proper temperature for iMac

Those temps are absolutely fine. But at those relatively low temps I wouldn't expect to see the fans ramped up as high. Are you using a fan control program like smcFan Control?

Wilst lower temps would be nice, those are quite good to normal, here's my 2007 iMac 24" from cooler days...

No way those are the default fan speeds, which would be much closer to around 1,000 to 1,200 rpm. You should check your settings again.

These are mine, from my late 2009 21.5

Scroll for my posts on temps and using smcFan in these threads.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3617828?start=0&tstart=0

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3219643?start=0&tstart=0

How can I restore the Apple defaults for fanspeed?

Move the sliders to the left and hit apply. The lowest settings smcFanControl allows are the Apple defaults.

http://81.169.182.62/~eidac/software/page5/page6/page6.html

Look at those two threads I linked to and scroll to my posts inside on temps and using smcFan. I show screenshots of my pre-sets, which, you should note, are based on increments above the defaults. I don't know which iMac you have, so your pre-sets may or may not be similar.

WZZZ wrote:

No way those are the default fan speeds, which would be much closer to around 1,000 to 1,200 rpm. You should check your settings again.

These are mine, from my late 2009 21.5

Scroll for my posts on temps and using smcFan in these threads.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3617828?start=0&tstart=0

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3219643?start=0&tstart=0

Those are the minimum speed settings, they are not the actual fan speeds.

Those are the minimum speed settings, they are not the actual fan speeds.

Yes, so what is the point? It is the "default" pre-set, which is one of six I use. I was showing the OP what the default fan speeds look like (on mine.)

briguy2269

Hello WZZZ

I have to apologize for my ignorance. After uninstalling smcfancontrol, my fan speeds are much lower. I believe I will allow my iMac to operate on it's own without any outside interferance.

Thank you for the help. Much appreciated.

Of course they are lower, you had established only one pre-set that boosted them to those speeds -- and in doing so lost the defaults, which you have now recovered by uninstalling. (Btw, you didn't need to uninstall it, you could simply have selected Quit from the dropdown in the Menubar.)

You needed to establish a range of perhaps four to six presets in increments starting with the defaults -- you create that one by moving the sliders all the way down -- up to around 2K.

briguy2269 wrote:

Hello WZZZ

I have to apologize for my ignorance. After uninstalling smcfancontrol, my fan speeds are much lower. I believe I will allow my iMac to operate on it's own without any outside interferance.

Thank you for the help. Much appreciated.

Good, now leave smcfancontrol off the machine permanently, it is of no value at all.

Good, now leave smcfancontrol off the machine permanently, it is of no value at all.

That's an opinion. Back it up with solid information and evidence. And please, if all you have to say is that Apple engineering is sacrosanct and the default SMC fan controller is perfect as it is, then don't bother. Also don't tell me that smcFan Control will damage the hardware. I have seen absolutely no evidence to support that conclusion. (Ramped up too high, the worst that may happen is the fan motors will age or burn out prematurely. Also, more dust may be collected at the intake grilles, but that can be remedied by periodic vacuuming, which should be done with or without smcFan.)

WZZZ wrote:

Good, now leave smcfancontrol off the machine permanently, it is of no value at all.

That's an opinion. Back it up with solid information and evidence. And please, if all you have to say is that Apple engineering is sacrosanct and the default SMC fan controller is perfect as it is, then don't bother. Also don't tell me that smcFan Control will damage the hardware. I have seen absolutely no evidence to support that conclusion. (Ramped up too high, the worst that may happen is the fan motors will age or burn out prematurely. Also, more dust may be collected at the intake grilles, but that can be remedied by periodic vacuuming, which should be done with or without smcFan.)

I said it was of no value, there was no mention of damaging the hardware, that is your invention. In my experience Apple cooling system works, overheating machines have other issues that should be cured rather than disguised by running the fans at high speed permanently

WZZZ

Yeah,

I have getting the same advice about not running SMCFan Control from Csound and a few others, with no real substantiation as to WHY it's bad thing to have the fans run faster.

No one who has told me not to run a fan control can site what actual failure/s the app has caused.

My iMac gets really warm folks!

Computers, in general, don't like HEAT!

I think Apple didn't do a good job of adding extra venting as they have done on earlier iMac designs.

High heat damages components!

That's why tower style computers excell as they have lots of space and good venting to vent heat.

That's why, at some point, Apple designers had to install liquid cooling systems in Macs.

To keep internal heat down!

Everytime I ask about running a software fan control app, I get the "don't run this app" response.

No real reason other than Apple engineers know what they are doing and you don't need have the fans running faster to cool the iMac more.

Heat is heat!

A cooler Mac is a happy,,trouble free Mac

Why all the negative against modiify the internal fan speeds if every iMac user wants a cooler iMac.

What real proof do these people have that makes using a fan control app a major problem.

I do not plan running the fans so fast as to cause premature fan motor burn up!

These fans are designed for high rpms.

I want my iMacs to run cooler.

To the people who claim fan control apps have deleterious effects on an iMac, prove it before condemning an app that is available and apparently created to help as the person/s who developed these apps felt the same way as many of us.

Our iMacs run way too hot to be a good thing.

Aluminum enclosures still keeps heat in the machine. Aluminum gets hot inside and outside.

The new design of the iMac enclosure doesn't allow for enough venting out of heat! Period.!

Apple and the Apple designers do not always get things right.

I am a 20 year Mac user. Seen many mistakes and missteps from Apple.

I am going back to using the fan app!

Show me examples of people who had major issues after using these type of apps for awhile and I will change my tune.

Until that time, stop telling people using fan control apps are a bad idea.

You do not know what you are talking about.

Csound1 wrote: In my experience Apple cooling system works, overheating machines have other issues that should be cured rather than disguised by running the fans at high speed permanently

I never mentioned overheating machines. That is your invention. I really don't have the patience for this discussion yet again. I've responded in full elsewhere on numerous occasions. If you care to, just do a search using the terms "smcFan + WZZZ site:discussions.apple.com"

I don't use it to disguise or mask the symptoms of an overheating machine, although the native SMC fan controller can be one cause of that, since Apple appears to prefer quiet running fans to cooler hardware and doesn't allow the fans to ramp up sufficiently fast enough to meet changing conditions. I use it to prevent hardware damage long term.

I'll take the word of a very knowledgeable Apple bench tech with considerable experience with machines that failed due to Apple's SMC fan design over yours any day.