MacBook 16-inch Fan Noise

Spinnn

Yes. I run dual 4k displays when at work and it's silent. If I am exporting multiple videos from FCPx it will warm up to 80-90 and as soon as it's done it cools right back down.

I have run the same test being talked about with 1 4k screen connected, as asked here, and provided the results and it was the same.

If am not connected to anything at all it is cooler (around 40) but the fans are rarely heard even with externals connected, clamshell or not, through a dock or direct. The temperatures when connected directly hover around 59C, driving all 3 screens. I can see there is more power being used 0.08, 7, 20 watts depending on what is going on or how the connection is on the RFS. But the fans do not get loud on any of these.

You could look through the conversations if you want to and find the results in screenshots but the way Apple has been they might have been removed.

If I hear my fans running and I don't know why (which is rare), I check activity monitor and it shows the rogue app (usually a browser tab). My fans never are audible under regular use. I was watching them today and the fans were between 1700 and 1900 RPM's even when istat showed 65C. At one point during exporting from Affinity the temperatures went up to 95 and the fans became very audible at 4500 RPM. As soon as it was done they slowly went back down to 1800.

I consider this completely normal operation. If you don't see something in Activity monitor such as high CPU and/or GPU usage and your fans are running loudly, I consider that a problem with that unit because the fans should not be audible when idle for any computer.

TimUzzanti wrote:

To make matters worse, Bootcamp is unusable (another marketed feature) and is throttled significantly compared to MacOS because Windows and its drivers aren't nearly as efficient as MacOS. Again, another symptom of a bigger problem. I have posted this previously; we use Bootcamp heavily on all previous MBP generations but have instructed all employees to not use it to avoid hardware issues until there is a solution.

Out of curiosity, why use Bootcamp as opposed to a virtualization solution like VirtualBox?

If you plan on using a single monitor, two monitors, three monitors or Bootcamp... all capabilities Apple markets to its consumers... you will hit thermal conditions that will impact your laptop performance and/or longevity.

Do you have proof of that longevity claim?

I guess I have the same numbers as you, in fact. I just did a test while running Intel Power monitoring app. When I connect an external monitor and don't open any pro app, the iddle temperature is, like you, about 59 (fans barely audible). When I open Logic Pro X with an 8-track project (nothing fancy, one or two plugins), CPU requested frequency is 5 GHz (!) and so everything starts heating up... I can see the temp ramping to close to 100C. Same as when I open Dorico Pro 3 (music scoring app): CPU requested freq is 5GHz, and here we go... temp ramping. So I guess these macs are configured to jump straight to their full potential and thus create heat to sustain all that power...

What is disappointing is that the same tasks I did with my good old late2013 quad-core i7, now request fans to spin up until they're really audible!

I bought MBP 16" a beginning of December, and Rainbow was circling when I set up the Mail App. All of sudden MBP sounded like a Dyson Vacuum Cleaner. Machine was beautiful, but I returned it next day. i9, 64 GB RAM, 8 GB AMD with 1 TB SSD.

NO External Monitor connected. It did not behave like $4K machine, and will not last many years like my other MBP, one of them 7 years old, still works like a brand new.

Please specify the date you bought your MBP. Especially people who have no Issues.

So we know if Apple made some changes in last few month.

Thank you,

" It did not behave like $4K machine, and will not last many years like my other MBP, one of them 7 years old, still works like a brand new."

Very strong blanket statement. You have no proof of this, obviously.

Spinnn,

The statement you made:

When you open Logic Pro X with an 8-track project (nothing fancy, one or two plugins), CPU request frequency is 5 GHz (!) and so everything starts heating up..

thats exactly what Happens to me ..same number of tracks (nothing fancy, one or two plugins),

what I can’t understand is my old 2012 iMac 27” would run those same specs you without requesting a fan?

RICHD101 wrote:

what I can’t understand is my old 2012 iMac 27” would run those same specs you without requesting a fan?

iMacs have a completely different thermal design and are much larger inside, so they cool more efficiently.

TailsDog wrote:

We have already seen some posters have already had some fatal incidents after high heat situations, so I wouldn't doubt the strong possibility for decreased longevity.

We also have zero proof their issues were due in any way to heat.

Hello!

Macbook pro 16-inch with connected external monitor GPU running with 19w on Catalina, when Macbook Pro 15-inch running 11-13w on Mojave at the same display/resolution. So i make conclusion about driver or software issue that need to be fixed. It's not about fan size or something. When GPU always running at high load voltage it will cause heat and thats why fans kicked in.

So my question to Apple. When this issue get fixed? Thanks!

s_goltsov wrote:

Macbook pro 16-inch with connected external monitor GPU running with 19w on Catalina, when Macbook Pro 15-inch running 11-13w on Mojave at the same display/resolution. So i make conclusion about driver or software issue that need to be fixed. It's not about fan size or something. When GPU always running at high load voltage it will cause heat and thats why fans kicked in.

You simply cannot compare two computers with different thermal designs, different CPUs and different GPUs like that.

I compare with external monitor, not with each other, please read with more attention. So you think run max voltage with 1080p monitor is normal or what? Then why 15 inch mac don't do that? Because of hardware? Why when i closed its running with 5w voltage then 19w?

Its not about: "OMG my fans running so loud" or "Why my mac getting heat, please help me".

I already explain my position. Now explain your point of view, please :)

I think you delete the apps that are telling you the power draw of various system components and just sit down and use your computer normally and don't worry about it unless it goes into thermal shutdown.

Once again, unless you are comparing a different computer using identical components, you can't directly compare power draw or other statistics.

No external monitor, same Logic Pro X project. CPU request frequency is 4.40 GHz, temp is averaging at 55. No fan noise. So clearly, connecting the external monitor makes everything worse in terms of heat generation and CPU utilization... Anyway, only Apple engineers can sort this as they have the necessary technical knowledge and access to every system component be it software or hardware...

Nothing to say about what?

I already said you cannot compare an old MacBook Pro to a newer one.

Different hardware, different CPUs, different GPUs and a different thermal design.

Your query is like comparing a Ford Mustang with a four-cylinder engine with one with the V8; they're both Ford Mustangs but completely different designs under the hood.

Well we can compare a newer model to its predecessor because that is what people do and it's part of the same product line.

The point is there is an anomaly when using an external monitor with the 2019 16'' MBP. I don't want to go back to using my older 15'' because it has a janky keyboard.