Why does fan noise and efficiency matter?

[naughtybehavior86]

I don't understand the logic behind the infatuation with fan noise and efficiency. Why does fan noise matter?

People are acting like Intel and x86 is some poverty infrastructure to use now. I have a ThinkPad P17 that would run circles around my M1 in every way minus single core CPU speed.

Fan noise shouldn't be this repulsive characteristic we gauge laptops on. Don't get me wrong, I love my Apple products and I love my ThinkPad products.

I just don't get it....everything being evaluated based on how quiet it is or how cool it runs. If it gets the work done and it's longevity is there.....then what is the issue?

 

[DeltaMac]

The issue is ___ if the laptop is (insert opinion here) too noisy, then the "run circles around my M1" doesn't matter.
Noise, for some users, is where the evaluation starts and ends, sometimes with no discussion.
Try using your "wind-tunnel" in a recording studio, or even a quiet office environment.

It's really fast! But why does it make all that noise? Not getting it/keeping it/paying for that annoying, noisy pos... (!)

 

[naughtybehavior86]

The issue is ___ if the laptop is (insert opinion here) too noisy, then the "run circles around my M1" doesn't matter.
Noise, for some users, is where the evaluation starts and ends, sometimes with no discussion.
Try using your "wind-tunnel" in a recording studio, or even a quiet office environment.

I am not ignorant to how aggravating fan noise can be. Just seems like a superficial reason to judge a laptop by unless of course you have something that sounds like a dump truck in an office environment....but that seems extreme?

What I did was setup Windows Remote Desktop via direct ethernet from my ThinkPad (host) to my M1 Air (Client) and I keep the ThinkPad in another room. Literally can't tell I am remoting into it usually....works so good. SolidWorks, Visual Studio.....all runs flawlessly and I can run those resource hungry programs right on my m1 without it feeling any of the overhead.

 

[KaliYoni]

I think there are three main groups that are concerned with fan noise:

1. Professional users who need the quietest environment possible to work, such as in sound mixing and recording, as mentioned above.
2. People who are easily distracted or who are highly sensitive to ambient sound.
3. Big fans of Apple marketing (you know, the sort who says "5mm thin" or agrees that blaming users for poor cellular reception because they're not holding their iPhone "right" is legitimate).

 

[millerj123]

I am currently being reminded how much I appreciate that the fans on my MacBook Pro hardly ever run by a desktop computer needing replacement fans.

 

[bbrks]

For me as a sick audiophile freak, air M1 is a huge must have.
I am just overwhelmed of joy , Complete silence

 

[DeltaMac]

I also remember the last Apple powermac G4 series, the "Mirrored Drive Door" model that many users called the "wind-tunnel". The fans in the power supply made a high-pitched squeal, sometimes to the point of being a quite loud whistle. There were third-party kits to silence the fans.
Can't imagine what the "uproar" would be if Apple introduced something like THAT again. The relatively quiet movement of air that some find objectionable is nothing like that old G4 MDD.