Analyzing the "idle CPU whine" issue

Hi All,
I have been waiting for a solution for the "idle CPU whine" issue since I returned my MacBook Pro because of the whine.
First of all, we need to filter out all the posts where a person says that he does not have the whine but has not heard a whining unit. So, we need to focus only on experiences of people who hear the whine or do not hear whine but have heard the whine in another unit.
Secondly, I think that the build week number has no significance on the whine issue. More interesting would be to have people sending here the last part of their serial number, which supposedly is some kind of configuration code, and stating if they have the idle CPU whine or not. Maybe we could get some new information out of that.
Do also state, if you have actually compared a whining and a non-whining unit. If you have not compared the no-whine opinions are useless as they are merely opinions without a reference to a faulty unit.

This was posted on MacFitIt today (www.macfixit.com)
" Mike, I thought you might find this reply from Apple regarding my contacting them with a noise issue with the MacBook Pro. I noticed that if I were to disable a processor core the noise immediately stopped and this is Apple's reply.
Eric"
Begin forwarded message:
"Hi Eric, I heard back from engineering and was informed that this normal behavior for the MacBook Pro. When the processors are idle a capacitor on the logic board will take on additional power loads causing the capacitor to vibrate, thus creating the noise. Turning off the second processor and/or using better energy saver settings reduces the load on the capacitor causing the noise not to occur.
For more information check out http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro/. Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions..."

Similar Messages

Is this the infamous CPU whine?

I recently got a new logic board for my MBP, and since then, I've noticed that a quiet whine coming from it. The MBP is a mid-2006 model; the logic board was installed by AppleCare a week ago. The whine only happens when the computer is not plugged in to the MagSafe adapter, and it's fairly faint; it's just barely bearable. Is this the CPU whine that existed several years ago, or is this just normal behavior? I thought they would have fixed the CPU whine problem on new logic boards by now. I don't think I heard this whine before in the 3+ years that I've had this computer. If I do stuff like scroll a page or run CPU-intensive tasks, then the whine seems to go away momentarily, which seems to be what the old CPU whine used to do.

Download SystemLoad and run that. See if you can get the CPU to "sing."
Dave M.
MacOSG Founder/Ambassador  An Apple User Group  iTunes: MacOSG Podcast
Macsimum News Associate Editor  Creator of 'Mac611 - Mobile Mac Support'

CPU WHINE FIX

I'm wondering if anyone out there had their macbook sucessfully repaired for the CPU whine issue. I'm sending in my macbook tomorrow and I'm wondering if when it comes back - it will whine again (sooner or later).
If you got yours fixed - can you tell me please what components were replaced?
Thanks a lot - Trying to get this thing fixed once and for all - If it wasn't for this issue I'd be 100% satisfied as opposed to 50% NOW

no one? Not a single person got their MacBook fixed for the whine issue?

CPU whine on macbook pro 13in

Hi, ive been experiencing the alleged CPU whine, and was wondering if apple will fix or replace my machine for a new one. Im under the 1 yr warranty.

fuad24,
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
They will fix it if they find there is a problem, take it into your closest Apple Store after making an appointment and they will look at it. Once they have then they will determine if there really reason to repair it.
Regards,
Roger

What to do with the CPU whine?

I have a Core 2 Duo 2,16Ghz White Macbook bought a month ago. It has the infamous CPU (or logic board) whine - which Apple aknowledged on their MacBook Pro line. I have gone to the local Apple dealer where they said yes it whines but that Apple hasn't issued any orders as to what to do with the whine so try to put up with it... not very nice actually.
The Macbook whine behaves almost identically to the Macbook Pro whine, so you can minimize it using PhotoBooth and some other programs. And using a Apple Might Mouse Bluetooth also takes the whine away (because the cpu is less idle).
How can i get rid of the whine (high pitched noise-buzz)?

I've seen quite a number of posts on the whine from various manufacturers. HP has actually posted a BIOS update to address the problem (at a significant cost to power management):
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?docname=c00965412&cc=us&dlc=e n&lc=en&jumpid=regR1002USEN
As the MacBooks (and MacBook Pros) don't have a BIOS, Apple would have to push out an EFI firmware update. I would certainly prefer that if they go this route, they give you an option in preferences to either enable or disable the power saver features.
Here is another comment referencing the whine other machines:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=103747 (Toshiba, Sony, and HP)
Unfortunately... I don't see any easy fix to this. I would imagine it is possible that some logic boards may exhibit the problem to greater or lesser degrees, but there would be no way to guarantee that replacing the logic board would result in a machine with less whine.

What is it talking apple so long to create an update for the whine issue?

I think it is pretty ridiculous that the only update apple has released that effects the whine issue, only makes it worse. Even worse is that users over here have managed to detect and resolve the issue before apple has managed to do so. So come on apple, what's taking so long? It's amazing how badly this situation is being handled.

They know about the whine issue, i just talked to a product specialist who told me that they knew about it.
He also told me that Apple was not planning on adressing it since the cpu whine was within specifications.
As i said, it was a product specialist not an engineer so there is still a little hope regarding this issue being fixed sometime in the future.
I am not the only one to be disappointed about this and other problems that MBPs have.
But for now i m going to try and enjoy what i have , at the end of the year i will buy a sony loaded with vista since Apple is not able to give me satisfaction.
I m a loyal Apple customer since many years, but i have had enough, no more repairs or exchanges for me; I wil just be switching back!
The only thing that could make me change my mind is if Apple recalled my defective computer in order to give me a machine free of problem.
So far it's impossible since they don't have such a machine in stock.

C2D MacBook -- the CPU whine is GONE!

So, my black C2D MacBook has been up and running for the past three hours, and there is absolutely no hint of CPU whine!
That's my happy ending to a very sad tale of one bad rev. A MacBook after another...
This is the FOURTH MacBook I've had in the past six months. The first one was damaged right out of the box (misaligned case, and screwdriver scratches all over the bottom), so Apple replaced it. The replacement machine developed a really loud, grindy noise coming from the fan, and after two trips to the Apple repair center with no improvement, Apple finally agreed to replace that machine last week. The replacement had a nice, quiet fan, but plenty of CPU whine. Still not ideal, but I was resigned to live with it.
This morning, I learned of the C2D update. Fortunately, every time the Apple Store in Ginza, Tokyo, issued me a replacement machine, they also issued me a new sales receipt. So, I took the replacement MacBook I got last week to the Apple Store today, showed them my receipt for the latest replacement (indicating that I was within the 14-day return period), and asked for an exchange. I had to pay the restocking fee, which amounted to about $150. The way I look at it, I paid Apple about a dollar a day for the last five months to "rent" their rev. A MacBooks until the rev. B's were released!
Needless to say, I'm a very satisfied customer right now.
Whisper-quiet, super-quick and brand-spankin' new!
Black Macbook; Mini 1.5GHz (Late 2005); PB Lombard: PB 2400; PowerMac G3; Mac OS X (10.4.8) Blueberry iMac; iPod nano 4GB; and a Bill King bobblehead doll--Holy Toledo!

i would like congratulate you and to share your jubilation!
i have also had three macbooks since they came out after my very reliable ibook was stolen. no end of problems with my macbooks and just send the last one back a couple of days ago. only to log on today and find they have 2 core duo's now. So ordered one straight away. now i cant wait to recieve it :o) but am scared of what problems these may come with

CPU whine

Hello,
I bought a MacBook Core 2 Duo last week and I discovered it had a strange whine. It seems that this whine starts when the CPU is idle. I have found lots of information on the internet concerning this issue, but I haven't found any official sollution from Apple.
I would like to know what Apple is going to do about this issue. Should I ask for a replacement or should I wait for a software update?
Thanks for your answers.
Vaidas
MacBook MA700ZH/A Mac OS X (10.4.8) Core 2 Duo 2 GHz, 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

What puzzles me is that Apple officially acknowledged the CPU whine problem on the Macbook Pro, and offered a fix for it. There is an article on their site somewhere, I've seen it listed in the forums here before. So why not do the same for the Macbook?
Anyone know if after sending the MBP in for this fix if it's completely eliminated? Or at least to the point you can't hear it in a silent room?
Also, I doubt very much you'll ever see a downloadable fix for this issue without taking a hit in battery performance. The only reason the whine goes in WinXP is because Windows does not throttle the CPU down as far as OSX does. As a result I can guarantee that you'll get less battery life in WinXP, and the same for all those other fixes. It's a capacitor, diode, or something else along those lines that vibrates when the CPU is throttled down. This is only speculation. In any case, if there was a way to fix it with software they would have done it with the MBP. But instead they asked for the units to be sent it, which is more incurred cost for them...so that would suggest it was the only way to correct it.

T450s - cpu whine

Hello,
I am experiencing cpu/coil whine issue in my brand new T450s. Any ideas? I read the issue is caused by low quality capacitors on the motherboard. Does anyone else experience this issue on the new T450s? Should I contact the Repair center? Noise is definitely related to the cpu power consumption, because when the cpu is working it is not noticeable, I have to put my ear on the keyboard to hear it, but when the cpu is idle the buzzing is very annoying.

Hi veno77, yes, I did and my motherboard was replaced. It was useless, the problem still persists. Service man told me exactly it is normal behavior and escalation to higher level of service cant solve this problem. It is design flaw, but without impact on service life, so lenovo refuses to solve this problem. USB selective suspend is the less-affecting method to solve whine I think. But everything is about CPU power consumtion. But I dont believe it can help. Here is my previous post from my own thread: Hello, I have a problem with my 3 months old Thinkpad T440p. There is buzzing/beeping coil whine issue. If you work at night, that sound makes you really CRAZY. The problem is described on the internet pretty well and i spent dozens of hours by trying to find a sollution. It isnt only Lenovo problem, users of Dell XPS series have it too in a high number of cases. Problem appears when:processor is in higher C-Stateall applications are minimized and you see only desktop backgroundinternet browser is openedPossible sollution is disabling CPU DeeperSleep in Lenovo PowerManager or disabling Intel SpeedStep in BIOS, but it is not the sollution we want. Laptop get really hot then, especially in left half of keyboard, and battery life is decreased. This is useless and I wonder how Lenovo can recommend this solution as a fix. I tis workaround, not fix. You only trade something for something else. A lot of people on internet forums says there is problem in power adapter. Yes, there can be a problem too, but adapter can whine separately, just try if whine persists in battery mode. Another useless sollution.Next try, configuring USB/Bluetooth/PCI-E sleep modes or power settings: not T440p case. The same with playing sound loop, changing memory modules, disks, etc.. Useless sollutions. We all know, where is the problem: coil core vibration or power circuit piezoelectric effect. In most cases, using more expensive, higher quality noise free coils and other parts can reduce this issue to minimum. With better board design it can solve this problem forever. Why Lenovo is refusing to solve this? I am very surprised that Dell, after a lot of XPS13 and XPS15 users claimed, announced hardware fix for all affected systems by replacing motherboard with new, noise-free revision!! Why Lenovo cant make the same for ThinkPad users? I always thought Lenovo ThinkPad is something „better“ for professional use, or not? Maybe Mark_Lenovo can tell us more! There is no need to say how much Im disappointed, frustrated and sad with this laptop. I really like Lenovo, I used ThinkPads for years, and I see the product quality is getting down. I am no one with a broken heart, so we will be happy Lenovo can hear our claims.

10.4.7 CPU Whine!!!! Please HeLp.. Newbie!!!!

Hi Guys..
I recently got a MBP (week 23) standard config.. As far as i remember i didnt notice the whirring or buzzing sound (known as CPU whine) until i upgraded to 10.4.7..
Well its pretty faint but i can easily here it when i am in a silent room n the thought that i have it now really makes me hear that n indeed this bugs me.. This is my first ever Apple product n first ever laptop (I am a newbie)..
I talked to a guy on apple support n told him about the issue n he said it might be the inverter buzz n is a hardware issue.. BUT i told him tht it cant be hardware as it goes away whn i turn on the photobooth or i do CPU intensive tasks, so it seems to me that its a software thingy..
So i have two quetions:
1) Is it a hardware issue or not??? If it is then i am gona send it back (ny suggestions on tht too will be appreciated)..
2) Other than the slight whine, ITS PERFECT, totaly NO ISSUES.. Jus wondering tht i turn the photobooth on to make it silent what effect does it make on the battery??? Cant figure out
Any help will be much appreciated as i need to make a decision tht whether i m gona send it back or keep it (plz provide suggestions on tht too if you can..)
Kind Regards
SINGH
MBP 2.0 Ghz, 512 RAM Mac OS X (10.4.7)
MBP 2.0 Ghz, 512 RAM Mac OS X (10.4.6)
MBP 2.0 Ghz, 512 RAM Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Hello Singh1699,
Yes, I already talked to one of the Apple staff in Ireland (I lived in Swiss) and they admitted that it IS the hardware related problem. They said the build is not somehow fully compatible with the core program of MAC OSX causing the noise from CPU and, quite a few times, with the power invertor.
You can search my posts here for more information about this issues. What I would recommend you to do is try to get a hold of Apple store, ask them for a replacement (you can even put the noise on phone for them to hear as I did). You have to be quick before your 14 days of return expires. That what I did and now I am waiting for my new one to arrive.
Hope this helps
Cheers,
James

Is this idle CPU temp normal?

I'm running an early 2008 2.4GHz Macbook (white). On idle, the CPU ranges between 61°C and 64°C. After a few minutes at around 80% load, i get around 86°C. Is this normal? According to this site,
http://www.intelmactemp.com/list?vmodel=41&v_cpufreq=&v_memory=&v_hddsize=&v_hddrpm=&v_serial=&v_macosxver=&v_ambi ent_1=&v_ambient_2=&v_idleoem_1=&v_idleoem_2=&v_loadoem_1=&v_loadoem_2=&v_hddtem p_1=&v_hddtemp_2=&v_whine=&v_moo=&vpostedby=
users are getting about 20°C lower temps on idle. Any input?

Thanks. I gave this a shot, but i'm still getting the same temps. There's plenty of airflow around the laptop as it is on a stand which raises the back of the laptop. I also noticed, last night, that there was a faint, but audible whine that I never noticed before. Maybe I'm just being ultra paranoid now, but I like knowing that my hardware is functioning as intended. I'm fearful that the above-average idle temps are a precursor to an upcoming hardware failure.
I also have iStat Menus installed and i'm currently getting 2500-3183rpm. I currently only have 6 apps open (safari, adium, preview, mail, photoshop, and itunes). No flash movies loaded and one 6MB PSD file open in Photoshop. Activity Monitor currently shows the highest CPU percentage at 5.8 (safari).
Message was edited by: strongcoffee

X300 + CPU whine + Linux + how to disable C4 state

Hi,
I also have this annoying CPU whine occurance when my CPU changes to C4.
As I have Linux running on my x300 (Ubuntu 8.10) deactivating Power-Management in bios is not an option because then I cannot adjust the display-brightness with the function-buttons anymore.
Is it possible to deactivate C4 with a shell script?
EDIT/ I had to reinstall gnome-power-manager after deactivating power-mgmt in bios, adjusting brightness now works again.
Yet, my question still remains.
Thanks in advance
Message Edited by Tackelton on 12-23-2008 08:23 AM
Lenovo ThinkPad X300 N1214GE - SL7100 3GB/64GB 13"WXGA+ X3100
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Issue solved.
Here is how to do it:
http://www.inliniac.net/blog/2008/07/25/fixing-noise-on-ubuntu-hardy-804-aka-setting-max_cstate.html
Lenovo ThinkPad X300 N1214GE - SL7100 3GB/64GB 13"WXGA+ X3100

Advice: CPU whine

Hi all,
I've noticed over the last couple of months that my beloved MacBook Air (purchased June 2009) has developed an annoying CPU whine, more commonly associated with the early MacBooks and some MacBook Pros.
Just to clarify, the noise resembles a static crackle and originates from the left side of the keyboard, in the vicinity of the 'tab' key. It is easily differentiated from the gentle hum of the system fan, located in a more central location. Varying the fan speed using smcFanControl doesn't appear to affect the whine, which also persists regardless of power source - AC or battery. Just as a troubleshooting step, the noise disappears with QuietMBP set at 80 or 90. Tellingly, the frequency of the noise varies with the slider setting in QuietMBP as well. Unfortunately, this has the detrimental side-effect of increasing system idle temperature by 7-8C. :'(
I can't remember whether my beloved has always exhibited this noise, which then proceeded to get louder and discernable over time, or if it followed the application of an OS update. I first noticed it when running 10.6.1 though, and it is beginning to drive me nuts.
I will have some time soon to get it looked at by an AASP. What I'm wondering then is if anyone has had any experience with this problem, specifically with their MacBook Air, but also in general. Any advice or insight would be muchly appreciated by a poor graduate student being driven ever so slowly to the point of insanity. Oh, let the crackling stop...
Yang

My Macbook 13" does it and has since I purchased it in late November. I've brought it to the Mac store, spoken to "geniuses" and scoured the net looking for other people reporting the problem, and hopefully someone with a solution. I have found little of the former and none of the latter. The previous comment seems to make sense to me though. What I can contribute is that it seems to me be related to power consumption. The whine actually starts when my Mac is using little power, such during idle moments or low CPU usage. Crank the CPU up and the noise seems to go so that it is less noticeable or maybe even gone. My theory is that there is a power saving feature that when it gets engaged produces the noise.
I refuse to install the quiet program because I'd sooner return the machine. This is a defect and if it cannot be fixed then I will hold Apple accountable to their warranty. If you ask me, Apple is aware of the problem and is not making it known. Call me a conspiracy nut, but I found this thread through Google. When I went to click through to it, it mysteriously was not available as if it didn't exist. Other threads on the discussions board worked fine. So I loaded the Google cached version. Today the thread is loading. Go figure.
Additionally, I am contemplating trying a SMC and/or PRAM reset but I'm unsure of any possible side effects of trying those out.
Please anyone with additional info post. The whine is incredibly annoying and interrupts my actually being able to get work done, thanks.
Message was edited by: macattacksnacklacks

No whine issue?

I just came back from an Apple retailer and they had two MacBooks on display. The white unit (4H620) had the high frequency whine, the black unit (4H622) was completely quiet. I place my good ear about 2 inches from the keyboard, both units were idle and connected to a Magsafe.
Apparently the black unit has been on display since day 1 but it has been sent back for repair twice. The serial number seems to indicate that the original display unit may have had parts replaced thus changing the serial number.
Is it possible that there's fix for the whine? I find it disconcerting that some buyers are getting whine free units and some are not. Is there a list of serial numbers affected by the whine or moo? Maybe we need to start a database of serial numbers and the various issues.
PPC G4 400Mhz 1G MacBook 2.0 2G Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I've had my Macbook for three days now and it has been nothing short of amazing! This is my first Mac, and I was reluctant to buy after reading about all the problems. I don't think the heat is unbearable, and I use it on my lap for extended periods of time. It's pretty much silent under most conditions, but a fan does kick on when I do something like install programs or use a cd. I think it might have mooed once or twice last night, but the sound was so faint I couldn't recognize it from recordings I've heard on the internet. I have a week 21 Macbook.
White Macbook 1.83, 512mb Mac OS X (10.4.6)

CPU whine/hum/sizzle

I hope this is the right place to put this, I apologize in advance if it isn't. My computer has been doing a whining sizzle on the left side for several days now. It is loudest from the Q to R keys. This has done this in the past, but it went away pretty quick. Turning it off and restarting seemed to do the trick. However, this time it isn't going away. It seems to coincide with CDs or DVDs acting up - I have no idea if that's what caused it, but both times this started with a wonky disc; the first time, a scratched CD was inserted and I had trouble getting it out; this time I put a blank DVD in and my computer told me the disc was bad and to use a different one. Again, I don't know if that's just a coincedence, or what. The noise goes away when the computer is "thinking"...I took someone's advice (from these forums) and ran Photo Booth. That gets rid of the noise, but only because something is running non-stop, I'm assuming. Is there anyway to stop this? So far I haven't had much luck finding an answer! My software is currently all up-to-date. Thanks in advance!

I also experience the CPU whine/sizzle when the CPU is idle. It happens when the CPU enters the C4 power mode.
The utility ShhMBP (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/22091) prevents the CPU from entering the C4 power mode and consequently stops the whine!
The ShhMBP description says to use only on a MBP but it is safe to use on a MB. Enjoy the sound of silence, I know I am
MacBook Mac OS X (10.4.8) Core Duo 1.83GHz, 2GB RAM

Analyzing the "idle CPU whine" issue

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