The New Fan Noise Battle: M4 Pro mini v. M4 Max Studio

[Neil J. Squillante]

As others have noticed, the price gap has widened between the M4 Pro Mac mini and M4 Max Mac Studio whereas with the M2 series it was more narrow so it tilted in favor of the Studio for "low end" configurations. As a result, I'm looking at the mini again but still leaning towards the Studio.

Regarding noise, it seems like the M1 Max Studio was unusually noisy but Apple addressed this with the M2 Max. Also, many people in various forums claim the larger footprint of the Studio makes fan noise less frequent or lower. I don't know if anyone has actually verified this plus the Max chip is more powerful than the Pro chip so I assume it requires more energy and generates more heat.

What does everyone think about the fan noise of the M4 Pro Mac mini versus M4 Max Mac Studio based on your experiences with the M4 Pro mini and/or M2 Max Studio? Thanks.

 

[MacGizmo]

The new M4 Max Mac Studio hasn't shipped yet, so anyone claiming to know anything about fan noise is... full of hot air! Muahahaha!

 

[Neil J. Squillante]

Apple has published the Acoustic Performance specifications for the M4 Max and M3 Ultra Mac Studio. Both run 1 db higher than the M2 generation — 7 versus 6 db. Can any early buyers comment on their experience? Thanks.

 

[Mity]

See the 5m53s mark in the vid below. That was while running benchmarks BTW.

 

[Homy]

it seems like the M1 Max Studio was unusually noisy

No it wasn't. I've had mine since 2023 and it's been dead silent. A few people could hear a coil whine on some models but it was a fraction of the users.

 

[Norbert Mikołajczyk]

See the 5m53s mark in the vid below. That was while running benchmarks BTW.

I tested my Mini M4 Pro full 10min with Cinebench R24 gpu test and no fan noise, max fan rpm was 1550 at the end of the benchmark. While sitting it was inaudible. But multicore test - the fans went crazy in R24. The Mini was silent on multi test in R23.
For my short bursts workflow: design work, 2d animations in After Effects, small 3d renders the machine is silent.
For sustained, heavy and long tasks the Studio is the way.

 

[MacGizmo]

Regarding noise, it seems like the M1 Max Studio was unusually noisy but Apple addressed this with the M2 Max. Also, many people in various forums claim the larger footprint of the Studio makes fan noise less frequent or lower. I don't know if anyone has actually verified this plus the Max chip is more powerful than the Pro chip so I assume it requires more energy and generates more heat.

I have zero fan noise on my M1 Max Studio... got it when it first became available. Best Mac I've ever owned, quite frankly.