Mbp 16 i7 vs i9 fan noise

[JimboF]

So I'm increasingly annoyed with the noise my i9 MBP 16 makes. Might look into this turbo switch app if it will help.

But it raises the question - what do you need the turbo boost for?

My usage is simple - Connected to a USB-C monitor, Office for Mac, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Chrome, Safari, Apple Music. I'm fed up with my jet engine fans making it a problem for people on Teams/Zoom conference calls, not remotely acceptable. If switching turbo boost stops that, I'm in, but I'd like to know if there are any downsides.

Yeah. The i9 fan curve is just super aggressive. So honestly, from my limited use so far, you only need turbo boost for really heavy lifting (Heavy audio, video, coding exports, gaming, etc). For everyday use and even low level audio and video stuff, I think you can easily get away w it being disabled. I disable it all the time w 5-8 track audio projects in Cubase and UA Luna and it runs fine, even using 3-5 rather heavy VIs at super low buffet settings. Even a none turbo i9 is pretty powerful, especially w anything that is designed for hyper threading/multi core.

Id actually say that having it disabled most of the time, when it isn’t needed, is probably a good idea anyway since it will keep the CPU temps down and probably will extend the life of the processor. To get that extra clock speed, Intel has to boost the CPU voltage like hell and you get a huge thermal load increase for that small extra juice.

I do have an additional update. I bought an eGPU to pair w a Mac Mini I just bought, which will be my new silent recording machine, and when you have both monitors plugged directly into the eGPU it seemed to help the MBP thermals quite a bit. The fans ran almost 1200 rpm lower than typical. But that was just me doing one test in my DAW, but from what I’ve read, that is supposed to help remove quite a bit of heat away from the laptop itself since the onboard GPU isn’t active.
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I should also add the eGPU box I bought was the Sonnet eGFX 550 Watt w a Radeon 5500XT card. It’s a pretty quiet rig overall. There is a little bit of fan noise from the eGPU power supply, but not really noticeable if you put it under your desk. Might be worth looking into if you’re using external monitors w a MBP.

 

[Alex W.]

if you’re remotely seeking best case fan noise the i7 is drastically superior, just make sure to get the 5300m too, as the performance difference is worth the savings in heat and noise.

 

[LinkRS]

Howdy,

I just received a new 16" MacBook Pro with the i9 2.3 GHz processor. My only basis of comparison is my older 2015 15" MacBook pro that has an i7 2.5 GHz processor, and the 16" is much quieter (so far). The fans do spin up when I push it, but the noise level is lower than my older system. It is possible, that "noisy" MacBook Pro 16" are all relative to your previous experiences. Plus, if you are using a headset, would the noise of the system itself matter? Just my $0.02

Rich S.

 

[interbear]

Yeah. The i9 fan curve is just super aggressive. So honestly, from my limited use so far, you only need turbo boost for really heavy lifting (Heavy audio, video, coding exports, gaming, etc). For everyday use and even low level audio and video stuff, I think you can easily get away w it being disabled. I disable it all the time w 5-8 track audio projects in Cubase and UA Luna and it runs fine, even using 3-5 rather heavy VIs at super low buffet settings. Even a none turbo i9 is pretty powerful, especially w anything that is designed for hyper threading/multi core.

Id actually say that having it disabled most of the time, when it isn’t needed, is probably a good idea anyway since it will keep the CPU temps down and probably will extend the life of the processor. To get that extra clock speed, Intel has to boost the CPU voltage like hell and you get a huge thermal load increase for that small extra juice.

I do have an additional update. I bought an eGPU to pair w a Mac Mini I just bought, which will be my new silent recording machine, and when you have both monitors plugged directly into the eGPU it seemed to help the MBP thermals quite a bit. The fans ran almost 1200 rpm lower than typical. But that was just me doing one test in my DAW, but from what I’ve read, that is supposed to help remove quite a bit of heat away from the laptop itself since the onboard GPU isn’t active.
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I should also add the eGPU box I bought was the Sonnet eGFX 550 Watt w a Radeon 5500XT cats. It’s a pretty quiet rig overall. There is a little bit of fan noise from the eGPU power supply, but not really noticeable if you put it under your desk. Might be worth looking into if you’re using external monitors w a MBP.

Very useful. Thank you. I have downloaded the Turbo Boost Switcher app and disabling turbo boost has made a noticeable difference already. I’ll leave it off and see how I get on but I’m not expecting to see any performance downgrade given my usage.

 

[CibbySF]

Yep. Sorry forgot to check back on here. So I bought the baseline i7 again and the fans are indeed a little bit quieter, but when you really do anything with a cpu load (turbo boost kicking in) it still ramps up the fans to fairly noticeable levels. Its not quite as annoying, but its not night and day or anything.

I ended up just going with the base i9 in the end as Best Buy had a really good deal on a used one. Im just going to ride with turbo boost disable as long as its supported to get the fans to reasonable levels, and buy a desktop down the road for more silent audio recording.

Did you compare any stats between the two setups (i7 v i9)? Been debating returning the i9 for an i7 hoping to get quieter operating performance. Most folks I see post stats show the two running at similar heat and wattage when open lid and plugged into a monitor (the only setup where I get excessive fan noise). However I’ve heard qualitatively you and another member who tried both setups that fans are marginally quieter.

 

[Alex W.]

Did you compare any stats between the two setups (i7 v i9)? Been debating returning the i9 for an i7 hoping to get quieter operating performance. Most folks I see post stats show the two running at similar heat and wattage when open lid and plugged into a monitor (the only setup where I get excessive fan noise). However I’ve heard qualitatively you and another member who tried both setups that fans are marginally quieter.

better battery, better bootcamp temps and noise, quieter, and it has more consistent frame rates if you game vs the 5500m as I assume there is a power struggle between the cpu and gpu fighting for wattage, the gpu will do 75 then drop to 40, where the 5300m will be at a solid 60 For an example, very noticeable. there is def some kind of power management struggle, quickly realized the i7 avoids it all.

ive long learned this in the pc world, always get the second best cpus in small devices, thermal issues are the largest struggle in portable computer designs, this won’t change till arm.

I strongly think the i7 5300m is the best version of the 16” if your unit is not going to be plugged in a single spot all the time. For me, I need the battery and decent power And I almost never hear the fan, it’s awesome.

after a month, I loved my i7 alot more then my i9, I actually began to hate it yet I paid way more for it.

ive ran blender renderings for buildings and had periods where it fan wasn’t even kicking on and the i9 was a vaccum at that point, so many examples and experiences why it’s superior.

unless you do video editing all the time for a living, rendering, I see zero need for the i9. plus they also have the most issues, I haven’t had a single panic on the i7 5300m at all.

 

[CibbySF]

better battery, better bootcamp temps and noise, quieter, and it has more consistent frame rates if you game vs the 5500m as I assume there is a power struggle between the cpu and gpu fighting for wattage, the gpu will do 75 then drop to 40, where the 5300m will be at a solid 60 For an example, very noticeable. there is def some kind of power management struggle, quickly realized the i7 avoids it all.

ive long learned this in the pc world, always get the second best cpus in small devices, thermal issues are the largest struggle in portable computer designs, this won’t change till arm.

I strongly think the i7 5300m is the best version of the 16” if your unit is not going to be plugged in a single spot all the time. For me, I need the battery and decent power And I almost never hear the fan, it’s awesome.

after a month, I loved my i7 alot more then my i9, I actually began to hate it yet I paid way more for it.

ive ran blender renderings for buildings and had periods where it fan wasn’t even kicking on and the i9 was a vaccum at that point, so many examples and experiences why it’s superior.

unless you do video editing all the time for a living, rendering, I see zero need for the i9. plus they also have the most issues, I haven’t had a single panic on the i7 5300m at all.

I'll probably end up trying one. You said something about it being better if not plugged into one place. I actually use it that way most, plugged into an external 4k w the lid open. Did you do much work like that and were your observations all the same under that use case? Also if you had it plugged into a monitor, did you pay much attention to the warmth of the keyboard and above the touchbar? I never have any heat issues there when it's unplugged, but when plugged in, both get quite warm w the area between the touchbar and display often very hot.

 

[UCSF_prime]

The consensus seems to be -- the i7 is clearly better if the concern is fan noise. The Turbo Boost Switcher does help on i9's, but there is some debate on whether or not that will continue to be an option in new version of Mac OS.

I'm about to pull the trigger on a few i7's for work, and trying to pick a graphics card. The choices are:

1. AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory
2. AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory ($90 more)
3. AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory ($180 more)
4. AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with 8GB of HBM2 memory ($700 more)

Question - would the higher-end graphics cards also contribute to / increase fan noise? I'm seeing the "5300m" mentioned quite a bit in this thread, but no mention of the other card options. I'm leaning towards option #3 (5500m 8GB). Cost isn't a concern. The laptops will be used for video screen capture and video editing, and they need to last for as many years as possible.

Thank you for the info.

 

[Zdigital2015]

The consensus seems to be -- the i7 is clearly better if the concern is fan noise. The Turbo Boost Switcher does help on i9's, but there is some debate on whether or not that will continue to be an option in new version of Mac OS.

I'm about to pull the trigger on a few i7's for work, and trying to pick a graphics card. The choices are:

1. AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory
2. AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory ($90 more)
3. AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory ($180 more)
4. AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with 8GB of HBM2 memory ($700 more)

Question - would the higher-end graphics cards also contribute to / increase fan noise? I'm seeing the "5300m" mentioned quite a bit in this thread, but no mention of the other card options. I'm leaning towards option #3 (5500m 8GB). Cost isn't a concern. The laptops will be used for video screen capture and video editing, and they need to last for as many years as possible.

Thank you for the info.

Check out this video -

- which may help make up your mind for you. It all depends on what you’re editing and/or will be editing and how long you anticipate having the machines.

EDIT: Either buy the 8GB 5500M or the 8GB 5600M, there are other videos showing where the larger VRAM buffer makes a big difference in certain circumstances. The 5300M is probably fine worth 4GB, but the 5500M is being starved a bit.

 

[CibbySF]

The consensus seems to be -- the i7 is clearly better if the concern is fan noise. The Turbo Boost Switcher does help on i9's, but there is some debate on whether or not that will continue to be an option in new version of Mac OS.

I'm about to pull the trigger on a few i7's for work, and trying to pick a graphics card. The choices are:

1. AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory
2. AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory ($90 more)
3. AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory ($180 more)
4. AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with 8GB of HBM2 memory ($700 more)

Question - would the higher-end graphics cards also contribute to / increase fan noise? I'm seeing the "5300m" mentioned quite a bit in this thread, but no mention of the other card options. I'm leaning towards option #3 (5500m 8GB). Cost isn't a concern. The laptops will be used for video screen capture and video editing, and they need to last for as many years as possible.

Thank you for the info.

I emailed w the the MaxTech guys who did one of the first reviews of the 5600m to see if they're planning to test the Radeon High Side wattage on the 5600m. You might hold off to see if the new card somehow runs lower watts powering an external display. Seems unlikely to me since it's higher performing but I also read that it might run more efficiently when not pressed. That is if fan noise your primary concern. I'm in the same boat as you sort of. In my return window w an i9 5500 and going to get an i7, but either goin 5300 or 5600 (if it solves the issue) w the goal if minimizing fan noise. For my uses I don't need the extra horsepower.

 

[makkabi]

I can only confirm everything said about the i9 with the 5500m - it turns into a noisy turbine very quickly. I will return it, and maybe I will give the i7 with the 5300m a chance, because besides the fan noise this is a wonderful machine.
Could anyone try this with the 16" and i7 5300m: Play a not so demanding game, and let me know if the fans kick in, and by this I mean "noise beyond nearly silent". I tried Sonic Racer (Apple Arcade) and Disco Elysium (Steam), and they both cause a lot heat and noise on the i9, so this would be some good games to compare.
(Fun fact: Sonic Racer works fine and silent on my 2013 13" MPB with i5 Dual-Core...)

 

[makkabi]

And regarding Apple phasing out Turbo Boost Switcher - at least in Big Sur it will probably work: "I’ve just tested Turbo Boost Switcher, both free and PRO with macOS Big Sur first developer beta and it works as expected.., this is the first time since Sierra the app works with the first beta release, so that’s really great!" https://www.rugarciap.com/2020/06/an-update-after-wwdc-2020/

 

[CibbySF]

I can only confirm everything said about the i9 with the 5500m - it turns into a noisy turbine very quickly. I will return it, and maybe I will give the i7 with the 5300m a chance, because besides the fan noise this is a wonderful machine.
Could anyone try this with the 16" and i7 5300m: Play a not so demanding game, and let me know if the fans kick in, and by this I mean "noise beyond nearly silent". I tried Sonic Racer (Apple Arcade) and Disco Elysium (Steam), and they both cause a lot heat and noise on the i9, so this would be some good games to compare.
(Fun fact: Sonic Racer works fine and silent on my 2013 13" MPB with i5 Dual-Core...)

From other posts I’ve read the i7 / 5300 is marginally quieter. They come on a bit slower. However if it’s under load as it sounds like it would be I would expect fans at full. I did see a post where at full it was a tad quieter.

 

[makkabi]

From other posts I’ve read the i7 / 5300 is marginally quieter. They come on a bit slower. However if it’s under load as it sounds like it would be I would expect fans at full. I did see a post where at full it was a tad quieter.

Thanks. Yes, I read a lot more in the meantime, and there are just too many red flags, since there seem to be a lot more issues too (battery, reliability etc.), which doesn't suprise me at all in such a constantly hot machine. I just ordered an MBP 13" i5 2Ghz. While this is a little bit boring, e.g. no 14" screen, a lot of people wrote that it's a really good machine that works exactly as one hopes, and after this really frustrating and disappointing (yet short) experience that sounds much better than a couple of days ago...

 

[bm7at]

I can only confirm everything said about the i9 with the 5500m - it turns into a noisy turbine very quickly. I will return it, and maybe I will give the i7 with the 5300m a chance, because besides the fan noise this is a wonderful machine.
Could anyone try this with the 16" and i7 5300m: Play a not so demanding game, and let me know if the fans kick in, and by this I mean "noise beyond nearly silent". I tried Sonic Racer (Apple Arcade) and Disco Elysium (Steam), and they both cause a lot heat and noise on the i9, so this would be some good games to compare.
(Fun fact: Sonic Racer works fine and silent on my 2013 13" MPB with i5 Dual-Core...)

Hi, I have the base model i7 5300m combo and it has been fantastic with none of the sleep/GPU panic issues mentioned in other forum posts. While it does get hot, its not a huge issue and I am yet to really see the fans get over 4500rpm unless being pushed hard. I pretty much have turbo boost off by default anyway as my workflow just doesn't need it (general use only mainly). Of course, like all the others, it will draw ~18w with an external monitor unless in clamshell, but then I never have it setup like that anyway.

I do use it for casual gaming in bootcamp and have found the performance great, provided again that turbo boost is off otherwise it has a tendency to pull more than the 94W that the charger provides and the battery discharges. With turbo boost off, there is no issue and I still get consistently high FPS (IMO).

I've also started playing Disco Elysium and the temps are around 66degC with fans at 1800rpm and silent as long as the turbo boost is off. If turbo boost is on, then temps climb to ~80DegC and fans are up around the 2500-3000rpm range, but I still don't notice them.. funny as the game performs no differently with Turbo boost off.. I'll try uploading a couple of screen shots with istats for reference.

Overall, for me, the base i7/5300m is the perfect combo.

Cheers