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Mac studio v1 fan noise - it's going to be one of the loudest Macs at idle.

Morgonaut said:
Sorry, I have no idea from where you get your info, but I own Mac Studio M1 Max and M1 Ultra and both under even super crazy heaviest load I ever tested it never spin fans more than idle which is 1340 rpm = also idle noise which is ABSOLUTELY NOT POSSIBLE TO NOTICE IN SILENT OFFICE. I showed that heaviest load in my video few days ago somewhere close to the end of this video.
BTW same behavior is on the Max and Ultra - no difference - always fans in idle speed, no matter what load you will throw at it. Tomorrow I'll be shooting some more tests and hope I will be able to move the fans a bit :)
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Although I agree with you the fans don’t ramp up my first base max studio sound akin to nails on a chalk board and my exchange unit sounds Mac mini silent. This is in the same environment and no hocus pocus or smoke and mirrors.
 
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badlydrawnboy said:
Whether it's a manufacturing issue or just perception, either way, I'm waiting for the M2 Pro Mini. I've never heard anyone complain about how loud the fan in their Mini is. I have the iMac Pro and the 14" M1 Pro MBP and they are both dead silent almost all the time. I want that in my next desktop, and the performance difference between an M1 Max Studio and M2 Pro Mini won't be enough to justify even a small difference in noise.
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What if apple redesigns the mini for apple silicon. Assuming fan will be same as current mini is a "risk"
 
SmallDane said:
Question for the people who are bothered by the fan. Do you think it's the airflow that causes the noise? Or could it be the fan motor? If it's the fan motor, might it be resonance/vibrations through the surface it's placed on? Have you tried moving it or placing it on a different surface (perhaps on some soft books or magazines)?
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It is definitely the air flow. I picked it up while running and the noise did not change much.
basher said:
Fans are super quiet on the Mac Studio(M1 Max) that I received the other day. My 2017 iMac is noticeably louder than the Mac Studio.
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Which iMac 2017 do you have? If it is the iMac 5K, mine is considerable quieter than my Mac Studio M1 Max. I even confirmed it with a video where I put an iPhone with the Nosh sound level meter app next to the devices. This are the results:

1. iMac 5K (~2 cm from vent): ~28 dB
2. Mac Studio (~10 cm from vent): ~35 dB
3. Every device turned off: ~26.5 dB
4. Mac Studio (~40 cm from vent and on the font): ~29.5 dB


I think the first and second measurements are best to compare the two devices. 7 dB difference is a lot. I wonder if my Mac Studio is somehow defective. But the sound is not whining or scrubbing it is just a constant perceivable air flow.
 
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zebullon290276 said:
Sounds good ? we have to wait a long time now. Not sure i could wait ?
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I get it. I’m normally among the first to buy new Apple products. But in this case, at least for me, I think it makes sense to wait. My iMac Pro is still going strong and although I know a Studio would be faster, it wouldn’t be a big enough difference to put up with more noise.
 
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Juuro said:
It is definitely the air flow. I picked it up while running and the noise did not change much.

Which iMac 2017 do you have? If it is the iMac 5K, mine is considerable quieter than my Mac Studio M1 Max. I even confirmed it with a video where I put an iPhone with the Nosh sound level meter app next to the devices. This are the results:

1. iMac 5K (~2 cm from vent): ~28 dB
2. Mac Studio (~10 cm from vent): ~35 dB
3. Every device turned off: ~26.5 dB
4. Mac Studio (~40 cm from vent and on the font): ~29.5 dB


I think the first and second measurements are best to compare the two devices. 7 dB difference is a lot. I wonder if my Mac Studio is somehow defective. But the sound is not whining or scrubbing it is just a constant perceivable air flow.
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Umm... the 'vent' you measured in the iMac sucks air, whereas the 'vent' at the back of the Mac Studio is blowing air... directly into the mic at the bottom of the iPhone...

As you can see in the last test, really, it goes up about 1-2db while your iPhone is right slap bang in front of the machine...

I'm listening in my extremely quiet (recording) studio and this video doesn't really show anything that's audible over the noise floor of your room. I hear a bit of high pitch whistling for a second when the Mac Studio turns on, but other than that... there's nothing egregious in the video.
 
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Sharky II said:
Umm... the 'vent' you measured in the iMac sucks air, whereas the 'vent' at the back of the Mac Studio is blowing air... directly into the mic at the bottom of the iPhone...

As you can see in the last test, really, it goes up about 1-2db while your iPhone is right slap bang in front of the machine...

I'm listening in my extremely quiet (recording) studio and this video doesn't really show anything that's audible over the noise floor of your room. I hear a bit of high pitch whistling for a second when the Mac Studio turns on, but other than that... there's nothing egregious in the video.
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Don't judge from the sound of the video. I took it with a GoPro so audio quality is bad. I'm solely talking about the measurements taken by the Niosh app (and my perception of course). And yes, that's not a vent at the bottom of the iMac. So maybe measurement 1 and 4 are better for a comparison. Because the actual vent of the iMac is on the center of the back behind its stand so around 30 cm away from the phone. That would be difference of 1.5 dB.

I just try to confirm with data what I hear, but maybe a four year old iPhone is not optimal for that. ? But When I sit infant of my iMac I can't hear it. But when I stand across the room almost three meters away from my Mac Studio I can hear it very clearly.
 
Juuro said:
Don't judge from the sound of the video. I took it with a GoPro so audio quality is bad. I'm solely talking about the measurements taken by the Niosh app (and my perception of course). And yes, that's not a vent at the bottom of the iMac. So maybe measurement 1 and 4 are better for a comparison. Because the actual vent of the iMac is on the center of the back behind its stand so around 30 cm away from the phone. That would be difference of 1.5 dB.

I just try to confirm with data what I hear, but maybe a four year old iPhone is not optimal for that. 😄 But When I sit infant of my iMac I can't hear it. But when I stand across the room almost three meters away from my Mac Studio I can hear it very clearly.
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I really think it is by design, and this mac will never be as quiet as the imac (even intel ones) or the mini.
I don’t understand this apple choice and I wonder if they’re aware of people disappointed by this noisy air flow.
 
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zebullon290276 said:
I really think it is by design, and this mac will never be as quiet as the imac (even intel ones) or the mini.
I don’t understand this apple choice and I wonder if they’re aware of people disappointed by this noisy air flow.
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It is AS quiet as my intel iMac not under load, my trashcan MacPro, and my mac mini (intel) when it wasn't under load.
 
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Martyimac said:
It is AS quiet as my intel iMac not under load, my trashcan MacPro, and my mac mini (intel) when it wasn't under load.
Click to expand...
I still have a Mac Studio Ultra here that is still boxed and I was going to return it. But statements like this make me want to unbox it.
Either there are exorbitant differences in the perception of sounds or these Mac Studios sound very different from model to model. ?
 
Juuro said:
I still have a Mac Studio Ultra here that is still boxed and I was going to return it. But statements like this make me want to unbox it.
Either there are exorbitant differences in the perception of sounds or these Mac Studios sound very different from model to model. ?
Click to expand...

Martyimac said:
32db on and 31db with all turned off.
Click to expand...
Earlier this was my response to someone asking for specific measurements at a specific distance. As noted, there was a 1 db difference when the Mac Studio max was turned on.
 
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Ok, I do have a Mac Studio Ultra 48-core GPU. I most definitely hear the fans. My Mac Studio Ultra is on a desktop with a 2009 Mac Pro 'cheese grader' on the desk next to it (big desk, and yes, I was way over due for an upgrade). I can hear the Mac Studio Ultra fans at idle OVER the 2009 Mac Pro 'cheese grader' fans at idle. However, the Mac Studio Ultra fans are not exactly louder. They are very high pitched. Dare I say whistling. So I used Mac Fans Control (open to suggestions if there is a better alternative) and the faster the fans got on the Mac Studio Ultra, the louder they got, but the high pitched whistling went away entirely. For my ears, the higher pitched whistling 'noise' goes away starting at about 1750 RPM. When I set it back to 'auto' (~1360 RPM), the high pitched whistling comes back right away for me and my ears. So I was wondering if it has something to do with the tiny little holes on the back of the Mac Studio Ultra being milled at just the right degree of 'pucker' to produce a whistle that my ears at least can hear. So for me, it is not about how loud it is per se, it is more about the annoying high pitched whistling I am hearing when the fans are idling. And I can definitely hear the high pitched whistling at idle above the 2009 Mac Pro 'cheese grader' fans at idle. Not because the Mac Studio Ultra is louder, but because it is noise at a much higher frequency. Does this observation resonate with anyone else? So one last thing I tried (not recommended), I draped a microfiber cloth over the back of the Mac Studio Ultra, and the whistling went away at idle. No, I do not intend on running my $4K Mac in such a manner, I was just curious if it would make a difference, and it did. So just sharing my observations.
 
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ggeoffre said:
Ok, I do have a Mac Studio Ultra 48-core GPU. I most definitely hear the fans. My Mac Studio Ultra is on a desktop with a 2009 Mac Pro 'cheese grader' on the desk next to it (big desk, and yes, I was way over due for an upgrade). I can hear the Mac Studio Ultra fans at idle OVER the 2009 Mac Pro 'cheese grader' fans at idle. However, the Mac Studio Ultra fans are not exactly louder. They are very high pitched. Dare I say whistling. So I used Mac Fans Control (open to suggestions if there is a better alternative) and the faster the fans got on the Mac Studio Ultra, the louder they got, but the high pitched whistling went away entirely. For my ears, the higher pitched whistling 'noise' goes away starting at about 1750 RPM. When I set it back to 'auto' (~1360 RPM), the high pitched whistling comes back right away for me and my ears. So I was wondering if it has something to do with the tiny little holes on the back of the Mac Studio Ultra being milled at just the right degree of 'pucker' to produce a whistle that my ears at least can hear. So for me, it is not about how loud it is per se, it is more about the annoying high pitched whistling I am hearing when the fans are idling. And I can definitely hear the high pitched whistling at idle above the 2009 Mac Pro 'cheese grader' fans at idle. Not because the Mac Studio Ultra is louder, but because it is noise at a much higher frequency. Does this observation resonate with anyone else? So one last thing I tried (not recommended), I draped a microfiber cloth over the back of the Mac Studio Ultra, and the whistling went away at idle. No, I do not intend on running my $4K Mac in such a manner, I was just curious if it would make a difference, and it did. So just sharing my observations.
Click to expand...

Yes, the high pitched whistling at idle is annoying. Not loud, but always audible.
I shared my experience here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-studio-max-its-not-that-quiet.2338488/post-30979969
 
sgt-shultz.jpg
 
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I received my Studio Max today with the intention of selling my 2017 iMac i7 Quad 4.0ghz. Fan noise was the biggest reason for my upgrade and consequently my biggest concern prior to the Studio's arrival. The iMac gets very loud, very quickly, i.e when idle falls below 75%, which happens when doing practically anything apart from very light tasks.

Unfortunately I'm disappointed with the idle fan noise of the Studio. The 2017 iMac i7 is quieter than the Studio when idle for sure. I can not imagine other units being significantly different to mine. Having it on a desktop next to the monitor would drive me nuts, and music studios should not consider this to be an option if like me they are trying to get noise under control.

The question for me is whether the noise is manageable. I bought the Studio because I use lots of CPU every day making big music arrangements. When put away behind the desk in a custom built cabinet it should be hardly noticeable if it can do what others report and keep the noise at the same even when working hard for long periods, and if so it will be a massive improvement over the iMac.
 
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temas said:
I received my Studio Max today with the intention of selling my 2017 iMac i7 Quad 4.0ghz. Fan noise was the biggest reason for my upgrade and consequently my biggest concern prior to the Studio's arrival. The iMac gets very loud, very quickly, i.e when idle falls below 75%, which happens when doing practically anything apart from very light tasks.

Unfortunately I'm disappointed with the idle fan noise of the Studio. The 2017 iMac i7 is quieter than the Studio when idle for sure. I can not imagine other units being significantly different to mine. Having it on a desktop next to the monitor would drive me nuts, and music studios should not consider this to be an option if like me they are trying to get noise under control.

The question for me is whether the noise is manageable. I bought the Studio because I use lots of CPU every day making big music arrangements. When put away behind the desk in a custom built cabinet it should be bearable if it can keep the noise at the same level it is when idle.
Click to expand...
I’ve been considering replacing my M1 Mini with a Mac Studio. The M1 replaced the 2018 i7 mini which would get loud under minimal load. Doesn’t seem to be a simple decision based on the noise reports.

B
 
ggeoffre said:
Ok, I do have a Mac Studio Ultra 48-core GPU. I most definitely hear the fans. My Mac Studio Ultra is on a desktop with a 2009 Mac Pro 'cheese grader' on the desk next to it (big desk, and yes, I was way over due for an upgrade). I can hear the Mac Studio Ultra fans at idle OVER the 2009 Mac Pro 'cheese grader' fans at idle. However, the Mac Studio Ultra fans are not exactly louder. They are very high pitched. Dare I say whistling. So I used Mac Fans Control (open to suggestions if there is a better alternative) and the faster the fans got on the Mac Studio Ultra, the louder they got, but the high pitched whistling went away entirely. For my ears, the higher pitched whistling 'noise' goes away starting at about 1750 RPM. When I set it back to 'auto' (~1360 RPM), the high pitched whistling comes back right away for me and my ears. So I was wondering if it has something to do with the tiny little holes on the back of the Mac Studio Ultra being milled at just the right degree of 'pucker' to produce a whistle that my ears at least can hear. So for me, it is not about how loud it is per se, it is more about the annoying high pitched whistling I am hearing when the fans are idling. And I can definitely hear the high pitched whistling at idle above the 2009 Mac Pro 'cheese grader' fans at idle. Not because the Mac Studio Ultra is louder, but because it is noise at a much higher frequency. Does this observation resonate with anyone else? So one last thing I tried (not recommended), I draped a microfiber cloth over the back of the Mac Studio Ultra, and the whistling went away at idle. No, I do not intend on running my $4K Mac in such a manner, I was just curious if it would make a difference, and it did. So just sharing my observations.
Click to expand...
So I got a Spectrum Analyzer and was able to isolate the pitch at ~2599 Hz. It is constant. I hear this sound all day long. Not very loud, but always present. And I found a YouTube recording that matches the sound exactly. And no, it is no where near as loud as the video, but it is exactly this frequency. This is the sound that I am hearing...
 
Jrshelby said:
Although I agree with you the fans don’t ramp up my first base max studio sound akin to nails on a chalk board and my exchange unit sounds Mac mini silent. This is in the same environment and no hocus pocus or smoke and mirrors.
Click to expand...
Did your first Mac Studio sound like this?
 
boomspot said:
I’ve been considering replacing my M1 Mini with a Mac Studio. The M1 replaced the 2018 i7 mini which would get loud under minimal load. Doesn’t seem to be a simple decision based on the noise reports.

B
Click to expand...
I think placement is key. I will build a small container about 35cm cubed out of some mdf and line the inside with foam or old carpet. It will probably be fine to just make 5 sides and have the rear open and then put it behind the desk. I’ve experimented a bit already and because it’s small there are many possibilities for solutions.
 
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