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Constant Noise from Bottom Right Hand Corner..

R

ReubenTobias

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 1, 2011
7
0
Hi guys

I recently bought a mid-2010 macbook pro 13" that has been used very little (only 160 cycles on the battery, and is even still in its plastic casing).

There is a constant 'airy whirr' coming from the bottom right hand corner of the laptop, that remains the same regardless of cpu activity/changes in demand on the computer.

I have iStat pro and it reads that the fans are constantly running at 2000rpm (which im told is normal) enclosure temp averaging around 30 degrees and CPU temp 50 degrees..and Idle CPU at 96%..so very little strain on the system.

What I would like to know is: is it even a fan im hearing? Its from the very bottom right hand corner..and sounds like a fan as it does not fluctuate in the same way a HDD would.

I know this subject is discussed to death, but what are my options/resolutions? I records music so it is definitely an issue and not just a case of "ignore it its normal"

Thanks a lot!

Reuben
 
ReubenTobias said:
Hi guys

I recently bought a mid-2010 macbook pro 13" that has been used very little (only 160 cycles on the battery, and is even still in its plastic casing).

There is a constant 'airy whirr' coming from the bottom right hand corner of the laptop, that remains the same regardless of cpu activity/changes in demand on the computer.

I have iStat pro and it reads that the fans are constantly running at 2000rpm (which im told is normal) enclosure temp averaging around 30 degrees and CPU temp 50 degrees..and Idle CPU at 96%..so very little strain on the system.

What I would like to know is: is it even a fan im hearing? Its from the very bottom right hand corner..and sounds like a fan as it does not fluctuate in the same way a HDD would.

I know this subject is discussed to death, but what are my options/resolutions? I records music so it is definitely an issue and not just a case of "ignore it its normal"

Thanks a lot!

Reuben
Click to expand...


It is your hard drive spinning. If it is an issue your solution is a SSD to replace the HDD.
 
it is!!?

Iv never known a hard drive to be so loud! I thought MBP was supposed to be the best of the best...and quiet!

I had an early 2009 imac that didnt make nearly as much noise as this...

is it difficult to replace a HDD with a SSD?
 
also, before considering a hdd replacement..is there anything (and i mean anything) that can be done to lessen this ridiculous hdd noise? I mean my mates £200 acer laptop is quieter for goodness sake!
 
ReubenTobias said:
also, before considering a hdd replacement..is there anything (and i mean anything) that can be done to lessen this ridiculous hdd noise? I mean my mates £200 acer laptop is quieter for goodness sake!
Click to expand...

I suppose you could put in a slower rotating HDD which might be quieter but of course slower in accessing and writing data.

I swapped out my HDD (replaced the smaller 5400 RPM with a larger 7200 RPM) and swapped the optical drive and put in an SSD for boot/applications. The entire process took about 20 min, not counting the data transfer. To swap out just an HDD, I bet you can do it in 10 min, it is really that easy...not counting data transfer of course.

As for the noise, well Apple doesn't make the HDD, so I am not sure how much they can control the noise of it other than insulate the crap out of the machine, which of course adds weight, heat and cost. Suppose it is a balance of sorts.
 
If it's really that loud the hard drive may be failing. Also, is it a constant noise or only when data is being accessed?
 
ReubenTobias said:
it is!!?

Iv never known a hard drive to be so loud! I thought MBP was supposed to be the best of the best...and quiet!

I had an early 2009 imac that didnt make nearly as much noise as this...

is it difficult to replace a HDD with a SSD?
Click to expand...

My Early 2011 MBP 15" is quieter than my Early 2009 iMac, and I have the 7200rpm drive.
 
ReubenTobias said:
it is!!?

Iv never known a hard drive to be so loud! I thought MBP was supposed to be the best of the best...and quiet!

I had an early 2009 imac that didnt make nearly as much noise as this...

is it difficult to replace a HDD with a SSD?
Click to expand...

Apple doesn't make their own HDDs. It's a Hitachi or Toshiba most likely. If you're experiencing that much noise from a 5400 RPM drive then something is not right. Either the HDD isn't seated correctly or it's faulty.
 
it is a constant noise, even if the computer is just sitting doing very little (say with a web browser open) its still going on.
 
also, the guy i bought it off said it had been 'upgraded' with a 500gb hdd. when i open disc utility its says the following about the boot drive "500.11GB WDC WD5000BPVT-00HXZT1"

any ideas what drive this is??
 
It's a WD Scorpio Blue 500 GB. Apparently they are pretty loud (no first hand experience, I just did a Google around).
 
so is it definite that the upgraded hdd was not installed by apple? If not how do you know, do apple use a specific brand?

Does this mean that what is left on the warranty is void?

cheers
 
I have a 2010 MPB13 with a Toshiba 250GB drive. Silent as a mouse.

Because 250GB is not enough for me, I bought the same drive as you have (WD 500GB Blue Scorpio) and experienced THE SAME noise as you describe. Ended up selling it and put back the original 250GB Toshiba drive, which is completely silent :).

Could it be that it is louder because it is 2-platter hard drive instead of 1 as is the case with the Toshiba 250GB drive?
 
ReubenTobias said:
so is it definite that the upgraded hdd was not installed by apple? If not how do you know, do apple use a specific brand?

Does this mean that what is left on the warranty is void?

cheers
Click to expand...

I'm 99% sure Apple don't use WD drives.

Your warranty is fine if you change either your HDD and/or RAM. Anything else voids it.
 
ReubenTobias said:
so is it definite that the upgraded hdd was not installed by apple? If not how do you know, do apple use a specific brand?
Does this mean that what is left on the warranty is void?
cheers
Click to expand...
Your warranty is NOT voided by user installed RAM or HDs, unless you damage the computer doing so. Of course Apple will not cover the user installed RAM or HD.
The Scorpio Blue is infamous for making noise, and in some cases, for too aggressive energy saving, constant parking of the heads, causing beachballs.
Get a Hitachi 500 GB or a Seagate 500 GB and enjoy the silence.Some people have had good luck with the Seagate Momentous XT (with 4GB of flash ram like an SSD drive, others have had issues. Your best bet is either the Hitachi 500 GB or a Seagate 7200 rpm drives, and put that Scorpio blue in a USB or firewire case for backups. :cool:
 
WiBu said:
I'm 99% sure Apple don't use WD drives.

Your warranty is fine if you change either your HDD and/or RAM. Anything else voids it.
Click to expand...

Apple does use WD sometimes, though Seagate and Hitachi are more common.

Easiest way to tell is that if it came from Apple, it will have an Apple logo printed on the label on the drive.

jW
 
ReubenTobias said:
Hi guys

I recently bought a mid-2010 macbook pro 13" that has been used very little (only 160 cycles on the battery, and is even still in its plastic casing).

There is a constant 'airy whirr' coming from the bottom right hand corner of the laptop, that remains the same regardless of cpu activity/changes in demand on the computer.

I have iStat pro and it reads that the fans are constantly running at 2000rpm (which im told is normal) enclosure temp averaging around 30 degrees and CPU temp 50 degrees..and Idle CPU at 96%..so very little strain on the system.

What I would like to know is: is it even a fan im hearing? Its from the very bottom right hand corner..and sounds like a fan as it does not fluctuate in the same way a HDD would.

I know this subject is discussed to death, but what are my options/resolutions? I records music so it is definitely an issue and not just a case of "ignore it its normal"

Thanks a lot!

Reuben
Click to expand...
I had a similar noise on my 2011 13" MBP except it seemed to be coming from the top left side. I thought it was a the new XT Momentus that I had installed but it wasn't. Turned out to be a bad fan. The new one is quiet as a mouse.
I've posted a youtube link of the exact noise mine was making. If it's making this noise, blame it on the fan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_2QiE3EN4M
 
cheers for all the responses guys.

so it seems it is the model of HDD in my MBP that is the cause of the problem.
if i do decide to invest in a new HDD how easy is it to install? I have ZERO experience of even opening a laptop!

If i were to choose to pay for it to be done (say by a local pc repair guy) what is a reasonable price?
 
ReubenTobias said:
cheers for all the responses guys.

so it seems it is the model of HDD in my MBP that is the cause of the problem.
if i do decide to invest in a new HDD how easy is it to install? I have ZERO experience of even opening a laptop!

If i were to choose to pay for it to be done (say by a local pc repair guy) what is a reasonable price?
Click to expand...
10 screws on the bottom case, 2 screws that hold the HD in place and 4 torx that anchor the drive. I can do it in less than 10 minutes start to finish.
You'll need to order a set of these Wiha precision screwdrivers if you don't want to strip the screw heads. The 00 and 000 fit fine.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZ5QGK
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
It is so easy to change the HD that I think it is a waste of money to have someone else do it. You will need a #00 philips head screwdriver and a #6 Torx driver for the lugs on the side of the HD (can be done with pliers but that is not so easy).
Be careful with the screws, they are small and like to jump off the desk into the carpet where they're very good at hiding! :eek: Also must go back in the same location they came from as three are longer than the others. Take it slow and easy and you will be OK. :D
 
ReubenTobias, when you do replace the HDD, please let me know what brand and model you chose and how it compare to that WD Scorpio Blue 500GB in terms of noise/vibration. Thanks.
 
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