Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

GMunroe

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 24, 2012
49
1
From what I understand the default speed of the booster 1 fan in a Mac Pro 5,1 should be 600 rpm. I am mentioning this due to the low "whirring" I am hearing with the mac on the desk 2 - 3 ft from my sitting position. I hear reports of these things being whisper silent. Wondering if I am having an issue. CPU temps remain @34 Celsius. The 5870 seems to run a little hot though.

Anyhow just wondering if this normal?
 

pastrychef

macrumors 601
Sep 15, 2006
4,719
1,417
New York City, NY
My Booster 1 and Booster 2 are at 1182rpm.
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2013-10-05 at 11.38.54 AM.png
    Screen Shot 2013-10-05 at 11.38.54 AM.png
    20 KB · Views: 283

flowrider

macrumors 604
Nov 23, 2012
7,071
2,827
I run both Booster fans @ about 2300 RPM (using smcFanControl) because I want to keep both of my W5590s cool. The slight whir is really not that noticeable.

Lou
 

Studio K

macrumors 6502
Feb 17, 2013
361
7
United States
From what I understand the default speed of the booster 1 fan in a Mac Pro 5,1 should be 600 rpm. I am mentioning this due to the low "whirring" I am hearing with the mac on the desk 2 - 3 ft from my sitting position. I hear reports of these things being whisper silent. Wondering if I am having an issue. CPU temps remain @34 Celsius. The 5870 seems to run a little hot though.

Anyhow just wondering if this normal?

Do you have single-processor mac pro? Or Dual?

'Normal' speed for BOOST fan in single=856 rpms.
'Normal' speed for BOOST fans in dual=1113 rpms each.
 

DanielCoffey

macrumors 65816
Nov 15, 2010
1,207
30
Edinburgh, UK
Back when the 5,1 3.33 in my sig had an Apple 5870, one small SSD and one HDD I saw...

PCI 800
BoostA 856
Exhaust 600
Power 600
Intake 600

Ambient 22C

Now, having replaced the 5870 with a 7950, adding the Rocket 640L and changing to two SSDs I still see...

PCI 800
BoostA 856
Exhaust 600
Power 600
Intake 600

Ambient 24C

This is on a machine that has very recently been *thoroughly* dusted.
 

GMunroe

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 24, 2012
49
1
This tells me that I am actually running cooler than most. Good to hear. My main concern is that it may be the source of the steady whir I hear as all other speeds are hovering around the defaults. Tried a radio shack meter and it read 53 db at the tower, not registering ear height at my seat. +/- 60 db is as the low as meter will go..

If this is normal it's not something I am going to worry about. It gets drowned out when the forced air is on from the heat pump. Just reading posts about whisper quiet threw me off.
 
Last edited:

Macsonic

macrumors 68000
Sep 6, 2009
1,677
85
Hi GMunroe. Your Boost fans seems normal. Their fan speed also depends much on your Ambient temp.
 

Inconsequential

macrumors 68000
Sep 12, 2007
1,978
1
If I remember correctly the ratio for the Boost fans to the Intake/Exhaust fans are as follows:

SP: 1.425x
DP: 1.85x


So given that Intake/Exhaust min is 600, the min speeds are:

SP: 855 RPM
DP: 1110 RPM

Give or take.
 

Studio K

macrumors 6502
Feb 17, 2013
361
7
United States
If I remember correctly the ratio for the Boost fans to the Intake/Exhaust fans are as follows:

SP: 1.425x
DP: 1.85x
So given that Intake/Exhaust min is 600, the min speeds are:
SP: 855 RPM
DP: 1110 RPM

Give or take.

I was under the impression that the minimums (according to Apple's SMC firmware) were 855 for BOOST and 600 for INTAKE/EXHAUST. 1113 (or 1110) BOOST for Dual Processor.

I've never seen iStat report any of these 3 fans on my single-processor Mac Pro spin slower than the rpm's mentioned above.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.