Another late 2012 IMac fan issue

[frazior]

Hey guys,

Recently bought a new 21 inch Imac and I'm having problems with the fan since day one I have this machine.

I've been actively browsing these forums and I am having the same faint fan rattle as some forum users have been experiencing (the rattling fan sound, which some ppl even uploaded as a sound file).

However, I didn't call Apple yet because if I reset the SMC the problem dissapears and the fan is quite again. And then it's always the same story, it is quite for some time but then the fan begins making noise again. (and then I go through the same routine over and over...)

Is this just a bad fan and should I ask for a replacement? Or does anyone have a solution for this?

Thanks!

 

[GGJstudios]

Hey guys,

Recently bought a new 21 inch Imac and I'm having problems with the fan since day one I have this machine.

I've been actively browsing these forums and I am having the same faint fan rattle as some forum users have been experiencing (the rattling fan sound, which some ppl even uploaded as a sound file).

However, I didn't call Apple yet because if I reset the SMC the problem dissapears and the fan is quite again. And then it's always the same story, it is quite for some time but then the fan begins making noise again. (and then I go through the same routine over and over...)

Is this just a bad fan and should I ask for a replacement? Or does anyone have a solution for this?

Thanks!

If your fans are spinning faster without increased heat, resetting the SMC will help. However, if there is increased heat, due to higher workload on the system, the fans may spin faster to keep temps within a safe range. In that case, resetting the SMC will have no effect.

Use iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) to get accurate readings of your temps, fan speeds and much more. A forum member has posted a copy of iStat Pro that has been "tweaked" to enhance compatibility with Mountain Lion. You can download it here.

If there is a rattle sound each time the fans are spinning faster, you may want to take it to Apple and have them check it out.

 

[frazior]

Thing is, once the problem starts, it just stays there, no matter the workload. Even when idle, the fan keeps making this rattling sound.

The fan spins about 1200 if I remember correctly (= fan activity when idle). As soon as I shut down the computer and reset the SMC the problem is gone but then just appears again a day later.

So the main point is that the rattle isn't caused by extreme fan activity, but it just happens when the fan is spinning normally, ie idle fan speed. It often happens when I'm just browsing the web for example.

So it's just an example of a typical bad fan isn't it and I guess I should return it?


Edit: Shutting down the computer for about one minute and then repowering also makes the rattle go away, so no SMC resetting involved. But then again, the problem just appears again a day or two later...

 

[GGJstudios]

So it's just an example of a typical bad fan isn't it and I guess I should return it?

Yep, I'd take it to Apple.