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

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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?
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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 Fan Noise Problem (Reset SMC isn't working)

The Fans on my early 2009 iMac have been running very loud non-stop for the past few days.
I reset the SMC, and that took care of the problem for a few hours, but later that night, it happened again.
Thinking that my system may have been overheating, I reset my SMC again, and then installed iStat to monitor the temps and fans.
Everything looked normal, and the fan noise stopped after ther reset. That night, same thing, fans came back on, but iStat couldn't read the temps anymore...there was just a " - " where the temp should have been.
Anyone know what is going on, or how I can better diagnose the isse?

I got the same problem..
Just started couple days ago.. SMC reset worked but still it starts up again... I even got the vacuum out to suck out a little dust perhaps, no dice.

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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.
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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

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.

Late model iMac fan noise

Hi..
There seems to be many threads on this topic but I seem to be making headway on fault finding.
We have 3 late model intel iMacs (all with SMC).
All have been very quiet until recently when mine started running with fans at sometimes full speed.
I think I have tracked it down to only doing it with a high drain device in the USB port. Namely an EyeTV hybrid. I have it plugged into a Logitec powered hub. It seems that whenever the stick is plugged in it doesn't take long before the fans start up. After removing the stick.. after a little while the fans begin to slow down and eventually stop all together.
I'd be interested if anyone else out there can duplicate the issue wheter it be with an EYE TV stick or anything else.
Cheers

OK.. so its seems that it was incidental about removing the eye tv stick as the problem has returned.
I do believe this time that I have a better understanding of what is going on for me at least.
I installed "temperature monitor" to keep an eye on what was going on. The problem appears to be with the CPU A sensor. I just this moment woke my machine up and shortly afterward the fan started. I looked at the temps and the CPU A sensor read 127 C which was obvious rubbish since it had been asleep in a low ambient room. I suspected a bad reading from a bad connection or sensor so I tapped the machine on the back a few times (not too hard) and the reading returned to 33 C and the fan stopped.
My problem now seems clear (I must have bumped the machine when removing the EYE TV stick the first time leading me down the garden path a bit).. maybe this will help others.

Lion causes iMac fan noise during sleep mode

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Anyone else experiencing this? I posted a feedback report (http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html) so I hope Apple can fix this soon.
Eric

Hi Mendl,
Ok, what I discovered after running the AHT test, long version, was that the test doesn't see the actual failure I had in a new iMac. It turned out to be what I suspected all along, which was a defective temperature sensor, or more likely a factory assembly issue on that component.
They replaced my computer and now all is well.
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enumscrat

TA25225 Display Flickers in my 21" Imac Intel. This happened after the fan noise in my machine. I also reported the problem and gave to the service centre, but the problem still persist. Please help. I purchased it 3 - 4 weeks ago

Hello,
I purchased my imac intel 21" 3-4 weeks ago and in the 2nd week i faced an issue with the machine. When i switched on in, there was a fan noise and a white screen. The machine had hanged. I reported the problem and gave to the service centre. After testing for a week, they said that there is no problem with the imac. Again i faced the same problem after receiving it from the service centre. They again tested the machine for 3-4 days and reported as no problem with the machine. Couple of days back, I received the machine from the service centre, and on the same day when i switched it on, there are flickers in the display. Please help me solve the issue. I am from India. The service here is very bad.
Hope for a resolution
Thanks

Hello RedDevil07
Yes I agree with seventy one. It's common sense to do this, especially now. I would also contact AppleCare and report this issue with them, it will get documented and you will have a caseID that you can refer to when talking to them in the future should this issue go one.
Be polite with AppleCare and your AASP. Hopefully everyone is being honest and trying to help you and not what might appear to be the opposite.
Patience is a virtue, but I thoroughly understand your frustration.
Let us know how it goes, we are here to help in whatever way we can.
I encourage you to contact AppleCare to report this experience and get their recommendations. There is an expectation that you should have that AppleCare is there to help you as a customer. I am sure they will too!

IMac g5 fan noise with update to 10.4.11

Has anyone else experienced this?
I have never had any problems with fan noise with my iMac, though I know it's a problem, till the recent update to 10.4.11. After restarting, it sounded like an airplane. Never heard that before. I shut it down and restarted, and it doesn't sound like a plane anymore, but the fan is noticeably noisier than ever before, a constant whine/hum.
Besides the energy saver fix and resetting the SMU and canned gas in the vents, any other suggestions? This is annoying, it's been running pretty perfect for three years till this. Thanks.

The questions are certainly not dumb - almost anywhere is cheaper than Apple for RAM, I recommend [macsales.com] and [smalldog.com] or [newegg.com]. I don't think that going back to 10.4.10 will help, you should really vacuum the vents to get dust out, and make sure that there's nothing hogging your CPU and making the fans noisy, look at Applications>Utilities>Activity Monitor to see if anything is using an unusual amount of memory or CPU.
If you do want to install Leopard, I would suggest making a full backup of your system,I use SuperDuper! to clone my system to a firewire external drive. You should certainly upgrade your RAM if you install Leo, but I don't think your machine will be any quieter with a new OS.
You need to remember that your machine is several years old, and that things get creaky with age (I certainly have). Since you have the iSight, it's not a simple matter to open it and clean the fans off. If you are really disturbed by the noise, you can take it in to an Apple service place and have them clean and oil the fans, which should help enormously.
Sorry I couldn't offer more help, but fans will, and do, get noisy.

MacTel iMac and the dreaded fan noise...

a buddy of mine bought an iMac G5 2 Ghz last June and mentioned having no problem with the dreaded fan noises of said iMac. fast forward to last week when we got together to do some nerdy stuff in front of same iMac when he casually mentions to me. "my fans have been going crazy lately" ... not that his iMac sounds like a jet turbine or anything, but it got me thinking about the new "Intel Inside" Macs. and with two cores inside, goodness!
so b4 i rush out and buy one of these babies -- i'm going to wait and see regarding the fans. but it will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
CMM.
PS.. i am a bit amazed (and elated!) that the Intel Inside Macs have already become a reality -- 6 months sooner than expected. (who would have thought!)
YAY!

Miriam,
Maybe I was a little premature. I just went to abc.com to watch the last episode of Men in Trees and here's the results.
With ABC video running (maybe quarter screen size), the CPU was running at a steady 65-70%, CPU temp 69.8, CPU fan 4791-4814 steady (very loud).
Didn't seem to be a high bandwidth download as net was clicking at 117 Kb/sec.
Oh well...don't really consider this very good performance. The fan went down to the 2700 range on reduced, but then the video was choppy. Good thing my capacitors are leaking...Maybe I'll get a Core 2 under my 3 year Apple Care.

Again imac 309rs/a fan noise

Hello!
problem with fans again
After hanging my imac - fan began to publish a crackling sound. that this could be?
few image's of istat
here look's like all right
and here:
imac didnt hanging again, but noise crash my mind
so what i try to do:
reset SMC (cmd+opt+r+s)
have on idea, about what i need to do now
or it's question for service? (actualy its very sad - imac work just around 4 months)

This could be a completely different issue, but occasionally I've encountered loud fan noise from my iMac. It's not a crackling sound, though, just a loud fan. Anyway, the fix for me is to unplug the power cord from the back of the computer then plug it in again. The fan noise disappears. Not sure this applies to your problem but it's worth a try.

IMac G5 fan noise

Hi MGW,
Baby Boomer recommended that I check with you about our iMac G5 fan noise since you used to have the same model. For a reference as to what all has been suggested and done go to: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9810894&#9810894
I've done some internet searches and come across some other ideas on what may be the problem and if it is not too much trouble I would be very interested in your thoughts about the suggestions by DeathStalker13 --- please scroll down to #19 at this link:
http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?t=50158
Here is another link that I've found information about iMac G5 fan noise. I'd also like your impression about the methods that these people have done to solve the issue:
http://scienceman.com/legacypgs/00imacG5fanforum.html
I've also contacted a local AASP store and from just our telephone conversation they think just cleaning the fans and inspecting the computer which would take 1-1/2 hours at $95/hour should take care of the problem.
We'd really appreciate you opinion. Thanks!!!

Thank you so much for answering so quickly. I apologize for not being able to do the same. We had unexpected house guests and everything else was set aside while they were here.
This morning I have been researching trying to figure out how to disable Flash but so far I've been unsuccessful. We have a Power PC Mac OS X 10.4.11, Safari version 3.2.1.
Under the Safari "Help" it says, "Safari works with the plug-ins that are installed with Mac OS X. To see a list of installed plug-ins, open Safari and choose Help > Installed Plug-ins."
I checked and the Installed Plug-Ins list only has one "FLASH" listed - Shockwave Flash. I didn't know how to disable it or if I should.
You suggested changing to Firefox or Camino. We already swap between Safari & Firefox (version 3.0.12) for other reasons. Unfortunately, the fan noise is the same whether we use Firefox or Safari.
It was interesting that under Firefox "Help" they recommended disabling Adobe Flash plugin: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Usingthe+Flash+Plugin+withFirefox?style_mode=inproduct
They said something about, "vulnerable to an extremely malicious exploit" and that until Adobe has an update, you can disable Flash. I followed the instructions but the only plug-ins I found were the following:
Default Plug-In
Netscape Navigator Default Plug-In
Java Embedding Plugin 0.9.6.4
Runs Java applets using the latest installed version of Java. For more information: Java Embedding Plugin. Run version test: Java information.
Java Plug-in
Java 1.3.1 Plug-in
Java Plug-In (CFM)
Java 1.3.1 Plug-in (CFM)
QuickTime Plug-in 7.6.2
The QuickTime Plugin allows you to view a wide variety of multimedia content in web pages. For more information, visit the QuickTime web site.
Shockwave Flash
Shockwave Flash 9.0 r159
Shockwave for Director
Macromedia Shockwave for Director Netscape plug-in, version 10.1.1
I haven't changed anything yet, as I'm not sure what I should disable. We have considered putting up with the fan noise since it isn't as bad since we cleaned the fans but if there is an easy fix we'd really appreciate your advice. Thanks!

IMac fan noise noticeable?

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