This is arguably why firmware updates were invented.
A number of Mac Studio owners have posted complaints online that their desktops are making a high-pitched “whining” sound that appears to be coming from the fan.
Most of the complaints are coming from Mac Studio owners who opted for the M1 Max Mac Studio rather than the Ultra version, which is not a surprise as the two machines have different thermal setups.
MacRumors reader susetblvd offered the following description of the issue:
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.
User h43m offered the following description:
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…
Mac Studio buyers who are within their two week return period can get a replacement from Apple, but there are reports that replacement machines have also demonstrated the the same issue. It is not clear if this is something that can be addressed in a software update or if it’s a hardware issue that Apple is dealing with.
Apple has yet to issue an official comment as to the noise issue.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors