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Mac studio v1 fan noise - it's going to be one of the loudest Macs at idle.
- Thread starter AdamSeen
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Measuring and understanding sound is complicated. Take those measurements with a grain of salt. One has to understand Sound Power Levels vs Sound Pressure Levels (based on Operator Position). It all gets dumbed down to decibels, but there are differences in how we perceive the "loudness" of those measurements (frequency and environment), and not just based on distance from the source.
Folks are getting the high numbers from the Sound Power Levels which are measured in Bels (1 Bel = 10dB). The rMB Bel is listed as 1.2 Bel = 12db. We really don't know exactly how those measurements were taken - if a microphone is close enough to an electrical component, it can pick up the electrical noise. But as obvious by "real world" observations, that isn't actually detectable to our ear. It's a useless measurement for considering how loud a computer is. No one uses a computer with their ear pressed up against it.
For having an understanding of how loud the computer will be in "real life", the Sound Pressure Levels are what we'd be interested in, which is why they are provided in the Apple acoustic performance specifications as well. For the rMB, its SPrL @ Operator Position is 3dB - which in "real world" is silent.
The AS MBP's are similar to the rMB at idle - the fans shut off - they're at 3db as well. The AS iMac 24 is 7dB - I assume more electrical noise due to the larger size display. Still virtually silent in real world.
For the Studio's 15dB, it seems like it would be a safe assumption that the fans never turn off even at idle. But 15dB's is still extremely quiet, and under workload (which is what the computer was designed for), the cooling system may allow for the Studio to remain quieter at higher loads than other Macs at similar load which need to spin up their fans to faster speeds (not to mention the acoustic profile of those fans).
I have a MP 6,1 which has a SPrL of 14dB, and it is extremely quiet - unnoticeable in environments where computers are typically used.
I'm following this thread with interest, as potential fan noise is the only reason I haven't ordered one of these yet. I do a lot of podcasting and video recording in my office. I currently have an iMac Pro and I can't recall EVER hearing the fan go on. That's one of the reasons I bought it. It is dead silent.
I have a MacBook Pro 14" M1 Pro, and I'm debating between just getting a dock and the new Studio Display, or getting a Mac Studio. The 14" MBP M1 Pro has also been very quiet like the iMac Pro. I'm concerned, based on what I've read, that I'll be able to hear the Mac Studio in the background, which I really do not want.
I don't do any video editing or gaming, but I do edit large files in Photoshop and Lightroom.
I have a MacBook Pro 14" M1 Pro, and I'm debating between just getting a dock and the new Studio Display, or getting a Mac Studio. The 14" MBP M1 Pro has also been very quiet like the iMac Pro. I'm concerned, based on what I've read, that I'll be able to hear the Mac Studio in the background, which I really do not want.
I don't do any video editing or gaming, but I do edit large files in Photoshop and Lightroom.
So under load it's going to be slightly louder than the iMac?
The iMac isn't incredibly loud. I've been running a DDoS script on mine that hits lots of Russian websites and it's been under 100% CPU load for 24 hours now. Can't hear anything from a few feet away.
The iMac isn't incredibly loud. I've been running a DDoS script on mine that hits lots of Russian websites and it's been under 100% CPU load for 24 hours now. Can't hear anything from a few feet away.
Sounds like a typical use case. Ha.
You do use your mic in front of the system with a windscreen or a pop filter, right? It’s got a front pick up and not side pickups? Also, take a piece of acoustic foam and put it about 6” beyond where the exhaust noice is coming and that should absorb it. Mic placement is critical to make sure it’s not next to the computer, but as far away as is practical.
Do you know what the noise floor of your room is? If it's over 30/35dB you will probably be ok.
I can even hear my iMac Pro in my office, it's that quiet. But the noise is more of a soothing noise - as opposed to the gushing air flow of the Mac Pro blower fan.
At idle, it will be slightly louder than the iMac - At load, I would expect the opposite - as the cooling will be overall much better than the iMac.
I wonder if I can somehow mount my studio to the back of one of my 5k UltraFine monitors, which could act as a wall to direct the sound. It would be cool but I guess kind of sad if my $6,000 computer fell and died.
I'm sitting in front of my iMac 21.5" 2011 in the middle of the night, surfing the web and it's dead quiet in the room. I get around 36dB with my iPhone mic. My dead silent iMac makes more sound than Mac Studio:
You should also check this out. Maybe you're superhuman or a bat.
Mac Studio with 25dB one of the loudest Macs? I think you should have a Snickers.
You should also check this out. Maybe you're superhuman or a bat.
Mac Studio with 25dB one of the loudest Macs? I think you should have a Snickers.
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Yes… I agree that there are workarounds. Just saying that fan noise matters and ever since I have moved to iMacs there has been no need to worry about it. Such a relief coming from a PC world where I often had to put on a gate or go through lots of trouble to remove the worst noise. In my setup today I’m not picking up any noise from my iMac.
If the numbers are correct on the studio Mac then it’s a move in the wrong direction. Let’s see if it’s a significant move, when we get the first reviews in.
With all due respect I don’t think that your iPhone compares with the equipment they have used for the official measurements. Especially down in that very low level range.I'm sitting in front of my iMac 21.5" 2011 in the middle of the night, surfing the web and it's dead quiet in the room. I get around 36dB with my iPhone mic. My dead silent iMac makes more sound than Mac Studio:
View attachment 1973097
You should also check this out. Maybe you're superhuman or a bat.
Mac Studio with 25dB one of the loudest Macs? I think you should have a Snickers.
And second… What’s the reading on that app when your Mac is turned off?I'm sitting in front of my iMac 21.5" 2011 in the middle of the night, surfing the web and it's dead quiet in the room. I get around 36dB with my iPhone mic. My dead silent iMac makes more sound than Mac Studio:
View attachment 1973097
You should also check this out. Maybe you're superhuman or a bat.
Mac Studio with 25dB one of the loudest Macs? I think you should have a Snickers.
It's not going to come close to the gronking hard drive noise from my 2011 iMac so I think I'll survive.
Aaaah yes. The wonders of mechanical drives. I quickly added a small SSD to mine back then which helped a lot. Keeping both MacOS, apps and frequently used files on the SSD. If I had it today and wasn’t planning on getting a new I would not hesitate to add 1 TB SSD to it
Thanks for pointing out these specs. I'm puzzled what this official, 12dB noise should be (coil whine? trackpad?... the keyboard itself would definitely be louder than 12dB
). My beloved 12-inch Retina MacBook still is my workhorse for daily scientific wordprocessing, and its fanless design was one of the key reasons to buy it.Just wear your Apple Watch to monitor your noise exposure.
Measure noise levels with Apple Watch
Use the Noise app on your Apple Watch to measure the sound levels around you.
support.apple.com
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Mine does actually have an SSD: 250GB Samsung (I forget which model), stuck behind the optical drive with double-sided tape. It died shortly after I upgraded to High Sierra which changed the file structure to APFS. Connected? I don't know. The arthritic hard-drive soldiers-on in its own, slow, gronking way. By the time the SSD died, the machine was not cost-effective to upgrade, so I've just plodded-on with the 1TB HDD.
Again… not sure you can trust it down in the <40 dB area. Even the scale starts at 30 dB. And just touching the watch or making small movements with your arm will affect the measurement. That app is made to warn you about too high noise levels. Not measure differences of a few dB in the low range.
Apple redirects me to the 2015 intel on that link (Danish support pages), but is the 12 dB at operator position or at the machine? If it’s at the machine you would probably not be able to hear it at a distance of 1 m…Thanks for pointing out these specs. I'm puzzled what this official, 12dB noise should be (coil whine? trackpad?... the keyboard itself would definitely be louder than 12dB
As a sound engineer, I have to stop you there, 10 dB is a doubling of perceived volume not 6 dB.
