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

[eric-louvin]

Hi guys,

Same issues for me like already explained here.
So any possibility to make a class action against Apple ?

What do you think ?
thank's a lot

 

[bomby0]

Hi guys,

Same issues for me like already explained here.
So any possibility to make a class action against Apple ?

What do you think ?
thank's a lot

Pretty sad the only way Apple will fix the issue is when threatened with class action lawsuits

 

[TipToe]

If it's a driver issue I really don't understand why there is no fix from Apple.

100% agree, I have 2019 16 inch with upgraded graphics card but not the new 5600.. I have 2TB HDD and have it spilt 50% bootcamp and 50% Mac.. when I boot into windows the temps range from 42 to 60 degrees and fans hardly on, super quiet and this is with playing tube etc.. all this connected to an external 28 in dell monitor!

Restart in Mac OS And don’t change anything but booting into mac and the machine gets hot, fans going mad so basically I have purchased a mac to use windows on it most of the time because the alternative is a noisy hot machine or windows 10 via bootcamp is cool, quiet and a pleasure to work with.

Disappointed to me honest after my setup cost me £3700 in December 2019.

Shaun

 

[eric-louvin]

Please Mister Cook, can u make a working AMD graphic driver for my MacBook Pro 16", he is very hot and burn my fingers, your staff cannot help me !
Thanks a lot

 

[eric-louvin]

I have an idea, buy together a page in New York Times to tell Apple do there job !

 

[popshia]

Sure, I checked the "use simplified settings" box and tested all options from the dropdown. The one in the screenshot, "GTF", is the only one that worked. I'm attaching a screenshot of the default settings as shown by SwitchResX vs the GTF settings. I don't know exactly why these settings bring it back to 6-7W but it worked for me.

GTF - 6-7W:
View attachment 922827

Default Settings - 18W:
View attachment 922828
[automerge]1591728449[/automerge]

Hi, I've tried your settings above, but what I got after using these setting, my screen kept blinking with small white dots, is there any solutions?

 

[Mity]

Does the date of production have anything to do with these problems? Anyone purchase their MBP recently have these problems?

 

[jc_9]

Mine (i7 5300M) was manufactured in June 2020 and have the same issue.

 

[skyrocketer]

I received a base 16" today and am disappointed because it get's as hot as my 2017 with an external 4K monitor.

Is anybody else experiencing the same issue? I always work with external monitors and running on high resolution and this heating performance is upsetting. It's not cooler than the 2017 version in this respects.

Can you guys share your thoughts on this?

Thanks a lot!

The problem with 16" macbooks is they turn on turbo boost on graphic card by default when you plugin into external monitor. Use this plugin - Turbo boost switcher - Free, which is very reliable to disable turbo boost if you aren't doing any graphics intensive work. It is really amazing and did job better than expected.

 

[jc_9]

No, Turbo boost is a technology by Intel on the CPU, not the GPU. You are only limiting your CPU so the overall power don't get to the threshold where the fans run fast.

 

[mrmachine79]

For anyone considering an eGPU, there's a new option:

Mantiz Saturn Pro Review - King of the Ring - eGPU.io

Priced to be the most affordable full-featured eGPU enclosure on the market, the Mantiz Saturn Pro delivers a knockout punch in performance and value. It showcases the best of the four-year evolution of Thunderbolt 3 eGPU technology. With a unique combination of good looks, unrivaled expansion...

egpu.io

It's the same price as the Razer Core X ($299) but includes IO ports (like the $399 Razer Core X Chroma), has a more powerful power supply, and has a 120mm PSU fan (vs 60mm) which should mean less noise. The PSU fan is also completely off during light usage.

My Razer Core X Chroma PSU actually just died after 4 months of use. It sparks and trips the house circuit breaker every time I turn it on, so I'm going to try this new enclosure instead.

 

[iMi]

I believe I’ve already posted this, but I have absolutely no issues with heat or noise running the i9/5500M variant connected to an UltraFine 27” monitor. Hope this helps isolate which CPU/GPU combination seems to be having issues.

 

[thedocbwarren]

That looks very nice! Once we hear a bit more on how much of "Big Navi" will get support I think I'll grab one.

For anyone considering an eGPU, there's a new option:

Mantiz Saturn Pro Review - King of the Ring - eGPU.io

Priced to be the most affordable full-featured eGPU enclosure on the market, the Mantiz Saturn Pro delivers a knockout punch in performance and value. It showcases the best of the four-year evolution of Thunderbolt 3 eGPU technology. With a unique combination of good looks, unrivaled expansion...

egpu.io

It's the same price as the Razer Core X ($299) but includes IO ports (like the $399 Razer Core X Chroma), has a more powerful power supply, and has a 120mm PSU fan (vs 60mm) which should mean less noise. The PSU fan is also completely off during light usage.

My Razer Core X Chroma PSU actually just died after 4 months of use. It sparks and trips the house circuit breaker every time I turn it on, so I'm going to try this new enclosure instead.

 

[ght56]

Does the date of production have anything to do with these problems? Anyone purchase their MBP recently have these problems?

Beyond just age, might this be monitor specific and/or related to the connection specifics? I am glad to provide my take if it is of any benefit to anyone.

I am NOT having issues with my 16 inch (far as I know), which is a refurb that was originally made about 4 months ago (i9/32/1tb/5500 8gb/10.15.6). That said, I use QHD, and from what I saw it appears most people are having issues with 4k (which I personally don't get a benefit from over QHD and hence don't see a point in using in my situation).

Mine still runs the 19-ish watts to the dGPU when connected to ANY external regardless of resolution when not in clamshell mode (with a much lower idle power when in clamshell mode), and the fans are generally running a bit above idle with light workloads...I can't hear them. Under more strenuous loads, with these monitors and the display open, it gets a little chatty but nothing I consider to be unusual or problematic given this design still favors portability. I use both Safari and Chrome. If I have several Word documents open, several Excel spreadsheets open, Outlook, Mail, Messages, Webex, and a 1080p video playing with the video showing on one of the screens, the temperatures are maybe 140-150-ish F and the fans maybe mid-2k-ish.

The computer runs pretty cool. Right now it is on my lap with a 103F CPU temp on the iGPU with me jumping back and forth with apps. If I switch to the dGPU, it gets a shade hotter but not much...maybe 115F.

I am getting different QHD monitors in a few days and now I am curious if the different monitors or different connections might play into this as the issues being reported seem very sporadic. I am currently going on USB-C-->HDMI on one display, and TB3-->TB2 adapter-->TB2 dock-->mini DisplayPort-->HDMI on the other. However, with the next connection I will go USB-C (directly from the computer)-->DisplayPort on monitor 1 in-->DisplayPort from monitor 1 out-->DisplayPort on monitor 2 in. I have NOT been using any additional ports on the current monitor but I may use them on the new ones.

I feel like some sort of a spreadsheet with user-reported data might be able to narrow what is up a little better?

 

[Appledoesnotlisten]

For anyone considering an eGPU, there's a new option:

Mantiz Saturn Pro Review - King of the Ring - eGPU.io

Priced to be the most affordable full-featured eGPU enclosure on the market, the Mantiz Saturn Pro delivers a knockout punch in performance and value. It showcases the best of the four-year evolution of Thunderbolt 3 eGPU technology. With a unique combination of good looks, unrivaled expansion...

egpu.io

It's the same price as the Razer Core X ($299) but includes IO ports (like the $399 Razer Core X Chroma), has a more powerful power supply, and has a 120mm PSU fan (vs 60mm) which should mean less noise. The PSU fan is also completely off during light usage.

My Razer Core X Chroma PSU actually just died after 4 months of use. It sparks and trips the house circuit breaker every time I turn it on, so I'm going to try this new enclosure instead.

Is it better than Mercury Helios FX 650? It seems to have more ports.
[automerge]1600322399[/automerge]

That looks very nice! Once we hear a bit more on how much of "Big Navi" will get support I think I'll grab one.

Who is "Big Navi" and why should we care?

 

[iMi]

Beyond just age, might this be monitor specific and/or related to the connection specifics? I am glad to provide my take if it is of any benefit to anyone.

I am NOT having issues with my 16 inch (far as I know), which is a refurb that was originally made about 4 months ago (i9/32/1tb/5500 8gb/10.15.6). That said, I use QHD, and from what I saw it appears most people are having issues with 4k (which I personally don't get a benefit from over QHD and hence don't see a point in using in my situation).

Mine still runs the 19-ish watts to the dGPU when connected to ANY external regardless of resolution when not in clamshell mode (with a much lower idle power when in clamshell mode), and the fans are generally running a bit above idle with light workloads...I can't hear them. Under more strenuous loads, with these monitors and the display open, it gets a little chatty but nothing I consider to be unusual or problematic given this design still favors portability. I use both Safari and Chrome. If I have several Word documents open, several Excel spreadsheets open, Outlook, Mail, Messages, Webex, and a 1080p video playing with the video showing on one of the screens, the temperatures are maybe 140-150-ish F and the fans maybe mid-2k-ish.

The computer runs pretty cool. Right now it is on my lap with a 103F CPU temp on the iGPU with me jumping back and forth with apps. If I switch to the dGPU, it gets a shade hotter but not much...maybe 115F.

I am getting different QHD monitors in a few days and now I am curious if the different monitors or different connections might play into this as the issues being reported seem very sporadic. I am currently going on USB-C-->HDMI on one display, and TB3-->TB2 adapter-->TB2 dock-->mini DisplayPort-->HDMI on the other. However, with the next connection I will go USB-C (directly from the computer)-->DisplayPort on monitor 1 in-->DisplayPort from monitor 1 out-->DisplayPort on monitor 2 in. I have NOT been using any additional ports on the current monitor but I may use them on the new ones.

I feel like some sort of a spreadsheet with user-reported data might be able to narrow what is up a little better?

I have a 5K monitor and zero heat issues, assuming you mean the GPU requirement to run a 4K display would be a problem. I don't think that's it. These are pretty beefy components, even in the base model. No way that's the bottleneck.

The more I read through this thread the more I think it's software related. The type of connection could be an issue, as you mentioned, but I doubt it. It will be interesting to see if anything changes when Big Sur lands.

 

[petterihiisila]

It will be interesting to see if anything changes when Big Sur lands.

No changes in Big Sur. Some combos work optimally, others don't. LG 5k in clamshell is cool. Lid open it's 20 Watts Radeon High Side / iStats.

The pattern still is:

• Lid closed and single external monitor: all cool.
• Lid open with 1 or many ext monitors: dGPU will add 20 W of extra energy for the fans to deal with, even at idle.

Individual configurations/users have observed variations to this pattern, but by and large, based on anecdata in this thread, that's how it generally goes.

There are some who claim to have a desk full of monitors and no heat complaints; but somehow these reports rarely show any iStat data to back up that it's not just a subjective acceptance of whatever is going on. And so it's not a known good setup that others could confidently replicate. If the shoe fits, wear it, as they say!

The root cause is anyone's guess, and so are the theories about what Apple is supposed to do to improve the dGPU optimization. Nothing about those are factual at this point. Some Boot Camp reports suggest that a driver could fix it, but that isn't certain.

I've been happy with the eGPU workaround. LG 5k direct connection; 2x WQHD via eGPU; clamshell. It's quiet, cool ... and far from cheap. If using your Mac is what you do for living, then it's worth it.

Otherwise... just accept that the Mac can get a bit hot and get a good pair of headphones. At least it's always fast. For that the new thermals are good for. There's barely any throttling in normal room temperatures.

 

[David58117]

There are some who claim to have a desk full of monitors and no heat complaints; but somehow these reports rarely show any iStat data to back up that it's not just a subjective acceptance of whatever is going on. And so it's not a known good setup that others could confidently replicate. If the shoe fits, wear it, as they say!

To be fair, many people that fall under that category (like myself) probably also went through the -> download iStat menu, post iStat menu, realize it's not a problem for you, delete iStat menu and move on, while still checking in on this site periodically.

 

[Appledoesnotlisten]

Can anyone explain what my GPU draw is based on the print screens?
Is it Radeon High Side = 15.47W or Power=32W?

 

[Camberwell Carrots]

To anyone on here searching for a solution (PLEASE READ):

A few things to definately do and try:

1. Try different resolutions (Many people have had success with even higher resolutions it makes no sense I know, but it seems different monitors and cables can act differently) For me 1080P at 50Hz draws 5Watts from the GPU idle not 20W. (I'm running dual monitors in clam shell)

1.a) Get istats to see GPU radion High side. You need to get the wattage to about 5watts and not 20watts to see heat reduction.

1.b) Clamshell mode / get a stand that keeps the bottom off the desk for better cooling

2.Try different refresh rate. As above for me 50HZ is the sweet number and its basically the same refresh rate as TV so I don't notice any difference between that and 60HZ. Weirdly people have also had success with 144HZ but you need the correct monitor for it obviously!

3. TG PRO. The fan curves on the 16 are messed up, even when you compare with the previous 15 inch version. TG Pro allows you to set the fans to auto come on at certain temps. I have mine set to fans at 45% fans or (roughly 3500 rpm ) at 75 degrees. I have a fail safe set for 100% fans if the computer hits 95 degrees. Even if you / apple have the fans at 100% it only makes 5-8 degree difference under continued load. Ive tested it. Apple claim that theres no heat issue as the laptops otherwise they would shut down, the thermal limit of the cpu is 105 I believe. In effect you get the same performance no throttlng i9 CPU is at 3.7GHZ continued load regardless of fan at 100% or fan at 50%, but you do get 8 degree increase in temps (who cares)! Apples fan curves on the 16 are way too conservative and wrong! And if it does melt (its fine), well apple can replace that under my 3 year warranty.


4. gSwitch - Free software, allows you to stay on intergrated and save power and battery and blocks gpu hungry apps and makes them go to intergrated. Doesn't work with external monitors but still worth a mention.

5. Turbo boost Pro - Underclocks the CPU to base clock. I rarely use this now but it is useful If I want more thermal headroom and don't need the power. Turns the 8core into a 6core essentially in terms of power.

With all the above tips Ive got my 2.3ghz i9, 16gb, 1Tb, 4GB 5500m machine working how it should have been from the start! The only minor gripe is that Im running 1080P resolution on dual monitors, but its minor because I was upscaling 2k anyways. I use my laptop for music and slam my processor with heavy sessions and now it goes to 3500 rpm at roughly 80 degrees for sustained loads at 3.7ghz clock. I'd say 3500 is reasonable and not loud, try it yourself!

Like alot of people I got stuck with my machine after returns was closed and apple claimed it wasnt a problem! I would not pay another 700 for the best graphics card especially with the ARM switch.

Do this enjoy your laptop for 3 years and get the new ARM ones when they are good and ready.

Bless up peoples.

 

[thedocbwarren]

Not a "who" but a "what. Navi is the generation name for current AMD graphics cards. So called "Big Navi" is the next gen aka 6000-series. There is a question of when this is supported by Apple (if at all.) If no support shows in Big Sur, then we can say confidently-ish AMD (along with NVIDIA previously) is deprecated and no longer will see support in favor of Apple's own GPU tech.

If that is indeed that case then we basically don't want to invest in eGPU long run.

Is it better than Mercury Helios FX 650? It seems to have more ports.
[automerge]1600322399[/automerge]

Who is "Big Navi" and why should we care?

 

[Mity]

If anyone here has the 5600M, can you confirm that you can run multiple 4K monitors without any issues? My setup includes two 4K monitors, which I cannot do without.

I've read almost every page of this thread and have come across various attempts and I'm at the point where I'm either going to get the 5600M or switch to Windows/Linux via a Lenovo X1 Extreme. I just returned my 16" CTO with the 5300M because I couldn't justify spending $3,500 on a defective product.

 

[BornAgainMac]

My next Mac will be an iMac. At home all the time anyways.

 

[rioriojc]

I am experiencing this issue in a big way and have had no luck working with Apple. Had a case going with the senior techs and engineers and they deemed it to be "Normal behavior" . Absolute BS. I'm a music producer using Logic Pro and this thing has been a mess for my studio setup. Fans constantly running at 90+% as soon as I open Logic and oftentimes even when I'm just using Safari (I quit using Chrome) It's in clamshell mode connected to an external monitor most of the time, but I occasionally open it up to have a dual screen...fans are screaming 24/7.

I have the 16" MBP with the following specs:
2.4GHz 8‑core 9th‑generation Intel Core i9 processor, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz
AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory
64GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory
1TB SSD storage

Plugged into an ASUS278Q external monitor

I'm currently leaving feedback with Apple daily... really not sure how to remedy this problem but its driving me CRAZY. The computer is very warm to the touch, too.

 

[ght56]

No changes in Big Sur. Some combos work optimally, others don't. LG 5k in clamshell is cool. Lid open it's 20 Watts Radeon High Side / iStats.

The pattern still is:

• Lid closed and single external monitor: all cool.
• Lid open with 1 or many ext monitors: dGPU will add 20 W of extra energy for the fans to deal with, even at idle.

Individual configurations/users have observed variations to this pattern, but by and large, based on anecdata in this thread, that's how it generally goes.

There are some who claim to have a desk full of monitors and no heat complaints; but somehow these reports rarely show any iStat data to back up that it's not just a subjective acceptance of whatever is going on. And so it's not a known good setup that others could confidently replicate. If the shoe fits, wear it, as they say!

The root cause is anyone's guess, and so are the theories about what Apple is supposed to do to improve the dGPU optimization. Nothing about those are factual at this point. Some Boot Camp reports suggest that a driver could fix it, but that isn't certain.

I've been happy with the eGPU workaround. LG 5k direct connection; 2x WQHD via eGPU; clamshell. It's quiet, cool ... and far from cheap. If using your Mac is what you do for living, then it's worth it.

Otherwise... just accept that the Mac can get a bit hot and get a good pair of headphones. At least it's always fast. For that the new thermals are good for. There's barely any throttling in normal room temperatures.

Now I am baffled. Previously, when I did a single monitor in clamshell, the dGPU did not draw much power. Now I've got a QHD USB-C monitor that has charging and 3.1 ports on it that when operating in clamshell mode, alone with that single display, it is still drawing around that 20 watts at the dGPU even at idle, whereas a different QHD monitor does not exhibit this behavior. What am I missing?