iMac fan control parameters

[biggles]

So we swapped out a mechanical hard drive for an SSD in the wife's iMac 2 weeks ago. Initially the HD fan was noisy afterwards. Installed a fan control and monitoring program. Discovered the fan default parameters are to keep the HD between 21C and 30C. I changed this to 25C to 40C and the fan is quiet as before the upgrade.

Also, have the program displaying fan speed and temp in the top right of screen. Temps range from 25C to 35C.

Is it correct that these temps are far below any dangerous levels?

Would it be expected that temps would rise with an SSD due to the faster data transfer speed?

 

[CaptNumbNutz]

Would it be expected that temps would rise with an SSD due to the faster data transfer speed?

HDD temps have little to do with transfer speeds. In fact, if the device is faster, that would mean it spends less time sending data, consuming electricity, and thus creating heat.

As a general rule of thumb, SSD's tend to be cooler for this very reason. However, it is not always the case. Regardless, SSD's can tolerate much higher temperatures than HDD's and SSD's are also capable of throttling themselves when they overheat.

As for the temps, the danger zone for mechanical hard drives is around 45-50 degrees Celsius. SSD's have a much higher threshold and will generally throttle themselves when they get too hot... usually around 70-80C.