(2019) 16" is HOT & NOISY with an external monitor! :(

[am2am]

OK - so here is the update.
I have pushed it up - changed the resolution to scaled 3360x1890 to make it work harder.
Finally! I can hear fans while watching HD YouTube in safari - I was afraid I have faulty machine and need to replace it
It is not disturbing noice - especially as I have YouTube playing ..
istat screenshots below:

 

[am2am]

Update 2
Out of curiosity I've changed external monitor scaling back to default (2x).
Temps and fans are going down again. GPU memory utilisation went down significantly.
Looks like fans will stay at this level - different that at the beginning of the test where both were below 2000 rpm. Machine get warmer so probably this is causing it.

 

[avkam]

I have tested now my 16" with couple of external monitors. Mostly older HD monitors (HDMI). Now I'm writing this connected to 4K tv, Youtube playing full screen and I'm typing this with MBP's monitor. Fans are very quiet. Mac OS, one connected monitor works well, but if I try this same setup in Bootcamp Windows 10, fans are continuously blowing almost maxed out.

 

[badsimian]

I have tested now my 16" with couple of external monitors. Mostly older HD monitors (HDMI). Now I'm writing this connected to 4K tv, Youtube playing full screen and I'm typing this with MBP's monitor. Fans are very quiet. Mac OS, one connected monitor works well, but if I try this same setup in Bootcamp Windows 10, fans are continuously blowing almost maxed out.

what resolution are you driving the monitor at?

 

[avkam]

3840 x 2160 pixels for LG tv and MBP 1792x1120.

 

[dingobiatch]

Damn. I'm experiencing this too.. when display is plugged in (clamshell or not), temps shoot up. Comparison:

 

[niho]

Small update, I've installed the latest macOS Catalina 10.15.2 , no change.
Tried Kensington 5400 Thunderbolt Dock, no change. Still noisy when external monitor is connected.

 

[robvas]

My LG 4K will cause the temps to go up an easy 10 degrees when I plug it in. 65 c idle.

It was the same with my 2016 and 2018 15" laptops. Turns on the GPU so it makes sense.

 

[dingobiatch]

Hm question, what connection do you guys use? I'm using an Anker hub with HDMI, with HDMI connecting to the screen. I'd be curious if there's any difference with a direct HDMI -> USB-C, also if there's any difference if you hook a screen up that has USB-C connection or TB3 connection?

 

[impulse462]

Hm question, what connection do you guys use? I'm using an Anker hub with HDMI, with HDMI connecting to the screen. I'd be curious if there's any difference with a direct HDMI -> USB-C, also if there's any difference if you hook a screen up that has USB-C connection or TB3 connection?

i use a thunderbolt display to a 4k and 5k (individually). the temps on the 4k are 10c higher (~35 to 45) and on the 5k are about 10-15c higher (~35 to ~50). the 5k does push the dGPU much harder though which probably accounts for those differences

 

[alchemistics]

My experience with egpu and MBP noise: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-with-an-egpu-on-an-external-monitor.2215562/

 

[lietsche]

just posted this in a similar thread:

I received my MBP 16", i9, 32GB, 5500 8GB yesterday and did some testing.
I am an editor (FCPX) and the machine is indeed really fast. Everything works as expected, even quiet within FCPX for normal playback, the speakers and keyboard are nice. Everything's great... until... I plug in an external screen. Then the fans kick in all the time to cool down the GPU which heats up because it has to deal with the external monitor (in my case the 23,7 "Apple" LG 4K via TB3).
Very annoying. I was hoping to get a replacement for my MacMini 2018 (with Blackmagic eGPU) which is very silent, but the MBP is too loud for me. I really wanted to like this machine. And no, no Photo optimisation or other system tasks were going on like indexing because I did not import anything. 0-1% CPU on idle.
To test I tried hooking up the external display via the Blackmagic eGPU connected then to the MBP and as expected, the MBP is silent again because it is now the eGPU which is dealing with monitor now.

It is a great computer when you are on the go or don't need external screens directly connected, and here I mean real work like image or audio editing applications, no webbrowing or email, there the computer was more quiet even with external display.

All together this computer is not for me, I will stick to my mini+eGPU.
Will send it back.

 

[xraydoc]

just posted this in a similar thread:

I received my MBP 16", i9, 32GB, 5500 8GB yesterday and did some testing.
I am an editor (FCPX) and the machine is indeed really fast. Everything works as expected, even quiet within FCPX for normal playback, the speakers and keyboard are nice. Everything's great... until... I plug in an external screen. Then the fans kick in all the time to cool down the GPU which heats up because it has to deal with the external monitor (in my case the 23,7 "Apple" LG 4K via TB3).
Very annoying. I was hoping to get a replacement for my MacMini 2018 (with Blackmagic eGPU) which is very silent, but the MBP is too loud for me. I really wanted to like this machine. And no, no Photo optimisation or other system tasks were going on like indexing because I did not import anything. 0-1% CPU on idle.
To test I tried hooking up the external display via the Blackmagic eGPU connected then to the MBP and as expected, the MBP is silent again because it is now the eGPU which is dealing with monitor now.

It is a great computer when you are on the go or don't need external screens directly connected, and here I mean real work like image or audio editing applications, no webbrowing or email, there the computer was more quiet even with external display.

All together this computer is not for me, I will stick to my mini+eGPU.
Will send it back.

This is sad to hear.
Do the fans rev up only when the external and built-in screen are active, or any time the external is attached (even when the laptop lid is closed in clamshell mode)?

 

[lietsche]

This is sad to hear.
Do the fans rev up only when the external and built-in screen are active, or any time the external is attached (even when the laptop lid is closed in clamshell mode)?

As well in clamshell mode but less (but still too noisy for me). TBH this was the mode I tested least because it does not fit my workflow.
Everybody has a different user profile of using these machines, it is not for me even though I am kind of disappointed that an external monitor and some not even pushed "pro" work causes so much heat and trouble for this computer. I know: 8 cores and a powerful GPU packed into a thin computer - but still with all the ads they are doing concerning the new cooling vent system I find it disappointing ...

 

[impulse462]

As well in clamshell mode but less (but still too noisy for me). TBH this was the mode I tested least because it does not fit my workflow.
Everybody has a different user profile of using these machines, it is not for me even though I am kind of disappointed that an external monitor and some not even pushed "pro" work causes so much heat and trouble for this computer. I know: 8 cores and a powerful GPU packed into a thin computer - but still with all the ads they are doing concerning the new cooling vent system I find it disappointing ...

They don’t advertise silent operation though but yes 8 cores an a real GPU in a thin computer will make some noise when under load. At least it doesn’t throttle

 

[grmlin]

They don’t advertise silent operation though but yes 8 cores an a real GPU in a thin computer will make some noise when under load. At least it doesn’t throttle

I don't have a 16" but the last 15" with 8 cores, and I really thought "we improved the thermals" meant that it's not as loud and especially not as fast as loud as the 15".
Instead it seems like it's more powerful because of better thermals but even louder than the old machines.

Really not what I personally expected, as I don't have any issues with the performance. But at least it's a lot easier to "live" with the outdated model now.

 

[nikster0029]

I am extremely curious to see what will happen when people plug in this computer to a Pro Display XDR

 

[Mojo1019]

Today my new AORUS AD27QD has arrived [it is a 10bit color IPS monitor with HDR, 27" with a resolution of 2560x1440, 144Hz refresh rate (1ms response time, ghosting bye bye), color accuracy 95% of DCI-P3]. I have connected it to my CalDigit TS3 Plus with a DisplayPort 1.2 cable. Obviously the laptop switches immediately to the 5500m, the temperature of the CPU stabilises around 50-55 Celsius degrees but the fan remains in idle all the time 1800-2000 rpm.

 

[lietsche]

Today my new AORUS AD27QD [it is a 10bit color IPS monitor with HDR, 27" with a resolution of 2560x1440, 144Hz refresh rate (1ms response time, ghosting bye bye), color accuracy 95% of DCI-P3. I will connect it to the Mac with a Display port 1.2] has arrived. I have connected it to my CalDigit TS3 Plus with a DisplayPort 1.2 cable. Obviously the laptop switches immediately to the 5500m, the temperature of the CPU stabilises around 50-55 Celsius degrees but the fan remains in idle all the time 1800-2000 rpm.

in idle. and what happens if you just push the MBP slightly? For me for example, playback on FCPx on a timeline for more than 10 minutes: 2600 rpm

 

[impulse462]

I don't have a 16" but the last 15" with 8 cores, and I really thought "we improved the thermals" meant that it's not as loud and especially not as fast as loud as the 15".
Instead it seems like it's more powerful because of better thermals but even louder than the old machines.

Really not what I personally expected, as I don't have any issues with the performance. But at least it's a lot easier to "live" with the outdated model now.

yeah they definitely meant it runs faster for longer and doesn't throttle. its what they needed to do. i dont know about the 8-core 15" but the idle fan speeds on the 16 are actually slightly slower than my 2017 15" (quad core). but why would you want to sacrifice power for performance? why not just get a 13" pro then?

in idle. and what happens if you just push the MBP slightly? For me for example, playback on FCPx on a timeline for more than 10 minutes: 2600 rpm

... bruh. FCPx is a heavy program which uses the gpu to accelerate all sorts of functions. thats good...it runs faster for longer periods of time. 2600rpm isn't even loud (?), srsly

 

[grmlin]

yeah they definitely meant it runs faster for longer and doesn't throttle. its what they needed to do. i dont know about the 8-core 15" but the idle fan speeds on the 16 are actually slightly slower than my 2017 15" (quad core). but why would you want to sacrifice power for performance? why not just get a 13" pro then?


... bruh. FCPx is a heavy program which uses the gpu to accelerate all sorts of functions. thats good...it runs faster for longer periods of time. 2600rpm isn't even loud (?), srsly

The 8 core 15" already is really fast. It's the same CPU. And afaik it also does not throttle below base clocks, it just slows down a bit more than the 16" under sustained load. I (and other MBP users I know) hoped for an overall cooler and quieter Mac.
I'm pretty sure I won't notice a difference in everyday use with a 16". I'm just talking about me of course, but not everyone is looking at a stopwatch exporting videos or running benchmarks.

Why I got a 15"? First 13" is too small. It also uses a slower low power cpus, does not come with a dGPU and can't be upgraded to 32GB of ram.

 

[impulse462]

The 8 core 15" already is really fast. It's the same CPU. And afaik it also does not throttle below base clocks, it just slows down a bit more than the 16" under sustained load. I (and other MBP users I know) hoped for an overall cooler and quieter Mac.
I'm pretty sure I won't notice a difference in everyday use with a 16". I'm just talking about me of course, but not everyone is looking at a stopwatch exporting videos or running benchmarks.

Why I got a 15"? First 13" is too small. It also uses a slower low power cpus, does not come with a dGPU and can't be upgraded to 32GB of ram.

I'm pretty sure the 2017-2018 15" throttled below base clock at sustained load but not sure about the 2019 15".

Right, i forgot the 13" had worse processors so that was a dumb question. either way I mean the 16" isn't that loud...to me at least. i'm just glad i can sustain boost clocks. honestly its a shame theres no option to get the 16" w/ an integrated GPU but i'm pretty sure the reason is because it couldn't drive the displays.

 

[grmlin]

I think it was the 6 core they released last (???) year, it throttled like crazy I think. They did some software tricks after release though, so I don't know how performs today.

 

[topcat001]

I have tried well cooled gaming laptops from Alienware (my own), Acer (Helios 500), and MSI (Titan GT75) which are huge and have large fans and heatsinks. Every one of them is quite loud under load. Is it even possible to make a thinner laptop like this machine which is quiet with a powerful CPU and GPU and use all the power? I'm not defending Apple; just curious.

My own preference is to maximise performance; as long as I get that I can deal with noise. Noise sensitive studio use is problematic though.

 

[Mojo1019]

in idle. and what happens if you just push the MBP slightly? For me for example, playback on FCPx on a timeline for more than 10 minutes: 2600 rpm

Unfortunately I will not be at home this weekend, so I will really begin to use the monitor the next Monday. Then I will let you know for sure!