When it comes to the sound of MacBook fans, they are relatively quiet. However, sometimes they can be very noisy. When you’re trying to work, the noise from your Mac’s fans can soon become annoying.
So what sparked the Macbook craze? What happened to all your Mac fans? In most cases, this happens when you run intensive tasks or use heavy applications that cause overheating and are completely dependent on the use of applications. In this post, you will learn about the most common causes of loud MacBook Pro fan noise and how to fix them quickly.
About fan noise
See how your Apple device monitors internal temperature and uses fans to cool key components.
Certain Apple devices have sensors that turn on fans to supply cooling air to the main components whenever the temperature sensors detect changes in Mac temperature in your network or software.
When your laptop’s processors are doing strenuous work, such as compressing HD videos, running graphics-intensive applications, or indexing your hard drive with Spotlight after transferring data, the fans speed up to provide extra airflow.
When this happens, you may hear fan noises, especially if you are in a quiet area. The fan on the MacBook Pro is quite noisy. Passing air noise is a natural sign of the cooling phase.
Overheating outside the device or ambient temperature also affects the reactivity of the fans. When it’s hot outside, the fans turn on and run faster.
How to Fix Loud MacBook Pro Fan Noise
- Make sure the air vents on your Apple device are not blocked
- Check your apps and tabs
- Open and clean
- Check for unexpected heavy fan usage
- Keep the ventilation openings clean
- Check Your Fans
- Reset SMC
- Control Mac Fan Speed
- Free up memory
1. Make sure the air vents on your Apple device are not blocked
Air vents on some Apple devices let cool air in and hot air out. Make sure the vents are not blocked so that your gadget can perform optimally.
To optimize heat management, place the gadget on a hard, level surface such as a table. Its fans may run faster if you place the device on a soft surface such as a sofa, pillow, bed, or lap.
2. Check your apps and tabs.
The more apps and web browser tabs you have open, the more likely your Macintosh will use the fan to keep things cool. Close apps after you’re done with them to reduce multitasking, mostly with graphical tools like Photoshop or iMovie.
Launch Activity Monitor and select the CPU column to check which programs are consuming the most CPU resources. Google Chrome uses more resources than Safari in my session, so you might want to switch browsers for a quieter web experience. Instead of having iTunes and Spotify open on my MacBook Pro, I prefer my iPhone to listen to songs and podcasts.
3. Open and clean
Pull on the bottom cover of your MacBook with a tiny Phillips screwdriver to remove any debris, dust, or dirt that has accumulated over time. Blow out with a blower or use compressed air or a lint-free cloth to remove deposits or blockages from the bottom of your MacBook.
Pay special attention to the cooling system, its vents, and the entire rear edge of your MacBook. The idea is to leave passageways free to allow maximum airflow.
4. Check for unexpected heavy fan usage.
If your product’s fans are running fast even if it’s not used heavily and has adequate ventilation, follow these steps:
- Open the laptop lid again or restart your Mac laptop if you are using Apple Silicon.
- Also, unplug your Apple TV 4K, Airports Extreme, or AirPort Time Machine and then plug them back in.
- For MacBook Pros, check the cases to make sure your Mac Pro is properly installed and secured and that the protective surface or shelf access door is securely closed.
5. Keep the vents clean
The MacBook Pro has vents on the bottom and side, while the MacBook Air has vents on the back. Cold air is drawn in through these valves and hot air is expelled.
If you place your MacBook on your lap, sofa, cushion, mattress, or blanket to cover these vents, your Macintosh will quickly heat up. When I’m lying on the couch or bed, I use a reading book to keep my MacBook Pro from clogging up the air vents.
If dirt seems to have accumulated along with the vents, use a can of compressed gas to clean it out. Of course, you’re taking a risk by simply stuffing junk deeper into your laptop. If this seems like the situation, you will have to open up your Mac and look inside.
6. Check your fans
Something might be wrong with your MacBook’s cooling system, causing it to overheat. A hardware analysis tool is included with every Mac. You would use the Apple hardware test if it was created before June 2013.
You will switch to Apple Diagnostics after the date. All of these devices work in the same way. To run any diagnostic tool, go to the Apple menu and restart your MacBook by unplugging all external peripherals, press and hold the D key and tap the space bar.
Follow the instructions on the screen to start the exam. The standard test takes only a few minutes and identifies any hardware problems. You can click the box to run an extended one-hour test if you want to run a full analysis.
After the test, check this Apple page for a list of reference numbers that may appear in the test results area. The cooling system is represented by three characters starting with “PPF”. If one of the results indicates that there may be a problem with your fan, call Apple Support or contact your local Genius Bar for help.
7. Reset SMC
If your Macintosh is clean and dirty and you keep your applications and windows tidy, but the fan continues to spin regularly and noisily, consider resetting the System Management Controller (SMC).
The SMC is responsible for low-level operations on your Macbook, such as “thermal management”or the cooling unit.
8. Control Mac Fan Speed
Mac fans are essential to keep your device in good working order. It regulates the heating of the core and prevents any of the parts from burning. Your device’s hard drive, processors, and graphics chipset get hot when it tries to manage multiple resource-intensive processes at the same time.
Fans help in the actual cooling of the main equipment by amplifying the airflow. However, they can get out of control when fans get overwhelmed with work.
Your Mac’s fan can be loud, as it works really hard when your PC isn’t getting hot, or spins lazily while your Mac is boiling.
Carefully adjusting the Mac fan speed is the best approach in such cases. Learn everything there is to know about how to achieve the perfect variable fan speed.
It is very important to remember that when your m1 Mac is working correctly, you should not change the heating settings. It is important to remember that when your Mac is running normally, you should not change the temperature settings.
9. Free up memory
Your Mac must have enough free memory to run quickly and smoothly. To give your MacBook the space it needs to perform optimally, erase any unnecessary files. You can use defragmentation applications to thoroughly clean your computer by removing all unnecessary duplicates and corrupted files.
Final Thoughts
In truth, a noisy Mac can be caused by a variety of reasons. It is useful to diagnose and identify problems with the system fan, hard drive, or optical drive on a semi-regular basis.
Luckily, you don’t need to hire an expert to do this: with a little detective work and a few logical procedures, you can find and fix many problems yourself.
Don’t worry if you see comments on this article because every Mac lover is loud. Cleaning your laptop and Mac fans with compressed air every few weeks is also a great idea, since if your fan isn’t doing anything, it’s time to replace it.
FAQ
How to Fix MacBook Pro Fan Noise?
Because your Mac’s processor is overloaded, it gets hot. The more tasks he has to complete, the warmer he will become. You can turn off your MacBook’s loud fan noise by disabling anything that makes it run very hard using the Activity Monitor program.
How to make a MacBook Pro fan quieter?
Passing air noise is a natural sign of the cooling phase. The heat outside the device or the air temperature also affects the reactivity of the fans. When it’s hot outside, the fans turn on and run faster.
Is it bad when my MacBook fan is so loud?
This can be more of a problem if your Macintosh is overheating or the blade servers are running when it’s cool outside. It could be a software or hardware issue. If your hardware is broken, there is little you can do other than try to fix it.
Why is my Mac fan blowing so loud?
Make sure the airflow around the case is not obstructed. If your Mac fans are making a lot of noise, the first thing you need to do to fix the problem is to make sure none of it is restricting airflow around the case. Air vents allow Mac computers to draw in cooler air and expel hot air.