Annoying Humming Noise

I have a 2008 Mac Pro that has been making an annoying humming noise for a long time now. It didn't make this noise when I bought it and was whisper quiet for most of the first year. I have had all the fans and the power supply replaced under Apple Care, but it is still making the noise. It is a low, oooooWAAAAAAA, oooooWAAAAAA, ooooWAAAA sound that goes on at a steady rhythm all day. The noise did change somewhat in quality after the PSU was replaced, but no change with the fans. I have tried SMC fan control to change fan speed but that hasn't help other than to drown the noise out with fan noise. In a quiet room it is really annoying, but I am afraid if I took it in at this point they wouldn't hear the sound, as the tech guy couldn't hear it when he came out (it is more noticeable sitting at the level of the computer than standing above it). It can also be intermittent with it being barely audible at times to it being fairly obvious.
It gets louder based on the number of hard drives I put in the unit: less drives equal less noise, and the noise can get louder when I'm burning a DVD, though this is not the noise from the graphics card fan firing up, but a different noise that can be heard in background. It seems to be coming from the power supply or power supply fan.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks to everyone who responded. For anyone else who might have this problem, I found what may be a solution. I read somewhere else that this noise is caused by the drive sleds vibrating against the metal on top of the drive bays. I am sorry I can't find the page, but what this guy advised is to remove the sleds from the drives and bend them slightly downward over the side of your desk so that when you insert them back in, there should be about a millimeter of black space between the back of the sled and the metal above where they slide in. Just a tiny bend seems to suffice.I did this to all 4 drive sleds and the noise has been reduced by over 90 percent. As Kappy advised here if your sleds don't have rubber grommets around the screws that would very likely make this problem worse as well.
Hope this helps.

Similar Messages

Brand New 27" iMac: humming noise!

Just restored everything from my Time Machine backup and wanted to start working
with my new iMac 27" i3 3.2GHz but there is this annoying humming noise!
It's not from the HD - I hear the HD only during reading/writing and this is quite normal.
The humming noise sounds like it's from the power transformer
and I can also feel a vibration when I lay my hand on the iMac.
Anyone else has this issue?
I hope this is not NORMAL with the new iMac!!
I've had 3 other Macs before (see below) and NEVER heard ANY noise.
As far as I'm informed, the previous 27" iMac generation didn't have
this humming noise either.
Please answer ASAP - I have much work to do. Thanks!

There are two power supplies in the iMac starting with the Late 2009 models. One is the main power supply, the other steps up the voltage for the LED backlighting. The main PSU is a bit left of center on the top of the system, the other one runs along the left edge from pretty close to the top to about the middle of the system. One of those is likely defective.
While I'd put the odds as pretty low, the worst case scenario would be one of those catching fire and completely destroying the computer.
I'm no electrical engineer, so if there are any out there who want to disagree with what I'm about to say, I'd definitely defer to them. But I'd say the humming is probably a sign that the PSU is not having it's power flow regulated properly and somewhere there's a buildup/backup of energy. It could also be a lack of proper shielding that's creating a kind of sympathetic resonance. Lots of possibilities, but so long as the frequency/pitch of the sound is remaining constant... PROBABLY nothing to worry about in the next 2-3 days.
Again, I'll defer to any electrical engineers in the audience, but having worked as a hardware tech for around 2 years, I've run across people who have had loud PSUs for years with no obvious ill effects. I wouldn't recommend it myself, but there's at least anecdotal evidence to suggest it's more of an annoyance than anything.

PPC Mac G4-Front Speaker Humming Noise

Yesterday I turned the CPU on as usual and then I started to hear a "buzz humming noise" coming out from the front speaker. I disconnected all my external devices, fix the permissions, Zap the Pram and the buzz continued for the entire day and through the night. I thought the front speaker had give up on me so I booked at the Genius Bar to replace it this morning. Shut down the CPU last night. Turned it back on this morning and the "buzz humming noise" totally disappear, vanish! I canceled my reservation at the "Genius Bar" but the whole issue got me a little concerned as to how that happened and then all of the sudden it vanished. That makes me think of a spyware or a security issue if anyone can provoke such a thing from any external meanings. Anyone have any thoughts on this? ...Or experienced such an issue similar to this one? Thanks!
Message was edited by: Eduardo B1

Hi everyone I just thought to come back here and answer to my own question since I found the bug that caused the humming noise on the CPU front speaker after all this time. It was that little Google Application called: "Google Notifier Appl." If you are having the same problem, delete that application. There is a bug there that interferes with the Computer Sound Board causing a terrible humming noise enough to annoy "da heck" of anyone. I Hope that helps!
Message was edited by: Eduardo B1

Mac Pro 8-core Power Supply Making Humming Noise That Comes And Goes

This is in reference to a Mac Pro 3,1 8-core purchased around Feb 2008.
Lately, I've noticed a strange noise coming from my power supply that sounds like the noise a refrigerator radiator makes. It's a humming noise that rapidly comes and goes, constantly.
The power supply fan speed is running at 599rpm
I'm not sure if the problem could've been caused by adding additional ram (12GB, OWC) or an additional HDD (3rd HDD, WD), but I didn't really notice the noise until after adding these components.
What could be the cause of this problem? What are my repair options if necessary (without Apple Care)?
Thanks in advance.

I know for a fact it is not any of my hard drives because the noise is becoming more frequent no matter what hard drive I use, I actually have a 1.5tb, a 1tb, two 500gb and two 320gb drives, I have set an appointment to take my system in and have it tested, it is starting to crash 5-6 times a day. I can not get a lot of work done with this annoying spinning noise and the shutting down. Thank god for my Apple care, and I have visited various forums that lead me to believe its the power supply going out, with the symptoms it is having. This article and others like it explain what to look for when a power supply is going bad.
http://www.smartcomputing.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles/archive/r07 04/24r04/24r04.asp

Permanent humming noise on PowerBook aluminum 15

since a few days my PB has a permanet high pitch humming noise. It is relatively high frequency noise (a bot like that of a mosquito or a fly, or one of those electric vibration noises...
Can anybody help. It is so annoying, it makes it difficult to concentrate on the work.
Thanks

Yves:
Can you tell whether the noise is coming from a specific location of your computer? The possibilities that come to mind are a failing HDD or a troublesome cooling fan. The HDD is most the most likely suspect.
Try Repair Disk (directions below) paying special attention to the S.M.A.R.T Status and post back with results.
Repair Disk
Insert Installer disk and Restart, holding down the "C" key until grey Apple appears.
Go to Installer menu (Panther and earlier) or Utilities menu (Tiger) and launch Disk Utility.
Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in the left panel.
Select First Aid in the Main panel.
(Check S.M.A.R.T Status of HDD at the bottom of right panel, and report if it says anything but Verified)
Click Repair Disk on the bottom right.
If DU reports disk does not need repairs quit DU and restart.
If DU reports errors Repair again and again until DU reports disk is repaired.
If DU reports errors it cannot repair you will need to use a utility like Tech Tool Pro or Disk Warrior
cornelius

X61: Constant low humming noise After using for an hr. or so.

After using the notebook for an hr. or so, low irritating/humming noise starts that continues without interruption. The noise appears to be not from the HD side, rather from the opposite side.
Noise continues whether used with battery or power outlet or both.
Any suggestion and diagnosis would be of great help. Thanks.

The following is the comment I posted on 9/15. I have not received any replies so decided to search through other questions and came upon yours. Have you resolved your humming noise yet? I would love to know what this annoying sound is and how to get rid of it, if possible.
I purchased a Toshiba Satellite L505D-LS5002 laptop recently and am not happy at all with the annoying fan sound I hear for about 15 seconds every 50-60 seconds. It is too loud to ignore. I am not a computer "guru" and am just assuming it is the fan. What else could be making this annoying sound. It is a sort of humming/whistling sound that "revs" up for about 15 to 20 seconds and then stops abruptly, only to start up again in about a minute or so.

24" iMac humming noise "Problem Solved"

Hello,
I reinstalled Mac OS X 10.5.6 Combo Update and the annoying humming sound coming from my iMac is gone,I have read alot of people were having the same problem with the Aluminum 24" model.

I'm having the same thing with my 2008 24 inch iMac. I'm not sure if it is the hard drive or one of the fans, but there is a loud WHOOSH every time it starts up or wakes from sleep and the whirring noise is pretty much constant. It used to be completely silent, so this new sound is very noticeable.
Lately, the noise with abruptly stop and then make a struggling sound as if whatever is causing it is either going away or making it stop revolving or whatever (it would help if I could determine exactly WHAT is making the noise). I check iStat, but can't see any wide variance in the fans rpm speeds when it is happening or the heat of various components spiking. It is not affecting my computer use as it did the first time I had a similar problem (which turned out to the the hard drive, since replaced under warranty).
I bought Apple Care for this computer, so it is still covered under that, but I don't know if the fact that the noise is completely annoying to listen to all day is enough reason to bring it in for service and be covered under the extended warranty.

I recently downloaded the latest OS update and now I have a constant "humming" noise from my MBP and my audio output is no longer working. Any suggestions?

I recently downloaded the lastest OS update (Lion X 10.7.4) on my MBP that I purchased in November of 2011, and since downloading it my MBP has been making a constant "humming" noise from the right speaker/disc drive area. I also don't have any audio output for FaceTime or Skype. I attempted to use Photo Booth to record a video and it doesn't record any audio. I attempted to reset SMC and reinstall Lion with no resolution of the problems.

Click the Finder icon on the Dock.
Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup
Built-in-Output
Output tab
Move the Master volume slider to the right a bit.
Best.

HP laserJet 5200dtn making buzzing/humming noise after printing

Hi,
We have about three of these units in our office and one of them has recently began to make a loud buzzing/humming noise during and after printing a document. THe noise last about 5-10 seconds after the print job completes. I can also make the printer buzz by removing the duplexer and puting it back in. The printer seems to load and then the buzz noise happens, again for about 5 seconds. I am aware of normal noise from these printers and this buzz is not normal.
This noise gets louder as the day goes on. Could this be a fan motor going bad? We need to do somthing to get it quieter.
Any help or suggestions?
Thanks

any suggestions?

Humming noise in new MBP

Well, the latest firmware fixed the trackpad issues that I was having. Way cool!
Now yesterday, a new problem developed which I wondered if anyone else had experienced. Yesterday, when returning to my desk, I realised that my MBP was making a humming noise. It is not super loud and if I had bad hearing, I probably wouldn't notice it. So instead of being super quiet and the occasional clicking of the hard drive, I have a continuous low level humming noise. My guess is that it is fan noise.
Has any experienced this? It is a little obnoxious and I can live with it if need be, so what would help is whether any of you would advise that I pursue sorting this out or just living with it!

Mine has had the exact same issue for 3 weeks now. Moving my left hand around on the palm rest causes the right palm rest (above the hard drive) to buzz intermittently, depending on the pressure and position of my left hand.
I've completely uninstalled and re-installed the HD (including mounting screws) but no luck. Since the buzz appears whenever my left hand applies pressure to the palm rest, I tried re-seating the battery, but no luck either.
The buzz disappears if I press down on the right palm rest. I think it's something with the rigid construction of the unibody and how uneven pressure on the palm rests changes the vibration/sound dampening qualities of the hard drive bay.
Other than this my MBP is perfect. The "Genius Bar" might be of help, but I'm skeptical since the buzz is very faint and intermittent. All the noise in the Apple Store will probably make the impossible to hear what I'm describing to them...
Did anyone have any luck or self-fix solutions for this?

HELP! Really Loud Humming Noise. HELP!

PLEASE Help. All Day Today, My PB Has Been Making A Really Loud Humming Noise, Start Up Is Very Slow And Apps Keep Crashing. PLEASE Help Me.
Any Ideas On What It Could Be?
ThankYou.

There is a very high probability that it is your hard drive. If you can, back up IMMEDIATELY.
The same thing happened to me. Good luck.

Annoying clicking noise inside my iMac

Hi,
I recently bought an iMac 3.06GHz and ever since I got it there has been an annoying clicking noise coming from inside the display. I had read loads of topics of this clicking whilst in sleep mode, or whilst it's doing something else, but literally, as I'm typing now, Safari is the only extra program running on my Mac and it's clicking, then stopping, then clicking some more etc.
I can best describe it as someone running a small stick over a set of small metal railings very fast and a bit more high pitched. If you catch my drift?!
I just can't seem to find a solution on the forums, so maybe I've missed it or something, but any help from you guys would be extremely well received.
Thanks.

Hi, thanks for the welcome
You think it's the hard drive? Eek, was hoping I wouldn't get that answer. What's my best option would you say? If I took it to an Apple Store, would they repair it for me? Surely I'm covered. I've only had my iMac since September.
Thanks for your responses. I shall be investing in an external hard drive for back up purposes.
Any additional info is still welcome. Thanks.

Why do I get a humming noise from my stereo speakers when I plug in airport?

Why do I get a humming noise from my stereo speakers when I plug in my airport?

Temporarily, please turn off your amplifier and/or powered speakers and disconnect the plug that goes into the AirPort Express audio jack.
Plug a pair of headphones directly into the AirPort Express and listen for a few minutes.
Do you hear the "hum" that way?

Buzzing or humming noise in headset with Hub phone

I have a standard 2.5mm plug in headset that I'm using with my BT Hub phone, plugging it into the small jack on the side of the phone handset. But there is a buzzing or humming noise in the headset. The headset works fine on other DECT phones. Do you think the phone is faulty, or is this a typical problem?

I had this problem too. Think it's the fans running at to high a tempo. If I put the computer on its side the noise stopped...but who wants to work sideways!
I downloaded 'Fan Control 1.2.dmg' from http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/23137
As soon as I installed it the noise went!
hope it works for you too.

W510 annoying humming / buzzing / whining sound fixed!

In another post, someone diagnosed the issue for this annoying whining noise that comes from the rear left of the machine as the backlight component of the screen and suggested a connection to the NVidia driver for the NVidia Quadro FX 880M that is an option on the W510.
After going to the Nvidia site and downloading their latest WQHL driver for Win 7 x64, the noise is gone. Lenovo does not have this driver on their website. The download also contains a driver update for the Nvidia audio which I also installed. Although this is not definitive, the sound is gone. Good luck.

This is facinating information Peter, thanks for this.
Interestingly, the noise has appeared on my system again, (after not being there since my 3rd and most recent system board replacement)... And now that you mention it, I was running the NVidia drivers for a few weeks because of the fact StarCraft2 was crashing the PC repeatedly... I installed the OLD drivers (aka, official Lenovo drivers) and the noise is back with a vengance.... I hadn't made the correlation until you mention it.
It's really too bad Lenovo maintains a full year gap from NVidia's latest drivers.

Annoying Humming Noise

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for