New 27'' Imac fan sounds like jet engine

Hi all, i am having some serious issues with my attempt to enjoy apple computers. I am a first time user coming from pc's, just due mainly to the price difference. I just got my first apple computer, a 27'' imac (the standard one, no bells and whistles for this struggling college student). Just want one mainly for recording music and doing research papers. Had to get the first one replaced due to a bad optical drive in the first day. Just brought the replacement home and after 2 days i turn it on and it sounds like a 747 is taking off in my bedroom. I am not the most computer savvy person around, but looked up as much as i could on forums. Tried all the resets and nothing works. Everytime the computer is on there is a turbine that also comes on. I downloaded the istat widget thing and it says my cpu fan is running at over 3000 rpms. I'm no air dispersment specialist, but to me that sounds high. Does anyone know if this is common as of late, and any possible fixes?? I have an telephone appointment with an apple guy tomorrow, but am pretty sure it is going to just turn into a "buy the 3 year $170 applecare plan" speech, like when i called for the disc drive.
Second, are apple computers poorly made?? I know it's wierd asking on the apple website, but i have to get some answers. 2000 dollars is alot of money to me, and the fact that i've had 2 problems in less than a week's time scares me. Should i keep trying to get a good imac that won't crap out, or should i buy something else? Thanks in advance for any replies, i really appreciate it.

Thank you guys for your comments and suggestions. I really appreciate it. I'm thinking of taking it in for repair or replacement. My only concern is that this is 2 times in one week i've had to go and get it replaced. And that's brand new. What is the reliablity for this product going to be in 6 months to a year. For 2000 dollars i don't expect to have to do that. Also apple is not paying my labor to repackage everything, take it down 5 flights of stairs, go to the inconvinently placed apple store at the center of an outdoor mall, pay for my gas, or for my time that i could be using to do something productive. I guess maybe i'm just frustrated, but still. Now if i get a new one i may not be able to enjoy it as much because i will just be waiting for it to break down. Maybe i'll just cut a flap in the new box so i can see the screen and a few holes in the back of the box to run the cables. Then when it breaks down i can just close the flap and push the cables back through, and have it all ready to go back in no time flat. Thank you again for your suggestions, i'm just very ticked off right now.

Similar Messages

New 15" PowerBook - Fan sounds like it's breaking!

Hi,
I've had one of the new 15" PowerBooks for a couple of weeks, and in the last few days i've noticed that when the fan comes on, it sounds like its about to break - sort of like its grinding against another component when it turns. I know what the fan should sound like - sort of a "whooosssh" sound as it was when it arrived, and as was in my previous 12" PowerBooks - and it's not like this, its a much louder, harsher sound which really distracts me from my work. I'm concerned that the fan isn't blowing correctly, causing the inside to overheat.
Does anybody else have this problem? If I took it to my local Apple Store Genius Bar, would they be able to take it from me for repair? I haven't been to an Apple Store, or used their Genius Bar before, so i've no idea how it works.
Cheers,
Nick

Not had this problem.
If you want to use the Genius Bar you have to make an appointment - best thing to do is to go onto the store website at exactly 10am and make an appointment - otherwise, if the store is busy you might not get anyone to speak to you. If they agree it's a problem then they'll send it out for repair. If you're within 14 days or so then they may swap the machine out instead. Advantage of the Apple store is that you can compare machines.
Or
you could call Applecare and they may agree to send you a label to ship it out to them.
Best of luck.

G5 crashes and fans sound like jet taking off

Hi,
I am in need of some answers. I have had my computer now for at least 2 years. It's a powermac G5 os 10.3.9. Just in the last month I have had more crashes than I can count even when the computer is idle. Then the fans kick in. I have not installed any new programs, i've repaired permissions, i've done the fsck and to no avail!!!!!!!! Can someone please let me know if this is fixable or if I have to live with this problem for the rest of the G5's life.
It's really slowing me down work wise. Since I have to reboot so often!

Thanks for the reply and link, japamac. That thread didn't pop up in my search.
After following your link, I ran the Apple Hardware Test. The detailed test took right at an hour and a half (three times longer than it said) and returned no problems.
I restarted and both CPUs showed up in the Activity Monitor and things were fine for about 20 minutes, then the system simply froze, while I was running Safari and Firefox. But, no loud fans this time.
Upon a hard restart and then a soft restart, I'm back to one CPU.
Since only one CPU is showing up, I don't have a faulty one to deselect (I installed the "Processor" System Preference from the Developer>Extras>PreferancePane) or disable via Terminal.
So, I've got a couple of questions:
1. Where are the error logs that I should look at?
I've opened the Console, but can find no mentions of "panic" or "cpu," other than some 3 year old references under "Java."
2. More importantly, *how do I know +which CPU+ has failed*?
I see no references to "CPU 1" or "B" or "0" or "A." It's as if I've suddenly got a Single 2.3 G5.
3. Any possibility that this is a software issue?
I'm wondering if a recent update of Safari could somehow be a culprit. I had it open and also had Firefox open, both with 10-12 tabs. I know they can be memory and processor hogs.
Anyway, I will reseat the CPUs and grab a serial number while in the process and report back after a while.
Thank you for your help.

IMac G5 Sounds like a jet taking off

Our iMac G5 sounds like a jet taking off shortly after we boot it up and try to open any applications. Also, when we try to power down and then turn it back on, a flashing folder shows up with a question mark and finder icon. Any ideas out there?

If you have not already, reset PRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
and if that does not help, reset SMU (power management)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1767
FYI - For some reason, you are posting in the category for the older iMac G3 (CRT display).

When i turn on my iMac its sounds like a light bulb struguling

When i turn on my iMac its sounds like a light bulb struguling

Not sure what a struggling light bulb sounds like. It is very hard to describe sounds sometimes. Is it an electrical buzzing or crackling sound? Does the computer still startup normally after the sound? You have Lion so I wonder if it is a new iMac. If so, call AppleCare.

My macbook fan sounds like it is constantly running?

Hi
i have a 13" white macbook (Feb2011)and the fan sounds like it is constantly running, i have fan control and checked activity monitor and it is all fine and normal as it should be, this has started occuring in the last few days. It has been since i have had new carpets laid and i have heard that it may be due to my sister using the laptop on the carpet on multiple occassions. do you think that it is because the fan may have sucked in fibres from the carpet? If i took it to the apple shop would they be able to sort it.
I know it may be petty and not a major problem but it used to be pretty much silent and now it is not so it worried me.
thanks for your help

I'm kind of confused as to what you mean by it "sounds like it's overloaded." Could you give a bit more info as to what sound you're hearing?

Can you upgrade from 1.3.0.20 small ovf to 2.1 without migrating to a new server? It sounds like you can just adjust the server settings now.

Can you upgrade from 1.3.0.20 small ovf to 2.1 without migrating to a new server? It sounds like you can just adjust the server settings now. I am currently running 1.3.0.20 and I have enough to do with also needing to upgrade my wlc to 7.4.121.0 and getting the MSE up to 7.4.121.0 without having to stand up a new server if I don't have to. Please share any information you have in regards to your experience with coming from a version 1.2-1.3 small ovf and going to 2.1.
Thanks,
Andrew

You are better off standing up a new server. It's cleaner and safer..... you can always try to upgrade if you wish, but if things don't work out well, then you just wasted a lot of time. Snapshot the VM and export the floor plans, just in case. The ova is built around the DB size, so I don't know how well the DB will perform if you try to expand memory or drive space after an upgrade.
Please rate helpful post and Cisco Support Community will donate to Kiva
Scotty

Fan sounds like a hairdryer after screen has been replaced...eh?

Can someone who's 'up' on imacs give me a steer here.
At the beginning of the week, with only a 14 days to go on my 3 year Applecare warranty, I noticed a grey streaky 'misting' on the screen when it was turned off. It was really quite bad. Called Applecare, who got their servicing company to collect it, screen replaced with no problems. Got it back today, new screen, looks great.
So far so good. Except that the fan is now whirling around and making an incredible noise after about 10 minutes of the machine being turned on. I'd say it's around 5 times as loud (or hyperactive) as it was before I sent it off for a new screen. One of the things I turned to the imac for was it's quietness, so this is worse for me than a misty screen, to be honest. Sounds like a hairdryer.
Put it this way: I often listen to music late at night, very low, but now the fan would drown out the sound of the music. Called Applecare, who are going to get it collected again, but from what I've read in these forums this evening (& I'm no expert) it could be a software related problem (temperature controls and all that...) I'm not sure that the guy I was talking to at Applecare today quite understood what I was trying to explain, and said it was definitely a hardware problem. I want to call Applecare back on Monday before the mac's collected again to just make sure it has to be carted off again, with a bit of back up info from anybody who might help here.
thanks
chris

Reset your SMC to see if that makes a difference:
Shut down the computer.
Unplug the computer's power cord.
Wait fifteen seconds.
Attach the computer's power cord.
Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

MDD Fan sounds like its struggling

Ok, so my MDD has always sounded like a jet wanting to take off, well lately, i noticed that the fan (the big main one) has been getting higher in the revs, then just sitting there, sounding like is struggling, and the CPU gets pretty darn hot, just touching it, it is hot, and the temperature monitor i have on my menubar reads 137 degrees Farenheit, thats pretty hot. Do i need a new fan? If so where can i get one?

Japanmac,
Strange as it may seem I think I found the problem with the short-term "rising" temps in my system. You remember that USB wireless adapter I got from that person on ebay? The netgear wg111v2? Yeah, that one.. I think because of the amount of wattage that put out, it must have contributed to the short-term rising temps in my system. Strange as it may seem. This is the 1st time a USB wireless adapter did this to my poor MDD! Temps are now back at 100-105 as of right now, but I do expect them to get back into the low to mid 90's.
Have you ever heard of a wireless USB adapter contributing to heat in an Apple machine? And the guy who I bought this from told me it works for a G4 only. While this is true, it is apparent that this little bugger also is a contributor to heat in a G4 or other Mac.
Also, the drivers for this are, at best, very primitive and not really much tweaking can be done to make it open websites faster.
In addition, I also pulled apart my system this afternoon and gave the processor a fresh dose of arctic silver!

Import of Brand New CD: Took FOREVER & sounds like GARBAGE

Here's a first for me... A friend bought us a brand new CD as a gift. I played the CD 1 time in our 5 disk changer at home, played it 1 time in the car. After each play, I placed it in the CD case after each time. Not thinking it's a scratched issue.
Took it up to our brand new iMac to import into iTunes... Much to my surprise, it was showing a 0.2x or 0.5x taking over 2 hours to import the entire 10 song cd into iTunes.
Several, if not all of the songs sound like trash. They play perfectly fine, but have "skips" in them.
What on earth could make a CD import go so wrong on a brand new disk?
Earlier this weekend, I imported about 3 of my old CD's that have been abused and they all imported just fine so I'm not thinking it's the drive in our iMac.
Any thoughts?

Checked the CD, it was fine. Tried to re-insert it into the iMac. The iMac takes the CD in holds it for a few seconds, then spits it back out.
I tried this CD in my work HP laptop w/ iTunes and it imported fine.
At this point, I will chawk this up to an unusual instance. I sure hope that future CD's work in the Mac!
Thx,
Brent

27'' iMac making sound like bongos drumming

f`or lack of a better description my 27'' iMac is making a sound like someone is constantly drumming on bongos. It will stop for a few seconds and then start up again until I restart the computer. What is this.

A suggestion across more than a few discussions, says to replace the keyboard.
If a keyface is stuck down, or the switch faulty inside the keyboard, the audio
sound usually associated with that function (with sounds on) is what you hear.
You could try making a new user account and test for this odd sound there.
If it still exists after a time of use, the keyboard may be OK. Still you may
have to contact Apple Store and set an appointment with a Genius about it.
{However those with a background in strange movies have another opinion...
it's jumanji: we've wondered where it would turn up next.}
Anyway, you could see if your Mac & k/b is still under warranty; or take it to an
Apple Store genius bar (with appointment) and ask they check it for you.
Good luck & happy computing!

MacPro graphics card fan sounds like a buzz saw.

.MacPro3,1 stock ATI Radeon HD 2600. Constant and loud. For a couple of months would get this sound for a short period, usually when booting up, but it never persisted. Now suddenly it is constant, though once in a great while drops in level and chugs, sounding like it's laboring. Generally a steady whine. Computer functions fine (HD video editing) and has through heavy use for years. Have card in slot 1. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

If I were in your situation, I would simply replace the card. It's just old.
Apple Radeon 5770 is the best upgrade option if you are running Snow Leopard. It's a much better GPU and 100% compatable.
If you must keep the 2600, then try cleaning the dust off of it.

Thinkpad Yoga - fan sounds like a plane

In tablet mode (and mostly when the tablet is horizontal) then the fan (I suppose it is the fan) makes some horrible noise. I can't work with it at work in this mode as my colleagues look at me weirdly. When I lift up the screen a bit, then the fan stops in a struggling sound.
I did a video of the issue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0Y0hEr3qKc
It's a shame because in latpop mode it doesn't make any sound, even thought the work I do in laptop mode is much more intensive. Would not be for the sound, this is the best laptop I ever had. The keyboard is great, the edges are not sharp, the screen is beautiful, the wacom pen works perfectly. An awesome computer.
Anyone one had this fan noise issue?

Hi,
Welcome to Lenovo Community Forums!
I’m sorry to hear that fan in your Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga is making noise.
If your laptop feels hot and shows any of the problems below, chances are its overheating or getting there:
Fan constantly running and making loud whirring noises
Computer struggling to perform basic tasks like opening a new browser window
Mysterious error messages popping up in random programs
Lines on your laptop screen (a sign your video card is overheating)
System freezing or the dreaded BSOD (blue screen of death)
The laptop abruptly shuts down on its own
First of all, update BIOS to the latest version.
Use dust remover spray to clean out of the laptop's vents. Dust can accumulate in and block the laptop's fan vents. Start using compatible cooling pads which will help in the flow of cool air into the underside vents of the laptop. Keep your working environment or computer room as comfortably cool as possible. Check if the fan is touching some wires during spinning to cause the noise.
Best Regards,
Mithun.
Did someone help you today? Press the star on the left to thank them with a Kudo!
If you find a post helpful and it answers your question, please mark it as an "Accepted Solution"! This will help the rest of the Community with similar issues identify the verified solution and benefit from it.
Follow @LenovoForums on Twitter!

My IMAC G5 sounds like it has a squirrel chattering in it...

...when I get the SBBOD (spinning beach ball of death), and often, when it is just doing average processor things. I've been having this problem for over a year. I purchased it in Nov. 04, and by Nov 05 it had completely crashed. I had to bring it into the apple store and the genius took 5 hours (working continuously--she was great), to back up my data, wipe out my HD and reinstall everything. With new back up La Cie HD, I returned home "good as new". At least for a while! Slowly, the same things began to happen. Machine began running slowly for basic requests, SBBOD reappears often, and the squirrel (or chipmunk) sound has returned.
I repair permissions often (monthly or more often), just had it back in to the apple store to replace the power supply (completely shut down on me), and although they ran all sorts of diagnostics on it, they thought it was fine. They can't hear the "squirrel" noise--they claim their environment is noisy.
I get worried that it will crash again. Has anyone else had these problems? I'm still running Panther 10.3.9, and am afraid to upgrade to Tiger with all this stuff going on.
Would love any advice you can give. I just turned off "sleep", hoping that will help too.
Thanks!
IMAC G5 Mac OS X (10.3.9) 1.8 GHx PowerPC G5 with 1.5 GB DDR SDRAM

Welcome to Discussions - you soound as if you have a Rev A that should qualify under the Apple Repair Extension Program. Call Apple immediately and tell them what's going on. Since you just had a repair (probably under the Extension Program), your machine is still warranted, even if you don't have Apple Care. It may take a bit of polite pushing on your part, but be persistent and see if they won't send someone to you home to listen to the computer in its normal environment. In the meantime, keep making regular backups and let us know how you make out.
Miriam

What do the fans sound like

I came from a PC world and when the fans kicked in on those laptops you thought a plane might be taking off. My Macbook Pro is not hot and I do hear what I think are the fans on each side, more of a "whooshing" type sound. Is that what I should be hearing? Just not use to the relative quietness of this machine so wanted to check to be sure. Thanks in advance.

The fans have a very distinctive sound and they seldom ramp up. However, when they do begin to cut in, the sound is a very progressive spin-on that last about 30-seconds to full speed and they will generally run for about 1-minute and slowly spin down at the same rate. The whole process can last about 90-120 seconds.
Regards,

New 27'' Imac fan sounds like jet engine

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for