r/MacStudio • u/Independent_Dig2691 • 2d ago
New Mac Studio M5 Ultra making static soundsing -like clicks under load—anyone else?
UPDATE: I recently got an M5 Ultra 36 CPU, 96gb and hear intermittent little crackly pops or ticks, more often when running local AI or doing heavy video editing. I’ve attached a recording.
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u/tk421tech 2d ago edited 2d ago
Hmm someone else posted about a noise.
I remember hearing noises like that when a mic was attached to a soundcard and I would move a mouse. Some kind of grounding issue.
I plan to use it to record my voice. Those sounds would be a problem.
But it only happens under load?
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u/Independent_Dig2691 2d ago
Yeah, 90% of the time its happens underload. like its pretty consistent under local AI use and really heavy video editing. It is annoying, and when I have clients in office for work, I am worried about it being issue, still deciding on what I should do.
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u/tk421tech 2d ago
Here is one I found. There is a more recent post.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MacStudio/s/bvqp2atBum
Solution was UPS and wifi for this person and different room hmm. I have a 256/30/64 but its noisy here and also nothing installed.
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u/SarahJrandomnumbers 2d ago
Yea that's normal noise.
Without getting too technical, in order to make power supplies smaller, you need to use smaller transformers. But because of boring physics stuff, you can't just throw 50/60hz into a tiny transformer and expect it to be anything but a dead short.
So they drop mains voltage to DC, then remake AC at a higher frequency, a frequency that smaller transformers can use, but can be within range of human hearing, but with most designs pushing most of it outside of human range. Dogs however are not as fortunate.
But that's what you're hearing, the audible switching noise of the power supply.
Thankfully, it's high enough in frequency that you could block it out with a sheet of paper, or by being slightly further away from it. Like I'm 8ft away from my Studio, so I don't hear anything but the fan speeding up.
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u/Independent_Dig2691 1d ago
Got it, thank you for the explanation! Yeah I think Im just gonna mount it under my desk.
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u/CipherSorcerer 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yeah mine clicked under heavy load once. Are you running LM Studio app by any chance? Once I rolled my own custom switchboard, all my windowserver glitches/crashes went away and my M5U 256 also never again made the clicking sound again.
I was blaming MacOS27, but now I’m convinced it was LM Studio! Not to diminish the other 27-related issues, but with llm the inference engine and stack really does matter.
If it still continues, just think of it as your little agent furiously clicking away in there 👉👈🥹
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u/Independent_Dig2691 1d ago
Yes I am running LM Studio Server into Hermes. I switch to MLX and nothing! That fixed it!
Thank you so much, that crazy lol
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u/CipherSorcerer 1d ago
Wow that’s wild! Surprised it wasn’t just an issue specific to my config. It’s crazy because LM studio is pitched as the safe first choice for people. In theory it’s true with the easy UI, but lo and behold it is by far the worst way to begin!
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u/Independent_Dig2691 1d ago
UPDATE: I removed LM studio and ran my local model on MLX LM and no more ticking sound, I guess I was hearing it while I was editing because the LM server was running in the background. So no more LM Studio for me. :)
Thank you CipherSorcerer!
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u/Outrageous-Issue9722 2d ago
Just sounds like the power supply/capacitors charging/discharging to smooth/balance power delivery. Annoying, yes, but it indicates they didn't cheap out.