Sounds like a plane taking off!

The iMac makes a loud noise similar to that of an airplane takeoff – at first I thought that it was mostly related to web usage, but the more troubleshooting that I do, the more I realize that applications seem irrelevant.
I took it to the Apple Store and, although they replaced my power supply, the noise issue has not been addressed. I plugged it into different power supplies and electrical outlets but that does not make a difference.
I assume that the noise is being generated by a fan but that’s just a guess because I do not know a great deal about the inner workings of the iMac hardware. Could it be the processor? The fan? Or some other component?
I have had this issue since purchasing the iMac fifteen months ago but I just assumed that it was “normal”.
Has anyone heard of this?
Bill

Sorry to hear about your woes.The only time you shoud really hear the fans is if: a) The ambient temperature is high and, b) The computer is being stressed (Photoshop, video editing etc.)
My advice: call Apple and explain the problem. But before you call, note down your serial number (it's on the bottom of the stand), memory, OS X version, and detail the problem. You could also run the extended hardware test from the installation disc. To do this, start your computer normally and insert OSX disc 1 (mine came with 2 DVDs) when you get to the desktop. Restart, and hold the 'option' button on the keyboard. When the computer is ready, select the hardware test (surprise!). Select the extended test... and wait... and wait. It takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes on my computer. By the way, it's normal for the fans to howl when the test is in progress, so don't worry about that. If there are any messages, note them too. Then call Apple.
Good luck!
iMac G5 ALS   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  
iMac G5 ALS   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  
iMac G5 ALS    
iMac G5 ALS   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

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