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POLL: How noisy is your Mac Studio Ultra vs Max?

How noisy is your Mac Studio?

  • Silent

    Votes: 100 37.0%

  • Noise is audible but acceptable

    Votes: 32 11.9%

  • The fans are rather loud but I can live with it

    Votes: 5 1.9%

  • I am returning the Mac Studio because it's too noisy

    Votes: 18 6.7%

  • Silent (Max)

    Votes: 57 21.1%

  • Noise is audible but acceptable (Max)

    Votes: 25 9.3%

  • The fans are rather loud but I can live with it (Max)

    Votes: 11 4.1%

  • I am returning the Mac Studio because it's too noisy (Max)

    Votes: 22 8.1%
  • Total voters
    270
Mac Hammer Fan

Mac Hammer Fan

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 13, 2004
1,259
463
Please mention if it is the Max or the Ultra. Thanks
I added the option to vote for the Ultra or the Max. The first 4 options are for the Ultra (I can't change that).
Please change your votes if you bought the Max.
 
Last edited:
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aurora_sect

aurora_sect

macrumors regular
Mar 10, 2022
248
307
I'm getting 40 dB held right up to mine, will test later with the computer off to see if it is actually louder than ambient spl at its location.

For reference, pointing the mic at me a few feet away I got 35 dB, putting it up to my air purifier, 45 dB.
 
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Mac Hammer Fan

Mac Hammer Fan

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 13, 2004
1,259
463
aurora_sect said:
I'm getting 40 dB held right up to mine, will test later with the computer off to see if it is actually louder than ambient spl at its location.

For reference, pointing the mic at me a few feet away I got 35 dB, putting it up to my air purifier, 45 dB.
Click to expand...
with Ultra or Max?
 
Traverse

Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,694
4,431
Here
I feel like we could consolidate the number of threads on this topic.

My M1 Max machine has a fan that is audible if the room is completely silent. What I like is that it remains that same audible level even under load and doesn't spin up like crazy similar to my old iMac. If I turn on my ceiling fan or have literally any sound source in the room then I cannot hear it.
 
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aurora_sect

aurora_sect

macrumors regular
Mar 10, 2022
248
307
Mac Hammer Fan said:
with Ultra or Max?
Click to expand...
Max. 38 dB with the computer off.

More observations: with my room as dead quiet as possible, the Studio is noisy enough to bother me a bit, and there is a bit of a whistling quality to the fan noise as opposed to more of a whoosh, like my Dyson air filter.

I don't think this is going to cause me problems--and I record guitars and vocals with some very sensitive mics in here, but after making these observations I moved the studio a bit farther a way from me on my desk. 😁
 
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Realityck

Realityck

macrumors G4
Nov 9, 2015
10,335
15,564
Silicon Valley, CA
heden said:
I read somewhere that there might be a correlation between fan noise and where the unit is manufactured (Malaysia and China). Dont know if this is true or not
Click to expand...
No relevancy, just follow the posts in this thread poll for fact finding. Its likely has to do with the thermal differences between using aluminum cooling with the Studio w/M1 Max and the superior copper cooling that weighs 2 pounds on the Studio w/M1 Ultra. :)
 
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U

umbilical

macrumors 65816
May 3, 2008
1,314
357
FL, USA
I hate noisy computers, bummer if the MAX is noisy, because is the one that I want. That can be fixed by a firmware?

I don't have it yet, so I can review it.
 
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AdamSeen

AdamSeen

macrumors 6502
Jun 5, 2013
348
416
blubyu said:
I see the shills are out in full force already ?

I own both an Max and an Ultra. I am using the Max as my daily driver and the Utra to do some 8k video work.

Both are dead silent….all the time.

Look above and see the one poster state that his is 38db when it is OFF ?

Jesus people….read the room ?
Click to expand...
Hilarious
 
N

-narcan-

macrumors regular
Sep 29, 2011
175
210
I think there's just variations between each machine, not necessarily Max / Ultra.

My Ultra I can hear in an otherwise quiet / silent room. It's only slightly audible, but is easy to hear, not close to 'silent'.
 
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MajorFubar

MajorFubar

macrumors 68020
Oct 27, 2021
2,104
3,721
Lancashire UK
The fact that Max owners report the fans are on more-or-less continuously but not on the Ultra, seems to be a bug to me, especially when Max owners are saying it's basically recirculating cold air because the computer hasn't got hot at all. By the time I take delivery of mine (predicted to be a month from now, even though I ordered within a week of launch) maybe there will be a patch to the OS to turn the fans off on the Max version until the temp reaches a certain amount.
 
Sharky II

Sharky II

macrumors 6502a
Jan 6, 2004
964
348
United Kingdom
MajorFubar said:
The fact that Max owners report the fans are on more-or-less continuously but not on the Ultra, seems to be a bug to me, especially when Max owners are saying it's basically recirculating cold air because the computer hasn't got hot at all. By the time I take delivery of mine (predicted to be a month from now, even though I ordered within a week of launch) maybe there will be a patch to the OS to turn the fans off on the Max version until the temp reaches a certain amount.
Click to expand...
The fans are always on and consistent between the Ultra and Max @ a minimum ~1325rpm. They run the entire time that the machine is on and not off/asleep.
 
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