Brand new M1 Mac Mini has fan on continously

[Ybersetzer]

Any updates on this issue?

I've observed the same thing on my new M1 Mac Mini: the fan is running all the time as soon as the machine is powered up but noise level is almost inaudible. You can tell the fan is running because there is a constant very light airflow leaving the air intake at the back of the mini.

So this is the expected behavior? Or did a receive a faulty unit?

Yes, and it's perfectly fine. You have a quiet machine that is not thermally constrained. This fan solution was powerful enough to cool the i5 (about 60 watts max. power draw) sufficiently in the sense that you would rarely hear the fan spin up beyond the inaudible baseline. And now it is cooling the M1, which even at full tilt draws significantly less. Don't worry a second about the fan running at baseline speed.
Basically what you are getting is the fastest M1 setup possible: it will be faster under sustained loads than the M1 Air and it will be quieter than the M1 Pro.

 

[jerryk]

Any updates on this issue?

I've observed the same thing on my new M1 Mac Mini: the fan is running all the time as soon as the machine is powered up but noise level is almost inaudible. You can tell the fan is running because there is a constant very light airflow leaving the air intake at the back of the mini.

So this is the expected behavior? Or did a receive a faulty unit?

Pretty sure the fan always runs and will spin faster if necessary to control the temperature. Same the 15" and 16" MBPs.

Come to think of it I think the fan ran all the time in my 2010 Mini.

 

[M5RahuL]

I just booted up my mini, and like the OP... could feel the air from the fan ( albeit no sound ) on a cold machine..

 

[deific]

Fan noise was not occurring for many releases for me, then after the latest two betas (11.3 beta 8 and beta 7) I've gotten the fan noise consistently at 1700rpm (1698rpm currently). No changes in software besides the latest beta versions -- so this change is definitely relating to some software change on Apple's part or another product installed on my system. If I hunt down the culprit I'll let you know. No major CPU hogs, so it's more likely a background process relating to the various Intel apps I run (Rosetta 2?) or something else going on.
At least it's most likely not hardware.

 

[deific]

Woah! Random reddit post suggested disconnecting an external drive and bingo!
The drive in question was a WD My Passport Ultra for Mac using USB C on the drive end to USB-A on the Mac mini end. Even without drive access the drive must have been running and making noise. As it was sitting directly next to the Mini it seemed as though the Mini may have been making the sound. FYI for anyone else dealing with noise issues as well.
The mini with fan at 1700rpm is virtually soundless in my office.

 

[Ningj]

Its normal and likely enabled to cool the overly large power supply in the box. Inaudiable at idle and have never managed to get it angry enough to spin at an anoying level. Enjoy and be happy with the wee beastie...its great!
That said, mine idles at 1691rpm so you must have a dud

 

[Spindel]

Woah! Random reddit post suggested disconnecting an external drive and bingo!
The drive in question was a WD My Passport Ultra for Mac using USB C on the drive end to USB-A on the Mac mini end. Even without drive access the drive must have been running and making noise. As it was sitting directly next to the Mini it seemed as though the Mini may have been making the sound. FYI for anyone else dealing with noise issues as well.
The mini with fan at 1700rpm is virtually soundless in my office.

Yeah I was thinking something along these lines.

I got my M1 Mini around 20th November and knew the fan was always running (just put your hand by the vent and you feel cold air coming from it). But I have never heard it, I've never seen it ramp up it always sits there fluctuating between 1698-1710 RPM. Inaudible to me.


EDIT:// currently looks like this

 

[kharakhchai]

Recently got a 16GB, 1TB M1 iMac. Macs Fan Control shows both fans are running on Automatic continuously at around 2600 RPM in a room where the average temperature is about 78˚. Using the Full Blast manual setting, they speed up to around 7200 RPM.

FWIW, the fans in our nine or ten year old quad-core iMacs typically run at around 1300 RPM, getting up to 1500 when the machines are running especially hard.

 

[Chozes]

The fan is always on in the Mac mini. But you should not be able to hear it.

You need to return it/swap.

 

[pshufd]

My MacBook Pro's fans are running all the time. I use XRG to monitor fan speed and CPU and GPU temperatures. It's fairly warm in my basement today so I moved some applications to my Windows desktop which runs really cool under load. I also have three external fans blowing on the MacBook Pro to try and keep it cool.

My Mini arrives tomorrow and I don't expect to have to use external fans with it.

 

[ME1223D]

It's a lot for the minimum fan speed, I think. Noctua PWM fans can go down to 300 rpm or so.

Yeah, but those are full-size desktop fans. The fan inside of the Mac Mini is a smaller blower-style fan.

 

[satcomer]

Stop using old software that that unless is Universal of native Silicone! That's the source of your restarts!

 

[etthere]

I'm facing same issue, too. I'd thought M1 sucks and then I just realised Fan was always working around 1700 RPM and when I speed it up, it's just working fine. I revived it by second Mac but it was the same. I gave it to the Tech Support and they said: "We tested it and everything seems normal. Keep doing what you do."

I'm considering to return or swap it right now. I don't believe I have to use third-party software to use efficient my Mac Mini. This is the question I asked in Ask Different. You can see monitors of CPU temperature and fan usage history.

All softwares are native. It's standing on a really flat desk. My room temperature is always around 25C. I tried everything I can do. So, It's malfunctioned I believe.

When CPU temperature tries to pass 83C, the Mac starts draining less than 10W - 15W energy to stabilise the heat of it. Why do I even have this fan if this is normal?

 

[exoticSpice]

I'm facing same issue, too. I'd thought M1 sucks and then I just realised Fan was always working around 1700 RPM and when I speed it up, it's just working fine. I revived it by second Mac but it was the same. I gave it to the Tech Support and they said: "We tested it and everything seems normal. Keep doing what you do."

I'm considering to return or swap it right now. I don't believe I have to use third-party software to use efficient my Mac Mini. This is the question I asked in Ask Different. You can see monitors of CPU temperature and fan usage history.

All softwares are native. It's standing on a really flat desk. My room temperature is always around 25C. I tried everything I can do. So, It's malfunctioned I believe.

When CPU temperature tries to pass 83C, the Mac starts draining less than 10W - 15W energy to stabilise the heat of it. Why do I even have this fan if this is normal?

Interesting. Try this benchmark on auto fan and max fan speed to compare.

Cinebench 2024 Downloads

Maxon tools include C4D for 3D modeling, simulation and animation, ZBrush and Forger for 3D modeling, Red Giant tools for editing, motion design and…

www.maxon.net

This app is M1 native and will stress test your CPU. If the scores are the same on auto fan speed and max fan speed then everything is ok.

The M1 MacBook drops a couple hundred points after a long run because it has no fans. The M1 mini should not drop the score at all because of the fan.

 

[etthere]

Interesting. Try this benchmark on auto fan and max fan speed to compare.

Cinebench 2024 Downloads

Maxon tools include C4D for 3D modeling, simulation and animation, ZBrush and Forger for 3D modeling, Red Giant tools for editing, motion design and…

www.maxon.net

This app is M1 native and will stress test your CPU. If the scores are the same on auto fan speed and max fan speed then everything is ok.

The M1 MacBook drops a couple hundred points after a long run because it has no fans. The M1 mini should not drop the score at all because of the fan.

Before fan speed increased it's 7528. After that, it's 7610.

I guess it's not an important difference but test was too short and it was using only CPU. When I try to render an image from Blender, I can see the difference between with automatic fan settings which is 1700 RPM all the time and with manual fan settings, very clearly.

 

[exoticSpice]

Before fan speed increased it's 7528. After that, it's 7610.

I guess it's not an important difference but test was too short and it was using only CPU. When I try to render an image from Blender, I can see the difference between with automatic fan settings which is 1700 RPM all the time and with manual fan settings, very clearly.

You can set the test to run for 10 Minutes. Go to file > Advanced benchmark.
Then you see this "Minimum test Duration" --> set that to 10 minutes.

Run this benchmark at same time:

‎3DMark

‎Test and compare the performance of the latest iPhones and iPads with this free and easy-to-use benchmarking app. 3DMark Steel Nomad Light is our heaviest non-raytracing benchmark for iOS. Steel Nomad Light lets you compare the performance of the latest iPhones and iPads in heavy gaming...

apps.apple.com

and to see what is happening behind the scenes (if you want):

GitHub - tlkh/asitop: Perf monitoring CLI tool for Apple Silicon

Perf monitoring CLI tool for Apple Silicon. Contribute to tlkh/asitop development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

 

[exoticSpice]

When I try to render an image from Blender, I can see the difference between with automatic fan settings which is 1700 RPM all the time and with manual fan settings, very clearly.

It seems Apple is putting slience and energy efficiency first on the M1 Mac Mini. Great thing about macOS is that its open than iOS and we can set the fan speed as we want it. The Mac Studio on the other hand looks to be way better for sustained loads.

 

[l0stl0rd]

Hello,

I just received the new M1 mac mini, however, contrary what a lot of users/reviews say, the fan of my mac mini is constantly on.

Not at full speed I guess, but I hear it fanning all the time.

It starts even before I enter my password - it seems to have no relation with what I'm doing.

Is this a problem I can try to fix? Did probably someone else experience the same? Or should I just return it to Apple?

Perhaps the did that so nobody complains that that are running all the time on the Studio.

 

[pshufd]

The fan is always on on my M1 mini but I've never heard it. The fan on my 2014 iMac 27 has also always on but I rarely hear it. The fans on my Windows desktop are always on (I think that there are 7 or 8 of them) but I seldom hear them. It's okay for them to be always on, even if they don't need them to be.

 

[etthere]

You can set the test to run for 10 Minutes. Go to file > Advanced benchmark.
Then you see this "Minimum test Duration" --> set that to 10 minutes.
View attachment 2006772

Run this benchmark at same time:

‎3DMark

‎Test and compare the performance of the latest iPhones and iPads with this free and easy-to-use benchmarking app. 3DMark Steel Nomad Light is our heaviest non-raytracing benchmark for iOS. Steel Nomad Light lets you compare the performance of the latest iPhones and iPads in heavy gaming...

apps.apple.com

and to see what is happening behind the scenes (if you want):

GitHub - tlkh/asitop: Perf monitoring CLI tool for Apple Silicon

Perf monitoring CLI tool for Apple Silicon. Contribute to tlkh/asitop development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

I couldn't run asitop and 3dmark is stuck.

 

[etthere]

It seems Apple is putting slience and energy efficiency first on the M1 Mac Mini. Great thing about macOS is that its open than iOS and we can set the fan speed as we want it. The Mac Studio on the other hand looks to be way better for sustained loads.

Be sure, it's opposite "great thing". Before, we might have set fans but we didn't need to do it. Now, we have to manipulate fan speed to use it efficient and we need to use third-party software for this even if it is a "great thing". If I need something silence and energy efficient, I buy Macbook Air.

 

[StudioMacs]

Perhaps the did that so nobody complains that that are running all the time on the Studio.

You are replying to a post from November 2020.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

When idle, the fan on the Mac mini always runs at its lowest speed. It’s not audible, so if you can hear it then you have probably have an issue. Try resetting the PRAM and restarting in Safe Boot - little things like these can often sort these sorts of issues.

 

[exoticSpice]

Be sure, it's opposite "great thing". Before, we might have set fans but we didn't need to do it. Now, we have to manipulate fan speed to use it efficient and we need to use third-party software for this even if it is a "great thing". If I need something silence and energy efficient, I buy Macbook Air.

Yeah it is annoying. I guess a lot of people complained about fan noise

 

[jasoncarle]

The fan idles at 1700rpm... When it starts ramping up above that, then you can worry.