Fan programs for intel Macs to keep them from overheating and heat damage

3 Programs that will help your Intel Mac run cooler!

In my other earlier post, I recommend a fan program for the iBook G4/PowerBook G4 to keep them running cool.  Now I want to recommend a fan program that controls the system fan in our intel based Macs to helps them run cooler and from over heating.  I have 3 recommendations:

My top choice is:

 Macs Fan Control.
The current version as of July 25, 2013 is version 1.0.7.
The system requirements are: Mac OSX 10.6 - 10.8
It is free!
The developer has both a Mac OSX version and one for Bootcamp (when you Mac is in Windows mode)

The installation is easy.  Just download it, run it and choose a method to run it:
1. Automatic mode (is the default mode in which the system uses the default Apple fan settings)
2. Constant RPM Value mode -- in which you set a RPM fan speed and it will run at the speed
3. Sensor based value mode -- in which you pick a temperature sensor in your Intel Mac (such as CPU Core 0 or HD Sensor) and you set the lowest Temperature in which the fan will run and and the maximum temperature you want that component to be.

For me, I have a Mac mini i5 (2011) w/ Radeon 6630HD and i use the sensor based value mode and i set the lowest temperature for the fan to kick in at 123F and max temperature of 168F and my Mac mini runs cooler and i am one happy Mac user.  The reduced heat will prolong the life of my Mac. I set my temperature to display Fahrenheit but it could also do Celsius. I also set it to startup and minimize on my menubar it looks like a blue fan icon the displays my fan rpm and my cpu core temperature.

For the bootcamp version, the installation is simple and is similar to the Mac installation.  Download it and run it and allow it to run if UAC asks for permission.  And then set it to the way you want it.  The program for Windows Bootcamp mode is basically the same thing as the Mac version.

Download links:
the developer is Crystalidea Software
Macs Fan Control for Mac OS X
Macs Fan Control for Windows (Boot Camp)

Another choice would be :

  smcFanControl
  It is also free!
  This one is Mac OSX only! No Windows Bootcamp version!
  The current version as of July 25, 2013 is version 2.4
   The system requirements are Mac OSX 10.5 - 10.8

   It is similar to the first program. You set the minimum speed for the fan/s in your intel mac and you can create different fan settings for different programs for          your different uses.

Download links:
the developer is eidac
smcFanControl 2.4 for Mac OS X

Last last mention is a program called Fan Control and it is not being actively developed anymore.

It is stuck at version 1.2.  It is designed for MacBooks and MacBook Pros running Mac OSX 10.4 - 10.6.

It doesn't work well with Mac OSX 10.7 or 10.8 and newer models of Macs.
It is ok but i recommend the first two programs over this.

In the program, you set the minimum fan speed (base fan speed) and the lower threshold and upper threshold temperatures for the fans to kick in.

It is free.
Download links:
the developer is Lobotomo Software
Fan Control 1.2 for Mac OSX


So happy computing and i hope my fellow Intel Mac users will learn from this blog post and keep their Macs running cooler!