. Initially, one could only monitor and control Mac's cooling fans through a cooling profile provided by Apple. Now, Macs Fan Control has stepped in as a desirable alternative.

Macs Fan Control is a utility app that not only allows you to monitor your Mac's temperature and fan speed but also gives you the ability to control fan speed, both directly, by setting the desired RPM (Revolutions Per Minute), and programmatically, by setting desired speeds based on measured temperature.

MACS FAN CONTROL APP

It's important to state that incorrect use of this app (or similar apps) could potentially cause damage to your Mac. 

Apple utilized advanced thermal modeling to come up with the cooling profiles used in Mac's fan management system; Macs Fan Control can replace the Apple-supplied fan profile with the one you create, and is geared more toward intermediate to advanced Mac users than beginners.

 That doesn't mean that if you're a beginner you shouldn't use it, only that you should use it carefully and wisely.

With MacsFan Control's intuitive interface you can control your Mac's fan speed manually or use a temperature profile.

The Pros

·        It's free.

·        Easy-to-use interface.

·        You can select the temperature sensor to use when you decide to take control of a fan.

·        You can set a static fan speed, or have the app use a sensor to control fan RPM.

Cons

·        The app doesn't indicate which sensors are associated with which fans. This makes it possible to select a sensor to control a fan that has nothing to do with that specific fan.

·        Lacks an automated notification system.

Primary Reasons to Use Macs Fan Control App

1) If during the process of replacing a component in your Mac (drives or graphics cards come to mind), the old temperature sensors were damaged or are no longer measuring temperature correctly. You can use Macs Fan Control to set a fan speed limit to prevent a fan from revving up beyond what is needed.

2) If your Mac is being used in a particularly noise-sensitive environment (such as a recording studio), and while you can normally use the default fan control, there are a few short periods of time where you need to silence your Mac as much as possible by preventing the fans from spinning up beyond a preset limit.

You don't actually, have to use the fan speed control feature of Macs Fan Control to appreciate this utility; you can simply use the app to monitor the various temperature sensors within your Mac, as well as the speed in RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) of the associated fan.

There are some websites you visit that increase your Mac's temperature, causing your fans to pick up speed thereby, increasing the RPM to cool down the Mac.

 This may be attributed to the fact that some websites, in an attempt to create an ultra-dynamic interactive website, utilize an unusual amount of Flash, video, audio, or other "special" content on their website.

 If you discover such sites through the Macs Fan Control app, simply note the website URL and think twice about returning.

Macs Fan Control is also a good indicator of the resources being used by just about any app you're running on your Mac. Playing some particular games on your iMac can raise the GPU temperature quite a bit.

 If this is a game you play often, you could set Macs Fan Control to increase the fan speed a bit sooner, when the GPU The diode sensor starts showing an elevated temperature.

Features

·        User Interface

The controls and layout of this app are easy to use and navigate. The main window uses two panes; the first shows the fans in your Mac and their speed. There is also a control section that you can use to create custom settings for each fan.  The second pane shows the temperature of each thermal sensor in your Mac. This uncluttered and simple interface displays all the pertinent information you need at a glance.

To take control of a fan just clicks the Custom button next to the desired fan to bring up the Fan control panel. You can then select how to control the fan:

Constant RPM: You set the RPM manually, and the fan will spin at the desired speed regardless of temperature or sensor values.

Sensor-based value: You select the sensor to use and then define the low-end temperature where the fan speed will start to increase, and the high-end temperature where the fan will be set to maximum RPM.

To return to the default settings for a specific fan, click the Auto button.

·        Menu Bar

Macs Fan Control can also be set to display in the menu bar, giving you a quick view of a selected sensor temperature and selected fan speed. You can also choose to use a black-and-white icon or a color icon for the Macs Fan Control menu bar item.

Review

Macs Fan Control is available for all models of iMacs, MacBooks, Mac minis, and Mac Pros. The app is also available in a Windows version for those who use Boot Camp to run a Windows environment on Mac.

If you need an extra level of control over your Mac's cooling abilities, or simply want to see how hot your Mac is getting, Macs Fan Control may be the only app you need.

The one missing feature here is the ability to add threshold events that would generate notifications, and change the colors of the menu bar display to gain one's attention. Perhaps in a future version, a notification system can be put in place.