Mac Studio Users Whine of High-Pitched Noise Coming from Their Machines

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Image: Apple

Users with tinnitus (or anyone who doesn’t want to be driven mad, really) may want to avoid Apple’s new Mac Studio computers. An increasing number of owners claim that the pricey system makes a high-pitched whining sound, which, according to reports from users on the MacRumors forums, seems to emanate from the fan. The majority of complaints are reportedly coming from those who own the $1,999 M1 Max version.

Mac Studio Owners Complain of Irritating High-Pitched Noise (MacRumors)

Users who are experiencing issues have described the noise as a high-frequency sound that is difficult to ignore, and it is in addition to the standard fan noise. From MacRumors reader sunsetblvd:

“Hi, I’ve been following this thread and wanted to share my experience with the Mac Studio. I ordered the M1 Max version with 32 Core GPU and 64 GB Ram. After a week or two I started noticing a high pitched whining sound. The ordinary fan noise was audible but not disturbingly so. The high pitched sound was sth I couldn’t ignore. I have a relatively quite working space and the sound kept being distractive. I decided to take my studio to the apple store after contacting apple support and trying a bunch of software fixes like reinstalling the os. After a day of inspection the tech guy at the apple store claimed it was just normal fan noise within the expected range of noises and said they couldn’t do anything about it. Disappointed I called apple support again and they agreed to send me a replacement, which I am currently waiting for.”

There are a wide range of complaints, but all of them seem to describe the same general noise. From MacRumors reader h43m:

“Just unboxed my Mac Studio with M1max (64GB RAM, 32 Cores GPU, 1TB SSD). There is definitely an annoying noise at exactly 2120hz (I compared it using a sinus wave generator). I am pretty sure this comes from the fan and is not a coil whine, since the frequency changes when the fan speed changes. Definitely not acceptable for a product with this price tag…”

Apple unveiled its all-new Mac Studio systems with M1 Max and new M1 Ultra chip in March 2022. The former features a 10-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores, 24-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine, while the latter features a 20-core CPU with 16 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, 48-core GPU, and 32-core Neural Engine. Apple’s Mac Studio with M1 Ultra costs $3,999.

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Tsing Mui
News poster at The FPS Review.

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