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MacBook Airs - Have they got quieter?

johnhackworth

johnhackworth

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 5, 2011
114
115
UK
Hi,

I have a 2011 i7 13" MacBook Air. The only serious issue with it (for me) is that it gets very noisy as soon as the CPU becomes moderately active.

Are the 2013 models (both 11" and 13") significantly quieter as my 2011 MBA is quite distracting to listen too?

Best Regards,

Julian.
 
PBG4 Dude

PBG4 Dude

macrumors 601
Jul 6, 2007
4,267
4,478
Just FYI, the current models were released June, 2012. One of the changes were to asymmetric fans (these fans were introduced as a new feature on the 2012 MBAs and rMBPs) that supposedly makes things quieter.

I haven't heard the fans yet on my 2012 11" MBA, but I mostly do coding with associated web lookups and pdf viewing (i.e. not a heavy load except for short bursts of compiling and running iOS emulator).
 
M

Mrbobb

macrumors 603
Aug 27, 2012
5,009
209
johnhackworth said:
Are the 2013 models (both 11" and 13") significantly quieter as my 2011 MBA is quite distracting to listen too?
Click to expand...


2013 not yet available.

If the 2011 still working for you otherwise and you are not afraid, can always attempt a heatsink re-paste see if it makes a difference, and while you are in there give it a new, well-lubricated fan.
 
Boyd01

Boyd01

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 21, 2012
7,679
4,563
New Jersey Pine Barrens
I have a late 2011 13" MBA with the i5 CPU. The noisy fans will kick in with extreme activity, but for the kind of stuff I typically do that isn't very often. Recording in Logic Pro for an extended period can cause it to happen. Almost never happens while using Photoshop, Vectorworks, FileMaker, iTunes, Safari, Office, etc.

But I think it's pretty sensitive to ambient room temperature. If the room is warmer than, say, 75 degrees F (24c), the fans will kick into high much more often. If the room temperature is 68f (20c) the fans almost never kick in.
 
C

coldjeanzzz

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2012
655
17
When I play heavy Steam games

or watch high quality videos on battery power for a long time then I hear the fans

Otherwise never at all (late 2012 MBA)
 
C

CoMoMacUser

macrumors 65816
Jun 28, 2012
1,022
331
I bought a 2012 MBA in July. I've heard the fan exactly once: when upgrading from Lion to Mountain Lion.
 
Drew017

Drew017

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2011
1,254
11
East coast, USA
My 11 inch Air (mid 2011) is the quietest computer I've ever owned… OP You might want to spray some compressed air on the keyboard and on the back vent to get any debris away from the fans etc. This might make it a lot quieter ;)
 
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