I’m on a Mac - and for the first time a computer I can’t hear (it’s a model with a fan).

Mac tend to run hot to be more silent.

I had to throttle my CPU in my macbook or it would shutdown for overheating while compiling.

I don't consider that a feature.

sounds like an intel mac

In windows my CPU fan is always spinning although silently in my experience but my case fans spin down.

ASUS motherboard Noctua fans if that makes a difference.

>Do you use windows

In a desktop the motherboard controls the fans unless you have an alternative like fan control installed, so not windows.

In a laptop it's either still the motherboard, or a specific chip used to manage the fans and other peripherals (ie for Dell/XPS it's locked out of bios control and you need to use Dell's special software to adjust it; Fuck You, Dell!), so still not Windows.

Well a basic windows install will keep the CPU more occupied than a basic linux install, when both are idle.

This reflects in the CPU being hotter, which reflects in the fan spinning more.