Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Mac Pro 4,1 Fan noise
- Thread starter knowhate
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Which fans are too loud? IStat will display the speed for each fan. I'd be curious to see what iStat is showing.
They all appear to be going faster than normal. But it's the Booster fans that are really going fast.
Intake and Exhaust are only modestly faster than normal and would not be audible at 957rpm.
Expansion is about 400rpm above normal but still not fast enough to be very noisy.
The Booster fans would be kind of noisy at 2500rpm. They would normally be running at 1100 each.
How long has it been like this? Did you ever bring it to Apple?
Those fan speeds are quite strange. Who would have thought an SMC reset would make the Booster fans speed up even more???
The Booster fans are mounted inside each cpu heat sink. They are more insulated than the other fans and are, therefore, harder to hear. But at those rpms, they would be kind of noisy.
I just cannot imagine what's causing those CPU fans to spin so fast. Perhaps you could pull the CPU tray and remove the heatsinks just to have a look around under there. Mabye put some new thermal paste on the processors.
Probably won't fix the problem, but it's worth a look.
I guess this all started after Apple Care expired? Bringing to Apple would be your best bet, I think.
Sorry to hear about your fan speed problem. Though this may not be the solution, you can try a SMC Reset http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
A second option is a Hardware Reset which you will disassemble all the internal parts and place them back in so as to reset everything.
The 4870 indeed is very noisy when loaded.
Anyway, did you ever try to do a clean OSX install? It may fix the CPU fan problem.
Also, I've experienced quite a few times that high fan speed after SMC reset. Don't know the reason. My fix is
1) Open smcFanControl
2) set all the fan to 100%
3) wait for about 10 seconds
4) set it back to default
The fans may need few minutes to slowly get back to the normal speed. This usually able to fix the problem. No need to do another SMC + PRAM reset.
If the graphic card fan speed too high without any loading. Run LuxMark benchmark once usually able to fix the problem.
But these work around only works if there is no real loading to the CPU / GPU. If there is some software issue (e.g. kernel task keep running at 100%), the CPU fan of course will run high to protect the CPU and try to cool it down. You may check the Energy tap in activity monitor to see if there is anything loaded up your Mac, and cause the CPU hotter than normal.
Anyway, did you ever try to do a clean OSX install? It may fix the CPU fan problem.
Also, I've experienced quite a few times that high fan speed after SMC reset. Don't know the reason. My fix is
1) Open smcFanControl
2) set all the fan to 100%
3) wait for about 10 seconds
4) set it back to default
The fans may need few minutes to slowly get back to the normal speed. This usually able to fix the problem. No need to do another SMC + PRAM reset.
If the graphic card fan speed too high without any loading. Run LuxMark benchmark once usually able to fix the problem.
But these work around only works if there is no real loading to the CPU / GPU. If there is some software issue (e.g. kernel task keep running at 100%), the CPU fan of course will run high to protect the CPU and try to cool it down. You may check the Energy tap in activity monitor to see if there is anything loaded up your Mac, and cause the CPU hotter than normal.
Last edited:
You could give this a shot. I'm using it on a 2009 5,1 since a while
http://www.crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control
v1.1.11 works perfect to create a well balanced performance/heat/loudness setting.
http://www.crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control
v1.1.11 works perfect to create a well balanced performance/heat/loudness setting.
Last edited:
I used to run a 4870, and as others have said, it is very loud under load. That said, when not stressed, it was no louder than any other fan.
One possibility worth considering, depending on your 4870's history, could be failure of some sort.
After 4 years of service mine became increasingly loud over a period of weeks, even at idle. Despite being fairly clean, I cleaned the dust out, to no avail, which led me suspect a mechanical failure of some sort in the actual GPU fan (sound became less 'fan'-like, more mechanical grinding. Bearings perhaps?)
I elected to replace the whole GPU as it didn't make sense to me to put money into a 5 year old GPU, but if you've got parts available replacing the fan could be an option.
Maybe your graphics card needs to be replaced. The 7950 I put in my Mac Pro 4,1 works well and is quiet.
In my Hex Mac Pro, the idle RPM is 600 for most of the fan, and the booster fan is around 900RPM.
Thanks. All my fans were around 1000 rpm and boost fans were up around 1900.
Still under applecare. Brought it into Apple store. They are running further tests. They were really cagey when I asked what the exact rpm's for the box should be and would not provide an exact number, only that mine seemed a little high. I got the impression that if nothing turns up on a test, I am on my own.
Still under applecare. Brought it into Apple store. They are running further tests. They were really cagey when I asked what the exact rpm's for the box should be and would not provide an exact number, only that mine seemed a little high. I got the impression that if nothing turns up on a test, I am on my own.
hex 3.46 GHz idling
Booster Fan CPU A: 850 RPM
Exhaust Fan: 600 RPM
Fan Expansion Slots: 800 RPM
Intake Fan: 600 RPM
Power Supply Fan: 600 RPM
all five fans running at their specified lower limit, except Booster Fan which has a lower limit of 800 RPM.
Booster Fan CPU A: 850 RPM
Exhaust Fan: 600 RPM
Fan Expansion Slots: 800 RPM
Intake Fan: 600 RPM
Power Supply Fan: 600 RPM
all five fans running at their specified lower limit, except Booster Fan which has a lower limit of 800 RPM.
You can simply install SMC fan control, and read the default fan lower limit from it's default fan profile setting.
hex = 6-core
Hardware Monitor (licensed version) shows the upper and lower limits.
http://www.bresink.com/osx/HardwareMonitor.html
Perhaps the TE has the Northbridge Chip cooler problem? What's the temp of the Northbridge Chip in °C?
Doing a search, it looks like the ATI 4870 can get very hot and loud when under loading conditions. The recent versions of OS X puts much more stress on the GPU then older versions.
I just upgraded my Mac Pro 2009, from the original 8x2.26 to 12x3.33, while I was "in there" I upgraded the Airport to AC and BT 4.0, 5870 to 7950. The only problem I have is Booster 1 (Fan I assume) is 0rpm, the fans are revving pretty high and this is at 0. I'm currently using Macs Control Fan to bring the noise down and have set 2 fans (intake and exhaust) to Ambient.
Is Booster1 the CPU A heatsink fan? Anyone I can tell if its likely to be damaged?
Is Booster1 the CPU A heatsink fan? Anyone I can tell if its likely to be damaged?
https://web.archive.org/web/2013102...Photography/2013/07/08/mac-pro-2009-part-tbd/
and pictures
http://puier.lofter.com/post/80c4b_6a8195
Booster is a fan inside the cooler (main cpu cooler). CPU A is the rear CPU. I think your fan connector has no contact.
If one fan don't work, it is not very intelligent to use Software like Macs Control Fan and ignore the problem. You will destroy your CPU by overheating.
SOLVE THE PROBLEM that you caused by your bad tech skills!
Last edited: