Macbook Fan Noise at Low RPMs

My Macbook makes an annoying buzzing noise when the fan is running at low rpms. It sounds almost like a motor running and is very irregular. If I use smc fan control to up the rpms to near 3000 this noise stops and becomes the usual noise for a fan running at higher rpms.
Is my fan broken or put in incorrectly? Is there anything I can do?

To add to Michael's statement. There is a 14 day window for returns. If you just got it return it and get a different one.

Similar Messages

Santa Rosa Macbook fan noise fix, sort of

I don't know how many of you guys noticed this, but when I got the new Santa Rosa MB it was definitely louder than my previous C2D Macbook. Even when idle doing nothing.
I found out that the lowest rpm on the new Santa Rosa goes at 1800, which in a quiet room at night is way to loud personally.
In order to fix it just download fan control 1.2 and then put the lowest RPM setting to 1000. For me that instantly made the MB super quiet again.
Hope that helps to those that wish more silence out of the Santa Rosa books.

I made an appointment at the Apple Store I got it from (4 days after I purchased). I told them about the weird clicking noise and they took it to the back (store was pretty loud) and came back in a few minutes and offered to exchange it since I was within my 14 days. The new one is way quieter and only makes fan noise with intensive processes (as expected). Doing some research after the fact, I believe my issue was the ticking/clicking one described here: http://www.appledefects.com/wiki/index.php?title=MacBook#.22Mooing.22fan_noise.2C_Ticking.2FClicking_Fannoise Overall, they handled it pretty well (I was prepared to field an inquisition about this manufacturing flaw, luckily I didn't have to and they recognized the problem pretty quickly), and I'm finally enjoying my new MacBook.

What's wrong. everything runs top notch, PSU makes a buzzing sound? maybe a fan runnin at low RPM?

Specs are in my sig,
Everything runs A+, I stress tested with Prime95 and memtest 86 with 0 errors and pass 3dMark 2001SE and 3dMark 03 with flying colors and play all my games with everything maxed out without one single hiccup.
My power supplies voltages are A+ too, I'm thinking that the buzzing is caused by the bottom fan on the PSU, as it's thermaly controled, it's running at a low RPM because the temperature in my case is very cool with all the fan's I have.
1 x 92mm @ back
1 x Exhaust fan @ back
1 x 92mm on windowed side panel
1 x 80mm @ bottom front
1 x 80mm on opposite side panel blowing on HDD rack
1 x ThermalTake Silent Boost K8 HSF
So ya everything runs very cool, do you guys think it's the PSU's bottom 92mm fan running at a low RPM because the temp is cool in my aluminium case?
Thanks for any advice guys

Quote
Originally posted by frank2036
But ya, when I run my PC, the tone of the buzzing changes when I'm doing something, like HDD activity, launching a program, anytime I do something it changes the pitch.
I use an Enermax 365P-VE FC, and I notice a buzzing sound too. It is very high pitched noise that increases when the hard drive is active or when I am doing something thats 3D intensive. It doesn't sound at all like a fan.
The noise bothered me so much that I went out and bought one of Enermax' new "Noisetaker" 420W power supplies. When I installed the unit, I noticed that the buzzing sound was even worse than my old power supply!
I'm no engineer, but I think the high pitched noise is coming from the power supply's inverter/diode. Hard disk drives and video cards require tons of current, and it is no coincidence then that when these devices are active, the power supply is working harder, causing it to make even more noise. A bigger power supply (reqiures a more powerful inverter?) and would probably cause even more noise, as was my experience with the 420W Noisetaker.
Do us a favor though, when you talk to a professional about your power supply, ask them about the power supply's "inverter" or it's "diode" (I forget which is which, but I know one is used to convert AC into DC which is what a power supply does) and how much noise it would typically make, I'm almost sure that is the source of your buzzing sound.

Macbook fan noise and heat

Hi .Help
Excessive fan noise and heat during use: Safari, or watching movies, etc.
15-inch MacBook Pro with Rtina Display 2013 OS X 10.9.2

Macbook fan noise

My 2015 macbook pro started making a loud fan noise all of a sudden for about 10 seconds and then back to silent. is this normal ? The sound was more like a jet plane

When does it do that?
Try resetting the SMC
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

Macbook fan running at high rpm when doing nothing

My macbook a1181's fan is always running at a high rpm and a can't figure out why. I already checked the activity monitor, made sure there was no documents waiting to be printed (i have had this problem in the past), and I removed and cleaned the fan and vents. Could os x 10.7.5 be part of the problem? I had absoutly no issues with 10.6.8.

Check your activity monitor. Sounds like you have a program running in the back ground your not aware of.
You might also try to reset the SMC and/or PRAM.

Late 2006 Macbook fan noise - How much does it cost to replace a noisy fan?

Hi there,
I have a late 2006 Macbook that has served me well over the last four years or so. Unfortunately, the fan is now making one heck of a racket (almost as soon as you switch the machine on).
I gather this is a relatively common problem with this generation of Macbook and can be fixed by replacing the fan. I'm not proficient enough to do this myself so will likley have to take it to an Apple Store to get it done. I wondered whether anyone else had already done this and if so how much it cost them and how long it took? Any info / tips warmly welcomed.
Thanks,
James

I suggest you do a search for MacBook repairs. There are many shops that will do it cheaper than Apple. Most can give a quote on a known repair online.

IMac G5 17" Lower Fan Noise / DIY

hi,
my imac rev. b makes loud fan noise, the lower fan (cpu?) should be replaced i think.
I try to order it by the apple diy program, but when the drop down menue appears where i must select it, there is nothing to select. so i can not go on ordering the fan.
chat agents and phone support are absolutely unwilling to help me with that issue.
what can i do? is there anybody out there who managed it to order a fan kit?
I tried it with all browsers i have on my system, i will not work

I have also had problems with a sound, more like a high pitched noise. I have had the fans replaced and a new mother board put in by Apple. (I have Apple Care and they have been great.) I had the computer down to a genius bar twice. The second time they did a re install for me. It seemed to fix things for about a week. I'm back to the noise being louder. (It wasn't like this when I first purchased the computer in Dec. 2004) This has all started in the past couple of months. Now I am back to the fans going full blast.(Just reading mail will start it going.) I put the computer to sleep, it stops. When I wake it up, it starts all over. I have to shut it down for a few minutes and then start up again. That solves the problem. The noise gets so bad it can be heard throughout my home. It's getting annoying. My next step is to ask Apple to replace my computer with the latest one that has come out. I'm still sold on the Mac and love it. I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude about getting it fixed.

Ask W530 fan noise compare W520 fan noise

I bought a W520 recently, but i can't tolerate the fan noise even 2500 rpm, because i usually work alone late at night.
So...

Loading wrote:
I bought a W520 recently, but i can't tolerate the fan noise even 2500 rpm, because i usually work alone late at night.
So...
Which CPU did you get? The i7-29xx CPU has a larger (and noisier - even at lower rpms - cooling unit) than the 27xx and 28xx.
Thats why I picked the i7-2820.
W520 4270CTO i7-2820QM Quadro2000M 1920x1080 Display 16GB RAM 2x240GB Intel 510 SSDs (RAID 0) - BIOS 1.42 - PCMark7:4,568
Samsung Series 9 15-inch NP900X4C-A03US - PCMark7: 4674

Detailed Stat Macbook Fan Question

Dear Apple Community,
After quite some time spent online sifting through threads related to macbook fan noise, overheating, and everything related to it i have finally decided to ask directly for some guidance as i have yet to find a clear solution.
My problem, like many, is that the moment i start using my CPU more than just a few % , temperatures soar out of control and i guess as a result so does my fan.
I have double-triple check alternate causes for this problem. Definately not the printer-que issue as some have posted before.
It is 100% as soon as i go out of idle and use CPU problem starts and noise because problematic when sitting in library.
Here is a quick table on what happens when i go from using just excel to starting and using flash animations/journals/magazines and then back to idle again.
CPU USAGE
CPU: T
HEATSINK A/B T
Exhaust
Idle
1-2%
52
49/49
1802
Flash 1min
87-90%
94
74/72
6200
Flash 5min
70-80%
87
71/72
6212
Flash 10min
70%
85
72/70
6196
Idle 5min
1-5%
54
50/50
2134
Idle 10min
1-5%
56
50/50
1797
(Above stats are from iSTAT Pro. (CPU usage verified via Disk Utility activity monitor).
Here are the stats of my Black Macbook 13'..
Model Name:          MacBook
Model Identifier:          MacBook2,1
Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:          2.16 GHz
Number Of Processors:          1
Total Number Of Cores:          2
L2 Cache:          4 MB
Memory:          2 GB
Bus Speed:          667 MHz
System Version:          Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549)
My questions is what i can do to be able to work with normal programs without my mac going crazy? Is it thermal paste problem? Fan seems to work, but maybe i need to open up and either clean with compressed air or replace fan? Other solution?
Thank you for taking time to respond.
Best regards.
Magnus

i have also been looking at this thread:
Flash Player Eating Up CPU, Bogging Down System
However my problem has started within the past 6 months or so..and i defiately have been taxing computer before. Not only with fp usage.

MacBook 5,1 Fan Noise During Normal Operation

Recently, my MacBook 5,1 with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4GB of RAM has started making loud fan noises. The fan speed is steady at around 2,000 RPM (I belive this is normal), and the CPU temperature is staying around 60 degress celcius (also normal, I believe). I have done an SMC reset, done some troubleshooting, Activity Monitor isn't showing anything abnormal, and I have not installed anything recently or been using the machine in any way I haven't in the three years I've owned it.
Is the fan broken in some way? Is the MacBook just aging? Should I take this issue to a Genius Bar?

A lot of people have the same problem with the iX core macs. You can try Fan Control to gain manual override of the fan speed, if it bothers you, but I have to warn you, that semiconductors should not reach a temperature higher than 85C (185F), as some semiconductors will lose their conductivity above 85C. I don't exactly know what materials are there in the iX CPUs, but just to stay safe, don't go over 85C if not necessary. Also you should know, that if a semiconductor operates on high temperatures, it can lose its conductivity sooner than it should (think 25 years instead of 28), so use carefully. You can download Fan Control form http://www.lobotomo.com/products/FanControl/
Regards,
Gábor

Black MacBook 2006-2007 Fan Noise

Hello guys, name is Neal.
I have a Black MacBook, 4GB Ram(I upgraded in August of 2012), 250GB HDD, 2.16 Core 2 Duo.
Anythime I watch a video on YouTube, or download something, my fan jumps from 2200 RPM to 6200. It maxs out. The temperature goes to around 80-90 degrees Celcius. Its really annoying and sometimes shuts down. So recently, I sent my Macbook into Apple,and they recased the bottom portion of the MacBook casing and the fan and heatsink. But it still makes so much noise and makes my computer lag and run very slowly at the speed of 6200. Sometimes, the bottom of the Mac gets so hot, I can't even touch it. I almost got burned. They even gave me a new battery, but that didn't solve it.
Any ideas?
I thought it could be flash, but how can I solve that. Other than this, the computer runs great, like if I'm typing a paper its ok. But if I'm editing a movie or surfing the web and playing music from iTunes, the computer fan and tempertaure flip out. I even have Smc Fan control and leave it at a setting of 2500 RPM, istatpro, you name it. This is one fo the main reason I upgraded the Ram , but no use.
Help please?

To see which model you have go to the Apple in the upper left corner and select About This Mac, then click on More Info. When System Profiler comes up check the Model Identifier.
The model 2,1 (Late 2006 & Mid 2007) can use 3gb of 667mhz PC2-5300 RAM
The model 3,1 (Late 2007) can use 6gb of 667mhz PC2-5300 RAM
You can put two 2gb RAM sticks in your model 2,1 but it can only use 3,3gb. This is a hardware limitation and cannot be changed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_GB_barrier
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook_pro/faq/macbook-pro-core-2-duo-3-g b-memory-limitation-details.html
OWC tests have found that there is a slight speed increase with having two 2gb sticks in rather than one 1gb and one 2gb. Your model is in the gray lines at the bottom of the graph. http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Memory_Benchmark/Apple_MacBook/
These are good online stores for Mac compatible RAM
OWC http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/MacBook/DDR2/ - Similar to DMS, they offer Mac tested RAM at very good prices.
Crucial Memory http://www.crucial.com/ - good place to buy RAM from all over the world. They also have an excellent memory selector that allows you to choose memory based on your computer's model
Data Memory Systems http://www.datamemorysystems.com/apple-memory.asp - another good, cheap place to buying RAM if you live in the U.S.
Macdimms.com - Specializes in supplying Mac compatible RAM at extremely competitive prices. Brands featured include Crucial, Samsung, Hynix, and Micron. All brands carry a lifetime warranty. Discounts offered to educational institutions and students, active and retired military, resellers, and government agencies.
Here are instructions on replacing RAM in a MacBook with a removable battery. http://homeoffice.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=44404
If you don’t have the tools to open up the MacBook OWC has a set for $5
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TOOLKITMHD/

Macbook slow and icons lag and fan noise and windows performance normal but the fan noise still there.Please tell me what is the problem

Hi , i have late 2011 model of 13 inch macbook pro. Installled mountain lion . Around 200 gb of free space. Now when i start my mac os the icons lag and it takes time to open up even scrolling the mouse you can see it drag and also the fan runs at high rpm .The cpu processesor runs at peak. When i switch on the windows the fan noise still there but the performance is good.Please advice me what might be the problem and what shall i do to solve it.

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It won’t solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
Third-party system modifications are a common cause of usability problems. By a “system modification,” I mean software that affects the operation of other software — potentially for the worse. The following procedure will help identify which such modifications you've installed. Don’t be alarmed by the complexity of these instructions — they’re easy to carry out and won’t change anything on your Mac.
These steps are to be taken while booted in “normal” mode, not in safe mode. If you’re now running in safe mode, reboot as usual before continuing.
Below are instructions to enter some UNIX shell commands. The commands are harmless, but they must be entered exactly as given in order to work. If you have doubts about the safety of the procedure suggested here, search this site for other discussions in which it’s been followed without any report of ill effects.
Some of the commands will line-wrap or scroll in your browser, but each one is really just a single line, all of which must be selected. You can accomplish this easily by triple-clicking anywhere in the line. The whole line will highlight, and you can then copy it. The headings “Step 1” and so on are not part of the commands.
Note: If you have more than one user account, Step 2 must be taken as an administrator. Ordinarily that would be the user created automatically when you booted the system for the first time. The other steps should be taken as the user who has the problem, if different. Most personal Macs have only one user, and in that case this paragraph doesn’t apply.
Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.
When you launch Terminal, a text window will open with a line already in it, ending either in a dollar sign (“$”) or a percent sign (“%”). If you get the percent sign, enter “sh” and press return. You should then get a new line ending in a dollar sign.
Step 1
Triple-click the line of text below on this page to select it:
kextstat -kl | awk '!/com\.apple/{printf "%s %s\n", $6, $7}' | open -f -a TextEdit
Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Then click anywhere in the Terminal window and paste (command-V). A TextEdit window will open with the output of the command. If the command produced no output, the window will be empty. Post the contents of the TextEdit window (not the Terminal window), if any — the text, please, not a screenshot. You can then close the TextEdit window. The title of the window doesn't matter, and you don't need to post that. No typing is involved in this step.
Step 2
Repeat with this line:
{ sudo launchctl list | sed 1d | awk '!/0x|com\.(apple|openssh|vix)|org\.(amav|apac|cups|isc|ntp|postf|x)/{print $3}'; sudo defaults read com.apple.loginwindow LoginHook; sudo crontab -l; } 2> /dev/null | open -f -a TextEdit
This time you'll be prompted for your login password, which you do have to type. Nothing will be displayed when you type it. Type it carefully and then press return. You may get a one-time warning to be careful. Heed that warning, but don't post it. If you see a message that your username "is not in the sudoers file," then you're not logged in as an administrator.
Note: If you don’t have a login password, you’ll need to set one before taking this step. If that’s not possible, skip to the next step.
Step 3
{ launchctl list | sed 1d | awk '!/0x|com\.apple|org\.(x|openbsd)/{print $3}'; crontab -l 2> /dev/null; } | open -f -a TextEdit
Step 4
ls -1A /e*/{la,mach}* {,/}L*/{Ad,Compon,Ex,Fram,In,Keyb,La,Mail/Bu,P*P,Priv,Qu,Scripti,Servi,Spo,Sta}* L*/Fonts .la* 2> /dev/null | open -f -a TextEdit
Important: If you formerly synchronized with a MobileMe account, your me.com email address may appear in the output of the above command. If so, anonymize it before posting.
Step 5
osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to get name of every login item' | open -f -a TextEdit
Remember, steps 1-5 are all copy-and-paste — no typing, except your password. Also remember to post the output.
You can then quit Terminal.

Macbook Pro, gaming, and loud fan noise!

I have just started to install some Intel-based games on my Macbook Pro, and I've noticed that the fan noise increases dramatically when playing any type of game. I realize that an increase in CPU usage will cause the computer to increase the fan speed, but do you guys experience this with all games? I love the fact that my Macbook Pro is so quiet all the time, and it bothers me that the computer sounds like it is going to "take off" whenever I play games. It almost sounds like the computer is about to explode!

it's very normal. my fan rotates at around 6200 RPM and MBP makes noise while playing UT2004. If you use headphones or subwoofers/speakers during gaming, the noise wouldn't be audible anyways. It's not like you are supposed to listen to MBP's games instead of in-game audio during playing games. Also, both ps3 and xbox360 makes noise louder than MBP during processor-intensive operations. I had a ps3 for 8 months. So I know
also, check this out http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=30612
Message was edited by: Armand Loonux

Increased fan noise, CPU temp and random fan rpm bursts when using Leopard

I have a 2.2 Ghz Macbook Pro that I purchased in August 2007. I was running OS X Tiger on my mac till about a week ago when I decided to upgrade to OS X Leopard. Ever since the install, I've been facing numerous problems and issues with the general functionality of the computer. Specifically, the biggest issue relates to increased fan noise and random bursts of increased fan rpm (as monitored using iStat). I did not have any of these issues when using OS X Tiger. Further upgrading to 10.5.1 wasn't helpful either as it did not resolve the issue.

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
It may be worth running the Apple Hardware Test, just in case you have a sensor going out or something like that. Sometimes and upgrade will cause an underlying problem to make itself known.
Did you do an Upgrade as opposed to an Archive and Install or an Erase and Install? If so, there could be some software problem associated with the issues you are having. I tried an Archive and Install, and had so many issues that I went ahead and did an Erase and Install. I've had no problems since.
Good luck!

Macbook Fan Noise at Low RPMs

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