This study examines how the warm Miocene (~23–5 Ma) climate responded to orbital changes compared with modern day. Simulations show weaker Miocene temperature responses with distinct spatial patterns. High latitudes were less sensitive due to weaker albedo feedback, while tropical Africa cooled more strongly from an enhanced water cycle. The Southern Ocean warmed under low insolation as winter sea ice shrank. These findings highlight how background climate states shape orbital climate responses.