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Quietest 5K iMac configuration?

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daanodinot

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 26, 2015
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I currently own the 2015 4K iMac with Fusion Drive. Unfortunately, I regret my purchase: I wish the display was bigger and I hate the random 'beep' noises it makes. Presumably, these noises are caused by the Fusion Drive. To be clear: these are not error beeps. They're very quiet noises, but it turns out I'm very sensitive to any kind of noise.

What 5K iMac (excluding the iMac Pro!) would you recommend if I was looking for the absolute quietest configuration? I'm primarily looking for an iMac, but I'm also willing to consider the MacBook Pros if it turns they are even quieter. I'm also willing to consider previous generations of the 5K iMac. My performance needs are very modest, so you don't have to take performance into consideration.
 
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If you don't need much CPU or GPU power you can take any iMac with an SSD (no spinners, you can hear them!). They run all at 1200 rpm base level fan rotation which is nearly completely quiet...
 
Do the CPU and GPU have their own fan? Does it matter in terms of noise whether you take a low or high-end CPU/GPU?
 
I have the basic i5 and never once have i've had the fans be noisy. Love it and it's much more powerful than my i7 2014 mbp.
 
Quietest 27" 5K is i5-7500 with Radeon 570 and SSD. It should be quiet even under load for a decent while. The i5-7500 is a 65 Watt TDP CPU.

I have the i5-7600 with Radeon 575 and SSD. It is usually quiet, but after extended periods under load the fans will ramp up. The i5-7600 is a 65 Watt TDP CPU.

The i5-7600K with Radeon 580 and SSD sometimes might behave similarly to the i5-7600, but in some cases not. This should not come as a surprise though, since the i5-7600K is a 91 Watt TDP CPU, and the 580 likely runs hotter too.
 
Since TS writes this "My performance needs are very modest" just go with the base model.
 
KeyMs92 said:
I currently own the 2015 4K iMac with Fusion Drive. Unfortunately, I regret my purchase: I wish the display was bigger and I hate the random 'beep' noises it makes. Presumably, these noises are caused by the Fusion Drive. To be clear: these are not error beeps. They're very quiet noises, but it turns out I'm very sensitive to any kind of noise.

What 5K iMac (excluding the iMac Pro!) would you recommend if I was looking for the absolute quietest configuration? I'm primarily looking for an iMac, but I'm also willing to consider the MacBook Pros if it turns they are even quieter. I'm also willing to consider previous generations of the 5K iMac. My performance needs are very modest, so you don't have to take performance into consideration.
Click to expand...
MacBook Pros aren’t particularly quiet, when they get to work properly. Small case and small fans makes for a jet-engine noise when they need to spool up to get rid of heat.
 
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Mikael H said:
MacBook Pros aren’t particularly quiet, when they get to work properly. Small case and small fans makes for a jet-engine noise when they need to spool up to get rid of heat.
Click to expand...

I second that. I have a 2015 and 2016 top-spec MBP. The 2015 is the worst -- the fans spin up at the slightest touch. The 2016 is a bit better, but the quietness can't compare to any of my i7 iMacs, and those iMacs aren't quiet under high load.

As EugW as long suggested, the 2017 i5 iMac 27 with SSD is a great combination if you need both performance and fairly quiet operation.

The OP said performance wasn't a priority, so it's possible an Apple refurbished 2015 i5 iMac 27 with SSD might be OK. As of this moment there are no 2015 iMacs on the Apple refurbished site but this changes frequently. However SSD iMacs with 512GB and above are in much higher demand so they don't appear that often.

Like the OP, lots of people get the 21.5" iMac, thinking the 27" is too big. However the 27" fits into very small spaces (both physically and aesthetically).
 
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Thanks for your responses.

So it seems to me that you can't get any quieter than the 5K iMac base configuration with SSD, right? (And that includes the MacBook Pros.) I'll go for that configuration then... or possibly wait for the next gen iMacs. ;)
 
EugW said:
The quietest machines are the MacBooks.
Click to expand...

Except when you start working.
[doublepost=1516484841][/doublepost]OP, the quietest models are the base 5K iMac with a i5 7500 and the medium with an i5 7600. The CPU and GPU have low thermal rating and even when pushing them will remain quiet.
 
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EugW said:
Quietest 27" 5K is i5-7500 with Radeon 570 and SSD. It should be quiet even under load for a decent while. The i5-7500 is a 65 Watt TDP CPU.

I have the i5-7600 with Radeon 575 and SSD. It is usually quiet, but after extended periods under load the fans will ramp up. The i5-7600 is a 65 Watt TDP CPU.

The i5-7600K with Radeon 580 and SSD sometimes might behave similarly to the i5-7600, but in some cases not. This should not come as a surprise though, since the i5-7600K is a 91 Watt TDP CPU, and the 580 likely runs hotter too.
Click to expand...

I've been running the 27" 3.8 GHz i5 7600K 580, 512SSD for 12+hours straight* at 20-70% on each of 4 cores (per iStat Pro) and 8 gigs memory at 40-70% with fan at 1200rpm CPU proximity sensor says 105-108F. I guess at 1200rpm the fan is at its lowest speed? I haven't heard the fan kick up yet but it's not quiet in here either with spinning drives clicking away.

*occasional Safari browsing and constant transferring files between attached USB2 drives.
 
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macdoofus said:
I've been running the 27" 3.8 GHz i5 7600K 580, 512SSD for 12+hours straight* at 20-70% on each of 4 cores (per iStat Pro) and 8 gigs memory at 40-70% with fan at 1200rpm CPU proximity sensor says 105-108F. I guess at 1200rpm the fan is at its lowest speed? I haven't heard the fan kick up yet but it's not quiet in here either with spinning drives clicking away.

*occasional Safari browsing and constant transferring files between attached USB2 drives.
Click to expand...
1200 rpm is the lowest.

40-70% is not enough to ramp up the fan. You need to run all four cores at 95%-100%. You can do that with video encoding.
[doublepost=1516504663][/doublepost]
EugW said:
The quietest machines are the MacBooks.
Click to expand...
pier said:
Except when you start working.
Click to expand...
Perhaps you should re-read my post.

I have run Cinebench for an hour straight and I have never heard any fan noise with my 2017 MacBook. ;)

Check my sig for the specs. :D
 
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"So it seems to me that you can't get any quieter than the 5K iMac base configuration with SSD, right?"

The midrange 3.5ghz (with the 7600 CPU) is reported by others to run quietly.
I'd suggest that one, and get a "straight SSD" in it instead of a fusion drive.
Even 256gb will do.
If you need more storage, plug in an EXTERNAL USB3 drive (either SSD or HDD).
 
Fishrrman said:
"So it seems to me that you can't get any quieter than the 5K iMac base configuration with SSD, right?"

The midrange 3.5ghz (with the 7600 CPU) is reported by others to run quietly.
I'd suggest that one, and get a "straight SSD" in it instead of a fusion drive.
Even 256gb will do.
If you need more storage, plug in an EXTERNAL USB3 drive (either SSD or HDD).
Click to expand...

Can people stop recommending mid-range model when he says his need is modest in terms of performance? I see you all over the place always recommending same specs. Maybe check what he asks for.
 
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EugW said:
Perhaps you should re-read my post.

I have run Cinebench for an hour straight and I have never heard any fan noise with my 2017 MacBook. ;)
Click to expand...

Well, since OP asked for a MBP I assumed you were referring to a MBP and not a fanless laptop...
[doublepost=1516582562][/doublepost]
bl11 said:
Can people stop recommending mid-range model when he says his need is modest in terms of performance?
Click to expand...

Why?

Even the base model is quite powerful. The GPU alone is more powerful than any GPU of the previous generation.
 
The base model i5 5K iMac with even just the 256G SSD is a very good machine. When I had one - there was no load that would cause the Fan to leave the 1200RPM mark or the CPU to ever go above 80degC (IIRC).
 
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