How does the 16 inch mbp work with external monitor while closed?

[dapa0s]

I want to buy one soon and replace my quad core 2019 13 inch mbp. I only use it for music (and browsing), so graphics are not that important, I just want more ram and more cores. I use it connected to an external monitor most of the time, and my mpb is amazingly quiet, and I’ve heard that the 16 inch is super loud when used closed and connected to an external monitor. Is this still an issue, or did Apple fix it with software updates? Any other glaring issues like that? For me, mbp staying quiet is pretty important, since I listen/compose/make music all the time..

 

[iCal]

I have a new 16 inch MBP and have never heard it make a noise. But I haven't done any hard rendering yet. I got a fast processor, 32GB of ram and a 2TB SSD. So I think what I am doing doesn't make it remotely excited and therefore no noisy fans needed.

 

[Crash0veride]

When any of the cores reach 100% or close sustained usage the fans kick up on mine, config in my signature. I haven’t noticed any particular difference with it closed and use it with external monitor(s) 70% of the time. It definitely makes some noise but it’s quieter than my previous 2009 MBP. Slightly quieter or on par with noise from my 2017 5k iMac. Under heavy rendering load it is quite loud, in my opinion. I expect the fans to be loud under heavy load though.

 

[SE0Master]

With an external monitor connected to the MacBook Pro 16-inch (no matter port) 99.5% of all 16-inch MacBook Pro (including my own) have the issue where the fans are spinning even though you are doing nothing on your Mac and it's getting hot over the Touch Bar. It's a bit annoying but you probably have headphones on, so you will not notice it. And the heat will not damage the internal hardware, but it runs a bit hot.

With no external monitor plugged in, mine is pretty silent even when I'm doing multiple things like writing an article, surfing the web with +50 tabs in Firefox and listening to music via Spotify, but of course the fans are kicking in when I open Lr, PS or Final Cut.

So keep this in mind.

 

[buran-energia]

16 mbp isn't super loud when you connect the display. Here is the problem.

- If you use your laptop's display and connect a monitor, the dGPU consumes 20 watts while idling. This will cause the fans to spin a bit higher, but it isn't loud. But this is just when idling. If you start pushing the CPU, it will get louder.

- If you use 1 external monitor and close the laptop, the dGPU uses much less power, the CPU will have more room to breath. Less heat, less noise.

- If you use 2 external monitors at the same resolution and refresh rate (and possible connect them via displayport or usb-c), it still uses less power than laptop's display + external.

So, the problem seems to be once you use the laptop's display and an external display or when using multiple displays with different resolutions or connection methods or refresh rate.

edit: as a test, I used a 1080p (hdmi) monitor and a laptop's display and got ~18W for dGPU. With the lid closed - 5W. A huge difference.

Keep in mind that even at idle and no usage the fans on the 15-16 inch models still constantly spin. And at least on the 16 inch, I can hear them in a quiet room (16 seems to be a bit noiser than 15 at idle). Only the 13 inch (and I assume 14 inch) turns off the fans completely, and you can't hear them even when they do spin up until a certain point.

 

[SE0Master]

16 mbp isn't super loud when you connect the display. Here is the problem.

- If you use your laptop's display and connect a monitor, the dGPU consumes 20 watts while idling. This will cause the fans to spin a bit higher, but it isn't loud. But this is just when idling. If you start pushing the CPU, it will get louder.

- If you use 1 external monitor and close the laptop, the dGPU uses much less power, the CPU will have more room to breath. Less heat, less noise.

- If you use 2 external monitors at the same resolution and refresh rate (and possible connect them via displayport or usb-c), it still uses less power than laptop's display + external.

So, the problem seems to be once you use the laptop's display and an external display...

My fans isn't super louad either, but you can hear them buzzing and spinning. Though it doesn't have any effect closing the MacBook for me. It's the same spinning open or closed for me. I like to use the 16-inch display as a 2nd monitor, and fortunately I don't experience any louder fans while having it open.

 

[Mark_EL]

I am using my 16” MPB frequently with a 1440p 27” monitor, and I can’t notice the fans spinning any louder then when I am using it without a second screen... So my machine must be that within that 0.5% then...

 

[buran-energia]

OP, if you can get by with 4 cores, don't need the larger screen, better speakers and the GPU power, I'd wait for the 14 inch. It should be upgradeable to 32 GB RAM, have a 10nm CPU and should be just as quiet as your current one. The only thing it probably won't have is more than 4 cores (but I didn't research).

My fans isn't super louad either, but you can hear them buzzing and spinning. Though it doesn't have any effect closing the MacBook for me. It's the same spinning open or closed for me. I like to use the 16-inch display as a 2nd monitor, and fortunately I don't experience any louder fans while having it open.

If it's just idling, then the "only" difference will be warm keyboard, hot top, CPU and GPU at 60C and the fans will be easier to ramp up during certain usage. After all, the difference between laptop's display plus external monitor versus just external seems to be around 15 watts, which I think is significant for a laptop. Those 15 watts are not disappearing anywhere.

 

[dapa0s]

Seems that people are having different experiences with their macbooks.. maybe the new ones are a bit better when it comes to fan noise?

OP, if you can get by with 4 cores, don't need the larger screen, better speakers and the GPU power, I'd wait for the 14 inch. It should be upgradeable to 32 GB RAM, have a 10nm CPU and should be just as quiet as your current one. The only thing it probably won't have is more than 4 cores (but I didn't research).

I was thinking about it, but I‘d rather get a 16 inch due to better speakers and bigger screen. I‘m a big guy so when I use the 13 inch I can balance it on one leg and on while on the desk I hunch over it and it‘s really uncomfortable. The new 14.1 inch will probably be the same size, so it will probably be the same problem for me.

 

[SE0Master]

OP, if you can get by with 4 cores, don't need the larger screen, better speakers and the GPU power, I'd wait for the 14 inch. It should be upgradeable to 32 GB RAM, have a 10nm CPU and should be just as quiet as your current one. The only thing it probably won't have is more than 4 cores (but I didn't research).



If it's just idling, then the "only" difference will be warm keyboard, hot top, CPU and GPU at 60C and the fans will be easier to ramp up during certain usage. After all, the difference between laptop's display plus external monitor versus just external seems to be around 15 watts, which I think is significant for a laptop. Those 15 watts are not disappearing anywhere.

Maybe but I can only tell what I'm experiencing. I have the fan noise from idling with an external monitor plugged in, like everyone else. But it doesn't change anything with temps or fan noise if I run in clamshell mode or open as a 2nd display. At least not for my unit. But definitely a bit disappointing with the fan noise from no where... My 15" 2018 MacBook Pro which has pretty decent specs doesn't have this problem. But well. I still like this computer, and it's going nowhere, lolz...

 

[buran-energia]

I was thinking about it, but I‘d rather get a 16 inch due to better speakers and bigger screen. I‘m a big guy so when I use the 13 inch I can balance it on one leg and on while on the desk I hunch over it and it‘s really uncomfortable. The new 14.1 inch will probably be the same size, so it will probably be the same problem for me.

I can tell that after using 16 inch, the 13 inch TB model feels like a laptop made for children. The screen feels that smaller. But it still has its uses, and I love the complete silence. My 13 inch is more like Macbook air now.

Mind you, the 16 inch is also very quiet by default, maybe even silent to most. It depends on your hearing and environment. I'm just hypersensitive to fan noise and also in a quiet room.

 

[XNorth]

Why are people afraid of noise? For browsing, light and causal usage, MBP is completely silent.

My MBP 16" lid close or open, Thunderbolt connected to a LG 32" 5K2K -- silent for Web browsing, Netflix, writing, light graphic use.

FCPX playback and rendering of multiple FX and color grading -- fan kicks up loud. This is not an issue, all normal, par for the course. It's all within design and specs. I have no need/interest to monitor CPU or GPU usage. The computer isn't going to burn or explode.

If you are a pro user, you know what to do to mitigate unwanted fan noise. If you are not a pro, just enjoy your MBP stress free.

 

[Camarillo Brillo]

My MBP 16" lid close or open, Thunderbolt connected to a LG 32" 5K2K -- silent for Web browsing, Netflix, writing, light graphic use.

Then consider yourself lucky, you don’t have the problem these people are talking about

 

[dapa0s]

I can tell that after using 16 inch, the 13 inch TB model feels like a laptop made for children. The screen feels that smaller. But it still has its uses, and I love the complete silence. My 13 inch is more like Macbook air now.

Mind you, the 16 inch is also very quiet by default, maybe even silent to most. It depends on your hearing and environment. I'm just hypersensitive to fan noise and also in a quiet room.

Thanks, I think I'll just get it and return it if it's really THAT bad. I'm also very sensitive when it comes to fan noise.

And yeah, the 13 inch really feels small. My girlfriend prefers it though since it's smaller and she can actually balance it on a lap and doesn't hunch when she uses it on a desk, but when I use it, it really does feel like a toy to me. A very expensive and powerful toy, but still...

 

[XNorth]

the problem

What's the "problem" exactly? The loud fans are proper functioning of these Apple notebook computers to prevent overheating.

I don't mean to sound insensitive and unsympathetic, but if the fan noise is a problem for the user, is it the fault of the computer?

iPad Pro, it's the perfect solution. It can handle email, browsing, video streaming, and much more. Virtually silent even during high rate FPS gaming.

 

[subjonas]

What's the "problem" exactly? The loud fans are proper functioning of these Apple notebook computers to prevent overheating.

I don't mean to sound insensitive and unsympathetic, but if the fan noise is a problem for the user, is it the fault of the computer?

iPad Pro, it's the perfect solution. It can handle email, browsing, video streaming, and much more. Virtually silent even during high rate FPS gaming.

I thought it was pretty clear the problem they’re talking about in this thread. It’s not loud fans when the computer is doing heavy work (that’s a given)—it’s when the computer is doing little to nothing yet the fans are blasting, simply because it’s connected to an external monitor. That has generally not been an issue with MBPs in the past. This happening for a number of people specifically on the 16” MBP indicates that something is not functioning correctly, hence a problem.

 

[Camarillo Brillo]

“The problem” has been explained in detail in numerous threads here. The computer gets too hot too easily when external monitors are connected, or when certain software triggers high power use by the Radeon card. The processor tends to run about 20 degrees Celsius hotter when the Radeon card is using excessive amounts of power. It causes the whole touchbar area to get hot to the touch, fans spin at 4-5k under minimal load, and the battery will actually drain while plugged into power because the stupid Radeon card is turning 15-20 watts of power into heat - both heating up the cpu and other components, and taking power away that could go to the cpu when needed. But the thing is, I know the Radeon doesn’t have to use that much power because in certain scenarios it only uses 2-4 watts. Apparently your monitor/cable is one of those situations, or you would be experiencing more eat and fan noise under no load.

 

[XNorth]

Someone above said "99.5%" of 16 inch MBPs have overheating and loud fan when connected to a monitor even doing nothing. Sounds to me like an unfounded assertion, unnecessarily spreading disinformation. Where’s the source that can confirm this? I must be one of the lucky few in the .05% with a properly working MPB. I hear nothing but the keyboard as I type this on a 16" MPB and 32" monitor.

 

[ironjaw]

I would be interested to know if anyone has tried 4 external monitors on the 13 inch MacBook Pro (4 ports) or 16 inch MacBook Pro? I'm not talking 4K but regular 1080p monitors like the Dell 2419HC