How noisy is the Mac mini M4 Pro?

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Level 1

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How noisy is the Mac mini M4 Pro?

Hi,

I would like to buy a Mac mini M4 Pro, but I fear it will be noisy. I use it for making music, so I'm both distracted by fan noise, and it risks to be captured by the mics.

There are no deep tests showing how the fans behave on the web. Apparently, pushing the chips to the max makes the fans spin fast and loud. But I can accept this in extreme situations, like long rendering of audio or video.

But what about normal operations, like working with soft synths in Logic, or in the timeline of Final Cut?

Also: would the Low Power mode make the fan be always noiseless?

Thank you for your answers and reports.

Posted on Mar 7, 2025 09:40 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,074 points

Mar 7, 2025 10:29 AM in response to PaoloT.

Pretty darn quiet, go to your local Apple Store or reseller and listen to one though. With any computer, if you push it to its limits where it is doing a LOT of computing that heats it up that will activate the fans and begin to make it somewhat louder. In order to keep the computer within its limits one of the things you can do is to purchase the device properly configured for your needs. That means, adequate RAM and storage as these devices cannot be upgraded after purchase.

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Answer 2

tbirdvet

Level 6

16,721 points

Mar 7, 2025 05:08 PM in response to PaoloT.

Mine is very quiet. The fan stays ~1000 rpm unless under heavy load then speed can >2500 RPM but even then it is fairly quiet.

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

122,136 points

Mar 8, 2025 06:41 AM in response to PaoloT.

I have a M4 Mac Mini Pro with 64 GB RAM and it is silent. I don't play games or video editing and even during compiles, there is no sound from the mini.

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Answer 4

PaoloT. Author

Level 1

12 points

Mar 8, 2025 01:58 PM in response to rkaufmann87

> go to your local Apple Store or reseller and listen to one though

Alas, I did it today, and the place was too noisy to understand anything. The only thing that I could verify is that the M4 (base) was warm, and the nearby M2 Studio was totally cold. Also, the former ejected warm air, versus the cold air emitted by the Studio.

I guess one of the employees could have detached the mini and let me listen to it into a more reserved room, but they probably can't. And the built-to-order models can't be returned.

So, I have to collect your experiences before deciding.

Paolo

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Answer 5

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,074 points

Mar 8, 2025 05:22 PM in response to PaoloT.

If you buy directly from Apple you can return ANY product within 2 weeks of purchase, yes even custom configurations!

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How noisy is the Mac mini M4 Pro?

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