I know when the Mac Studio launched some users were complaining about the fan noise when idle. (I don't really hear mine, but maybe my hearing is not as acute.) If I recall correctly, the idle fan speed is about 1200 rpm. Some users resorted to slowing the fan speed in order to reduce the noise.
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New Mac Studio Supports Low Power Mode With Two Benefits
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I see a lot of dancing around a basic issue.
Apple could fix it with a better, ultra-silent, high-speed fan that works better.
Apple could fix it with a better, ultra-silent, high-speed fan that works better.
I remember using a similar utility for my old G4 PowerBook, back in the day. Didn't realise apps like this still existed in the age of Apple Silicon SOC performance and thermal efficiency.
Even with the binned M4 Pro chip, the Mini reaches 108° and then the fans ramp up and get so loud within seconds of doing anything intensive.
The mini with a Max chip would start glowing from the heat produced.
Slightly off-topic, but the article mentions several things being undocumented.
I would love for a company with the profits of Apple to take the hit to the bottom line that hiring some dedicated documentation staff would cost. I know we have to maximize every penny and everything that doesn’t actively make money is a waste in our society apparently.
But man what happened to good old fashioned technical writers being informed and empowered to make great documentation. Again, one of the things that used to set Apple apart that they don’t seem to see as a priority anymore.
I would love for a company with the profits of Apple to take the hit to the bottom line that hiring some dedicated documentation staff would cost. I know we have to maximize every penny and everything that doesn’t actively make money is a waste in our society apparently.
But man what happened to good old fashioned technical writers being informed and empowered to make great documentation. Again, one of the things that used to set Apple apart that they don’t seem to see as a priority anymore.
Not everyone lives in a country/city with cheap US power rates.
I do the same with tg pro. It's quiet, too quiet. Too bad apple didn't this sort of thing with the trash can.
You are correct. Some people live in California. I couldn’t imagine paying what they pay for electricity. 😥
Where in California is it $0.22? According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average cost of residential electricity in California for Q4 2024 was $0.3055 per kWh.
In reality it is much higher. I live in San Diego. Here are the latest rates for San Diego for the most common plan. On-peak rates are $0.71412 per kWh. Even off-peak is at $0.47416.
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Electricity rates can fluctuate due to factors such as energy source availability, government policies, and market conditions.
Rates never go down significantly in California. The agency responsible for regulating rates is made up of former energy execs and lobbyists who rubber-stamp rate increase after rate increase.
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My Mac mini M2 Pro from 2023 also has low power mode.
The new Mac Studio models with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips support Low Power Mode, according to an Apple support document updated today.
Apple says turning on Low Power Mode reduces the Mac Studio's fan noise, which is useful for tasks that require a quieter environment, and it also allows for reduced power consumption if the computer is left running continuously.
The reduced fan noise aspect of Low Power Mode requires macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later. The new Mac Studio ships with macOS Sequoia 15.3.
A few Reddit users said that macOS Sequoia 15.3 enabled Low Power Mode on the previous-generation 2023 Mac Studio with the M2 Max chip, and presumably on M2 Ultra configurations too. This is not reflected in Apple's support document. (Update: Following our report, Apple revised its support document to confirm that the 2023 Mac Studio indeed supports Low Power Mode, starting with macOS Sequoia 15.3).
In any case, Low Power Mode on the Mac Studio is fairly new.
As obvious as it may sound, Apple's support document also confirms that the Mac Studio still lacks High Power Mode for additional cooling.
Apple's document has a list of Macs that support Low Power Mode with reduced fan noise.
Article Link: New Mac Studio Supports Low Power Mode With Two Benefits
I'd like a more granular control over this. The low powered mode is great on the M4 Pro but often a little too slow while gaming or doing more intense task. I'd appreciate a 90% power mode to cut down the heat while gaming as it often gets up to 100° Celsius.
If you're rendering things then the low powered mode might simply be too slow and the max performance mode too loud. So more granular control would really be nice.
If you're rendering things then the low powered mode might simply be too slow and the max performance mode too loud. So more granular control would really be nice.
Dont sweat it, the majority of us when we see such petty downvotes just scoff at it.
You use the machine with the features it has as it suits you best.
Why it happens? Hard to tell…
Maybe someone is jealous that they can’t really have a Mac Studio right now, maybe they just dislike Apple or maybe they wouldn’t use a Mac Studio in such a way (which is fine really). But sometimes solipsism doesn’t allow people to envision someone else using it in any other way… and since they can’t force you to use them like they would, they downvote.
There was a comment a day ago about the demise of the current state of the development at Apple, it was fantastic and quite on point word for word, but the author added JUST ONE of those three letter politically charged acronyms that Apple lives by somewhere in the comment, very secondary and not the focus of the comment (and for all we know could be taken into account too)… got downvoted and even moderated (luckily not deleted).
It is what it is, but the majority does not care about how people use their tech, nor mind the sharing of how others use it. The majority just browse by silently.
Congrats and good luck on your new Mac Studio.
Now, I gotta check myself how that AppleTV movie server works 🤔, have never ever set something up for that.
I have a large library of movies on a big old hard drive. I point my AppleTV app at them, turn on Home Share, and they show up on my AppleTV so I can stream them locally over my network.
Based upon the thermal reports of the M4 Pro Mac Mini, I can see why there is no Max option