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

[Minga089]

Question is - why dGPU using so much power in idle when you connect a monitor ? Idle power consuption iGPU and dGPU should be the same...

The Radeon dGPU memory is always maxed out as soon as you use your machine with open lid. Since GDDR6 memory is very power hungry this results in more W drawn and therefore in more heat. It seem like it's definitely a driver issue.

How do I know that? I have no "overheating" issues with my machine but one thing is very dubious. When I use my MBP in with my 24" 2K USB-C monitor I get the following results:

- Clamshell mode + external monitor (2560x1140 native resolution): Radeon High Side 18W
- Clamshell mode + external monitor (2048x1152 HiDPI): Radeon High Side 3-5W
- Lid open + external monitor (2560x1440 native resolution): Radeon High Side 18W
- Lid open + external monitor (2048x1152 HiDPI): Radeon High Side 18W

It makes absolutely no sense that my machine draws 18W in clamshell mode with external monitor running in native resolution and only 3-5 W running in 2048x1152 HiDPI, because the HiDPI resolution is way more stressful for the GPU.

 

[timelessbeing]

why should two different graphics cards consume the same power? And why should it consume the same power when it's driving two displays?

 

[imp3rator]

- Clamshell mode + external monitor (2560x1140 native resolution): Radeon High Side 18W
- Clamshell mode + external monitor (2048x1152 HiDPI): Radeon High Side 3-5W
- Lid open + external monitor (2560x1440 native resolution): Radeon High Side 18W
- Lid open + external monitor (2048x1152 HiDPI): Radeon High Side 18W

It makes absolutely no sense that my machine draws 18W in clamshell mode with external monitor running in native resolution and only 3-5 W running in 2048x1152 HiDPI, because the HiDPI resolution is way more stressful for the GPU.

Interesting. So in certain resolutions and clamshell mode overheating doesn't exists ? Did someone test 1080p in retina mode (for 4k 3840 x 2160 monitor) ?

 

[crymimefireworks]

My wireless keyboard is MIA at the moment. As a solution I'm using my laptop open while plugged into my larger Dell screen.

Now I know the pain of this thread. Fans are blasting and all I have open is this Safari window. Was at a scaled resolution.

I switched to "Default for display". GPU dropped to 18.7...and after 10 min the fans are a good bit lower. OK....not great but ok.

 

[orion73]

Hi there,
just got my LG UltraFine 27UN83A-W, 27'' IPS UHD 4K. I have macbook pro 16" with radeon 5300, and running Catalina 10.15.7:
- Clamshell mode with usb-c cable: any resolution@60 Hz Radeon High Side 5-7 W, switching to 30Hz ~4-6 W, and for any frequency different from 60Hz or 30 Hz, it jumps to ~ 18 W. HiDPI does not make a significant difference.
- Lid open with usb-c cable: any resolution Radeon High Side ~18 W
In general, with the lid open, there is an increase in temperature of ~ 10 C, but fans never exceed 2300 RPM, with normal load. With the lid closed, fans always below 1800 RPM with normal load. Room temperature is 24 C. In conclusion, the wattage with the open lid is a pity, but I think that with Catalina it is still OK, I will not update to Big Sur, only if I move to M1 (but I seriously thinking to move back to linux and get a Dell or Lenovo as my next laptop)

 

[GlenK]

I have the 16" MBP and just got a LG Ultrafine 24" monitor and Belkin Thunderbolt 3 dock for Christmas. Have not even had the fan come on and did not even know about this issue. I keep the lid closed but haven't even checked temp since nothing has been happening with the fan running.

 

[Octavzz]

I keep trying to get my 16" to go to lower Radeon high side wattage with clamshell mode, but nothing I tried in SwitchResX seems to work.

Running a 5500M on Big Sur, connected to a 1440p external display through HDMI.

Can anyone please help me figure it out? I'm going mad, thinking of selling this machine.

 

[Kung gu]

I keep trying to get my 16" to go to lower Radeon high side wattage with clamshell mode, but nothing I tried in SwitchResX seems to work.

Running a 5500M on Big Sur, connected to a 1440p external display through HDMI.

Can anyone please help me figure it out? I'm going mad, thinking of selling this machine.

best sell the machine the new AMD graphics are power hungry. The 16" with M1X will be much cooler

 

[GumaRodak]

or go to a shop and try different monitor, in this tread several peoples mentioned that certain types of monitors do not cause the draw...i think its better to sell monitor and buy new, as the loss of $ is much more less as selling 3k machine, which btw works very well, since the fact that M1 exist, doesnt mean the 16" MBP is bad machine

 

[Octavzz]

or go to a shop and try different monitor, in this tread several peoples mentioned that certain types of monitors do not cause the draw...i think its better to sell monitor and buy new, as the loss of $ is much more less as selling 3k machine, which btw works very well, since the fact that M1 exist, doesnt mean the 16" MBP is bad machine

In my region most stores with monitors on display are pretty average 1080p cheap monitors, I'd doubt I'd find anything relevant there. I searched in this thread a bit and saw a couple of times mentioned the Dell U2720Q. Can anyone give their opinion on it or other suggestions on 4K displays that don't drive the 5500M crazy?

 

[panzer06]

In my region most stores with monitors on display are pretty average 1080p cheap monitors, I'd doubt I'd find anything relevant there. I searched in this thread a bit and saw a couple of times mentioned the Dell U2720Q. Can anyone give their opinion on it or other suggestions on 4K displays that don't drive the 5500M crazy?

I have the 2720 connected via USB C and never had an issue. However, I only used it for a month before moving to external GPU.

 

[MacFlop]

I keep trying to get my 16" to go to lower Radeon high side wattage with clamshell mode, but nothing I tried in SwitchResX seems to work.

Running a 5500M on Big Sur, connected to a 1440p external display through HDMI.

Can anyone please help me figure it out? I'm going mad, thinking of selling this machine.

If you have displayport you should be able to change the refresh rates on your display via MacOS. That helped for me. It works well with 1 monitor but as long as I connect another monitor the Radeon card idles at 18W.

 

[Octavzz]

If you have displayport you should be able to change the refresh rates on your display via MacOS. That helped for me. It works well with 1 monitor but as long as I connect another monitor the Radeon card idles at 18W.

I bought a DisplayPort to usb-c cable, but no input was detected. I decided to look for a Displaylink dock, I think that should be the most cost-effective option for me. If that fails too, I think I'll give up and sell this 16" while it still has some value before the M1X 16" comes out.

 

[imp3rator]

But Displaylink uses more CPU power...
Cheaper option is to change monitor - or bring macbook to shop and try with several monitors.

 

[Kung gu]

no point trying different monitors, the 18W problem occurs will ALL monitors.
the 2019 16" is more than a year old now so anyone thinking of buying one now is just wasting their money

 

[frambunctious]

I know I'm complaining, yet still want to share my new findings with someone who might be interested.

Trying my work flow with clamshell mode for the past few days to keep the laptop cooler. Bought stupid expensive Magic Keyboard, Mouse and Trackpad. Surprisingly the mouse is easier to use for me. The trackpad's wedge design make it difficult to put above or under the keyboard (like a laptop), and when putting it aside, it feels weird to place my hand. Still need longer time to test and my wrist does feel a bit more uncomfortable with the mouse (compare to mbp's in-built trackpad), yet the keyboard position feels more ergonomic as it's closer to my body now.

Now done with that update. Here comes the complain. The microphone doesn't work in clamshell mode due to the T2 security. I don't know how you handle that problem, but throughout the day I probably need to pick up 10+ phone calls (Skype, Mobile, WhatsApp, WeChat...etc.) It was smooth to just pick it up from the laptop most of the time. Now I can't do it. A proper USB microphone is 100+ AUD...A reasonable webcam is also 100+ AUD (which I don't know if it can be good for just picking up calls). Checked a lot of desk setup videos on Youtube and they either don't need to do a lot of calls or they use their fancy DSLR+fancy microphone they already have.

I'm fine opening the lid when I need to do video conference as most of time I'll be prepared for that. But not being able to pick up the call instant is annoying. Pulling out and connecting my AirPods (gen1) is just not fast enough for me. Anyone has any exp to share or any product to recommend? I probably can get away with a cheap 3.5mm microphone but it makes my desk messier than I want.

You don't need a fancy microphone. Get a decent webcam and the built-in mic should be more than adequate. Even when you get a fancy mic, most video calling software is not sampling or transmitting voice at the full quality that the mic is capable of because of computational and bandwidth expenses of multiplexing the streams, especially as virtual conference sizes go up. I have a $50 USD webcam with built-in mic on my setup and have got no complaints after thousands of hours of video conferencing.

 

[imp3rator]

no point trying different monitors, the 18W problem occurs will ALL monitors.
the 2019 16" is more than a year old now so anyone thinking of buying one now is just wasting their money

But some users can drive an external monitor...

The Radeon dGPU memory is always maxed out as soon as you use your machine with open lid. Since GDDR6 memory is very power hungry this results in more W drawn and therefore in more heat. It seem like it's definitely a driver issue.

How do I know that? I have no "overheating" issues with my machine but one thing is very dubious. When I use my MBP in with my 24" 2K USB-C monitor I get the following results:

- Clamshell mode + external monitor (2560x1140 native resolution): Radeon High Side 18W
- Clamshell mode + external monitor (2048x1152 HiDPI): Radeon High Side 3-5W
- Lid open + external monitor (2560x1440 native resolution): Radeon High Side 18W
- Lid open + external monitor (2048x1152 HiDPI): Radeon High Side 18W

It makes absolutely no sense that my machine draws 18W in clamshell mode with external monitor running in native resolution and only 3-5 W running in 2048x1152 HiDPI, because the HiDPI resolution is way more stressful for the GPU.

 

[frambunctious]

I've read through most of this thread, however the situation seems to be quite complex. I was using a Dell U2720Q via USB-C in Clamshell mode with the Radeon 5500 drawing 5-10 watts. I just connected an additional P2421D monitor via HDMI, which increase the power requirements of the radeon to min. 19 watts. Any chance that I could reduce this by using a Displayport-to-USB-C cable? Or will I just have to live with it. Basically I can also open the lid now, since this does not really increase the required power any more ☹️

The radeon stays at 19 watts even if the second external monitor is turned off. It only drops back to 5-10 watts if I remove the HDMI-to-USB-C cable.

Have you considered you might have a bad cable?

I have two scaled displays, both via usb-c to displayport cables. Machine is in clamshell mode. Tons of apps and browser tabs open, total system power consumption less than 25W if i fit a line that covers more than 70% of the chart area (eyeballing it). Radeon high side well under 13W when in active use. machine is warm, but I don't feel alarmed, and the fans are quiet.

---display data in system report ----
Resolution: 6720 x 3780
UI Looks like: 3360 x 1890 @ 60 Hz
Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Colour (ARGB2101010)
--------

Resolution: 6720 x 3780
UI Looks like: 3360 x 1890 @ 60 Hz
Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Colour (ARGB2101010)

---
Monitors are Dell S2817Q UHD. MBP 16", 2019.

 

[jaduffy007]

I bought a DisplayPort to usb-c cable, but no input was detected. I decided to look for a Displaylink dock, I think that should be the most cost-effective option for me. If that fails too, I think I'll give up and sell this 16" while it still has some value before the M1X 16" comes out.

I decided to sell my 16" (32gb ram, 5500M 4gb) while it had some value. Fwiw, I think, once the M1X 16" comes out, the 2019 16" value will plummet. Resale is already pretty brutal.
I bought a 13" MBP M1 (16gb ram, 1TB ssd)...and I absolutely love it. No issues whatsoever with heat, fans, external monitors, kernel_tasks panic, etc...and I've experienced no drop in performance with music production, 4k video editing, 61MP image files in Capture One, etc.

 

[weiliddat]

Always lurked on this thread, and had the same issues previously (HiDPI displays with > 18W in clamshell and open mode).

This week I found something new. I connected my LG CX via a Club 3D DP to HDMI 2.1 adapter, and this dropped the idle clamshell usage of the Radeon Hi Side to ~ 5-6 W.
I'm also running a high Retina resolution of 3200 x 1800 (effective 6400 x 3600) scaled down to 4K of the TV.

 

[mcnuggetswithcheese]

In my region most stores with monitors on display are pretty average 1080p cheap monitors, I'd doubt I'd find anything relevant there. I searched in this thread a bit and saw a couple of times mentioned the Dell U2720Q. Can anyone give their opinion on it or other suggestions on 4K displays that don't drive the 5500M crazy?

I'm happy with clamshell + two 4K monitors, so just in case you're still wondering...

 

[JDuggan]

Clamshell is not a solution. My 2014 performs better than last year's 16".

Probably gonna dump this hunk-o-junk while it still has value.

 

[donperi]

I'm happy with clamshell + two 4K monitors, so just in case you're still wondering...

Interesting. I thought that for low wattages and 2 external monitors + clamshell, the monitors should be the exact same model.

 

[badsimian]

I decided to sell my 16" (32gb ram, 5500M 4gb) while it had some value. Fwiw, I think, once the M1X 16" comes out, the 2019 16" value will plummet. Resale is already pretty brutal.
I bought a 13" MBP M1 (16gb ram, 1TB ssd)...and I absolutely love it. No issues whatsoever with heat, fans, external monitors, kernel_tasks panic, etc...and I've experienced no drop in performance with music production, 4k video editing, 61MP image files in Capture One, etc.

Same but got M1 MBA. Sold my 16" before xmas whilst it still had value. I appreciate that this isn't a solution for a lot of people. But my MBA is amazing, fanless and runs cold even driving my LG 5K. Downside for me is not being able to run x86 Windows VMs, I just run those elsewhere now (I never did it often anyway because...fans...)

 

[kyds3k]

Been following this thread for about 2 months now and have tried just about everything without any luck. Unfortunately I couldn't wait for a possible fix, so I purchased an eGPU today by Sonnet Technologies (eGFX Breakaway Puck 560)

The eGPU solved all my issues. I'm currently running an LG Ultrafine 4K 32" monitor alongside my MacBook Pro, with it's display open. I never hear the fan in my MacBook turn on and the eGPU is quiet as a mouse. My MacBook remains super cool even when running large projects within Logic Pro X.

I believe this was the best solution for me, because I couldn't upgrade to Big Sur nor the M1 due to the fact that I have an external sound card (universal Audio X8) that isn't compatible with either yet. I also run a lot of third party audio software that isn't compatible with Big Sur either.

Hopefully this helps others out.

Where did you find your Puck? The site is out of them, and the only place I see them otherwise is eBay (which I have a terrible history of paying too much for things there.) I'm really just getting it to hold out for the new 16" this year, but I cannot with the performance on this MacBook right now.