Mac Studio Max - it's not that quiet

[Jrshelby]

Here you can find the official technical specs for the Mac Studio: https://support.apple.com/kb/SP865?locale=en_US
15dB from the operator position is what Apple is saying for idle and wireless web surfing.

View attachment 1985194

This needs to stop being shown. It’s not the reality of it. Maybe Apple should say it adds 15 db to a 20 db environment. it’s been measured much higher close to double but the high pitched noise is the thing people cannot stand. And for some reason mine is making a chirping noise once in a while almost like a HDD noise used to make.

 

[ct2k7]

All you people that are returning the Mac Studio, make sure to give feedback to Apple why you are returning it, i.e. tell them that you could not tolerate the noise emitted by the computer.

They generally always mark it as buyers remorse in their systems.

 

[Traverse]

Here you can find the official technical specs for the Mac Studio: https://support.apple.com/kb/SP865?locale=en_US
15dB from the operator position is what Apple is saying for idle and wireless web surfing.

View attachment 1985194

Yes, but something is odd. That’s only like 2 or so dB different than my 2017” iMac which would mean it’s inaudibly different.

In practice, under normal non-strenuous use there was a large difference. Maybe it’s solely the frequency of the new fans was higher, but I noticed them constantly.

However, during heavy loads the Studio was indeed quieter as those fans stayed at 1300 whereas the iMac spun up to the point where it was menacing.

 

[crystalidea]

With Macs Fan Control we set the dual fan to 1100 RPM, it doesn't seem to effect cooling performance but makes fans considerable less audible. Tested on both M1 Max & Ultra. Source: Mac Studio fan control and fan noise.

 

[Mactrunk]

Has anyone put up a test mic with flat full range from 20 to 20khz?
It would be great to see a graph of the noise.
I'm curious about the specific offending frequencies.
High pitched whine is fairly vague and I will refrain from bad jokes.

 

[Grilled Cheese]

Has anyone put up a test mic with flat full range from 20 to 20khz?
It would be great to see a graph of the noise.
I'm curious about the specific offending frequencies.
High pitched whine is fairly vague and I will refrain from bad jokes.

See here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...he-loudest-macs-at-idle.2337251/post-30985872

And here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...he-loudest-macs-at-idle.2337251/post-30988398

 

[pshufd]

I have an M1 mini and a 2010 iMac in my desktop environment but the room that it's in is about 60 degrees right now (it goes down to 50 in the winter). I have never heard the M1 mini fans, even at load. The typical load is about 5% on the system though I've run it at 95% load and haven't heard anything and I am four feet away from it. I do not hear the fans on my 2010 iMac 27 either but I keep CPU load on it fairly low so that they don't come on. Typical CPU load is 20%. I have a 2009 iMac 27 with Core 2 Duo and the fans spin up on that without much of a load which is why it's sitting on the basement floor now.

Reading the comments, it seems like the OP may have a bad unit - maybe the fans are noisy or the cooling is working properly.

I can appreciate how nice it is to have a quiet working environment. My 2014 and 2015 MacBook Pro fans did come on pretty easily under load as did some of my really old Windows systems. I also use Macs Fan Control to monitor thermals. The M1 mini normally runs between 23 and 30 degrees. The 2010 iMac typically runs between 30 and 80 degrees. Pretty stark difference. It's hard for me to imagine the M1 Max Studio with a lot of fan noise when it isn't under load.

I only found out yesterday that my 2021 MacBook Pro 16 has the fans off most of the time. First Mac that I've owned where I've seen that. It's almost like my MacBook Pro is pretending to be a MacBook Air.

 

[greenbreadmmm]

m1 max arrived today, thankfully can only hear it if I put ear right on exhaust.

I was worried after watching a few videos of the high pitched noise, which was clearly audible.

 

[OldMike]

m1 max arrived today, thankfully can only hear it if I put ear right on exhaust.

I was worried after watching a few videos of the high pitched noise, which was clearly audible.

Same here. I finally got a chance to set mine up and after reading all of these threads was not sure what to expect. After turning it on and getting it setup, I can only hear air being pushed through the vents when I have my ear right next to the back of it. Definitely no high pitched noise like I have seen from the YouTube clips.

When sitting normally in my chair about 36" from the front of it, I can't make out any sound coming from the Mac Studio.

I picked up my base Mac Studio Max on April 3 from an Apple Store in Texas. My unit was designed in California and built in Malaysia ?

 

[wolf_rine]

Same here for my Base Studio Max.

Whilst my usage is relatively light, what I can definitely comment is that compared to my outgoing 2014 iMac which has the fans blowing when I have multiple apps running (sound is audible but bearable), the Studio Max is dead silent with the same tasks. No issues with bluetooth connections as well - Airpod Pro, Magic Keyboard, Track Pad.

So far, happy with the product!

 

[Dom.S]

My Max arrived today and I was really hoping not to contribute to these threads, as I figured it was highly unlikely to be any noisier than my 2015 iMac. Under low load, unfortunately it absolutely is. I’m running the iMac and Studio alongside one another – with a Synology NAS clicking away in a cupboard a few metres away – and there is a still a pleasant reduction in ambient noise when the Studio shuts down.

I don’t want to make any rash decisions but I’m already questioning whether a genuinely silent M2 Mac Mini with 32gb of ram would offer a better experience overall. Not to mention being half the price. I’ll be using it for web dev and single core performance is the most important thing.

I really didn’t want to go down the MacBook Pro route as it will end up on my desk 99% of the time and it seems mad to pay for a keyboard, screen etc that will largely go unused, plus there’s the battery to worry about it down the line.

 

[MK500]

My Max arrived today and I was really hoping not to contribute to these threads, as I figured it was highly unlikely to be any noisier than my 2015 iMac. Under low load, unfortunately it absolutely is. I’m running the iMac and Studio alongside one another – with a Synology NAS clicking away in a cupboard a few metres away – and there is a still a pleasant reduction in ambient noise when the Studio shuts down.

I don’t want to make any rash decisions but I’m already questioning whether a genuinely silent M2 Mac Mini with 32gb of ram would offer a better experience overall. Not to mention being half the price. I’ll be using it for web dev and single core performance is the most important thing.

I really didn’t want to go down the MacBook Pro route as it will end up on my desk 99% of the time and it seems mad to pay for a keyboard, screen etc that will largely go unused, plus there’s the battery to worry about it down the line.

It's unfortunate that this situation exists. Occasionally Apple does screw up a design component; and I'm getting the sense the blower fans or something in the power supply (coil whine?) is a design flaw in the Studio. Unfortunately history shows that Apple has a tendency to not really "own" these types of issues but instead just keep making the flawed product for its intended lifetime and then change to something new. It's a cost issue I think; and as long as most users are willing to put up with the flaw it works out for Apple.

I would suggest considering the base 14" or 16" MacBook Pro (especially as they occasionally go on sale). This is an incredibly well made product; and the price is very reasonable for what you are getting. The screen is by far the best Apple has ever made; even besting the $5000 Pro XDR. It has to be seen to be believed. You could set it up on a stand next to your main screen and use it for checking HDR photography (as is occasionally needed in web design).

I know having a laptop isn't a perfect solution for your situation; but you may be able to make it work and end up with a product that is at the top level of what Apple can build instead of one that may have some annoying flaws.

I also wanted to purchase a Studio for a situation where it would have worked very well in our office; but have decided to hold off for new Mini or purchase another MacBook Pro. Noise issues can be a really big deal for some; and there is no good reason to sign up for years of annoyance.

 

[drewaz]

set my Max up today .... it's so quiet I wondered if it was powered up.

 

[u2u2]

set my Max up today .... it's so quiet I wondered if it was powered up.

Had the same problem with mine.
Then, yesterday, I added a "noisy" Studio Display.
Thankfully it shows content so I know it works. The fans are totally quiet, just like the Studio Mac. Both the Mac and Studio display run cool and quiet. Goal achieved.
I don't totally discount those with issues, but in my years of Apple experience I have never been hit with the problems discussed in the forums.

 

[Dom.S]

I'd be curious to compare some numbers with people who say they can barely hear anything. If I use the NIOSH SLM dB meter on my iPhone my room's ambient volume – holding my phone roughly where I sit – is around 31dB.

If I hold the phone with the mic within a cm or so of the back of the Studio it measures around 45dB. This is with the fans at their usual speed.

If I do the same thing with my 5k iMac – again holding the iPhone mic first against the fan vent on the back – I get a reading of around 34dB. That's is also with the fans at idle and yes, it will get much louder under load, but for the significant chunk of the day where I'm doing non-intensive stuff like emails it's significantly quieter.

If other people are getting significantly lower measurements with the phone/mic right next to the back of the Studio then perhaps there are hardware variations at play.

I appreciate an iPhone app isn't likely to be giving accurate numbers, but it should at least give fairly comparable numbers.

 

[Sharky II]

Holding a mic where direct air is blowing into (1cm away) isn't an accurate way to take a measurement

 

[Dom.S]

Holding a mic where direct air is blowing into (1cm away) isn't an accurate way to take a measurement

Care to share why doing so with multiple Macs wouldn't give comparable readings? That's all that's really relevant here.

 

[Sharky II]

If you speak to someone on their iPhone with the white earbuds with the little mic - ask them blow directly into the little hole on the cable and see how it sounds. It won't be a fair reflection of the noise level of a person exhaling gently in a room. Mics don't like direct air blown into them, you'll overload the tiny diaphragm. This is why we use pop shields in front of microphones.

In this case, overloading the diaphragm could well give an unrealistic noise reading. A slight change of axis/angle (of airflow) will also hugely affect the reading.

 

[Dom.S]

If you speak to someone on their iPhone with the white earbuds with the little mic - ask them blow directly into the little hole on the cable and see how it sounds. It won't be a fair reflection of the noise level of a person exhaling gently in a room. Mics don't like direct air blown into them, you'll overload the tiny diaphragm. This is why we use pop shields in front of microphones.

In this case, overloading the diaphragm could well give an unrealistic noise reading. A slight change of axis/angle (of airflow) will also hugely affect the reading.

Thanks, but I still can’t see any harm in trying. Even just knowing the ambient reading in rooms where people say they can’t hear anything would be interesting. If that were 50dB then it would make sense for the Mac to seem silent.

Anything’s better than “it’s noisy” and “oh no it isn’t”.

 

[StudioMacs]

Thanks, but I still can’t see any harm in trying.

having wind blow on the microphone makes the test pointless

 

[Dom.S]

having wind blow on the microphone makes the test pointless

Setting the phone on top of the studio with the mic nearest the back/outlet edge, but not exposed to any airflow = 42-43dB. Still well in excess of any reading I can get near my iMac, no matter where I put the thing.

 

[StudioMacs]

Setting the phone on top of the studio with the mic nearest the back/outlet edge, but not exposed to any airflow = 42-43dB. Still well in excess of any reading I can get near my iMac, no matter where I put the thing.

I think it’s a good idea to standardize the recording position. I’m not trying to be too critical, but I’d worry that setting the phone on the case could transmit vibration through the phone to the microphone.

 

[Dom.S]

I think it’s a good idea to standardize the recording position. I’m not trying to be too critical, but I’d worry that setting the phone on the case could transmit vibration through the phone to the microphone.

Angling the phone so that it's not in contact with the Mac doesn't seem to significantly impact the reading.

I'm only really interested in large differences anyway, e.g. if someone says theirs is effectively silent and can get 30dB in the same spot then obviously that points to a hardware difference. Of course a couple of dB between iPhone apps is meaningless.

It may well be that the issue isn't volume-related anyway, more the tone of the thing.

 

[xgman]

Not sure if it's because of the Ultra choice, but since release day, and under heavy load at times, I have not once ever heard the fan spin up to audible levels.

 

[3Rock]

set my Max up today .... it's so quiet I wondered if it was powered up.

Set mine up yesterday and was hoping to make a complaint about the noise, but lo and behold I didn’t hear darn thing. Well perhaps when I put my ear up to it I heard barely anything, so some may have a faulty unit or some have over sensitive ears or buyers remorse and just wanted to send it back. Some even don’t even have the unit and won’t buy it because few and I mean a very few made complaints.