New 21.5" iMac Fan Noise

villiard · Dec 22, 2012, 07:59 AM

Hey new iMac 2012 users, just out of curiosity...

After turning on the iMac, how silent should the computer be? 'Cause I can definitely hear a slightly subtle 'wooshing' sound of the fan in a quiet room. I did upgrade my iMac with the new FusionDrive hoping to eliminate a significant amount of fan noise. Did I receive a lemon???

Thanks guys.

Apple fanboy · Dec 22, 2012, 08:22 AM

Mines as quite as a mouse. Why not have a look at this thread to see if any of the solutions help you out? http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1511429
If not take it back as it's in warrantee.

mchoffa · Dec 22, 2012, 09:26 AM

mine is completely silent until I open up either photoshop or premiere, then I get a faint fluttering sound

...but when I either apply a filter or render in premiere, it sounds like a jet getting ready to take off!

sjz88 · Dec 22, 2012, 09:51 AM

Don't worry. My 27" has a constant fan sound as well. It's not really loud or annoying or anything but you can hear it when the room is really quiet.
It think that's normal and just the way it is since other people have reported the same.

villiard · Dec 22, 2012, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apple fanboy

Mines as quite as a mouse. Why not have a look at this thread to see if any of the solutions help you out? http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1511429
If not take it back as it's in warrantee.

Will do, thanks.

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by mchoffa

it sounds like a jet getting ready to take off!

lol! you should get it replaced. i just ran photoshop on mine, i still get the constant ongoing "whoosh" sound. similar to a jet plane mid-flight on cruise control...

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjz88

Don't worry. My 27" has a constant fan sound as well. It's not really loud or annoying or anything but you can hear it when the room is really quiet.
It think that's normal and just the way it is since other people have reported the same.

Do you happen to know what your fan speed is? I just downloaded iStat Menus at it says my main fan speed is currently at 1399rpm. The sound isn't annoying, it just seems that my system is being overworked for nothing.

2bcool2 · Dec 22, 2012, 10:37 AM

my 27 imac fan speed is idol at 1200 ...

hope thihs helps, i too have a dead quiet room and didnt know its normal for the fan to be on all the time

villiard · Dec 23, 2012, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2bcool2

my 27 imac fan speed is idol at 1200 ...

hope thihs helps, i too have a dead quiet room and didnt know its normal for the fan to be on all the time

thanks.

azentropy · Dec 23, 2012, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by villiard

Hey new iMac 2012 users, just out of curiosity...

After turning on the iMac, how silent should the computer be? 'Cause I can definitely hear a slightly subtle 'wooshing' sound of the fan in a quiet room. I did upgrade my iMac with the new FusionDrive hoping to eliminate a significant amount of fan noise. Did I receive a lemon???

Thanks guys.

The fusion drive does nothing to reduce noise, if anything the additional flash storage module adds to noise by generating more heat than a HDD alone requiring the system fan to run longer and possibly at a higher RPM.

Unfortunately Apple doesn't offer a flash only or SSD only option which would have eliminated the HDD noise and cut down the system fan even further since a SSD or flash module generates less heat than a HDD.

villiard · Dec 23, 2012, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azentropy

The fusion drive does nothing to reduce noise, if anything the additional flash storage module adds to noise by generating more heat than a HDD alone requiring the system fan to run longer and possibly at a higher RPM.

Unfortunately Apple doesn't offer a flash only or SSD only option which would have eliminated the HDD noise and cut down the system fan even further since a SSD or flash module generates less heat than a HDD.

So my fan speed at 1398rpm is considered normal? Thanks for your input.

Gelite55 · Dec 23, 2012, 03:34 PM

If it makes a noise. Exchange it.

Reaktor5 · Dec 23, 2012, 03:35 PM

My 2011 iMac does this too. I chalked it up to the bearings in the fan.

I'll probably replace it eventually but lugging an iMac to the Apple store is low on my fun scale.

Gelite55 · Dec 23, 2012, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaktor5

My 2011 iMac does this too. I chalked it up to the bearings in the fan.

I'll probably replace it eventually but lugging an iMac to the Apple store is low on my fun scale.

I hate it to. I'd much rather ship it back and forth. But for a repair, it sounds easier to bring it to a store.

Reaktor5 · Dec 23, 2012, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gelite55

I hate it to. I'd much rather ship it back and forth. But for a repair, it sounds easier to bring it to a store.

My music usually is louder than it. I was temped to find an RPM using smcFanControl that it doesn't purr at.

azentropy · Dec 23, 2012, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by villiard

So my fan speed at 1398rpm is considered normal? Thanks for your input.

Yes, ~1400rpm is the minimum the fan will run at. I can barely hear mine at this speed. So if yours is loud I would say something isn't right.

villiard · Dec 23, 2012, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azentropy

Yes, ~1400rpm is the minimum the fan will run at. I can barely hear mine at this speed. So if yours is loud I would say something isn't right.

Okay cool. Yeah it isn't necessarily loud, it is only noticeable in a quiet room. It's not dead silent that's for sure. I may just be really picky...

seble · Dec 23, 2012, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azentropy

Yes, ~1400rpm is the minimum the fan will run at. I can barely hear mine at this speed. So if yours is loud I would say something isn't right.

I thought it was 1200rpm

azentropy · Dec 23, 2012, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seble

I thought it was 1200rpm

The 27" is 1200rpm.

Dec 22, 2012, 07:59 AM	#1
villiard macrumors newbie Join Date: Dec 2012	New 21.5" iMac Fan Noise Hey new iMac 2012 users, just out of curiosity... After turning on the iMac, how silent should the computer be? 'Cause I can definitely hear a slightly subtle 'wooshing' sound of the fan in a quiet room. I did upgrade my iMac with the new FusionDrive hoping to eliminate a significant amount of fan noise. Did I receive a lemon??? Thanks guys.
	0

Dec 22, 2012, 08:22 AM	#2
Apple fanboy macrumors 65816 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: United Kingdom	Mines as quite as a mouse. Why not have a look at this thread to see if any of the solutions help you out? http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1511429 If not take it back as it's in warrantee. __________________ Late 2012 21" iMac 2.9GHz i5, ITB Fusion drive, 16GB RAM, 2 TB TimeCapsule, iPhone 5 32GB, iPad 4 32GB, iPad 2 16GB, apple TV 2, iPod touch 4th gen 8GB, Xbox 360 120GB. Macrumors Scavenger Hunt IV 2
	0

Dec 23, 2012, 03:35 PM	#11
Reaktor5 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: New Hampshire, USA	My 2011 iMac does this too. I chalked it up to the bearings in the fan. I'll probably replace it eventually but lugging an iMac to the Apple store is low on my fun scale. __________________ Tweet
	1

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Dec 22, 2012, 09:26 AM	#3
mchoffa macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2008	mine is completely silent until I open up either photoshop or premiere, then I get a faint fluttering sound ...but when I either apply a filter or render in premiere, it sounds like a jet getting ready to take off!
	0

Dec 22, 2012, 09:51 AM	#4
sjz88 macrumors member Join Date: Nov 2012	Don't worry. My 27" has a constant fan sound as well. It's not really loud or annoying or anything but you can hear it when the room is really quiet. It think that's normal and just the way it is since other people have reported the same.
	0

Dec 22, 2012, 10:37 AM	#6
2bcool2 macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2008	my 27 imac fan speed is idol at 1200 ... hope thihs helps, i too have a dead quiet room and didnt know its normal for the fan to be on all the time
	0

Dec 23, 2012, 03:34 PM	#10
Gelite55 macrumors regular Join Date: Dec 2012	If it makes a noise. Exchange it.
	0