Mac Studio Max - it's not that quiet

[Chancha]

I agree. Apple does this with MacBooks and iMac M1. But I guess the power draw of the Ultra chip is too high for an external PSU with passive cooling and they didn't want to design a computer-box with another PSU-box next to it.

MacPro 7.1 with its internal PSU is dead silent and according to the feedback here Studio Ultra also seems to be better in this respect. So internal power supplies are not always a problem but maybe the cheaper cooling solution in the Studio Max is?

But ironically the M1 Max is fully usable on 14”16” MBPs being passively cooled when at idle. So for the Studio it uses the same chip, while having a 370W PSU that doesn’t look like it is anywhere near being utilized (how many Watts can you draw from Thunderbolt or type-C peripherals).

I have a feeling many buyers of Max Studio with intent to use it in audio environments will switch to the rumored M2 Pro mini released next year.

 

[Homy]

Your phone’s microphone is the limiting factor in measurement resolution, not the app software. A momentary drop in the sound levels you are measuring could yield a result below 30db, depending on how the app is programmed. Unfortunate these result simply can’t be trusted.

I’ve used some high end spl meters in my recording studio (which is rated to below NC-15) and they all say “error” when the spl drops below a minimum threshold. It’s common for $2000+ sound meters to bottom out at 30db, and these devices are much more sensitive than your phone mic.

It would be great if iPhones could take measurements below 30db accurately, but unfortunately they can’t. Iphones have a useful magnifying function too, but they can’t zoom in enough to show you bacteria for example. Wrong tool for the job.

if you read that link, table III shows. both the NIOSH SLM and dBX are pretty inaccurate when measuring 25 dB.

I'm aware of that. My point was that NIOSH is better than Decibel X. Also if I can't hear my iMac 2011 which according to Apple makes 30dB I won't hear Mac Studio that makes 25dB.

There is an easy way to make the Mac Studio hot to check the noise. Run the GPU hot. My MBP 14" is very quiet but after running game benchmarks for a few minutes the fans max out. So run some games or gaming benchmarks on the Studio for a few minutes and see how it behaves.

 

[bobzy]

As the Max is lighter (also the heatsink is aluminum), the same 1300 rpm can make the machine resonate more unlike the Ultra which is heavier and denser. It may be necessary to try to find the right speed between 1100 and 1300, the sweetspot which makes it possible not to make the case resonate or get the least unpleasant fan pitch...

 

[Nismo73]

I don’t understand why not just one big fan at a lower rpm and some other type of exhaust vent design at the top.

 

[Vaibye]

Guys, I did a side-by-side comparison of max and ultra myself. I was lucky today that the Ultra model was in stock in the apple store, so I bought it right away.

There is a clear difference in comparison, they both have a similar volume, but have different tones. the total decibels are similar, but Ultra has an overall smooth sound, but Max has a relatively high-pitched tone and has irregular frequency bands
Perhaps due to the material difference of the cooling system, the resonance sound is generated in the Max model.

I think this is why max users are a little more perceptive of fan noise. of course the Max is also incredibly quiet machine compared to other typical desktop PCs. However, if you want the same level of quietness as the previous m1-based models, I recommend buying the Ultra

I ended up spending $2k more than I expected, but I'm a very sensitive person so it's worth it for me

 

[Homy]

People shouldn't be returning their Mac Studio so soon. One thing we shouldn't forget is that our brain is plastic and learns to filter out noise. Even though some are more sensitive many get used to distracting noises. When I moved to my apartment in the city I could wake up by the nosie of the streetcars (trams) several times and wondered how I'm going to live with that. After about a week my brain didn't see the noise as a "new danger" and I didn't hear it anymore. It's like when you fall asleep in a noisy car or bus. Your brain filters the distractions out and gets used to them.

 

[PianoPro]

There is a clear difference in comparison, they both have a similar volume, but have different tones. the total decibels are similar, but Ultra has an overall smooth sound, but Max has a relatively high-pitched tone and has irregular frequency bands
Perhaps due to the material difference of the cooling system, the resonance sound is generated in the Max model.

Perhaps the copper fin design is also different than the aluminum fin design because of the material difference as well?

 

[AdamSeen]

Guys, I did a side-by-side comparison of max and ultra myself. I was lucky today that the Ultra model was in stock in the apple store, so I bought it right away.

There is a clear difference in comparison, they both have a similar volume, but have different tones. the total decibels are similar, but Ultra has an overall smooth sound, but Max has a relatively high-pitched tone and has irregular frequency bands
Perhaps due to the material difference of the cooling system, the resonance sound is generated in the Max model.

I think this is why max users are a little more perceptive of fan noise. of course the Max is also incredibly quiet machine compared to other typical desktop PCs. However, if you want the same level of quietness as the previous m1-based models, I recommend buying the Ultra

I ended up spending $2k more than I expected, but I'm a very sensitive person so it's worth it for me

Super interesting and unexpected - thanks. Be good to get a few more samples from others who can try both.

 

[bobzy]

There is a clear difference in comparison, they both have a similar volume, but have different tones. the total decibels are similar, but Ultra has an overall smooth sound, but Max has a relatively high-pitched tone and has irregular frequency bands
Perhaps due to the material difference of the cooling system, the resonance sound is generated in the Max model.

Yes, that what I am thinking, can you try to ajust the idle fan speed of the Max (with the app Macs fan control) to have a similare noise result as the Ultra? If it's possible. It like fine tuning a musical instrument !

 

[jasnw]

This is going to be a very personal thing. I'm OK with a little fan noise if (1) it is a white noise, maybe with a high-frequency cutoff, and (2) it doesn't vary a lot, particularly in a cyclic fashion. A whine or hum or something with clear harmonics is right out. My 2011 27" iMac had a very annoying high-frequency hum, which turned out to be related to HDD oscillations coupling with the computer stand and the table. Fixed it by putting a couple of layers of thick felt between the stand and the table.

 

[Sharky II]

Yes, I currently have a maxed out 5,1 12-core and I actually had two at the same time and mixed/matched fans and logic boards/cases to get the quietest configuration.

Currently, the fans are 'loud' compared to a MBP/mini, but it's a very unobtrusive sound. I also only run SSDs

I have a (music) studio and it's in the room while I record quiet things and there's absolutely no issue.

I've re-watched all the current Mac Studio videos and on both the Max and Ultra, they keep saying it's so quiet etc. The only person I found complaining on YouTube was the ArtIsRight channel.

 

[enricoclaudio]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to find the Studio M1 Max more than quiet compared to my 2017 iMac 5K with i5 CPU which is very noisy when the fans go into full speed. Also my Synology DS1019+ NAS is literally at 4 ft from my seat and I already got used to the always ON fans.

 

[bobzy]

I bet than Apple fine tuned the fan speed with the Ultra and not with the Max. The fan speed can alter the resonance of the package or add some unpleasant harmonic frequency. I hope than Apple can fix it with an update.

 

[Random_Matt]

It's called habituation. If that process doesn't work, lock yourself away in a soundproof room and never see the light of day again.

 

[sfoxy]

Coming from the M1 Mini, I did find the fan noise on the Max Studio distracting / annoying. I am however in a very small, quiet room on my own with no traffic noise etc outside. The Mac also sits just under my next right by where I sit. No, it isn't massively loud, but the louder I have has since the 2013 trashcan. Working in audio and music production, I can't hear it that much with headphones on, but just sitting browsing and doing paperwork etc, it was too much for me.

So I grabbed TG Pro and ran a lot of benchmarks and CPU intensive processes with the apple fans speeds and then lowered to 1100 with TG Pro and did the same again. The Apple fan speed, never went up or down once, even when running Cinebench for 20 minutes, the maximum CPU was around 63C and power supply around 41C. I ran the Tomb Raider benchmarks at silly settings for a while as well, and got the same thing with the GPU cores - only ever a difference of around 2 degrees C.

When I ran at 1100rpm, there was a 2 to 3 degrees rise in temperature and that was it, barely any difference at all, apart from the noise be vastly reduced! So, I can't understand why they need to set the minimum at around 1320 - there's just cold air coming out of the back. I mean sitting here typing this that max CPU is 38 with he fan at 1100 - also, there was no difference in idle temps at all between the 2 speeds.

Anyway, to be on the safe side, I have set some rules in TG Pro to increase the speed to 1320 when the temps get above 60, i.e. when doing something CPU intensive - at that point I am not bothered about the fan noise, and it isn't normally for long. But I do have some apps that take up 100% CPU for 5 to 10 minutes when exporting. Also set the same for games when the GPU goes up, after all I won't hear it over the sound of the game.

Also, not sure if Mac Fans Control properly supports the studio yet - mine wasn't't showing any CPU temps, and the Power supply reading for over double that of TG Pro, which says the Studio is fully supported.

Anyway, hopefully this info will be of use to someone. Certainly being able to set the lower fan speed has stopped me seeing it back!

 

[Halbertus]

Coming from the M1 Mini, I did find the fan noise on the Max Studio distracting / annoying. I am however in a very small, quiet room on my own with no traffic noise etc outside. The Mac also sits just under my next right by where I sit. No, it isn't massively loud, but the louder I have has since the 2013 trashcan. Working in audio and music production, I can't hear it that much with headphones on, but just sitting browsing and doing paperwork etc, it was too much for me.

So I grabbed TG Pro and ran a lot of benchmarks and CPU intensive processes with the apple fans speeds and then lowered to 1100 with TG Pro and did the same again. The Apple fan speed, never went up or down once, even when running Cinebench for 20 minutes, the maximum CPU was around 63C and power supply around 41C. I ran the Tomb Raider benchmarks at silly settings for a while as well, and got the same thing with the GPU cores - only ever a difference of around 2 degrees C.

When I ran at 1100rpm, there was a 2 to 3 degrees rise in temperature and that was it, barely any difference at all, apart from the noise be vastly reduced! So, I can't understand why they need to set the minimum at around 1320 - there's just cold air coming out of the back. I mean sitting here typing this that max CPU is 38 with he fan at 1100 - also, there was no difference in idle temps at all between the 2 speeds.

Anyway, to be on the safe side, I have set some rules in TG Pro to increase the speed to 1320 when the temps get above 60, i.e. when doing something CPU intensive - at that point I am not bothered about the fan noise, and it isn't normally for long. But I do have some apps that take up 100% CPU for 5 to 10 minutes when exporting. Also set the same for games when the GPU goes up, after all I won't hear it over the sound of the game.

Also, not sure if Mac Fans Control properly supports the studio yet - mine wasn't't showing any CPU temps, and the Power supply reading for over double that of TG Pro, which says the Studio is fully supported.

Anyway, hopefully this info will be of use to someone. Certainly being able to set the lower fan speed has stopped me seeing it back!

Thanks for your write-up. I did exactly the same thing and can confirm my Mac Studio has the same thermals. One can lower the rpm to 1100. It does not seem do change temperatures by any meaningful way but will have a very noticeable effect on noise

 

[420ravens]

If people are finding a lowering of fan rpm to 1100 is vastly reducing noise for minimal thermal increase, maybe Apple might consider this in a firmware upgrade. For those arrogantly telling users that noise doesn't matter and you'll get used to it, sorry I don't agree. If you're sensitive to noise and there's noise, it's a problem.

 

[Jongstar]

Thanks for your write-up. I did exactly the same thing and can confirm my Mac Studio has the same thermals. One can lower the rpm to 1100. It does not seem do change temperatures by any meaningful way but will have a very noticeable effect on noise

I tried running it at 1100 for a couple days but it's still noticeably there. Just purchased the mini. Absolutely quiet machine compared to the Studio. Now lets hope the mini lasts for a couple years..

 

[Vaibye]

I said yesterday that the Ultra is quieter, but I have to reverse that. I continued testing after that, and the results could not confirm any significant difference between Ultra and Max

The exhaust sound of the Mac Studio is characterized by its own high-pitched sound at a specific RPM.
In both models, the idle RPM is 1320~1350, and when it meets a certain RPM, that high-pitch frequency(white noise) occurs.

Again, as a result of repeating comparison between the two models for a day, I couldn't find any differences, and the noise gets louder or smaller depending on the RPM change.

In the future, if someone does a test like this, I think they should analyze the white noise of a specific frequency rather than just comparing the decibel volume.

 

[Fishrrman]

Reading this thread, one thing becomes obvious.
None of the posters above (or very few) have ever owned a PowerMac g4 tower.
They didn't call these things "wind tunnels" for nuthin'...

 

[AdamSeen]

Coming from the M1 Mini, I did find the fan noise on the Max Studio distracting / annoying. I am however in a very small, quiet room on my own with no traffic noise etc outside. The Mac also sits just under my next right by where I sit. No, it isn't massively loud, but the louder I have has since the 2013 trashcan. Working in audio and music production, I can't hear it that much with headphones on, but just sitting browsing and doing paperwork etc, it was too much for me.

So I grabbed TG Pro and ran a lot of benchmarks and CPU intensive processes with the apple fans speeds and then lowered to 1100 with TG Pro and did the same again. The Apple fan speed, never went up or down once, even when running Cinebench for 20 minutes, the maximum CPU was around 63C and power supply around 41C. I ran the Tomb Raider benchmarks at silly settings for a while as well, and got the same thing with the GPU cores - only ever a difference of around 2 degrees C.

When I ran at 1100rpm, there was a 2 to 3 degrees rise in temperature and that was it, barely any difference at all, apart from the noise be vastly reduced! So, I can't understand why they need to set the minimum at around 1320 - there's just cold air coming out of the back. I mean sitting here typing this that max CPU is 38 with he fan at 1100 - also, there was no difference in idle temps at all between the 2 speeds.

Anyway, to be on the safe side, I have set some rules in TG Pro to increase the speed to 1320 when the temps get above 60, i.e. when doing something CPU intensive - at that point I am not bothered about the fan noise, and it isn't normally for long. But I do have some apps that take up 100% CPU for 5 to 10 minutes when exporting. Also set the same for games when the GPU goes up, after all I won't hear it over the sound of the game.

Also, not sure if Mac Fans Control properly supports the studio yet - mine wasn't't showing any CPU temps, and the Power supply reading for over double that of TG Pro, which says the Studio is fully supported.

Anyway, hopefully this info will be of use to someone. Certainly being able to set the lower fan speed has stopped me seeing it back!

Really good write-up.

Fan software controlling the system tends to be limited to the firmware lowest speed idle. So does that mean 1,100 or 1,300 is the default lowest speed or is the app forcing it below its default?

If it's not forcing it's below its default and 1,100 is the default lowest speed - it would suggest there might be a bug if many people are running around 1,300 idle.

 

[AdamSeen]

Reading this thread, one thing becomes obvious.
None of the posters above (or very few) have ever owned a PowerMac g4 tower.
They didn't call these things "wind tunnels" for nuthin'...

Ha - well actually, when I was younger I used to own a PC with a 10,000 RPM delta fan on the CPU. People outside the room would complain about the noise!

However, nowadays I much prefer the opposite.

 

[Chancha]

I know it may be a long stretch, but can TG Pro tune the two fans at different set speed? I wonder if the two fans spinning at the same speed then funneling to the one exhaust is compounding the noise / or creating some resonance?

 

[macca24]

I have been using my base model max for a few days now and I honestly can't hear the fans, they are whisper quiet to me and never ramp up. I am well happy with my studio.

 

[macca24]

Guys, I did a side-by-side comparison of max and ultra myself. I was lucky today that the Ultra model was in stock in the apple store, so I bought it right away.

I ended up spending $2k more than I expected, but I'm a very sensitive person so it's worth it for me

$2k is a lot of money to spend for a quiet life, $20 on a pair of ear defenders would have done the job.