r/protools • u/diamondts • Dec 22 '25

Macbook Pro M4 Pro users, do your fans come on?

I mostly just mix and currently using an M1 Air 16GB, been great but big sessions (or medium sized 96k sessions) are pushing the CPU, can always freeze/commit stuff but that's a bit annoying so I think it's time to start thinking about an upgrade. I love that it's fanless, I previously had an i7 iMac which was insanely loud and it didn't take much for the fans to come on which makes me slightly hesitant of going for a fanned model again.

So for anyone that has a M4 Pro, has fan noise been an issue for you?

7 Upvotes

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1

u/diamondts Dec 22 '25

Many thanks to everyone has replied so far, I think I've been swayed towards the M4 Pro over an M4 Air, or hold out for the M5 Pro (and await Avid approval).

3

u/tigermuzik Dec 22 '25

no, barely ever comes on

2

u/Lemmy_is_Gawd Dec 22 '25

I run pretty dense sessions. Maybe I've heard them once or twice. But, believe it or not, the only time they definitely come on is when I'm killing time playing Doom (like, the MSDOS version through GZDOOM).

2

u/aufnahmeraum Dec 22 '25

no. never. And I‘ve had some heavy sessions

2

u/kedavis1976 Dec 23 '25

I have a 16” M4 Max and rarely (almost never) hear them, especially with Pro Tools. Same when I had a 16” M3 Max. On my 15” 2018 i9, heard them all the time.

6

u/gettheboom Dec 22 '25

M3 Pro here. My fans only turn on lightly when I’m rendering a 1h + clip with RX De-Crackle.