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27" iMac Hard Drive Noise

After 3 or 4 days, no problems have arisen with my Week 50 i7 with Hitachi 2T drive. No clicks or grumbles heard at all. With head right up against the enclosure, I can detect a very faint, very normal and insignificant steady hum that doesn't vary in pitch so doesn't draw attention to itself. But nothing at all is to be heard from my normal working position. Unless anything changes, I'd say this is as quiet as could be wished for.

I see no yellow tinge and thankfully there have been no flickers up to now. At this moment, I'm 100% happy. PLEASE let things stay this way!
 
I am currently waiting for my i7 iMac, and it is stock, but after reading this, it has me thinking that maybe the 2TB HDD is the way to go. Any input on that? Anyway I can get it done without delaying my order? I am not scheduled to get it until Jan 4th and don't want it pushed back any further than that.
 
euphuistical said:
I am currently waiting for my i7 iMac, and it is stock, but after reading this, it has me thinking that maybe the 2TB HDD is the way to go. Any input on that? Anyway I can get it done without delaying my order? I am not scheduled to get it until Jan 4th and don't want it pushed back any further than that.
Click to expand...

From my experience, orders are getting fulfilled quicker. My order (8th Dec) was originally scheduled for shipping on 22nd and delivery on 28th. But I received it on the 15th. However, I would guess that if you change your order, the clock would start ticking from the start again. But talk to Apple... they were very helpful when I complained about delivery time and they upgraded me to 2-day shipping for free.

So far my 2T drive is faultless. The 1T Seagates both ended up with the dire stomach-grumbling noise.
 
Sir Cecil said:
But nothing at all is to be heard from my normal working position.
Click to expand...

I've just received my i5 iMac last Friday, and now I'm wondering whether I'm starting to overreact: I can clearly hear one or several of the fans turning when I'm sitting normally in front of it. It's not loud by any means, but it is more distracting than I would wish for.

We bought 3 i5 27", so I'll be listening in to the other two in the next few days. If they are really silent, I'll return mine (and try to exchange it for an i7).

Besides this, it's truly a gorgeous machine - it even makes my 17" MBP not look like a flat Godzilla next to it. :)
 
6 days in and my hard drive seems to be getting noisier but it's not consistent. When I first wake it from sleep, for the first 10 minutes of browsing the internet the hard drive makes a clear grumbling noise.

What are my time limits for sending it back/getting it repaired? It's an i7 iMac bought online. If in a couple of weeks it's worse will I have to get it repaired or will I still be able to send it back?
 
daviesified said:
6 days in and my hard drive seems to be getting noisier but it's not consistent. When I first wake it from sleep, for the first 10 minutes of browsing the internet the hard drive makes a clear grumbling noise.

What are my time limits for sending it back/getting it repaired? It's an i7 iMac bought online. If in a couple of weeks it's worse will I have to get it repaired or will I still be able to send it back?
Click to expand...

Hi, sorry to hear you're having problems. Certainly in UK you've got 2 weeks to get a replacement without question. Up to you what you do, but my 1st i7 with 1TB Hitachi really bugged me & I couldn't live with it. The 2TB Hitachi i7 replacement came really quickly once I'd deleted Applecare from the order.

I'll not repeat the lengthy info I posted about the grumbling 2TB, but suffice to say it remains quiet as a mouse as I type this & I'm really pleased with it. The thing that bugged me about both computers initially was the noise was there even with little or no activity. Now disk noise almost imperceptible-if I listen carefully I can hear it on opening applications or web browsing BUT it doesn't bug me 'cos I don't listen like that in everyday use.
Good luck & hope you soon get what you want.
 
Firmware Update

Today Apple issued a video card firmware update. Do you think a firmware update would fix the constant background clicking noise I (and apparently many others) hear on our 1 TB Seagate drives on our 27" iMacs?
 
Oddly... I heard the HD on my 1tb i7 initially. Then nothing for weeks. Just yesterday I hear it again. Right now, nothing. I can't sort it out.

I still can't watch youtubes without it stopping and seeing the youtube spinning thing though.
 
Vibration damping base

I was experiencing the 'grumbling' effect in my iMac i7 (constant noise, regardless of what I did). Then, I noticed that some posts in this thread mention the noise almost disappears if you lift the iMac from the corners. Others mention that the noise disappears (or appears) when moving the iMac to a different location. This seems to indicate that the noise is generated by the HD vibration when it is transmitted to the desk/table/computer hatch.

I first verified that also my iMac became almost silent when gently lifting it from the bottom corners of the screen. Next, I improvised a vibration damping base with some surplus rubber and foam. It worked! :) The noise is almost gone. It is not silent, but it is very quiet.
 
Oh! I move mine around a bit including raised on a disk thing (for fear I'll spill my drink, etc). I'm going to move it back to where I 'think' it was when it went silent for a couple weeks.
 
is there anyone who can record his/her hd noise. My hard disk is growling every now and then, you can compare it to soft knocking on a table.
since I am totally new to mac I do not have any idea whether this growling is normal but I don't think so

for the ones who do have hard disk problems, do you hear a loud click right before it goes to sleep?

ty
 
I've had my 1 TB imac for a few weeks and it is dead quite. Much quieter than my PC HDs I replaced. I hear the occasional seek but only when there are no other noises in the room.
Keep in mind that the 2 TB HDs use variable spindle speeds so it may be quieter during non intensive use. Copy/ move a large file, 1 GB or bigger and then decide if the noise is acceptable.
The problems people are having appear batch specific instead of brand/size.
 
Ok ive had my imac for a couple of days now, today it started grumbling. It is a 1tb seagate hd.

I searched around a bit and found a mac user that recorded the hungry mac.

here is the link to it
http://pieter-1asfz.posterous.com/9152957

mine does exactly the same. it pisses me off because i did not pay so much money to have a hungry mac.
 
wesleyh said:
Has anyone gone to a repair facility? What did they say after listening to the HD?
Click to expand...

Yep. I rang Applecare a few days ago and had my iMac picked up yesterday by an authorised repairer. They rang me today to say they have tested it and it is noisy and have ordered a new 2TB HD from Apple. Should have it all back by beginning of next week. It was a 2TB Hitachi HD.
 
I went to the store, they heard the noise and offered an exchange but said it will be the last exchange because HD noises are normal and within what they considered normal.
 
AppleCandidate said:
I went to the store, they heard the noise and offered an exchange but said it will be the last exchange because HD noises are normal and within what they considered normal.
Click to expand...

there talking a load of bull then, every time you speak to AC rep there words are "you shouldn't hear any noise on the 27" models"
 
frenchie0101 said:
there talking a load of bull then, every time you speak to AC rep there words are "you shouldn't hear any noise on the 27" models"
Click to expand...

AC are also speaking a certain ratio of Bull, you will always hear a some of HDD noise as it's mechanical - it's wether it's acceptable or not. Unfortunately in the noise of an Apple Store what one would considers as un-acceptable HDD noise gets lost in the overall ambient noise of the store.
 
IMAC is hungry when not blowing bubbles

Hi all,

I am a new Mac user and my 27 inch beauty got noisy on day four of operation. (It sat in the box for a week).

My 14 days are up Thursday. I got the three year warranty, also. Question: Do I return it or wait until there is a "fix?"

I don't think I have a flicker issue or the yellow tinge (how would I know for the latter?)

Please advise.
 
27" iMac Clicking Noise

I have had my Wonder Machine for 13 days. Half an hour ago i FROZE and I have a continuous clicking sound. Now it does not start. Just a white monitor and a clicking sound.....:confused:

I will probably have to bring it back which is too bad. Anybody know of a quick fix?
 
When I heard of the grumbling I had to take it to the Apple Store and an authorized retailer. They both said it normal because its 1TB and the fact that the ones in the Apple Store do the same thing. Right now I'm fine with it but now I'm having these other random ticking/clicking sounds. Are they related to the HDD?

i have them on video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CZbzdoXOFM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QSv211udFI
 
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