smcFanControl 2.1- good or bad ?

I have always used IStat , IStat Menu will display fan speed, Ram. Temp ....
I'm really thinking of uninstalling the smcFanControl, The more I read about the subject the more I feel I'm better off with out it

Thank you for the reply ...
I took a look at the link and, it sent my thinking into another direction, in short the light is turning on.
One would think, that Apple would provide such information. It's known that maintaining acceptable temperatures is vital for the life of the machine. However without providing such information, it could leave one with a false sense of security thinking " All is good " , when indeed when these numbers are over looked. There could be a problem on the rise and, one would be clueless.

I suppose in many ways those temperature parameters I'm looking for , well is look seeking the holly grail. There are so many variables that one must factor into the mix. That being said the fan speed settings and, machine temperatures would indeed be user specific. It would still be very helpful if Apple provided some numbers, However that is not the case so, this leaves me with only one option and, I'll have to dive into my IMac and research the individual components.

The first on my list is my CPU.

Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz

I went into the Intel website and fond this
http://download.intel.com/design/processor/datashts/318732.pdf

It gives the numbers I need but, How can I tell just what series my processor is ?

Thanks again

Thank you all for the replies

pogster wrote:
If you don't trust Apple's fan control then install the smc override and crank up the fans.

It's not a matter of trust, It's more to the tune of " When should one be concerned " One needs to know when and if the machine is indeed over-heating, rather then just trusting with blind faith.

den.thed wrote:
Hey Dude

I also think your safe using smc in moderation, common sense say's that running the fans real fast is bad plus it causes them to suck up more dust.
Dennis

Moderation being the key word, This is the part where one clearly must do his or her homework on their machine. Know what it is and it's components and, just what temps it will handle.
WHen you know this then you'll know if and, when you'll need to crank up the fans.

George Peters wrote:
Open up a Terminal window and type this: /usr/sbin/ioreg -lw0 | grep CPUBrand

George

Awesome , thank you very much

elmac wrote:
Hi, wear is relative:- heat = wear/faster speeds to cool = wear
My intel has run without problems "out of the Box' from day one.
2 days ago my fans boosted to High" - No Reason as far as I'm concerned.
After doing the SMC reset & all was good. I then d/loaded iStat & SMC FanControl,
I will watch things for awhile..I'm NOT changing any speeds etc..just monitoring etc..L

Very good point , I suppose the truth of the matter is , just what side of the spectrum you wish to be on. Your plan of action is the same as mine. I see no need to crank up the fans unless I see an actual issue with my temperatures. Doing so would only cause unjustifiable and unneeded wear on the fans.
Cranking the fans up just for the general purpose of running it cooler would be pointless if, your machine and it's inner components can handle those temps.

In many ways this thread is reminding me of when I was in the coral reef tank hobby ( salt water aquarium ). Many newbies would drive themselves crazy trying to strive for those perfect parameters. Always adding this and doing that in an endless attempt for perfection in their water chemistry. Not knowing all they are doing is creating more issues. The point is and, my goal is, is to get within acceptable ranges and simply maintain.

Thanks again

George Peters wrote:
Not necessarily. I think one thing missing here is that all the internal components are perfectly capable and rated to handle the temperatures we are seeing. However the thing is for instance can we expect the hard drive to last it's full MBTU by running just under it's maximum rated temperature? The answer is no. Also the fans are not necessarily rated to outlast the life span of the hardware anyway. Average hard drives are usually rated to run about 500,000 hours or more and a regular CPU fan is only rated to run about 50,000 hours. IMHO 300RPMs for 10C lower temps overall is quite worth it.

In short a small sacrifice ...

The way Apple approaches this subject is if it's not broke then don't fix it. But if your machine fails while under warranty then they will fix it. They choose to not have their customers worrying about technical things like internal temperatures and I can see why.

I can understand Apples stand point on this, If Apple installed something like samFanControl on their
computers, Then I'm rather sure the average user would, without knowing better due to ignorance, would be burning out fans left and right. I'm sure Apple has set their fan speed based off of averages.
Average user and average apps. However as for myself I run Final Cut Express a lot , along with other video apps. As I'm sure you may know this are not your average apps and are more demanding. The end result is running higher temps that would require a higher fan RPM.

Very well said, one thing I have learned from the start of this thread and, that would be it's very debatable....

For now I'll stick to my plan, research, monitor and , only make changes I deem necessary.