Does the fanless system inside an M4 MacBook Air hold up under a stress test? For some, the familiar hum of a whirring fan can be assuring, or it can be a sign that your device is about to explode. However, it may surprise you to learn that the MacBook Air implements alternative methods for keeping its system cool. Is it effective? I ran a couple of stress tests to give you my experience.
Going Fanless: A Quick Look at the M4’s Cooling System
Launched in March 2025, the MacBook Air M4 has stunned many with both its performance and its affordability. With four performance cores and up to six efficiency cores, the M4 may seem like a daunting task keeping the device cool, yet the machine does not rely on an internal fan.
This is because the M4 MacBook Air relies on passive cooling, as does every MacBook Air that includes an Apple processor. This means that instead of a fan, the MacBook Air uses other methods for pushing heat away from the processor. As the team at ThinkCover observes, one method for the device to dissipate heat is through a cover sheet placed between the bottom enclosure and internal components, which helps distribute heat. The aluminum body of the MacBook Air also helps perform this task.
This design differs greatly from the MacBook Pro series, which does rely on fans for keeping the internals of the machine cool. So, while you’re getting a powerful processor in the Air, it may not be able to stay cool enough for you to constantly push it to its limits. ThinkCover’s video also notes performance issues when the machine is heavily pushed.
Will you experience the same?
First Stress-Test: Gaming with the MacBook Air
For my first stress test, I wanted to go with something practical. Performing a test that virtually anyone can recreate or may even experience while using the device seemed like a fair method to test the MacBook Air, as the device is meant for a more generalized group of consumers.
With that in mind, I decided to push the machine by playing Resident Evil 4. For this test, I ran the game in full-screen with a 2880×1864 resolution, which is the max resolution for the 15-inch Air. I went with a Variable framerate rather than choosing from 30, 60, or 120, and I left the majority of the other graphics settings as-is.
Playing for about an hour, it didn’t take long for my MacBook Air to get warm. However, it never reached a point of feeling hot, even when I continued to play with my device laying atop a rather thick blanket. After prolonged use, the device was warm, but it was not burning, and even with the device on my lap as I played wasn’t causing a physical issue for myself.
Overall, my MacBook did get warm, but I never noticed performance issues when playing Resident Evil 4, and even though I had multiple windows open, including two different browsers. While the game ran well, I don’t think it would be a great idea to attempt to run it at its max graphic settings.
Though I could easily push the machine further by keeping the framerate at 60 or 120, I felt that this test was a good starting point for getting an understanding of the machine.
Now it was time to push it further.
Second Stress-Test: Pushing the Limits of the MacBook Air
For the second stress test, I decided to see what would happen if I pushed all ten cores of the M4 processor to their limit for as long as I could while running on battery power. There are a multitude of ways to go about this, with one popular test on Reddit involving opening multiple Terminal windows and typing yes>/dev/null. However, I decided to use the program Endurance for this test, as I wanted a visual representation for the purposes of this article.
Built by Tunabelly Software, I like that the program is free and meets my current needs for the task at hand. To measure results, I also downloaded the program Usage, as it would give me valuable insight into my metrics and performance.
After starting Endurance and having it run all ten cores as hard as the program could, I also kept Activity Monitor open to ensure everything was running as intended. In total, I ran the program (and my CPU) for around an hour and fifteen minutes. By the end, my battery was reaching nearly 31 degrees celsius, which is somewhat close to the 35 degree limit Apple recommends.
While the machine itself was still performing with the CPU pushed near its limit for over an hour, the device was certainly hot. I could have pushed the machine further with additional methods, such as throttling the Wi-Fi connection, but I felt that this test was sufficient for my conclusions.
The Final Word: Will a Fanless Mac Stay Cool?
Long story short, your MacBook Air M4 is going to be great at doing light to medium tasks, but it may slip under pressure once things get really cooking. The passive cooling simply isn’t enough for monumental or long-term intensive tasks. This isn’t terribly surprising, as the MacBook Pro lineup does exist for a reason. However, if your plans for this device are round after round of intense gaming or heavy photo/video editing, you may want to consider spending the extra money on a MacBook Pro.
However, that doesn’t mean the MacBook Air is a slouch; it simply means you should know what it handles well. This device is going to be perfect for office tasks, streaming, multitasking, basic media editing, and light to medium gaming, and it’s going to do it all silently as you work.
You should also remember that Apple does have a laundry list of things you can do to keep your device cool, and if you’re not concerned about your warranty, there are ways to mod the device with thermal pads to keep it cool.
In the end, this is going to be a great device for those that can stay within the device’s intended use. For those that need to constantly push the limits of their device, they may want to consider finding a good deal on an M-Based MacBook Pro.
