MacBook 16-inch Fan Noise

+1 on this topic.

I had to install & buy Turbo Boost Switcher Pro in order to deactivate automatically Turbo Boost when needed.

Since then the MBP16 is running below the 60 Degrees without any side effect.

Giving the fact I manage to solve the issue myself (thanks to this forum by the way) I can imagine that Apple would be able to do the same. However as of today, none of Apple CustomerCare or Genius Bar have been able to provide any resolution (despite the numbers of comments in this post ...)

So basically you've reduced the performance of your MBP 16 to keep the fan speeds low.

Perhaps Apple will provide such an option in the future, but I'd rather keep speeds as high as possible - others may have other priorities.

Indeed. I've HAD to reduce the performance of my MBP 16 to keep the heat and fan noise at acceptable levels. By acceptable levels I mean quiet enough to handle Teams video calls without participants on the other side commenting on the noise levels and wondering which wind tunnel I am calling in from.

As I said, I'm happy enough with my workarounds as the performance reduction doesn't impact my typical usage. But I still do not think that this should be considered "expected behaviour" in any way when all I want to do is connect my MBP 16 to a single external display and run standard office type applications.

Same here. I was not able to perform Bluejeans (Video Calls) with such noise using 2 screens - You usually need 2 screens if you are using video calls in a pro environnement.

Turbo Boost Switch is deactivated automatically when using Video Calls such as Bluejeans or generally when the fan is going crazy. I might reactivate it in such cases but so far so good.

Keep in mind that having a computer running at 80 degrees does not help to keep decent temperature in your house when the weather is 40 degrees outside ...

benyagol wrote:

Same here. I was not able to perform Bluejeans (Video Calls) with such noise using 2 screens - You usually need 2 screens if you are using video calls in a pro environnement.

That's not true at all. I have been around people making video calls regularly, and most have picture in picture video on a single monitor, or in the case of Zoom, multiple images at once.

I haven't seen one person per screen video calling done since the early 2000s with Cisco-type conferencing systems.

FaceTime also places participants on a single screen.

Keep in mind that having a computer running at 80 degrees does not help to keep decent temperature in your house when the weather is 40 degrees outside ...

Note other systems generate much more heat; the GPU on a typical gaming PC GPU runs at temperatures much higher than anything found in an MBP 16.

I think you don't do video calls the way I'm doing it. I usually share my screen and using second screens for notes & instant messaging. When sharing my screen I'm using the second screen to see the people I'm talking to - on top of instant chat & video screen settings windows.

I understand you can do without it but it means that you are not doing anything such as professional presentation in that case.

I do think that MBP16 is having the worst ratio GPU heat generated vs machine cost - this is what most of people are complaining about here.

Ironically you might be better served by a less capable machine in that case - rather like complaining about gas mileage when buying something with a large V8 engine for commuting.

You’ve outlined a specific rationale, but I wonder if you would have the same issue if your second monitor was like mine - connected via a USB-C to MiniDisplay Port adapter into the MDP input of a 2560x1440 monitor. We haven’t yet been able to sort out why some see it while others don’t, though those using HDMI seem to universally experience the issue.

Thats what I use and have never had my fans even become audible.

I won't discuss with your first argument, this is a ridiculous discussion and I've don't have time to waste arguing that a 4K$ machine should not getting warm when using a simple video call tool on a second screen. I understand your are happy to support the brand but reality is not good.

Regarding adapter - I have no idea - I've been using the same usc-c to Hdmi cable without any problems but this could be the source of problem. If it is - I'm expecting Apple to communicate on it.

keep in mind that we are on page 212 for this issue, so I suppose this is no something people are happy with - whatever the excuse you want to give to Apple.

ryunokokoro wrote:

These details seem to be important. There is an AMD community post wherein a Windows user with a triple monitor setup found that they had to change their refresh rate from 59Hz to 60Hz across all three monitors before the GPU's memory speed dropped from 1250MHz to 150MHz and their system was able to run cool. (Note that they increased the number of times the GPU had to send data to the monitors and the change in timings allowed the GPU to lower• its speeds.) An AMD spokesperson responded that this was "expected behaviour" (sounds familiar!). (They also allowed that the effect described can vary dramatically between GPU, BIOS, etc.)

Specifically, I'm referring to the conversation at this link.

I think it is worth noting that 59.88 Hz is the refresh rate for NTSC reference displays.

It could be that using this 59.88 Hz refresh rate says to the display subsystem, "I want an absolutely PERFECT signal, no drop-outs, please" and it boosts the display RAM to maximum to ensure that is the case.

ryunokokoro wrote:

How is this helpful to the conversation?

Simple: Some are writing that all you have to do is plug in any external monitor and let the system sit idle and the fans will ramp up to 5000 RPM+, and that's provably not true.

Further, my test shows that there are conditions under which despite the GPU using 20w of power, the system can handle the additional thermal load without the fans even becoming audible, let alone spun up to 5000 RPM+.

Certainly my experiences may be unique, but they also provide additional data, namely that when connecting using MDP to a monitor of resolution lower than the built-in display, thermal conditions appear to be well managed using lower fan speeds.

It's not a "lucky machine" or a "lucky config" - I used my MBP 16 with the two monitors I have available if I would ever connect it to an external monitor, and experience no issues using the system with either of my external monitors, both of which qualify as monitors people would typically use as most people use their new systems with their legacy monitors. I use Safari almost exclusively as Apple supplies it and very rarely use Chrome because it ramps up the fans even on my 2010 Mac Pro running macOS Mojave.

FWIW, in my testing, I used an ITD ITANDA USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter in conjunction with a Dell U2717D (2560 x 1440 at 60 Hz.) and a 30" Apple Cinema Display (2560 x 1600).

For those who don't want to visit the link (and to further Grant's point) the response from AMD is (emboldening mine):

…

Multiple displays with different resolutions, refresh rates, timings and or using different display adapters/connections requires more resources from the GPU, this can move the GPU up into the next memory clock state to compensate and avoid issues such as flickering or corruption.

If all displays are identical, using the same resolution, refresh rates, timings and using identical display adapters/connections then the GPU may be able to run two or more without moving up into the next clock state. It can vary from Bios to Bios and GPU to GPU, but the expected behaviour is increased clock speeds so this is not something we can change.

https://community.amd.com/thread/214891?commentID=2793350

It is, here’s a video of the MBP 16 I had, running idle at 4300rpm with two external monitors.

https://youtu.be/hkVkKmP-jY8

Unplugging one one the monitors was dropping the rpm back to 2000rpm.

Unplugging all monitors and we’re back to ~1700rpm and complete silence.

So let people share their experience and find solutions instead of calling them liars.

William Kucharski wrote:

It's not a "lucky machine" or a "lucky config" - I used my MBP 16 with the two monitors I have available if I would ever connect it to an external monitor, and experience no issues using the system with either of my external monitors, both of which qualify as monitors people would typically use as most people use their new systems with their legacy monitors. I use Safari almost exclusively as Apple supplies it and very rarely use Chrome because it ramps up the fans even on my 2010 Mac Pro running macOS Mojave.

I would beg to differ. The fact that your setup happened to work out without issue is indeed a matter of luck. Many others with similarly old monitors have reported issues in this and other forums. The specific interfaces used and the monitors themselves are helpful in identifying what the requirements for low power draw with external monitors may be.

There is far more to monitors than just resolution. Refresh rate is also an important factor. There are other factors as well, buried deep in the display protocols that the HDMI/DisplayPort transports convey between laptop and monitor, that we typically don't have to worry about. If you're interested in seeing what these might be, take a look at the SwitchResX application and the various settings it allows you to play with. The trick is that every monitor has a unique palette of settings that it is capable of communicating with. What macOS (and operating systems in general) show you is only the most basic of information. People in other forums have found success in modifying the finer details at this level. That said, I am not suggesting that you (or anyone else here) try this, but simply pointing out that there is more to it than "legacy monitors" (even legacy monitors vary widely with respect to these finer details).

FWIW, in my testing, I used an ITD ITANDA USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter in conjunction with a Dell U2717D (2560 x 1440 at 60 Hz.) and a 30" Apple Cinema Display (2560 x 1600).

This is very helpful! Thanks very much! Hopefully if you continue to help people in this forum you can list these items and request that they see how their setup compares. To be clear, is this the specific adapter you use? Do you have two of them - one for each laptop? Or do you only ever attach one monitor at a time?

Long time observer of this and MR thread (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/16-is-hot-noisy-with-an-external-monitor.2211747/page-124). Tried every single possible resolution and refresh rate, even different monitors (can't remember all the models), not a change. Every single time, GPU eats around 19W (simply switched memory to the highest performance profile and thus wasting thermal capacity of the machine). As others has pointed, this can't be accepted as okay. why waste so much power on redrawing just a single monitor not to mention is not even 4K? Older GPU models (heck my previous MPB 15" 2017 was more efficient) handled such tasks with less power used.

Anyway here's what I have and have tested with the every possible option:

MBP 16" base configuration (i7 2.6, 5300M 16GB RAM)

Display Dell U2713HM connected via https://www.amazon.com/Displayport-QGeeM-Thunderbolt-Compatible-MacBook/dp/B074V5MMCH directly to either side of MBP.

Connecting external display causes GPU to immediately draw around 19W and temperatures go up and stays above 60 Celsius for both CPU & GPU - leaving way less thermal space for when it's needed.

Another example - having iPad Pro connected to the mentioned monitor can handle rendering the screen much more effeciently than MBP. I understand it's mixing apple and oranges here, but still - isn't it obvious enough that it is a problem?