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Brand new M1 Mac Mini has fan on continously

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cvl01

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 24, 2020
3
0
Hello,

I just received the new M1 mac mini, however, contrary what a lot of users/reviews say, the fan of my mac mini is constantly on.

Not at full speed I guess, but I hear it fanning all the time.

It starts even before I enter my password - it seems to have no relation with what I'm doing.

Is this a problem I can try to fix? Did probably someone else experience the same? Or should I just return it to Apple?
 
R

radus

macrumors 6502a
Jan 12, 2009
713
434
I even don't hear it (M1 Mac mini 16GB, 256GB SSD).

I bought the smallest M1 Mac mini with 16GB Memory just to check it out.
It is a speedy machine and iOS app are a fun to use. There is no problem booting from an external Thunderbolt 3 SSD (with mac os x 11.01 on it). The user interface is no different from the intel Macs.

But at the end of the day it is a Mac OS only machine - and that is to less to work with.

I will keep it - may be the situation will change with the release of Parallels or VM Ware.
 
C

cvl01

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 24, 2020
3
0
Update: I installed iStatistica Sensors and that showed that fan is working at 1700 rpm.

Screenshot 2020-11-24 at 20.28.08.png
 
C

chabig

macrumors G4
Sep 6, 2002
11,303
9,005
cvl01 said:
Is this a problem I can try to fix? Did probably someone else experience the same? Or should I just return it to Apple?
Click to expand...
Don't do anything. Don't go looking for problems. You said the machine is brand new. Wait a few days before you do anything at all. You have no basis to think the machine isn't working as designed.

Edit: Never mind. I see you're already going down the road to obsession.
 
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C

cvl01

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 24, 2020
3
0
Thanks for the replies, I'll just use&wait for a few days.
 
brianmowrey

brianmowrey

macrumors 6502
Oct 5, 2020
419
133
This appears to simply be the min fan speed. There's no heat anywhere to get rid of.

Unless another M1 Mini user wants to chime in that their fan actually turns off...
 
M

malcky77

macrumors regular
Oct 12, 2019
247
108
I don't have the M1 Mac mini, but I do have the previous generation Mac mini and that has the fan spinning the slowest it can go....which is 1700rpm all the time....but I can't hear it personally when its running that slow.
 
L

lenard

macrumors 6502a
Oct 10, 2007
610
431
Raleigh NC
cvl01 said:
Hello,

I just received the new M1 mac mini, however, contrary what a lot of users/reviews say, the fan of my mac mini is constantly on.

Not at full speed I guess, but I hear it fanning all the time.

It starts even before I enter my password - it seems to have no relation with what I'm doing.

Is this a problem I can try to fix? Did probably someone else experience the same? Or should I just return it to Apple?
Click to expand...
Launch the Activity app and see if there is an app hugging the cpu, that's what I did back in the day when I heard a lot a fan noise. I also have the Mac mini 16gb 512 SSD, never heard the fan. Also some reviewers have said they could not even get the fan to start up...
 
uuaschbaer

uuaschbaer

macrumors regular
Aug 31, 2009
229
88
Seems strange to me that the fan would be on all the time. Also 1700 rpm sounds like a lot, PWM fans can go quite a bit slower than that.
 
A

antipodean

macrumors regular
May 2, 2014
198
145
I have the M1 Mac mini and it seems to behave the same at idle as the i3 intel model from 2018 that I had previously. Fan at 1700 rpm all the time. Silent for me, since I have it several feet away from where I sit. Big difference with the M1 model is that it never seems to ramp the fan up even under load.

My 13” 2020 MBP does drop the fans right back to 0 rpm at idle. That truly is silent, but loud under full load of course.
 
S

Serban55

Suspended
Oct 18, 2020
2,153
4,343
The imac fan at idle stay at 1200 rpm
The 15/16” mbp around 1900-2000
Mac mini at 1600-1700 rpm
 
B

bobmans

macrumors 6502a
Feb 7, 2020
597
1,751
I suggest you wait a few days incase it's doing some stuff in the background and make sure to update to the latest software version. If the fan is still ramping up when doing nothing after a couple of days then I suggest you contact Apple Support as your Mac Mini might be a defect.
 
M

malcky77

macrumors regular
Oct 12, 2019
247
108
I think the fans running at minimum speed is normal for ALL generations of the Mac mini......even if the Mac mini is cool as a cucumber, these are mains powered devices so not having to worry about battery drain.

Any Mac laptops with a fan I think will be controlled to turn OFF if the temps are under a certain value that Apple have chosen, and then will gradually ramp up as the temps increase.
 
Y

Ybersetzer

macrumors member
May 3, 2019
76
54
Germany
I had an i5 2018 Mini for a while. 1700 rpm is the baseline fan speed. I am VERY picky when it comes to fan noise and the sound emitted from the Mini running at 1700 rpm, sitting beside my monitor, was inaudible. Even at night in as quiet an environment as could be. Only then, putting my ear against it, could I tell it was even running.

So it looks like they did not change the fan system at all, and you know what: I think that's just great. The 2018 fan system could handle the i5 just fine, and it is total overkill for the M1. It will keep your system cool no matter how long or hard you ride your machine. So: don't worry about the fan running. Enjoy your little speed demon.

And don't worry about wearing out the fan, either. First of all, the fan failing is not a known issue with the 2018 Minis. I had mine open to install more RAM and I was impressed by the solid metal casing of the fan, which was easily accessible und could be replaced in 5 minutes IF something were to go wrong with the fan. And if that DID happen, you would have access to the same fan replacement hardware as for the 2018 Minis. The cooling system is rock solid.
 
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5ynt4x_3rr0r_

5ynt4x_3rr0r_

macrumors newbie
Feb 3, 2021
1
0
I have an M1 Mac Mini and the fan isn't on. Generally it doesn't turn on very much, even when I am slicing in Cura.
 
J

Jggl33r

macrumors newbie
Feb 6, 2021
5
0
Any updates on this issue?

I've observed the same thing on my new M1 Mac Mini: the fan is running all the time as soon as the machine is powered up but noise level is almost inaudible. You can tell the fan is running because there is a constant very light airflow leaving the air intake at the back of the mini.

So this is the expected behavior? Or did a receive a faulty unit?
 
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