05-06-2013, 06:08 PM
for me mine revs up most frequently when the GPU/CPU is under heavy load. Usually it's when playing Starcraft 2 or watching web video (not too frequently, but certain sites seem to trigger increased CPU load) or when there is a webpage with a ton of Flash ads. If I watch the Activity Monitor, I'll often see CPU usage spike during those instances as well.
My sense is that the fan is tuned to be a little more sensitive and will turn on more quickly than in some other machines, but I could be wrong. Also, don't know if it matters which GPU you have....mine is the dedicated GPU (forget what the model is), but I realize most of the 2011 have the integrated Intel 3000 HD GPU...not sure if that makes a difference or not.
My sense is that the fan is tuned to be a little more sensitive and will turn on more quickly than in some other machines, but I could be wrong. Also, don't know if it matters which GPU you have....mine is the dedicated GPU (forget what the model is), but I realize most of the 2011 have the integrated Intel 3000 HD GPU...not sure if that makes a difference or not.