Some Apple products contain sensors that respond when they detect temperature changes inside your system or device, turning on fans to bring cooling airflow to critical components.

Fans are used to move the heat produced by the processor, motherboard, and graphics card out of the computer. If the fans are loose, too small, or not powerful enough, they can create noise. Hard disks can also make noise as the platters spin and the head seeks data. Loud noise is generally a very bad sign and should be dealt with immediately.

About fan noise

If your device's processor is working on intensive tasks—such as compressing HD video, playing a graphics-heavy game, or indexing the hard drive with Spotlight after you migrate data—the fans run faster to provide additional airflow. You might hear fan noise when this happens, especially if you're in a quiet environment. This rushing-air sound is a normal part of the cooling process.

Ambient temperature, the temperature outside the device, also plays a role in the fans' responsiveness. If the ambient temperature is high, the fans turn on sooner and run faster.

If you hear the fans in your Mac Pro running at full speed and you aren't performing any intensive tasks, check the enclosure. Make sure that your Mac Pro is locked and fully seated, or that the top cover or access door is closed and locked on rack-mounted models.

Make sure the vents on your Apple product aren't blocked

Some Apple products have vents that let fans bring in cool air and expel hot air. Make sure that the vents aren't blocked to allow your device to perform at its best.

Why My Macs Fan Is Loud When Running Games Like

• Apple TV 4K has a fan and a vent at the bottom.
• Airport Extreme and Airport Time Capsule have fans and vents at the bottom.
• iMac has vents along the bottom edge and on the back.
• iMac Pro has vents along the bottom edge and on the back.
• Mac mini has vents at the bottom to bring in cool air from beneath the device and vent hot air from the back.
• Mac Pro has three fans on the front of the computer and vents on the front and back.
• MacBook Pro has vents along the side and on the back. MacBook Air computers have vents along the back near the clutch.

The surface your device rests on can block its vents, affecting fan behavior. If you use your device on a soft surface like a couch, pillow, bed, or your lap, its fans might run more. Using your device on a hard, flat surface like a table or desk is best for temperature control.

Learn more

If the fans in your Mac run fast even when it isn't experiencing heavy usage and is properly ventilated, you might need to reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac. If you're experiencing this issue on an Apple TV 4K, Airport Extreme, or Airport Time Capsule, unplug the device, then plug it back in.

Learn more about the operating temperature of Apple notebook computers.

Why My Macs Fan Is Loud When Running Games On Computer

Comments

Why My Macs Fan Is Loud When Running Games Free

• edited February 2015

  It's just the nature of gaming on a laptop. My Retina iMac fan comes out full boar pretty quickly when playing but performance never suffers.
  Do you notice a decrease in performance or is it just the fan noise that bothers you? If you just want to reduce the fan noise, look into getting a cooling pad for your laptop (with a fan in it). These fans are usually larger and more quiet, allowing the computer temperature to stay lower, preventing the internal fan from needing to kick in.
  Given the aluminum body of the Macbook Pro, these cooling pads should be able to dissipate the heat fairly effectively. Try to ensure a good centimeter air gap between the cooling pad and the bottom of the MBP.
  There's not much else you can do about it.
• Mine definitely does. But it's nothing new for me, since it was exactly like this with Sims 3 as well. You kinda grow used to it. Just make sure you're letting air through the vents and not covering it with a blanket/fabric, it helps.

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• > @ErikTheRod said:
  > It's just the nature of gaming on a laptop. My Retina iMac fan comes out full boar pretty quickly when playing but performance never suffers.
  >
  > Do you notice a decrease in performance or is it just the fan noise that bothers you? If you just want to reduce the fan noise, look into getting a cooling pad for your laptop (with a fan in it). These fans are usually larger and more quiet, allowing the computer temperature to stay lower, preventing the internal fan from needing to kick in.
  >
  > Given the aluminum body of the Macbook Pro, these cooling pads should be able to dissipate the heat fairly effectively. Try to ensure a good centimeter air gap between the cooling pad and the bottom of the MBP.
  >
  > There's not much else you can do about it.
  Nope haven't noticed any decrease in performance it is just really the fan noise that bothers me being that loud i'm not use to it, will grabbing a cooling pad from Amazon be fine or is there something specific i should look for before buying one?
• I got myself a fan/cooling pad. It'll help, your Mac is precious so save it, don't let it over heat.
• > @nightxchangesxx said:
  > Nope haven't noticed any decrease in performance it is just really the fan noise that bothers me being that loud i'm not use to it, will grabbing a cooling pad from Amazon be fine or is there something specific i should look for before buying one?
  Should do the trick. Just keep in mind you do get what you pay for with these things, so expect to spend $15-20 for a 'good' one.
  Typical rule of fans is that the bigger (in diameter) the fan, the slower it has to spin to move the air. Slower fans are usually more quiet so you'll want a pretty good sized (single fan). I don't have one myself to swear by, but I would stick to the 'known' companies like Cooler Master and Thermaltake. You don't need to go all out with the fancy 'gaming' fans with LEDs and whatnot.
  To keep it as quiet and efficient as possible, don't go lower than 160mm fan size. I would try to stay under 2000 rpm as well (for noise), 1000 would be pretty good, though you'd likely be looking at 200mm fan size.
• Im not used to the fan myself since I'm always on my iMac which is like 8-9 years old. Any suggestions on a good cooling pad?
• With the iMac, you're going to need something better than a cooling pad. You could try a box fan on low or something similar. I have also seen some USB fans that can pivot/arch, maybe some of those pointed at the back could help? You'll have to find out where it gets hot and try to apply a quieter cooling method to it.
• I use one of these under my 15' MBP and it works like a dream. It doesn't have a fan because the aluminium really helps dissipate the heat, like the casing of your Mac
  http://www.raindesigninc.com/ilap.html

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• Mine is loud like hell even on low settings...Really annoyed me.
• I recommend a Chillow (Cold Pillow) I believe they're sold at CVS I always have it under my laptop when I play, and or just play on a cold surface.

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• Perfectly normal. If the GPU got too hot, it would shut off automatically. Apple didn't 'forget' to work out a cooling system on their devices, they look after and cool themselves. Unless there is a mechanical fault with the machine, you'll be fine. Happy simming! :smile:
• Can anyone recommend a laptop cooler for MBP which does not rely on having fans and plugged in to the laptop ?
• You could > @jimbbq said:
  > Can anyone recommend a laptop cooler for MBP which does not rely on having fans and plugged in to the laptop ?
  Most of them are going to be USB-powered, but you could use a USB wall adapter to power them instead of your laptop. If you need a longer cable there are USB extenders as well, all of these are pretty cheap. I would recommend that your USB wall adapter be rated for at least 1A of power (not just 500mA).
  Most newer smartphone or tablet chargers are rated for 1A or 2A, you could use that too.
• The more I play, the more my fans are kicking in REALLY loudly. I don't mean play as in hours at a time, I mean the frequency. I've never actually worried about this before but having used Macs in all forms for the last 25 years, for the first time I am worried at how frequently and noisily this is happening. I'm going to download iStat again and keep an eye on the temperature.

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• I think as long as our fan is going, our laptop will be fine in terms of heat, it is just so loud that it makes the game less fun!
• My fan has been running loudly with The Sims 4, but it's not terrible yet. Maybe that's because I'm from Boston and it's only five degrees outside and I play near the window.
• Hello :)
  The noise doesn´t really bother me because I play with headphones.
  But after 1-2 hours I always quit playing because I 'm really afraid that my MacBook breaks down. :D Can anybody tell me if this could really happen when I play for a few hours without a break? I have a Rain Design mStand so the circulation of air shouldn´t be a problem...
  Please excuse my bad English grammar... :#
• If you play on any kind of laptop, you need to make sure that it has plenty of space to insure that the fans can vent the heat. If your fan is too loud that means your computer is running hot. The newer MacBooks do not have fans however and you still need to make sure it has a nicely vented place to play.

  Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
• @BlueBellFlora keep an eye on the Mac, fan issues and heat. I know you said it got better on Mac but it just may have gotten worse. CPU got worse since the new patch. Just spoke to someone who has a new 960m laptop and their cpu has gone to 94 c which is bad and this is the only game that does this. I hope its not effecting Mac too

• @BlueBellFlora keep an eye on the Mac, fan issues and heat. I know you said it got better on Mac but it just may have gotten worse. CPU got worse since the new patch. Just spoke to someone who has a new 960m laptop and their cpu has gone to 94 c which is bad and this is the only game that does this. I hope its not effecting Mac too

  
  Thanks. Apple have switched over to AMD GPUs again thankfully. Don't forget they write their own drivers too. Still running better on my NVIDIA 650M 1Gb than it was before. El Capitan has really improved it. And I'm up to date patch wise.
  

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• @BlueBellFlora keep an eye on the Mac, fan issues and heat. I know you said it got better on Mac but it just may have gotten worse. CPU got worse since the new patch. Just spoke to someone who has a new 960m laptop and their cpu has gone to 94 c which is bad and this is the only game that does this. I hope its not effecting Mac too

  
  Thanks. Apple have switched over to AMD GPUs again thankfully. Don't forget they write their own drivers too. Still running better on my NVIDIA 650M 1Gb than it was before. El Capitan has really improved it. And I'm up to date patch wise.
  

  
  Its the CPU not the GPU causing the heat issues and the fans racing etc. Seems to be effecting laptop and like computers which some Mac might fall under laptop like. Just keep an eye on CPU temps since the new patch

• @BlueBellFlora keep an eye on the Mac, fan issues and heat. I know you said it got better on Mac but it just may have gotten worse. CPU got worse since the new patch. Just spoke to someone who has a new 960m laptop and their cpu has gone to 94 c which is bad and this is the only game that does this. I hope its not effecting Mac too

  
  Thanks. Apple have switched over to AMD GPUs again thankfully. Don't forget they write their own drivers too. Still running better on my NVIDIA 650M 1Gb than it was before. El Capitan has really improved it. And I'm up to date patch wise.
  

  
  Its the CPU not the GPU causing the heat issues and the fans racing etc. Seems to be effecting laptop and like computers which some Mac might fall under laptop like. Just keep an eye on CPU temps since the new patch

  
  Macs that can support Metal, which was introduced with El Capitan, have shown significant CPU and GPU improvement thanks to the way it works. Hardly seeing any reports of this now.
  

  0

• @BlueBellFlora keep an eye on the Mac, fan issues and heat. I know you said it got better on Mac but it just may have gotten worse. CPU got worse since the new patch. Just spoke to someone who has a new 960m laptop and their cpu has gone to 94 c which is bad and this is the only game that does this. I hope its not effecting Mac too

  
  Thanks. Apple have switched over to AMD GPUs again thankfully. Don't forget they write their own drivers too. Still running better on my NVIDIA 650M 1Gb than it was before. El Capitan has really improved it. And I'm up to date patch wise.
  

  
  Its the CPU not the GPU causing the heat issues and the fans racing etc. Seems to be effecting laptop and like computers which some Mac might fall under laptop like. Just keep an eye on CPU temps since the new patch

  
  Macs that can support Metal, which was introduced with El Capitan, have shown significant CPU and GPU improvement thanks to the way it works. Hardly seeing any reports of this now.

  
  Interesting well hopefully it's only PC
• I touched a new machine in the Apple shop without anything playing on it and it felt like getting a small electric shock.
  Sims 4 is currently getting my powerful Windows laptop running hot even with the fan running underneath. This has only happened recently and I am only building houses at the moment.
  

• I touched a new machine in the Apple shop without anything playing on it and it felt like getting a small electric shock.
  Sims 4 is currently getting my powerful Windows laptop running hot even with the fan running underneath. This has only happened recently and I am only building houses at the moment.
  

  
  Please monitor your temps http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html
  Open the app at desktop ,leave it open, start the game when you exit the game read the app. It will read your temps on everything.Pay close attention to cpu if your over 80 c on a laptop this is bad