2016 15' MBP Fan Noise

[DeanPuwananuwat]

edit: Upon reading several threads here (which never showed up on Google), I've taken my laptop from the stand (my laptop sleeve allows for a 20 degree angle stand) and I can hardly hear the fan anymore. So not sure if this is a design principle from Apple?

To those that have the 2016 15' MBP w/ Touchbar - how quiet can the fan get for you? I noticed my fan is somewhat audible from a normal sitting position (i.e. chair), but not loud enough to be gravely concerned about it.

I did spend a solid 8 hours on Photoshop last night from 3pm to 11; but it should be cooled down overnight. It somewhat did this morning, but the touch bar and the upper part of the keyboard was still lukewarm. I can guarantee I did shut down the computer properly last night after using Photoshop.

I've not used my MBP since last night and I only just back from work few minutes ago (11:02pm as I'm writing here) - the fan noise is still there but the touch bar and keyboard has cooled down now. In spite of that, I have reset the NVRAM (which really has little to no effect in this issue) as well as the SRC. I've also ran Apple's official diagnostics tool, which did put the fan completely quiet until I reboot the computer and the fan noise came back on again.

Considering I've spent almost $4,000 NZD as well as having the opportunity to exchange it during the 14 day period (I only got this on Tuesday) - I might as well know what's best for me to do: exchange it or keep it as it is.

~ smcFanControl reads as 32 degrees Celsius with left fan running at 2160 rpm and right fan running at 2,000rpm. I know these are the default and minimal values for the fans of the MBP. As I'm no hardware expert, does someone know if fans are meant to be audible at this speed or not?

~~ Activity Monitor looks good AFAIK. Idle CPU is in the 90s, and regardless whether I am on discrete or Intel graphics, fan noise is audible.

 

[john.simatos]

Idle CPU in the 90s? Damn dude. Take it back. Mine idles at around 50 and I can only hear the fan if i stick my face into it. I've only ever heard the fan spin up when gaming and it was barely audible from 2m away.

 

[andy9l]

It's impossible for anyone else to tell you if the noise you're hearing is normal since no-one is sat in the same room and position as you with the same acoustic conditions. People have different perceptions of "audible" as you can see from the above post.

If the exhausts on your MacBook are facing in to a stand/case/wall, you'll of course get sound directed back at you from that.

I would definitely suggest uninstalling any fan control software. It's just not needed. I assume by "idle CPU in the 90s" you meant 90% idle? Not 90C at idle?

The touch-bar area will almost always be lukewarm due to the layout of the internals. The same area above the keyboard heats up on all MacBooks I've seen since 2009 (rMB/Air/MBP). My MBPs used to get almost too hot to touch, and my rMB gets pretty steamy too in that top area. If you look at the internals, you can see why (similar layout for 15"). Presumably they lay it out like this to avoid extremely hot areas where you'd rest your palms/wrists.

If you're concerned, why don't you take it to Apple and get them to check it?

 

[DeanPuwananuwat]

It's impossible for anyone else to tell you if the noise you're hearing is normal since no-one is sat in the same room and position as you with the same acoustic conditions. People have different perceptions of "audible" as you can see from the above post.

If the exhausts on your MacBook are facing in to a stand/case/wall, you'll of course get sound directed back at you from that.

I would definitely suggest uninstalling any fan control software. It's just not needed. I assume by "idle CPU in the 90s" you meant 90% idle? Not 90C at idle?

The touch-bar area will almost always be lukewarm due to the layout of the internals. The same area above the keyboard heats up on all MacBooks I've seen since 2009 (rMB/Air/MBP). My MBPs used to get almost too hot to touch, and my rMB gets pretty steamy too in that top area. If you look at the internals, you can see why (similar layout for 15"). Presumably they lay it out like this to avoid extremely hot areas where you'd rest your palms/wrists.

If you're concerned, why don't you take it to Apple and get them to check it?

Yes sorry (and to the user who replied first to me) - meant to be 90% idle.

I'm truly well aware of these fan control apps - particularly smcFancontrol which has not been optimised yet for MBP w/ Touchbars yet. Wanted to get an idea of what the speeds are and so forth.

I'm not sure but it seemed better if I took the laptop off the stand and laid it on the desk flat (i.e. The noise mostly goes away). So I assume this is part of Apple's engineering when it comes to the fans.

Since New Zealand does not have an official Apple Store, my only option is for Apple to request TNT to pick up my Mac and send it back to Apple in Australia, so Apple can send a new one to me in return.

At this stage, I'm more inclined just to keep it as it is.

Ta

 

[andy9l]

Ok, and if you hold your MacBook in the air and tilt it towards you slowly there's no obvious angle at which things start getting noisy?

Assuming not, it doesn't sound like you have a problem - just sensitive hearing and a touch of buyer's remorse!

 

[DeanPuwananuwat]

Ok, and if you hold your MacBook in the air and tilt it towards you slowly there's no obvious angle at which things start getting noisy?

Assuming not, it doesn't sound like you have a problem - just sensitive hearing and a touch of buyer's remorse!

I will have to check that first thing in the morning.

A first for someone to tell me I have sensitive hearing !

 

[kbk75]

I can never hear the fans on my 15" tMBP when it's idling. In fact I don't even hear them until things start getting too toasty, when it's being pushed. I'd say something's wrong if yours has audible fans when the machine is just idling. What rpm are they running?

 

[andy9l]

I can never hear the fans on my 15" tMBP when it's idling. In fact I don't even hear them until things start getting too toasty, when it's being pushed. I'd say something's wrong if yours has audible fans when the machine is just idling. What rpm are they running?

Tells someone that what they're experiencing isn't normal.

Hasn't actually read what they're experiencing.

smcFanControl reads as 32 degrees Celsius with left fan running at 2160 rpm and right fan running at 2,000rpm. I know these are the default and minimal values for the fans of the MBP.

 

[Sanpete]

The fan noise is normally at about the level of background noise, so it isn't able to be heard. But in very quiet environments you may be able to hear it, or if you put your ear up close. i wasn't aware of the directionality of the sound, but that makes sense, given how the vents are situated.

 

[kbk75]

Tells someone that what they're experiencing isn't normal.

Hasn't actually read what they're experiencing.

Ever consider that the OP has changed the text of their original message, so perhaps that's why responses may appear to not be exactly what they're asking about? Just a thought.

To those that have the 2016 15' MBP w/ Touchbar - how quiet can the fan get for you?

Edit: my response still stands, regardless of fan rpm, at idle the fans on my 15" aren't audible to me.

 

[Calby]

My fan's are not running at all at idl MacBook Pro 2016 13" or when I use it just little, I can't hear my fans until they get up about 2500rpm.

Download Mac Fan Control and try, just put it back to auto when your done and all 'll bee like it's original are.

 

[andy9l]

Ever consider that the OP has changed the text of their original message, so perhaps that's why responses may appear to not be exactly what they're asking about? Just a thought.

Original post:

Last edited: Today at 10:37 AM

Your post:

Today at 2:48 PM

Enough on this now.

---

There's so much misinformation in this thread. The fans in all MBPs are always running whilst the machine is on and not in Sleep mode. For some people, this will be audible, for others it will not. Depends on room/position/hearing/so many other factors.

We're trying to work out if the OP has a problem with their fans.
[doublepost=1487880416][/doublepost]

My fan's are not running at all at idl MacBook Pro 2016 13" or when I use it just little.

Then you have a serious problem with your MacBook, take it to Apple immediately.

 

[Calby]

Original post:


Your post:


Enough on this now.

---

There's so much misinformation in this thread. The fans in all MBPs are always running whilst the machine is on and not in Sleep mode. For some people, this will be audible, for others it will not. Depends on room/position/hearing/so many other factors.

We're trying to work out if the OP has a problem with their fans.
[doublepost=1487880416][/doublepost]

Then you have a serious problem with your MacBook, take it to Apple immediately.

Nope, MacBook Pro 2016 are made like that if the fan's don't need to run it don't run at all.

 

[andy9l]

Nope, MacBook Pro 2016 are made like that if the fan's don't need to run it don't run at all.

If that's the case I stand corrected, but I haven't seen anything about this?

 

[kbk75]

With a CPU that's running at < 10% load and ~2000 rpm fans, I'd imagine the machine should be near-as-makes-no-difference, silent. Certainly not audible at normal usage distances, over ambient room sounds, unless you're in an exceptionally quiet room, with no air conditioning sound or anything.

It's one of the things I like best about the 2016 MBP, actually, how cool and quiet it runs under normal to medium use. I've had fans, Vantec Tornados, in old desktop computers that made my ears bleed from the sound they made. How far we've come since then!

OP, does the sound the fans make at idle upset you to the point where it's worth exchanging the notebook? Do you have access to a store where they have demo units running so you can carry your unit in, and compare the sound yours makes to that of the demo units? I'd say if the fan sound is roughly the same as that of other 15" 2016 MBPs, you're taking a risk in swapping your unit for another, because there are quite a few cosmetic and mechanical issues that some users are reporting with new MBPs. Still, if the sound bothered me, I'd probably do something about it, if I had the option.

 

[mcomp112]

OK, this thread made me kind of paranoid about a defect so I just went around my office and tested 5 MacBook Pros, including my own, for fan noise:

- Three 2016 15-inch MacBook Pros had audible fan noise but this noise was difficult to hear outside of a very quiet meeting room (2.6, 2.7, 2.7)
- One 2016 13-inch non touch bar MacBook Pro had audible fan noise but was difficult to hear even in a very quiet meeting room (2.0)
- One 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro had audible fan noise and can be heard even in an open work-space if you actually try to hear it (2.8)

 

[DeanPuwananuwat]

Ok, and if you hold your MacBook in the air and tilt it towards you slowly there's no obvious angle at which things start getting noisy?

Assuming not, it doesn't sound like you have a problem - just sensitive hearing and a touch of buyer's remorse!

I held the MacBook in the air and regardless of the angle and position it's in - things don't start to get noisy.

However, if I leave it on the stand of my sleeve, I can clearly hear the fan running. I might as well just get used to it given that it is the only time when I can hear the fans while the laptop is idle.

 

[andy9l]

Hmm, in that case I think that stand design is just amplifying the otherwise faint sound from your fans.

The space underneath will likely echo the small vibrations from the laptop (caused by fan movement).

Doesn't sound like there's anything wrong with your Mac

 

[Sanpete]

There's so much misinformation in this thread. The fans in all MBPs are always running whilst the machine is on and not in Sleep mode.

Nope, MacBook Pro 2016 are made like that if the fan's don't need to run it don't run at all.

My understanding is that for the 13" models the fans don't spin when the machine isn't warm, but on the 15" models they always spin at least 2000 RPM, slightly more on one side than the other.

(By the way, I don't think you can tell from when a post was last edited whether it was edited earlier.)

 

[DeanPuwananuwat]

Hmm, in that case I think that stand design is just amplifying the otherwise faint sound from your fans.

The space underneath will likely echo the small vibrations from the laptop (caused by fan movement).

Doesn't sound like there's anything wrong with your Mac

I guess I will just keep it as it is.

My understanding is that for the 13" models the fans don't spin when the machine isn't warm, but on the 15" models they always spin at least 2000 RPM, slightly more on one side than the other.

(By the way, I don't think you can tell from when a post was last edited whether it was edited earlier.)

Are you referring to the 13' Touch bar models (just out of curiosity) ?

 

[Sanpete]

Are you referring to the 13' Touch bar models (just out of curiosity) ?

Both touch bar and non.

 

[Boneheadxan]

I tried a test between the 2013 15" MBP vs a 2016 15" MBP in an extremely quiet room (own a mastering studio);

The 2013 idles at around 55 - 60C for me. I think it's gone up over the years. When running at full load during sessions, the temperature ramps up to around 90C. The fans are quite audible running at full speed.

The 2016 idles at around 33 - 35C. I've tested a few sessions and some games on this and so far the max temperature it's hit is around 70C with fans running around 3000rpm. I was quite impressed with this performance since it runs cooler and quieter which is quite beneficial for me.

This test is only partially accurate because I feel the fans on the 2013 might have collected a lot of dust and I can hear some kind of noise on the left fan. But, even I noticed that at idle, I could hear the 2016's fans a bit more than the 2013's. In normal use, outside of the studio I never hear the fans.

 

[kbk75]

I held the MacBook in the air and regardless of the angle and position it's in - things don't start to get noisy.

However, if I leave it on the stand of my sleeve, I can clearly hear the fan running. I might as well just get used to it given that it is the only time when I can hear the fans while the laptop is idle.

Yup, that's pretty clear now. The slight gap between the desk and the fans, coupled with the location and angle of the fans, is amplifying the sound of the usually pretty quiet fans.

 

[Calby]

My MBP 2016 13" and I'm sitting normal distans from the MBP as you should do when your working with it.
Up to 2700rpm - no sound at all.
2800 - 3300rpm - a little sound
from 3300rpm - it 'll increase all the time.

Basically at 3300rpm your doing some heavy **** so it should go up and a fan on that rpm level 'll sound a bitt.
And yes I hate the sound but it is what it is.

Normal level for me is 0rpm - 1200rpm so I don't have any issues with the sound but sometimes it's going up to 2800rpm then it start making some kind of sound.

I'm using Mac fan Control to control the fan's did it to give you the best examples that I can.


Example:
I did run Windows 10 in Parallels with 4 CPU and 4 GB of ram attached to the VM.
Then my fan did go up to 1200rpm.
But then it's not my usual "work level" I use to code and write in Word so.

 

[DeanPuwananuwat]

Thanks for the heads up guys. One less thing for me to worry about at the moment!