2018 Mac Mini coil whine

[T-Bob]

My Mac Mini 2018 developed coil whine after using it for 12 hours. I remember it being whisper quiet.

It's quite loud and I can hear over the fan noise at 4ft.

Does all Mac Mini do this? Would it be worth to try other capacity like 512GB?

Similar to mine. What are your specs?

 

[WilliamG]

Both 2018 i5 models I received have had coil whine only perceivable when putting your ear right up to the case. That includes even when running SSD benchmarks using BlackMagic. I noted no difference in pitch or dB level when running said benchmarks. I can’t hear it from more than an inch or two away, and even then only if there’s zero other sound in the room and I’m concentrating hard.

I’m sensitive to noises like this so I was pleasantly surprised given what I was expecting based on reports here.

 

[T-Bob]

About the comment on SSDs making noise. I have had small machines with SSDs on desktop before, and have never noticed this type of noise coming from there (not that we're sure its coming from there in this case either). Also if you have a MacBook or MacBook Pro with SSD, you will notice that it never makes noise (unless it's one of the 2018 ones?), so yes it is unusual.

 

[robo456]

About the comment on SSDs making noise. I have had small machines with SSDs on desktop before, and have never noticed this type of noise coming from there (not that we're sure its coming from there in this case either). Also if you have a MacBook or MacBook Pro with SSD, you will notice that it never makes noise (unless it's one of the 2018 ones?), so yes it is unusual.

I put a Samsung 960 M.2 drive in my new Alienware desktop and I experience the 'whine' sound as well, especially under heavy loads. Interestingly, Dell says that drive is incompatible with my system. Just for kicks I put in an Samsung 860 Pro SSD and no sound...

 

[Ploki]

You are telling me it is totally normal for an SSD to sound like a mechanical drive? LMAO!!! That's funny considering I have a room full of other SSDs, mostly Samsung and the mini is the only one in the room that makes any noise. Go Apple!

I have a brand new samsung evo 970 EVO and it's louder than the mini.

Are all of your SSDs pciexpress 2000mb/s drives? I can't hear anything from my SATA SSDs either.
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I put a Samsung 960 M.2 drive in my new Alienware desktop and I experience the 'whine' sound as well, especially under heavy loads. Interestingly, Dell says that drive is incompatible with my system. Just for kicks I put in an Samsung 860 Pro SSD and no sound...

860 pro is SATA, much slower, and much bigger.

 

[T-Bob]

I have a brand new samsung evo 970 EVO and it's louder than the mini.

Are all of your SSDs pciexpress 2000mb/s drives? I can't hear anything from my SATA SSDs either.
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860 pro is SATA, much slower, and much bigger.

Yes some of my SSDs are pci-e, as are the ones in newer MacBooks. Surprised 960 pro makes noise, that's quite a high quality MLC one.

 

[Hessel89]

It doesn't surprise me at all that Apple told you that. I am sorry. I do not have a 4 kHz whine though, not that I can hear yet anyway. KNOCK ON WOOD! LOL

I hope so for you.
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with Apple and I'm getting a new one. I was already past the 14 day return window but since I opened the case last week it wasn't a problem. At least their customer care is good.

 

[dspdoc]

I hope so for you.
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with Apple and I'm getting a new one. I was already past the 14 day return window but since I opened the case last week it wasn't a problem. At least their customer care is good.

Their customer care is usually excellent. I really hope this 'whine' isn't something that develops over time. With the tinnitus in my left ear I am not sure I would even hear it. How loud exactly is it?
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I have a brand new samsung evo 970 EVO and it's louder than the mini.

Are all of your SSDs pciexpress 2000mb/s drives? I can't hear anything from my SATA SSDs either.
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860 pro is SATA, much slower, and much bigger.

All SATA SSDs here. Silent.

 

[Hessel89]

Their customer care is usually excellent. I really hope this 'whine' isn't something that develops over time. With the tinnitus in my left ear I am not sure I would even hear it. How loud exactly is it?
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All SATA SSDs here. Silent.

I'd say about 20 dB. My mics can hardly pick it up but my ears are very sensitive in that frequency area.

 

[dspdoc]

I'd say about 20 dB. My mics can hardly pick it up but my ears are very sensitive in that frequency area.

Yeah I just don't hear 'whine', and I have put my ear almost on the mini. However I do still hear the little noise that sounds like a tiny spinning HD. Maybe people are confusing this as the same thing...? IDK. All I do know is that I have had about all the Apple 'oopsies' I can handle these past few years.

 

[Hessel89]

Yeah I just don't hear 'whine', and I have put my ear almost on the mini. However I do still hear the little noise that sounds like a tiny spinning HD. Maybe people are confusing this as the same thing...? IDK. All I do know is that I have had about all the Apple 'oopsies' I can handle these past few years.

Yeah those are two different sounds. What you mean is that rhythmic ticking noise that sounds like an old HDD right? I don't find that annoying. Mine also wines at exactly 4K hz, and only when I connect a certain USB device with independent DC power. (doesn't happen with USB fed devices)

 

[dspdoc]

Yeah those are two different sounds. What you mean is that rhythmic ticking noise that sounds like an old HDD right? I don't find that annoying. Mine also wines at exactly 4K hz, and only when I connect a certain USB device with independent DC power.

Exactly, I have the quiet ticking sound. That doesn't bother me at all either. If I had an audible 'whine' it would bother me too! Let us know if your new machine does it. It might be your USB device causing something in the mini. Who knows with Apple LOL

 

[Hessel89]

Exactly, I have the quiet ticking sound. That doesn't bother me at all either. If I had an audible 'whine' it would bother me too! Let us know if your new machine does it. It might be your USB device causing something in the mini. Who knows with Apple LOL

I am very curious! And yes, it might very well be my USB device, but I never noticed it on my 2012 i7 model, so maybe the new Mini's are more sensitive to grounding differences?

 

[madrag]

I am very curious! And yes, it might very well be my USB device, but I never noticed it on my 2012 i7 model, so maybe the new Mini's are more sensitive to grounding differences?

That might be the reason.

I noticed that if I connect my Mini to a grounded outlet, it still exhibits the "symptoms" of a non-grounded device (for example, if I touch and move my fingers on its surface/top, it tingles). After connecting the monitor to the Mini (and the monitor is grounded), the Mini doesn't have those tingle when touching anymore. The 2012 version (mine at least) didn't have that tingle, unless connected to a non-grounded outlet.

 

[Ploki]

Yeah I just don't hear 'whine', and I have put my ear almost on the mini. However I do still hear the little noise that sounds like a tiny spinning HD. Maybe people are confusing this as the same thing...? IDK. All I do know is that I have had about all the Apple 'oopsies' I can handle these past few years.

well since my samsung NVMe drive also has it, i doubt it's an apple oopsy or fault for using toshiba chips. short of acoustically insulating the enclosure they couldn't do much except using a lower performance ssd.
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That might be the reason.

I noticed that if I connect my Mini to a grounded outlet, it still exhibits the "symptoms" of a non-grounded device (for example, if I touch and move my fingers on its surface/top, it tingles). After connecting the monitor to the Mini (and the monitor is grounded), the Mini doesn't have those tingle when touching anymore. The 2012 version (mine at least) didn't have that tingle, unless connected to a non-grounded outlet.

But there's no grounding prong on Mini at all. And there wasn't since 2009, you cannot ground via 2-prong connector... it could be grounded via monitor via USB, but i doubt that's the design.

 

[madrag]

But there's no grounding prong on Mini at all. And there wasn't since 2009, you cannot ground via 2-prong connector... it could be grounded via monitor via USB, but i doubt that's the design.

I agree, but my Mac Mini 2012 didn't tingle when connected to a gounded outlet and it tingled when connected to a non-gounded outlet. This version tingles regardless of the grounding, the only time it doesn't tingle to the touch is if I have a monitor connected.

 

[Ploki]

I agree, but my Mac Mini 2012 didn't tingle when connected to a gounded outlet and it tingled when connected to a non-gounded outlet. This version tingles regardless of the grounding, the only time it doesn't tingle to the touch is if I have a monitor connected.

that doesn't make any sense tho, since you cannot ground it via the two-prong cable.

it makes sense that it's grounded via monitor, since USB-C does have a ground and it could be grounded via displays 3-prong cable.

 

[brentsg]

well since my samsung NVMe drive also has it, i doubt it's an apple oopsy or fault for using toshiba chips. short of acoustically insulating the enclosure they couldn't do much except using a lower performance ssd.

it's not typical of Samsung SSD's though. You'll find a scattered number of reports, as coil whine is a lottery of sorts.. but it's not typical of Samsung as it appears to be with the Toshiba in the Mini. Of course my story is just as anecdotal as yours, but I've got 2 960 EVO's and 1 970 Pro and none of them make any sounds even when they're used in an external enclosure on my desk (even with the lid off).

 

[Ploki]

it's not typical of Samsung SSD's though. You'll find a scattered number of reports, as coil whine is a lottery of sorts.. but it's not typical of Samsung as it appears to be with the Toshiba in the Mini. Of course my story is just as anecdotal as yours, but I've got 2 960 EVO's and 1 970 Pro and none of them make any sounds even when they're used in an external enclosure on my desk (even with the lid off).

i can only hear samsung when i push my ear against it and its under heavy load.
neither mini nor samsung produce it loud enough to be heard under any normal circumstances

 

[flowave]

I am the guy who uploaded the last noise video.

You know what's worse?

Now it developed coil whine that is related to my mouse. It started few days ago.

It makes noise whenever I move the mouse. And it is louder.

I have put the Mac Mini right behind my 32" monitor and I can hear it.


I really think this mac is not made well as I see how the coil whine develops.
no coil whine (1 day) -> coil whine from ssd writing (5 days) -> now coil whine from mouse moving

Here is another discussion about noise from mouse moving.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8623568
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18417002


I use logitech mouse G400S. I tried other other logitech mouse G400 and it does same thing.
Using USB hub does not help.

I really have to use this shape of mouse as it is most comfortable.

It's driving me crazy.. I am seriously considering returning it.

It sounds similar to this, but higher pitch.
https://www.reddit.com/r/mac/comments/a3muvz/my_new_mac_mini_late_2018_making_weird_noises/

 

[harriska2]

I am the guy who uploaded the last noise video.

You know what's worse?

Now it developed coil whine that is related to my mouse. It started few days ago.

It makes noise whenever I move the mouse. And it is louder.

I have put the Mac Mini right behind my 32" monitor and I can hear it.


I really think this mac is not made well as I see how the coil whine develops.
no coil whine (1 day) -> coil whine from ssd writing (5 days) -> now coil whine from mouse moving

Here is another discussion about noise from mouse moving.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8623568
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18417002


I use logitech mouse G400S. I tried other other logitech mouse G400 and it does same thing.
Using USB hub does not help.

I really have to use this shape of mouse as it is most comfortable.

It's driving me crazy.. I am seriously considering returning it.

It sounds similar to this, but higher pitch.
https://www.reddit.com/r/mac/comments/a3muvz/my_new_mac_mini_late_2018_making_weird_noises/

I can’t hear the video because the video pluggin Reddit uses doesn't work on ios safari but that would drive me nuts. Glad I have the magic trackpad :/. I don’t think the magic mouse does it but then my hubby is sort of deaf to high pitch whining noises.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I can’t hear the video because the video pluggin Reddit uses doesn't work on ios safari but that would drive me nuts. Glad I have the magic trackpad :/. I don’t think the magic mouse does it but then my hubby is sort of deaf to high pitch whining noises.

You can hear the linked audio pretty easy using a iPhone. It sounds like someone dialing an old rotary phone.

I am glad my 2018 i7 Mac mini doesn't have this problem.

 

[harriska2]

You can hear the linked audio pretty easy using a iPhone. It sounds like someone dialing an old rotary phone.

I am glad my 2018 i7 Mac mini doesn't have this problem.

Ok, I clicked at the bottom of the reddit page to continue in safari. Sounds like a far away old typewriter.

 

[Partron22]

Sounds like a far away old typewriter.

Banks of 5 volt relays powering the lightboard on the SeaView's incredibly powerful early 60's underwater computer.

 

[harriska2]

Banks of 5 volt relays powering the lightboard on the SeaView's incredibly powerful early 60's underwater computer.

Exactly how old are you?