MacBook 16-inch Fan Noise

Usually we don't run antivirus,

but yes, we bought those laptos to carry huge load on them:

• office
• teams
• zoom
• chrome with 20 tabs
• mozilla with 3 incognito env
• bunch of ssh sessions
• windows vm on top of vmware fusion

yes, that is why I have the highest cpu and 32GB ram. That's why I paid that much money.

Hi MittWaffen,

I have tried all the things that have been discussed here. In the end I hat no luck.

In mid September, I had enough and contacted Apple support by phone. I still have 1 year warranty and I also have Apple Care Plus. And I did not want to wait any longer either.

After the phone call with Support Level 1 - told there everything I already tried:

• different cables (HDMI, DisplayPort)
• TB3 Dock
• different frequencies
• different resolutions - from very small to high
• different monitors
• Cable connected to different TB3 ports / also different sides
• Ambient temperature was also not high (21° C)
• Ventilation under the MacBook Pro also ok, stands on a table without carpet pad
• In the office but no ambient noise great - no open-plan office
• Measurements with iStatMenu

Then he quickly went to Level 2, who found in the internal documents that the behavior is known, and he is very sorry and can understand that I am not satisfied but it is "expected behavior".

As a solution he could recommend cool packs to me.

I even bought myself 2 different unspeakably ugly cooling pads:

Wsky Laptop Cooler, Ultra Slim 12''-17'' inch Laptop Cooling Pad with 5 Quiet Fans and Blue LED Light, Dual 2 USB 2.0 Ports, Adjustable Mount Stand Height Angle (Blue)

Thermaltake Massive S14 NB Cooler

Both without success - or only louder cheap fans.

I also tried an aluminum stand: Bestand Aluminum Laptop Stand - that brings a little bit, but then I don't have the laptop in front of me anymore but need an external mouse and keyboard. Also not an ideal solution. I love the trackpad of the Macbook.

In the end the 2n Level Support made me an appointment at my Apple Store at the Genius Bar.

Even if the behavior is expectable, I don't have to accept it. If VW finds out that their cars break down after 1 year because of a mistake, or run louder because the heat paste evaporates somewhere, then that's expectable behavior, but that's not why I have to accept it.

At the Genius Bar:

The whole story told again in brief.

(Yes, I know that when he does Mac stuff, the fans are allowed to turn up, but not when I do almost nothing)

I had also mentioned that in the days of Corona, it's not exactly good for the image if you're always the one with the MacBook Pro at video conferences, with its fans spinning up and hijacking the conversation and then the ThinkPads etc. making fun of you. That can't be Apple's claim.

There the tests on site had not produced any errors. But the device was sent in for further investigation.

Attention on the mainboard the SSD is firmly installed. Do not forget the backup!!!!

You get a new SSD if the LogicBoards fails.

After 2 days I had the MacBook Pro 16" again. In the Product Repair

Summary it was said that the LogicBoard did not pass sensor tests. Just like Touch ID. The two parts were exchanged.

And the behaviour is not so dramatic anymore.

Everything without extra tools to slow down the CPU, like turning off TurboBoost.

I have to say, if I really do nothing, the laptop doesn't spin up anymore and sometimes has 2400 RPM with an external display. Right now it is doing backups and has 2600 - 3200 RPM and I am working in PHPStorm.

Just now I can't say it conclusively, because after the backup recovery, the Finder synchronization with the iCloud took a long time, as well as the analysis of the photos. So until now there was always something going on with the processes. But it looks as if it has already brought something. But not quite ideal yet.

Maybe you also have a problem with sensors on the mainboard. Which are responsible for the fans always turning up. Regardless of the 20W power consumption which many people suspect.

That's what I wanted to tell you. Don't be afraid to contact Apple Support.

Maybe we have here an sensor issue!

I haven't seen on any sensor the temperatures that cause the fans to turn so high.

silvann wrote:

I have the same issues on my 16-inch MBP when using an external display.

I didn’t have any heat issues with my 10 year old 15-inch MBP and that exact display.

This is ridiculous for a $4000 machine.

So I got a DisplayPort to USB-C cable today to see if this solves the problem, as others have reported in this thread. The answer is no, it doesn’t.

I also installed the app Stats to check the wattage. It is 19 to 20 watts for the GPU with both cables (HDMI via Apple Digital AV Multiport Adapter and DP to USB-C). There’s no difference with the lid closed.

The only difference between the cables I noticed is that the HDMI cable shows a refresh rate of 60HZ and the DP to USB-C cable 59.88HZ in the macOS display settings.

By the way, my setup:

• 16-inch MacbookPro, 32GB memory, 1TB SSD, AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 8GB
• Dell UP2716D display (2560 x 1440)

The 5600 is new tech, it was introduced earlier this year.

The Vega Pro 20 is generations old.

Both use HBM2 VRAM but when released the 5500M with higher power draw GDDR6 VRAM was the higher performance choice; independent benchmarks showed the 5500M to be about 9% faster than the Vega Pro 20 on the Geekbench 5 Metal benchmark.

The 5600M is much faster than the 5500M but is both newer as well as significantly more expensive. As has been stated before, that's the tradeoff with HBM2; it draws less power but is much more expensive.

Geekbench 5 Metal results:

• 15" MBP w/Vega 20 4 GB VRAM: 23,556
• 16" MBP w/5500M 8 GB VRAM: 28,748
• 16" MBP w/5600M 8 GB VRAM: 43,144

Don't you think they woud have said that on the spec page?

Here is what the intel 13" says in the list of configurations:

• "Up to two external 4K displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at millions of colors
• 
  

I will also try it when mine arrives. I have the CalDigit TS3+ with 2 4k screens connected to my 16"MBP.

You must be right - sorry.

Just looked up on google technical specs for MBP16 as I was using my 3 monitors connected direcly to its 3 USB-C ports via individual HDMI/DP quality cables as well as Satechi dual HDMI + one USB DisplayLink driver:

"Video Support

Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:

• Up to two displays with 6016‑by‑3384 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
• Up to four displays with 4096‑by‑2304 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors"

I was going to give it a try anyway and if not working with directly connected monitors via above adapeter then was going to reply for a while on my existing StarTech USB DisplayLink devices. However, just looked up DisplayLink website to find out screen rotation still doesn't work in Big sur 11 :( Someone on this forum suggested using DisplayLink (DL) as a long-term solution for MBP16 to avoid dGPU usage/loud fans - this is exactly why I dicouraged people from doing it i.e. you can't rely on DL as we were once left for over 6 months with no drivers = no external monitors (my MBA 11" 2011 has to stay on High Sierra 10.13.3 in order to be able to use DL).

Just got a reply from my Apple business rep:

"To confirm, as this machine is configured to order, it is non-returnable. This does not affect your statutory rights. If however the machine was faulty, you would off course be able to return."

Not sure if I'll be able to return it within 14 days as a Private when upgrade RAM to 16GB?

For those who are interested : The new M1 Silicon macs are very impressive. I received my first one today. It is very fast and completely silent (MBA - no fan). You all know that I have no problem with heat or fans on my mac. The only time they kick up is during exporting video or really pushing Affinity Photo. I got the MBA for my wife for Christmas to replace her 2008 MBP that she uses everyday. It's been a good machine but I think it's time to retire it.

Some notes that I came up with for the new M1 before I boxed it back up.

1. boot up is not instant. It's about 10 seconds or so.
2. wake up is instant but I never had an issue on my Intel MBP waking slowly (unless it froze)
3. The Mac OS must be updated to 11.0.1 before an external screen will work. If you don't, it just won't recognize anything at all. It doesn't matter if the screen is plugged in directly or plugged in through a dock (Caldigit TS3+).
4. One external screen only - dual 4k external, or whatever you like, is not compatible with these first of the new generation. I'm sure this will be overcome with the next model, right??
5. The CalDigit TS3+ Dock kind of works with it, but not fully. After updating to 11.0.1 the screen that was plugged in and one screen worked, but it was like a strange double image, almost like a strong halo around contrasting edges like font.
6. RAM doesn't seem to matter. This seemed true on the iPad Pro, but I wondered about the computer. I saw one reviewer have a slew of applications open including exporting video and it ran like nothing was running. I'm not sure what to think because it defies everything i've known about memory for the past 30 years. I got the 16GB model because i'm hoping this last another 12 years for my wife.

The machine is super speedy. Battery is tremendous compared to my 16" MBP. Video exporting is so fast nothing else compares. the MBA will slow down a little but doesn't seem too restricted.

I think this will machine will become the new standard for audio editing and recording. I also think this will cut into Apple's sales of their high end models because it's so fast.

As I've stated several times:

1. Neither AMD nor Apple is going to change this as it appears to be a conscious design decision on AMD's part. Having to drive the VRAM at full speed seems to be something somehow needed by HDMI.
2. Your 2017 MBP 13 had a much less capable GPU.
3. GDDR6, the only VRAM they could use at the time, is notoriously power hungry.
4. Today, if researching, go for the 5600M GPU as it uses more expensive HBM2 VRAM that draws about ⅓ the power.
5. Just using 18w isn't an issue in itself. When driving my monitor the GPU does draw 18w but my fans never exceed 2500 RPM, so there is some additional factor.

Honestly, if you don't want to try a TB3 to MDP graphics adapter there aren't a lot of alternative solutions for you if you can't abide the fans.

PinStudios wrote:

So basically you have just proven that your macbook ramps up the fans just like any other macbook. 2500 is audible - not loud but clearly audible.

Not at all, not even with your head on it. Perhaps I have a magical sound deadening Mac.

If 2500 RPM is going to bother you, best get a new M1 MacBook Air or stick to an iOS device.

This makes me rather curious what you use your macbook for (i don't expect you to answer) since you "never heard fans ramp up" except when "performing a macos upgrade". Opening anything that loads cpu even by 15% will get it screaming @5500rpm if gpu runs in 20w mode.

That simply isn't the case. It's not like I launch apps then wait for the machine to cool before using it.

I do audio editing, Final Cut from time to time, and programming plus web surfing and the usual Zoom usage.

No noticeable fan noise, but in my configuration with the monitors I have on hand.

Cause right now it's you and 2-3 others who are fine with it and 250 pages of people (given 50% of comments are written by you, so it's 125 pages of other members) saying that computer is too loud when it shouldn't be based on previous experience (other macbooks with dgpu) and based on evidence provided in this thread (dgpu running in 5w mode with 2.5x higher load).

Honestly, I think the real problem is believing that an incredibly powerful Intel processor and one of the fastest dGPUs available means fans won't ramp up to high speed from time to time. I've stated that I can walk into Best Buy and do nothing more strenuous than pull up the Settings menu in Windows 10 on a number of laptops and hear their fans instantly jump up to speeds that would drive people on this thread insane. It's just a natural consequence of putting such powerful hardware into a constricted space. Apple never promised a silent experience and their thermal design is brilliant as it handles the load much better than comparable Windows laptops do.

Some here have played with display timings and have done other tricks to try and get the load down at the result of video performance that AMD deems unacceptable for their products. That's fine if it's important to you; Apple and AMD apparently don't deem it worthy of generating subpar graphics.

These devices generate heat, and that heat needs to go somewhere.

Most of the time the MBP 16 can handle it without the need to throttle. What's even more amazing is many people are doing the kind of tasks that really should be better done on either an iMac or Mac Pro and they expect a laptop to handle it quickly and silently. "My old MBP could do it" - yet its dGPU wasn't as powerful and you felt the need to upgrade.

If nothing else, neither Apple nor AMD were apparently happy with the situation because AMD did design and release the Radeon Pro 5600M GPU which uses less power at the cost of being much more expensive (as the more power efficient HBM2 VRAM is more expensive than the cheaper but more power hungry GDDR6 VRAM used on the 5300M and 5500M.) Apple is obviously further frustrated by the power demands of the Intel CPU or they never would've decided to move to Apple Silicon for new MacBook Pros.

Ultimately, if it bothers you, sell it and find something that does meet your needs. Get an MBP 16 with the 5600M, or a Windows laptop that's silent, if you can find one - certainly neither Dell nor HP make one comparable in my experience. Life's too short, and almost all businesses can find a way to leverage the increased productivity into greater client billings.

Using the number of people who post here as an indication of the feelings of the greater Mac community is also specious simply because the only people who seek out and post to this thread are people who are unhappy; owners who are thrilled with their laptops don't bother to come here and post that they are. I personally interact with a few hundred people who use MBP 16s every day in my job and they have no complaints. Likewise, a huge number of Apple employees have an MBP 16 as their personal machine that they use all day connected to external monitors either in the office at Apple (before COVID) or at home, and they have greater access to hold their coworkers' feet to the fire than we do. None of that, of course, changes the fact that you are unhappy or that other posters here or unhappy.

Thus my earlier admonition.

You can only deal with the equipment and options you have available.

You can either:

1. Live with what you have and find a way to minimize the fan noise/heat generation.
2. Sell your 5300M/5500M MBP 16 in favor of one with a 5600M.
3. Sell your MBP and go with a Windows PC and Live with the negative consequences of that decision.
4. Continue to complain here and be disappointed when the situation has not meaningfully changed this time next year.

This isn't to be dismissive or to belittle your concerns, it's simply being pragmatic and realizing that one has to make a decision based upon the products available.

I'm experiencing same issue with my 16" base model. I've tested it with this scenarios:

1. Clamshell + 2xFHD 60Hz Monitors = 5W - quiet and fairly cool
2. Open lid + 1 FHD 60Hz Monitor = 19W - noisy and an oven

This is realy annoying, as soon as i open my lid with external display conected, fans just goes crazy, even with just safari opened. I just wish to get an option to use intels gpu because i barely need that extra amd power, yet it makes laptop trash as a deskptop replacment. From what i've read this can be fixed by driver update because on bootcamp with drivers for windows this issue dosen't exists (?) but apple just ignore, and that is realy disappointing.

Hello everyone, I don't know how many people are still interested, but I just wanted to share my recent findings using SwitchResX.

My setup:

• MBP 16" 5300m
• 4K monitor (LG 27UD68-P) via USB-C -> DP
• 4K monitor (DELL U2720QM) via USB-C -> USB-C

Even in clamshell mode, this setup will cause ~20W in Radeon High Side because the 2 monitors are different.

I found 2 ways to get around this. First, you will need to use SwitchResX to match the Pixel Clock, Front Porch, etc of the two monitors. Then,

• Rotate one or both of the monitors 180 degrees - this will reduce Radeon High Side to be ~7W at idle

OR

• Turn on HDR on the DELL - this will also reduce Radeon High Side to ~7W.

Lastly, if you match the external display to the internal display using SwitchResX, then low wattage with lid open is possible, *BUT* the image on the external display would be a 16:10 image squashed into a 16:9 frame and is not aesthetically pleasing.

MBP 16" 2019, 2,4 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9, second screen (2560x1440) via HDMI via USB‑C Digital AV Multiport Adapter:

• 🚨 power on the right (USB-C port of MBP), second screen on the other right => MBP gets hot, fans are running loudly
• ✅ power on the right, second screen on the left => MBP stays cool, cannot hear fans until rubbing my ear on the touchbar

Maybe this "solution" has been told by before but couldn't find it and after reading some of the helpful answers, some first and last posts i thought it's worth a try to post this..

cheers

I picked up a new MBP 16" on 2019 December and have zero noise now (after months of trials, errors) - even till 44%CPU usage and with 2k monitor, but to achieve that I use:

• (a) Turbo Boost Switcher app to turn Intel Turbo boost off (the performance hit is negligent, approx 10-30% subject to app),
• (b) USB-C to HDMI connecting to Gigabyte gaming monitor (165h refresh rate, 2560x1440), but do note the connection on the left side (port),
• (c) charging and other USB accessories via USB-C hub on the right side (port).

Using Cubase (audio) to max (45% CPU) I get max 70 Celsius and fans at 1800 (sometimes till 2500 subject to audio project or some VST plugins)

If any of the points is not done or missed (especially Turbo OFF) then all falls

Latest update in my noisy MBP 16" saga ... I have now spent a lot of money on trying to sort this out, and have made some progress with the help of this thread. My machine (i9, 5500M) is now pretty quiet under normal usage (browsing etc.) with two 4k monitors connected in addition to the built in display:

• Dell U3219Q connected via USB3 cable to a port on the LHS
• LG 27UL500 connected via DP through a Caldigit TS3+ which is connected via TB to a port on the RHS

Right now the fans are running at around 2300 rpm which is totally fine for everyday browsing etc., but unfortunately when running Logic Pro (the main reason I bought this machine!) it spikes up significantly and for even a simple project with a few tracks it runs around 5000rpm. This is too loud for detailed editing and definitely too loud for recording in the same room.

At this point I'm just going to live with it, disconnect the external monitors when recording and wait until sufficient time has elapsed to justify a new machine. Given that this is my 11th Mac (first was a Mac SE in the late 80's) and my house is full of Apple stuff I guess it will end up being an M-series machine anyway.

its really a shame that apple is still no talking about that problem. Looks like they are afraid in thousends of lawsuits. I talked once "privat" with an apple support guy and he told me that the problem is well known but they have no solution for the Heat problem. For me it looks like, that product was "to hot cooked". To much technology in the thin housing.

I hope that post will stay for a few hours, because every time when I write something like this it will be deleted after a few hours.

Apple really dont want that problem to be heard out loud, that's my opinion

• sorry for poor English and Mr. Moderator - please dont delete it. I really love Apple