LOKHEED  Okay. So what evidence do you have that running a fan at 2400 rpm steady will wear it down as opposed to cycling the fan between 1200 rpm and 2400 rpm? Moreover, what evidence do you have that a CPU will last longer reaching higher temperatures before being cooled down, thus cycling it between a larger temperature gradient?

If you don't want to use this, fine. If you are an engineer with information on why running a fan at a steady, albeit higher rpm is healthier than letting it spin up and down at more frequently intervals, fine. If you have information on whether it is better for a CPU and its respective components to reach higher temperatures before being cooled, fine.

But if all you are going to do is push your half-baked personal opinions, then you really aren't adding to the overall discussion. Next time, try adding something of value rather than making ridiculous and overbearing statements to the general public.

Douchechill.  
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MICG  Hello,

Thank you for your reply.

Installing this hack(smcFanControl) could very well void your Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty under the "EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS" section of the Warranty, see parts (a), (b), and (c).

When you buy a Mac you should read the Warranty and consider what you are about to do and if you should even do such a thing as install a hardware modification hack.

I have to recommend: "Don't install this smcFanControl" If you can buy a Mac you buy Apple Care and be done with it. Save up for both and don't compromise your Warranty.

BTW, you don't need to be an engineer to understand over-stressing the fans isn't going to help the fan, power supply, and the whole computer in general as the Mac isn't engineered to run from this hack.

http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/wty-post1997.html   
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JIMH76  Simple answer,

Because a manufacturing fault (well detailed across the web) with early intel iMac video cards means either an expensive trip to the Apple store or a download of SMC Fan Control (which has worked fine for about 12 months now)

Or, a computer that fails on a regular basis...

Thought the original comment was pretty daft really - we don't all have aluminium cased iMacs - at least not yet!  
(Version 2.2.2)

LOKHEED  The damage done to a CPU by having it reach peek operating temperatures (and then cycling down) far outweighs replacing a $40.00 fan. Your thinking is flawed as you are trying to spare the wrong components in your computer.

There is no replacing a CPU, but replacing a fan is minor service work. Keeping your CPU cooler and preventing it from cycling between extreme temperature gradients will guarantee it has a longer life. As CPUs age, the constant stress of heating and cooling wears on them and their pins. Eventually, they end up running so hot, so quickly, that they will fail. They have a limited life span and for those of us with older chips that knowingly ran a lot hotter, that life span is extremely short.

As I said above, there is no CPU replacement, but it's quite customary to replace fans. I, myself, have had my fans replaced twice on my Macbook Pro. Additionally, there is no data to suggest that a fan running at a constant RPM will degrade quicker. Indeed, some have speculated that constant speed cycling may actually have a negative impact on the fans life; the constant spin up and spin down wears the motor far quicker than operating at a steady speed. Of course, this is just theory and no data has been produced in any case. However, it certainly seems plausible.

As for voiding your warrantee, that's legality and has no presence in a technical debate. If you are afraid of being refused service, simply uninstall it before taking it in for servicing. Buying Apple Care is a moot point as well. This kind of mentality is reserved for the daft or ignorant. Some of us know hardware and respectively would like to take control. Moreover, it sets a dangerous precedent. Information and critical thinking should never be abandoned in favour of corporate policy, no matter the case.  
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JIPSTER  My interesting tidbit regarding fan speed:

Last year my parent's Mac Mini took a nose dive. They took it back to the Apple Store with the Apple Care paperwork in hand. The work performed was - the installation of a new motherboard and a new machine FW that drives the fan at max speed upon logging in on startup.

I see no issue with running this software. Cool processors run better and fans are cheap.  
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HARDWAREMACK  1. I am going to try as hard as i can to maintain some kind of composure.

2. You are never going to wear out a DC Brushless , Ball Bearing fan.

3. iMac, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro , These machines all run way to hot, ANYTHING i don't care what part, RAM, CPU, PSU, HD, VIDEO, None of that should be above 130 F. Flat Out, Above 130F you are going to get Expensive Premature Failure.

4. Using SMC Control does not void any warranty what so ever.

5. Using SMC Control will make what ever computer you are using, last a full 5+ years, with or with out APPLE care.

6. SMC Control is absolutely required if you are going to play WOW with the Mac Book Pro, if not, it will over heat and crash. ( look up apple discussion board )

7. as far as you buying something from ebay, makes sense, people who buy right from apple need to get the most use out of their hard earned money, that is why they need to use smc control to keep the computer from a thermal death!  
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MOONLEYET  Late 2008 iMac with 2.4GHz Intel Core Duo... aluminum.

I feel that smc fan control will be my cure to my continuous trips to the Apple store to have my hard drives replaced. I don't have Apple Care, and even if I did, who wants to have their hard drive replaced every year, like clockwork.

the design of this iMac is flawed. My LCD is discolored due to the heat this thing produces. Also, this is my fourth hard drive since purchasing the thing in Nov. 2008.

After being questioned in the Apple store about the usage of CPU intensive programs and "any smoke visible", I have concluded that this thing really needs to be cooler than factory default.

Macs are awesome, but you can't believe that a company wouldn't allow a bad design to be sold consumers because they have a guilty conscious.

Running the fans higher, and with mine, I mean HIGHER, keeps this wonderful, pro-heat iMac casing cool.   
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