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Brand new M1 Mac Mini has fan on continously
- Thread starter cvl01
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It appears the minimum fan speed is 1700 RPM, so it's going to be running continuously. However, according to Apple, the idle noise level at a typical distance (which they unfortunately don't specify) is only 5 dB, which is really low. [The noise floor for a recording studio is 20-30 dB.] So there's nothing wrong with the fans spinning at idle, but there may be something wrong with your M1 Mini if you *hear* it at idle (unless you're right on top of it):
support.apple.com
Mac mini (M1, 2020) - Technical specifications - Apple Support
There is no way you can hear it running at 1700 RPM I had my ear to the back of mine and can't hear it. 1700 is normal and is the lowest it runs at. Probably because of the internal PSU. My M1 14 inch MacBook Pro fan stays off.
Stats is a free open-source app for displaying various Mac system processes in the Finder Menu Bar. One click on say the Sensors readout (which can show fan speed) opens a drop-down window with all the related information. A second click on an icon in the upper-left hand corner of the window opens Activity Monitor.
I've reviewed many similar Mac utilities and Stats is a keeper. And unlike some alternatives like iStat Menus ($10), Stats does not use a ridiculously large percentage of the CPU.
When used for basic computing (like right now) Stats is showing my 6-core 2018 Mac Mini fan at between 1690-1715rpm.
Personally, I would not over ride the OS management of my Mac's cooling via a third-party utility. . . I think that Apple engineers are smarter than I am when it comes to this kind of thing. Hardware issues caused by improper cooling are invariably expensive to fix.
Fan noise is not just caused by fan speed. . . Being a mechanical component, a fan be noisy because of a defect or wear and tear.. However, in my experience it is unusual for Mac fans to become noisy even after many years of use. Fortunately, the fan can be replaced, with the difficulty of said repair being dependent on the specific Mac's design. A Mac that has mechanical fan noise during the return/ warranty periods should be replaced/repaired by Apple.
I've reviewed many similar Mac utilities and Stats is a keeper. And unlike some alternatives like iStat Menus ($10), Stats does not use a ridiculously large percentage of the CPU.
When used for basic computing (like right now) Stats is showing my 6-core 2018 Mac Mini fan at between 1690-1715rpm.
Personally, I would not over ride the OS management of my Mac's cooling via a third-party utility. . . I think that Apple engineers are smarter than I am when it comes to this kind of thing. Hardware issues caused by improper cooling are invariably expensive to fix.
Fan noise is not just caused by fan speed. . . Being a mechanical component, a fan be noisy because of a defect or wear and tear.. However, in my experience it is unusual for Mac fans to become noisy even after many years of use. Fortunately, the fan can be replaced, with the difficulty of said repair being dependent on the specific Mac's design. A Mac that has mechanical fan noise during the return/ warranty periods should be replaced/repaired by Apple.