Correct Settings for Macs Fan Control?

[Andrey84]

If you're familiar with Macs Fan Control or similar software on a Mac, can you advise if these settings are correct and why?

iMac 2020 27", i9, 5700XT

My understanding is that CPU has its own protection against reaching temperatures above 100C called thermal throttling.

I tried setting it up as 70-93, but it ramps up way too many times unnecessarily and is just unpredictable and loud. This setup is better for the noise, but I'm worried if it's risky?

Turbo Boost Switcher cannot really be installed, as it's my wife's iMac and she needs full CPU power for rendering and for editing massive files in Adobe XD.

 

[Astro13]

Well, if your CPU on an iMac is getting to over 85 degrees Celsius, that’s not good. I suggest you either take it to a service professional to clean out the dust that has probably built up in there, and maybe check to see if the cpu fan is functioning, or get an ifixit kit and do it yourself. I have found these things are dust magnets

 

[wilberforce]

Leave it on automatic. It is fine for the CPU to be continuously at 100C. This is continuous design temperature and it is exposed to much higher temperature during manufacture. Just because humans think 100C is hot, does not mean it is. Cars run at higher temps continuously for example.
Use Intel Power Gadget to see if CPU is throttling.
Run a vacuum nozzle along the vents at bottom of enclosure (with iMac disconnected from power!)

I also have 2020 iMac, which usually idles at about 50 to 60C when ambient is about 20C.
CPU PECI is the metric to use

 

[Andrey84]

Leave it on automatic. It is fine for the CPU to be continuously at 100C. This is continuous design temperature and it is exposed to much higher temperature during manufacture. Just because humans think 100C is hot, does not mean it is. Cars run at higher temps continuously for example.
Use Intel Power Gadget to see if CPU is throttling.
Run a vacuum nozzle along the vents at bottom of enclosure (with iMac disconnected from power!)

I also have 2020 iMac, which usually idles at about 50 to 60C when ambient is about 20C.
CPU PECI is the metric to use

Thanks, this is sound advice. I decided to delete Macs Fan Control in the end, so that it's fully automatic, because this also takes GPU temp into account.

 

[Andrey84]

Well, if your CPU on an iMac is getting to over 85 degrees Celsius, that’s not good.

Why do you think that? If you download "Endurance" app and run it, I guarantee your own CPU will get to 90 degrees within 15 seconds.
I mean the data on the sensor above "CPU Core (average)" of course.
That iMac is used for serious work and rendering in Rhino using CPU is pretty much the same as using that "Endurance" application.

 

[Astro13]

I see, I’m looking at it from my own personal experience with these things cooking themselves to death, as long as it’s not running at 100 all the time, like whenever the Mac is used it should be okay, Even with heavy loads I have found dusting it out lowers temps by a few degrees