MacBook Fan Loud: Causes and Solutions

Your MacBook fan is loud and you’re not sure why. This article will walk you through the common causes and solutions for a loud MacBook fan.

First Steps

Before you start troubleshooting, there are a few fundamental things to get you started:

Reset the System Management Controller

Reset the PRAM or NVRAM

Run Apple’s Diagnostic Suite

Causes

The harder your MacBook is working, the more heat it is generating. Fans will ramp up accordingly to compensate. Your fans being loud might be a typical response to the workload it’s under.

If your temperatures are high regardless of which sensor you look at, your issue may be lackluster airflow. Warmer air is typically blown out by dedicated vents, Some models have accompanying long, narrow cutouts along the bottom edge to allow for cool air to be pulled in.

During the course of using your Mac, something in the ones and zeroes that makes it run might have been lost, or changed in a way that causes inefficiencies. This is commonly a result of a botched update, an app which conflicts with functionality, or even a malicious piece of software.

There is a common myth amongst Mac folk that Apple computers don’t need Antivirus software—they just “don’t get viruses.” To some extent this is true, they are less likely to get truly malicious software. But they are still prone to all sorts of junkware that might be harvesting your data and bogging the system down.

Solutions

Here are some potential solutions to help you troubleshoot and fix the issue:

Reset the System Management Controller

Run Apple’s Diagnostic Suite

Check for dust and debris in the vents and fans

Additional Troubleshooting

If none of the above solutions work, there are a few more things you can try:

Check for software conflicts or malware

Try reapplying thermal paste to your CPU

Schedule a Repair

If none of the above solutions work, it may be time to schedule a repair with Salvation Repair. Our experienced technicians will work to diagnose and fix the issue with your MacBook fan.

Schedule a repair

Salvation Repair offers a limited lifetime guarantee of all parts and labor. We are committed to providing the best possible service to get your MacBook up and running smoothly.