By Lydia | Last Updated
When using MacBook, we may encounter the fan noise on mac that lasts for a long while. The possible cause and solutions are as follows:
1. Mismatched power adapter: An incompatible power adapter may result in the continuous operation of Mac fans.
2. Poor ventilation for the vent: Prolonged use of your Mac can lead to accumulation of dust in the vents, restricting airflow and causing increased fan noise. Besides, placing it on a sofa or bed can also block the vents, making it difficult for the Mac to dissipate heat, thereby causing the continuously running of fans.
3. High processor load: When the system runs large tasks or applications, the processor operates under high load, causing it to overheat and requiring the fans to spin faster for enhanced cooling.
If the Mac fan noise issue persists, you should check the charging adapter. It’s better to use the original adapter. When charging, connect the power adapter to the Mac first before plugging it into the power socket.
Clean the Mac vents carefully to keep them unblocked, and the vent position of MacBook is listed below:
Vent of MacBook Air is typically located at the top edge of the body.
Vent of MacBook Pro is located on the rear and side edges, near the USB-C ports.
Place your MacBook on a flat surface or with a laptop stand to ensure proper airflow through the vents. Additionally, keep the ambient temperature below 35 degrees to prevent the Mac from overheating.
It's normal for the Mac's fans to accelerate due to high CPU usage when performing video rendering, playing large games, and etc. Use macOS’s "Activity Monitor" to identify which apps are consuming excessive CPU resources:
1. Open "Finder" > "Applications" > "Utilities" > "Activity Monitor".
2. Click on the "CPU" tab, then click on the "% CPU" column.
3. End unnecessary processes as needed.
If your mac is not running high-load tasks, but the fan still keeps running with noise, you can try the following steps to resolve the issue:
Step 1: Turn off the Mac.
Step 2: Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, then release.
Step 3: Wait a few seconds, press the power button to turn on the Mac.
If the Mac reboot doesn’t work, try following steps to Rest SMC:
1. Shut down the Mac.
2. Press Control + Option +Shift, hold on for seven seconds. Then press power button without releasing the former keys. If the Mac is turned on, it will shut down as you hold these keys.
3. Continue to hold all four keys for 7 seconds, then release them.
4. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button to turn the Mac back on.
For Intel chip Mac: Open "Terminal" and run the following command:
sudo powermetrics --samplers smc |grep -i "CPU die temperature"
For Apple Silicon chip Mac: You can use free third-party applications like TG Pro to track CPU temperature.
The ideal operating temperature range for Mac devices is between 10 to 35 degrees Celsius. Prolonged high temperatures may lead to performance degradation or hardware damage.
Outdated software may result in the Mac fan noise, running slow and abnormal battery consumption. Apple regularly publish software updates to fix errors and improve system performance. Therefore, updating your system version promptly can also help resolve fan noise issues.
1. Open "System Preferences" > "General" > "Software Update".
2. If there are updates available, download and install them on your Mac.
If your Mac's fan is constantly running and the machine is overheating, you can use Apple's diagnostic program to check fan issues.
For Apple Silicon chip Macs: Shut down your Mac, then press and hold the power button to restart. Keep holding it until you see the startup options screen, then press and hold Command + D key to start the diagnostic loader.
For Intel chip Macs: Immediately press and hold the D key after turning on your Mac, until you see a progress bar or a prompt to choose a language.
After completing the test, you will receive a reference code indicating whether any issues were detected. You can look up this diagnostic reference code on Apple's website to understand the specific problem and find potential solutions.
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