Macs are well-known for their ability to handle power-intensive tasks with much-needed smoothness. However, while the optimized software perfectly complements the robust hardware, these systems aren’t without shortcomings.
For example, one of the most common problems that you may encounter as a Mac user is loud or excessive fan noise. If you have encountered this issue, here are some recommendations to fix the problem.
1. Restart Your Mac System
The quickest way to fix your Mac system’s loud fan noise is to reboot your computer. While this isn’t a permanent solution, it should provide you immediate respite.
To reboot the system, click the Apple menu icon and select Restart.
2. Check the Room Temperature
Ambient temperature plays a vital role in the responsiveness of your Mac’s fan. The ideal temperature is between 50 degrees and 95 degrees F. The fans will run faster and trigger much sooner if the temperature outside the device is too high.
Also, you must ensure you don’t leave your system in the car because the temperature inside parked cars easily exceeds the range of the ideal ambient temperature, especially in the summer. Moreover, you must always use your system where humidity is between 0% and 95%.
3. Make Sure the Vents are Clear
Grime, dust, and dirt always sneak into your computer’s small ports and vents. If it has been a while since you last cleaned your Mac’s vents, the chances are high that dust might be blocking the vents and coming in the way of ventilation.
Use a screwdriver to remove the bottom panel of your system and blow away the debris using compressed air. You can also get a soft, lint-free cloth to clean the vents carefully.
4. Ensure the Airflow Around the Chassis Isn’t Blocked
If you find your system’s fans are making noise, you should check if anything is blocking the airflow around the chassis. Macs can expel hot air and bring in cool air from the vents. So, if anything is blocking them, the circulation will be affected.
Is your Mac placed directly on a soft surface? If yes, air won’t circulate around it. You must avoid using your system under covers, in bed, or on a pillow.
You should also avoid placing anything over the built-in keyboard to ensure augmented air circulation.
Are you using a MacBook Pro? If so, you must make sure your device is locked and seated. You must also ensure that the top cover is closed neatly and locked on the rack-mounted models.
5. Check and Minimize the CPU Usage on Your Mac
If the CPU heats up due to an intensive workload, the fans may come into action to keep your system cool. In this case, you may start to hear loud fan noises.
To solve this issue, you need to check the CPU usage of your Mac:
Navigate to the Activity Monitor to find out which applications are hogging CPU resources, and take the proper steps to control them. First, you must hold the Command key and press the Spacebar to launch Spotlight.
Then, you have to look for the Activity Monitor and open it. After that, choose the CPU tab and check the applications at the top of the %CPU column. You can delete those applications or use them less.
6. Force Quit Applications
Force quitting applications might not be an immediate solution to solving the loud fan noise issue on your Mac, but they can prevent unnecessary power consumption. If there’s less power consumption, it means your system will remain cool.
First, you click the Apple menu and select Force Quit and then choose the applications you aren’t using and select Force Restart.
7. Reset the NVRAM and PRAM
If the Mac fans start making a loud noise without any reason, you can consider resetting the NVRAM/PRAM. PRAM is the type of memory specifically designed to store system settings like time zone settings, speaker volume, display settings, etc.
The moment you reset this, your system goes back to the default hardware systems, which results in fixing the most persistent problems.
To reset NVRAM/PRAM on your Intel-based Macs, you have to turn off your system and switch it on. Then, ensure to press and hold the Command + Option + P + R keys when you hear the startup sound.
It would be best if you continued holding these keys until your system restarts and you hear the startup sound.
Wrapping Up
So, are you hearing loud Mac fan noises? If so, remember the solutions mentioned above and continue with your tasks.
These will help you to quickly solve the fan noise issue and improve your system’s performance. However, if the problem persists, contact a certified technician.
