IMac 24"  Noise

Just recieved my iMac 24" a couple of days ago and for the most part I love it.
However, it makes a static sort of noise, very noticeable in a quiet room. I think this is the hard drive running. The noise is very intermittant, and is still present with the speakers muted.
I tried turning off the computer and unplugging it for a few minutes before restarting, this had no effect.
Does anyone else hear this or should I be contacting Apple Care?
Thanks!

Thanks it does say Status:Verified
Can you tell me what the sound your HD makes sounds
like? Is it a small closely spaced ticking sort of
noise?
As far as I know, the only moving parts inside are the fans and the hard drive. It is obvious to me what the Intel iMac fans (barely) sound like, and the hard drive sound I occasionally hear is distinctly different and is not at all constant.
It sounds the same (but much less noisy) as I hear from a hard drive in a PowerMac G5 [much louder due to encased in metal, rather than plastic]. When you described "a static sort of noise" I knew exactly what you were talking about:)
I could also describe it as a faint rolling kind of sound that for a split second gets slightly louder, but it and any sound from the fans are drowned out when anything at all is going on. Nothing to be concerned about - it could sound the same and work fine for five years, or longer.

Similar Messages

  • IMac Fan Noise - Not The Usual Problem

    Hi,
    I have seen plenty of discussions on iMac fan noise but mine is a little different. A week ago, a 'tink' noise (similar to tapping your fingernail on a glass) started coming from my mid 2011 iMac. At first, I thought it was the "click of death" for my hard drive, so I replaced it myself. This didn't fix the noise, so I ran an extended hardware test. This came back with a 4MEM error. I had some spare RAM, fitted it, ran the test again, no 4MEM error.
    So, I booted the iMac again. 'Tink'... 'tink'. I finally located it to the bottom right of my iMac, where the optical drive fan is located. This fan has always rattled a little now and again but now it seems intent on driving me round the bend with its very own form of torture. At first, the 'tink' was now and again, but now it constant. 'tinktinktinktinktink'. Is there a way to stop the optical fan for now? I don't use the optical drive often anyway. Or would it just be a replacement fan?
    Resetting SMC or PRAM does nothing.

    This may be way off target, in which case ignore me. Do you have an app called Free Memory installed? There have been a few posts on here where it seems to cause repetitive odd noises to occur, particularly when running Mavericks?

  • When using FaceTime, my iMac makes noises.  It dings like I am receiving an email and sometimes sounds like a busy signal, but this is while I am talking to someone. Any suggestions?

    When using FaceTime, my iMac makes noises.  It dings like I am receiving an email and sometimes sounds like a busy signal, but this is while I am talking to someone.  Any suggestions?

    Dear Mr. Toad (my all-time favorite ride at Disneyland ;-) ..
    Thanks so much for your detailed reply.. my netbook is in the bedroom, turned off.. I (so far) only use it in the evening, in the bedroom.. I've saved your response, and will try your suggestions, and let you know if they solve the problem I described. I really appreciate you taking the time to post such a detailed reply..
    I can't answer your Thunderbird "configuration" questions, because I'm in the living room, using the crap Vista laptop, on which I plan to install Thunderbird, and then take Windoze Mail out in the street and drive over it a few times.. I'll get back to you one way or the other, and let you know if your instructions solved the problem, or not..
    I don't understand why Thunderbird "out of the box", so to speak, simply doesn't forward HTML emails with embedded graphics, (like Outlook Excess, and Winblows Mail do).. without having to go through those steps. I personally HATE HTML email, but over the years, it's become more and more prevelant.. so it's a problem I must fix..
    Thanks again..
    Harv..

  • IMAC G5 NOISE ??? vs MAC MINI

    I WANT TO BUY A NEW MAC,but i'm very concerned about the posts and issues of noise, i want a quiet mac, like i have now, please some one could advice me
    Every body has the noise problem and how terrible is
    I will buy a MAC MINI, bu i;m attracted to the higher performance and specification of Imac but the noise???

    In general terms, a Mac Mini will be a quieter machine.
    But it's all about distance and perspective. Think about it - with an iMac, your ENTIRE computer is right smack-dab in front of your face. You can always hide a mini under your desk, put it on the opposite corner of your desk, etc. You don't have that luxury with an iMac - although I'd take my iMac over a mini anyday of the week. Let me say this, though - I've never had any noise problems with my iMac. Sure, it gets somewhat louder when I'm running intense programs or a good number of them at the same time, but the ONLY time I've heard it over it's normal whisper would be when I run, say Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, Mail, Safari, AIM, iPhoto, and Dashboard at the same time. Not bad considering the number of programs, though. iMacs are "whisper quiet" as they state on the page - but they're not silent. They ARE machines, lest we forget. They have moving parts. If you live in the middle of the woods and have no noise at ALL then you might hear it a bit - but it's not annoying and it's still whisper quiet.
    There are many disadvantages to a Mini over an iMac, though:
    1. Processor speed. There's quite a jump in performance with a 1.8/2GHz G5 processor found in the iMac when compared with the slower 1.33/1.42GHz G4 found in the Mac Mini.
    2. Upgradeable RAM. Minis can only hold a max of 1GB while an iMac can FLY with a 2GB RAM upgrade.
    3. Slower hard-drive in the mini.
    4. Low-end video card in the mini - even worse than the one found in the current 12" iBook!
    Just think about your needs for the future. I wanted to keep the same machine for about 3-4 years, and I didn't have an external monitor, keyboard, or mouse; so the 20" 2Ghz iMac G5 was the perfect solution. I love the all-in-one design, because when I replace it I just have to worry about one thing - instead of separate pieces like I would with the mini. I like having everything match. A G5 processor will keep you up-to-pace with the computer market longer than a G4 will, obviously.

  • 20" iMac Fan Noise - Revisited

    So I just received my new fans from Apple, and I am still receiving the same "buzz/whirl" from the fan immediately next to the hard drive fan.
    On the 20" Rev B, all my other fans are acceptable; exept the fan right next to the hard drive. Model BFB0812H.
    The fans Apple sent me were exactly the same, which means that Apple should issue different fan.
    Since this may not happen; does anyone know of 3rd party fans that I can buy.

    I will run the hardware test, but reading post, replacing fans, and searching for solutions leaves me fairly certain that top right fan on the iMac 20" is the problem.
    I even disconnected the fan and used the iMac for about 1 minute to see if there was a noise difference, and there was.
    The iMac was quite.

  • 20" intel iMAC fan noise

    My iMAC's fan has begun to make a clicking noise like a card in the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Sometimes it's louder and sometimes it gets softer. Any ideas on what is causing it and how to fix it? Thanks

    If you are sure it's a fan there really isn't anything you can do other than calling Apple and having a it serviced.

  • IMac Fan Noise

    Good afternoon from Spain,
    I have a iMac (late 2006) and during the last weeks, it's beggining to make a very strange noise.
    The noise: http://rapidshare.com/files/170755323/Ruido.m4a.html
    I supose that is from one of the fans, and o i'm trying to fix the noise with a SMC reset, but the noise doesnt disappear.
    Any suggestion? I'm thinking to reset the PRAM but anything that Apple describes in the web is what apparently i need.
    Thank you and sorry for my bad english
    Message was edited by: luismerce

    Hi Luis
    Carefully follow the instructions in the SMC reset article:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1543
    Then to see what the fan speeds are download the iStat Pro Widget:
    http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/status/istatpro.html
    If just one fan is running fast it could mean that there is actually a overheating issue or hardware problem with a sensor. To find out run the Apple Hardware Test:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509
    Dennis

  • IMac fan noise noticeable?

    I am thinking of getting a new iMac. Am used to a very quiet computer, using a Macbook Pro 15inch. Does the iMac have much of a noticeable fan sound? Or is it basically quiet?
    Thanks,
    Richard

    Today I layed the mac face down on the desk, removed the power cable and all periphials. I pluged the mac in (still face down) and powered up. The fan noise was still happenig. Just above the power supply I began applying a small amount of pressure against the case. As I increased pressure the fan noise got worse. In the spot that made the most differene in noise I continued to massage the case (if you will) assuming the fan enclosure was probrobly jared durring shipping causing the blades to rub the case as the fans turn. I then powered down, removed the cable, and took of the memory door just below the apple between the speakers. This is a great design by the way. Changing memory is almost as easy as pluging in a USB device. Anyhow, I made sure everything was tight and secure in there, closed the door, put the mac back upright, and powered up again.
    Under this current boot I am not experiencing the fan noise. Maybe the fans moved enough to stop rubbing the case. Lets hope. I would hate to have to take this back to the apple store. I am in Lexington SC and the nearest apple store is in Charlotte NC 1.5 hours away. It's been runnning for aprox. 30 minutes now. "Still holding" Thanks for all of the responce.
    Mesaman

  • Anybody using an iMac? Noise?

    Is anybody using the 27" new iMac? What's your experience with noise? Can it be used in a recording environment??
    g.

    Yeah, why can't you? You should be able to as long as the flashdrive has Plug-n-Play (which all flashdrives should have) and it supports Mac.

  • 27" iMac fan noise

    Hi. I picked up an iMac the other day, and have found it to be a lot louder than I expected. I can hear fans whirring all the time. They're by no means loud, but loud enough to be heard from a fair distance away, or sitting here with music playing. I'm just wondering if this is a normal sound level?
    I checked my fan speeds, and they've been roughly:
    Optical Drive: 998 rpm
    Hard Drive: 1098 rpm
    CPU fan: 939 rpm
    CPU temp is about 36 C.
    To clarify, I have the 27" C2D iMac, stock. 4GB ram, Radeon 4670 graphics.

    I have the same issue with my new iMac, only I'm on my 3rd one. The funny part is, I probably wouldn't have even noticed this one was a little noisy if I hadn't been through 2 others that I took back to Apple for a backlight/display issue (when I dimmed, I would hear an electrical hum). To the store's credit, their customer service was excellent and they didn't make me feel crazy...switching the machine out, and then switching it out again when the new one had the same problem.
    Turns out I'm not crazy, and the 2nd replacement does not have the backlight issue...but I noticed right away that during normal use, it's a bit louder than the other two. Now that I've noticed it, it's really starting to irritate me, but I'd really feel like a pest taking it back for a fourth(!!!) machine. It was bad enough taking it in the first and second time. I'm glad the display doesn't hum when dimmed, but this noise of the machine is constant and I'm not so sure it's better (I remember being surprised how quiet the others were in my silent room). Does anyone know if this is an issue that can be repaired without replacing the machine?
    While I'm not sure what to do about my situation... to anyone else whose iMac is less than two weeks old: Apple is happy to replace your machine if I you're not satisfied with it. If you choose to switch it out, know that the replacement might have other issues.

  • Imac 24inch noise

    My imac 24 inch is approx 2 years old and has started making a noise like a helicopter (albeit a quiet one)! Have run disk utility and all appears ok, have restarted SMC and this made no difference, the system all appears to be running fine but noise is a bit concerning. Any suggestions?

    You could also try SMCFanControl. If it's a fan, the noise should intensify if you rev up the fan to a higher speed. If the helicopter noise stays the same, with just a different noise coming up, it's probably not the fans.
    Also, with the 24" there are three fans. One lower left (CPU fan), one center (HD fan) and one center/right (optical disk drive). Putting your ear to the back of the machine you should be able to identify the area from where it's coming.
    If you want to go futher (assuming you're out of warranty), if you take away the front glass and remove the alu front, you'll have direct access to the CPU fan.

  • Plase help :( Imac trash noise. It makes noises similar to trashing a file.

    I have a 20" imac w/ 1.8 processor and a gig of ram.
    My imac keeps making this noise, similar to trashing a file, but the sound is continuous and DOES NOT stop unless I reboot. And most of the time, when i reboot during that time, it wont recognize the harddrive. Itll restart with a folder with a blinking question mark.
    if i dont reboot, sooner or later, the system will crash.
    the sound is NOT the fan. Nor is it a sound that suggest that the hardrive is spinning. it LITERRALLY sounds like the trash sound, but continuous and will not stop. Ive never seen anything like this. Please help
    Thank you in advance.

    Welcome Clockwurk;
    I suggest you boot from the Additional Software disk that came with your iMac and run Hardware Test. It should tell you if there is anything wrong. When you run the test, your fans will ramp up to warp speed, but that's normal. Before you do that, make sure that you back up the contents of your drive to an external disk.
    Please let us know your results,
    Miriam

  • I7 iMac fan noise question

    I just got an new 2.93 i7 iMac 2TB 8GB RAM
    Set it up yesterday and immediately noticed a fan noise running at the round rear vent. I thought I would let it go and see if it changes at all. It hasn't changed and doesn't even change speed when doing heavier tasks. It simply runs all the time.
    I plan on taking this to the AppleStore since it is new yesterday. I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this? Is there a fix? I tried the Apple reset procedures but nothing has worked. Or, more importantly, is this normal? I hope not because it is very loud.
    Thanks

    Well, sounds like someone filled your head with a bunch of nonsense and now you're really more upset with yourself for believing such obvious nonsense, and not so much Apple or anything else.
    But in the end, it kind of depends on what you were expecting. Some people want something that is exactly like Windows, only better. The obvious problem with that statement never really registers. They want to be free to do every stupid thing under the sun, turning off every security feature there is, and still have the OS magically protect them from current threats, and threats that haven't even been thought up yet. No computer is like that, I don't care what OS you're running, but it doesn't seem to stop people from pinning all their hopes and dreams on some new system being The One(tm) and then having those hopes dashed.
    You see this a lot in the cell phone world too... Every new phone is going to be the iPhone killer, and every iOS update is going to fix the myriad of bugs and other issues with the iPhone. People get all excited like Jo-Jo the Circus Monkey, and the thing finally hits the market, people rush out to plunk down their money.... And, usually after a couple of days the honeymoon period is over, leaving people stuck with this device that isn't what they were hoping for... But it's never because their expectations were unrealistic, it's always someone else's fault.
    So here's your chance to rise above it all, admit that you let yourself believe a lie, and accept the consequences of your rash actions. It won't make any of your problems magically go away, but you will be generally happier because you won't be stressing yourself out over something you can't control. That has loads of tangible health benefits, since the human body can't really tell the difference between being chased by something that things you look like a tasty meal, and being stressed out over a computer needing repair. It just starts dumping adrenaline into your bloodstream, and that is really not good for you long term.

  • IMac making noises.

    My imac recently started making a fan noise upon start up that with time can (not always) increase in sound level which = my concern and irritation.  I have downloaded the widget that monitors the temps and fan speed with the following results:
    HD: Mac = 94 degrees F
    CPU = 92                        Optical Drive = 697 rpm
    Heatsink = 94                  HD = 1189 rpm
    Airport Card = 94              CPU = 1198 rpm
    Ambient = 67
    GPU = 112
    GPU Diode = 108
    GPU Heatsink = 104
    In addition I have also done a shut down and unplugged everything for >30 seconds but still the noise returns immediately upon startup.  The computer is not operating poorly, just the noise.  Any ideas, suggestions?  Thank you!

    christopher rigby1 wrote:
    It MIGHT, just MIGHT, be a software issue. On my iMac G5, if I start up holding down the Option key, I get a loud fan noise all the while, from when it starts looking for drives with an OS on them, up until partway through the launch process after I select an OS. That's obviously a software cause, as it's the same routine that cuases the fan to start then stop, every time.
    While there is a odd possibility of it being a sw issue, what your are describing is not.
    What you are describing is a safety feature. When you are booted to the hardware or test disc (rather than a full system install) the system runs in a very limited mode. Often it does not see or read the data from the temperature sensors. So, what happens is the code on the board is designed to run the fans at a fixed speed that is higher than normal to prevent the system from overheating. An Xserve sitting on a bench running HW tests, with the back end pointed at a cork board, will cause papers to hang upside down the fans run so hard!

  • 21,5 (mid-2011 2,5 GHz i5) iMac screen noise (whistle) : What to do?

    Hello,
    I saw that nearly all the 2009 and 2010 iMacs have the screen noise problem (they whistle) : https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2209558?start=0&tstart=0
    I bought my iMac two days ago (it is one with Snow Leopard pre installed), and I also have this issue : my iMac whistles.
    Does anyone else have this same problem on a mid-2011 iMac ? Did Apple fix this problem with the iMacs where Lion is pre installed ?
    Otherwise my iMac is perfect. What should I do? Shall I keep it or bring it to my local Apple Premium Reseller ? Can I expect a refund ?
    Thanks for helping.

    I recently bought my iMac.  Have the same problem.  Horrible.  I am struggling with Apple care right now.  They refused to believe there is a problem.   I don't know what to do either now.   If they can fix it, I am looking for a refund. 

Maybe you are looking for

  • Adding a link to an image.. Help!

    I use Dreamweaver and I was able to add a link to an image on my site. The link directs people to a video. The problem is, it works perfectly in IE, but in the Foxfire browser when I click on the image, a new blank page opens and then the video pops

  • Reason Rewire Timing??

    I'm having trouble synching Reason to logic accuratly. I had the same problem dumping audio into logic from my MPC but was able to fix that through adjusting the midi output delay. How do I accurately sync a rewire application?

  • Distributed Cache : Performance issue; takes long to get data

    Hi there,      I have set up a cluster on one a Linux machine with 11 nodes (Min & Max Heap Memory = 1GB). The nodes are connected through a multicast address / port number. I have configured Distributed Cache service running on all the nodes and 2 n

  • HT201303 Is it possible to make a iTunes account without a Credit Card?

    Is it possible to make a iTunes account without a Credit Card?

  • Transfer from iPhone5

    is there any way to transfer from iphone when you can no longer connect the phone with the cord?  bluetooth?