Mac Studio Max - it's not that quiet

[Sharky II]

Posted in another thread, but you might find this video interesting - the embedded video below will take you to the relevant point re: noise on base M1 Max Studio

 

[Jamooche]

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

I find it crazy you could tell the difference in the noisy environment of an apple store. So it would definitely be louder in a quiet room at home.

 

[Jrshelby]

Just a question can everyone who owns one confirm that the rubber ring comes into contact with the surface it’s placed on. My max does not snd slides around. I think that would isolate the noise a touch

 

[Vaibye]

I find it crazy you could tell the difference in the noisy environment of an apple store. So it would definitely be louder in a quiet room at home.

I bought two and have them now. I've been comparing the two all day in my room and can't feel the difference. I plan on returning one after I leave the noise issue aside and see which one suits my working environment. Right now I feel inclined towards returning the Ultra

 

[macca24]

I bought two and have them now. I've been comparing the two all day in my room and can't feel the difference. I plan on returning one after I leave the noise issue aside and see which one suits my working environment. Right now I feel inclined towards returning the Ultra

I thought you said you could hear the difference in the store?

 

[Jamooche]

I bought two and have them now. I've been comparing the two all day in my room and can't feel the difference. I plan on returning one after I leave the noise issue aside and see which one suits my working environment. Right now I feel inclined towards returning the Ultra

Could this be a flaw in the manufacturing process? Some heat sinks or builds come out quiet while others hum or are more audible? This concept is pretty common in the car industry where people complain about rattling and vibrations in their interiors while other's have no issues.

Most of the reviews are starting to show there are no benefits in processing power of the Max Studio vs the 14/16 Max MacBook Pro.

And even this guy's 16 MBP Max beat the Ultra Studio in most of his tests:

 

[aurora_sect]

Just a question can everyone who owns one confirm that the rubber ring comes into contact with the surface it’s placed on. My max does not snd slides around. I think that would isolate the noise a touch

I have a bunch of rubber feet in various sizes and I put four small ones on the bottom of my studio to prevent it from sliding around. Works great but I did not assess the "before" noise level. I don't think it made much difference on that front.

 

[Jrshelby]

I have a bunch of rubber feet in various sizes and I put four small ones on the bottom of my studio to prevent it from sliding around. Works great but I did not assess the "before" noise level. I don't think it made much difference on that front.

What’s the point of the rubber if it does not come in contact with a surface

 

[aurora_sect]

What’s the point of the rubber if it does not come in contact with a surface

I think it does contact the surface but it's not effectively keeping the chassis in place. Design flaw IMO.

 

[Jrshelby]

It does come into contact with the surface, and it prevents the chassis from sliding around on my desk.

Or if you mean the little rubber ring that comes on the Studio, well, it isn't doing a very good job so the feet essentially replace it.

Mine is 100 percent recessed and it literally slides way to easily enough so even the pressure from the cables and the ocellating fans always push it side ways. If you have an iMac or PowerBook the rubber meets the surface and is way harder to slide around

 

[aurora_sect]

Mine is 100 percent recessed and it literally slides way to easily enough so even the pressure from the cables and the ocellating fans always push it side ways. If you have an iMac or PowerBook the rubber meets the surface and is way harder to slide around

Interesting, I didn't check as closely as you so I assume you are correct that it doesn't come into contact. I can't think of what other purpose it may have been intended to serve other than keeping it from sliding around or maaaaybe reducing vibrational noise.

 

[Jamooche]

Mine is 100 percent recessed and it literally slides way to easily enough so even the pressure from the cables and the ocellating fans always push it side ways. If you have an iMac or PowerBook the rubber meets the surface and is way harder to slide around

Seems to be a common problem. I saw this flaw yesterday on this guy's video at 2:20:

So you need 2 hands to plug anythnig in or out or you need to modifty it with adhesive permanent strips or new rubber feet. I wonder if this is another supply chain failure where they aren't making the components correctly.

 

[l0stl0rd]

Could this be a flaw in the manufacturing process? Some heat sinks or builds come out quiet while others hum or are more audible? This concept is pretty common in the car industry where people complain about rattling and vibrations in their interiors while other's have no issues.

Most of the reviews are starting to show there are no benefits in processing power of the Max Studio vs the 14/16 Max MacBook Pro.

And even this guy's 16 MBP Max beat the Ultra Studio in most of his tests:

Well he does only videos editing so yeah well….

Besides that I think Apple messed up with software, they made it sound like there should be no difference between using the max or an ultra but I am not so sure.

 

[MattA]

The spinning of my backup drive is louder than my Mac Studio. I can hear the fans if it's totally silent in my office, but I have to actually listen for it. This much power at this level of silence is actually pretty astounding. It's very impressive!

 

[Vaibye]

Could this be a flaw in the manufacturing process? Some heat sinks or builds come out quiet while others hum or are more audible? This concept is pretty common in the car industry where people complain about rattling and vibrations in their interiors while other's have no issues.

Most of the reviews are starting to show there are no benefits in processing power of the Max Studio vs the 14/16 Max MacBook Pro.

And even this guy's 16 MBP Max beat the Ultra Studio in most of his tests:

I've only experienced two samples, so I can't comment on technical defects.
But despite their structural differences, the two have very similar sounds and vibrations

As for performance, I think we should wait a bit more. Currently, both models (especially Ultra) do not fully utilize the announced clock speed and consume excessively low power even in extreme push tests, they maintain the same fan speed as idling and the temperature does not rise, which means they are not fully exploiting their performance. I think it will be improved if many developers make optimizations in the future and if Apple makes an update (like the previous MBP) that opens the performance limit.

 

[Jrshelby]

Interesting, I didn't check as closely as you so I assume you are correct that it doesn't come into contact. I can't think of what other purpose it may have been intended to serve other than keeping it from sliding around or maaaaybe reducing vibrational noise.

I just went out and bought silicone canning rings ti place under the Mac studio so it would prevent it from sliding of the desk. Closed my office door so there are no abeyant noises. I can still hear the fan but I'm sure I'm nuts as now its not as annoying anymore. I have the Studio under my desk and will experiment putting back on top where I can easily remove and confirm. And the little rubber ring on the bottom is not actually rubber. Its nylon. That's unfortunate as you would think it would be there isolation and gripping purposes. I guess its there just to hide the access screws however.

 

[Boil]

Huge market opportunity for Apple here; light & pliable anti-skid rubberized cloth on one side, Apple Polishing Cloth on the other; round with diameter matching the actual round footprint of the Mac Studio...! ;^p

 

[sfoxy]

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.

I don't think it can set below the minimum for the device it is controlling, so I think 1100 is the minimum for the fans, Apple just set the default higher for some reason.

 

[now i see it]

I find it amusing that people who have basically no idea what they’re doing in regards to the Mac Studio fan are setting the low end default speed 200 RPMs lower than where Apple set it.

Doesn’t anyone think that maybe Apple had 5 people assigned to cooling characteristics of the Mac Studio and they had one project meeting after another discussing all the test data they generated?

Like maybe, just maybe, the trained experts at Apple might possibly know what they’re doing?

Apparently some people think not.
So new user thinks the fan is too loud so turns the speed down.
Epic.

 

[SmallDane]

I find it amusing that people who have basically no idea what they’re doing in regards to the Mac Studio fan are setting the low end default speed 200 RPMs lower than where Apple set it.

Doesn’t anyone think that maybe Apple had 5 people assigned to cooling characteristics of the Mac Studio and they had one project meeting after another discussing all the test data they generated?

Like maybe, just maybe, the trained experts at Apple might possibly know what they’re doing?

Apparently people think not.
So new user thinks the fan is too loud so turns the speed down.
Epic.

I don't know and neither do you. But I'd turn the argument around and ask: If lowering the default fan speed really was dangerous, don't you think Apple would prevent people from doing it using a simple software solution that is easily available to every user?

 

[Random_Matt]

Probably just runs the same settings as the ultra.

 

[lcubed]

I find it amusing that people who have basically no idea what they’re doing in regards to the Mac Studio fan are setting the low end default speed 200 RPMs lower than where Apple set it.

Doesn’t anyone think that maybe Apple had 5 people assigned to cooling characteristics of the Mac Studio and they had one project meeting after another discussing all the test data they generated?

Like maybe, just maybe, the trained experts at Apple might possibly know what they’re doing?

Apparently not.
New user thinks the fan is too loud so turns the speed down.
Genius.

apple was paying attention to all the internet meme's about avoiding 'high' temperatures and put that at the highest priority over noise and usability /s

 

[4sallypat]

My base Studio Mac Max is silent - just as silent as my M1 Mac Mini.

 

[Sharky II]

My base Studio Mac Max is silent - just as silent as my M1 Mac Mini.

Fantastic news! Congrats 🙂

 

[DPUser]

I just went out and bought silicone canning rings ti place under the Mac studio so it would prevent it from sliding of the desk. Closed my office door so there are no abeyant noises. I can still hear the fan but I'm sure I'm nuts as now its not as annoying anymore.

And the little rubber ring on the bottom is not actually rubber. Its nylon.

Interesting... is it possible the folks who are experiencing "noisy" Mac Studios are getting vibration-induced noise in whatever their Studio is sitting on?

I've been thinking adding a little height with feet under the Studio would not be a bad idea, as it would keep the air intake further above the level of surface dust. Mine is going in a Machine Closet, so noise won't bother me, but rubber feet to stop skidding plus raising the level a bit sounds like a winner.