Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Does anyone's new iSight iMac buzz?
- Thread starter jacg
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
dont know if this helps but i have a rev b 20" imac and i can tell you with normal use all i hear is air moving around, and when its idle i dont hear anything. really the only time i hear my fans go crazy is after i restart from a major update(it will sound like 2 small airplanes inside my computer).
i did screw around with the new 17" imac at the apple store and it was just as quite as mine. you definitely should not be hearing a noise like that, especially when idle or not doing heavy work. i wonder if this is a new problem from internal changes of the imac(maybe the metal foil or something).
how about recording the sound so we can hear it?
i did screw around with the new 17" imac at the apple store and it was just as quite as mine. you definitely should not be hearing a noise like that, especially when idle or not doing heavy work. i wonder if this is a new problem from internal changes of the imac(maybe the metal foil or something).
how about recording the sound so we can hear it?
jacg said:
Well, I hope there really was an extra noise coming from your iMac, or you will just be disappointed again. I mean, I don't know what all of you people expect. This machine is not silent. It has never been and it will never be silent. Yes, you can hear the fans spinning, you can hear the air move, and yes, this sound even gets louder the more you make your iMac work.
I know there were problems with the original iMac G5...I had one (not with a fan problem, but with a reocurring video card failure problem). My new iMac G5 Rev. C (Apple gave me this one because of the ongoing problem with the other iMac) and it souns just like my other one. So, unless some of the new ones are louder than mine, I just don't think people should be complaining about a little bit of noise.
mynameisjesse said:
Please don't take this wrong, but there is no way your iMac is ever silent. The fans are constantly running. You can hear them come on when you start up your iMac. And it has always been more than the sound of air moving. You can hear the mechanics of the fans movement. It's just how it is.
I have 3 Imacs, Two 2.1 and one 2.0
The old 20" G5 makes almost no noise, but a little sqick from the HD, the 20" isight 2.1 iMacs has a lot more fan noise. Not anything to complain about but definitely to much compared to its predecessor. But by saying that, the "old" 2.0 G5 had allot of heat problems and they tried to fix this (successfully) by a slimmer design and a more effective fan. More noise but lower temperature.
If its too much..? Dunno, not for me. You guys choose. I can live with it. Of-cause, the perfect solution would be a mac with zero noise, maybe the next gen. of iMacs... Maybe no fans, no noise. Apple does look at this we guys write. And so far, Im extremely pleased with their results, especially in regards to the noiseless solutions.
Mike.
The old 20" G5 makes almost no noise, but a little sqick from the HD, the 20" isight 2.1 iMacs has a lot more fan noise. Not anything to complain about but definitely to much compared to its predecessor. But by saying that, the "old" 2.0 G5 had allot of heat problems and they tried to fix this (successfully) by a slimmer design and a more effective fan. More noise but lower temperature.
If its too much..? Dunno, not for me. You guys choose. I can live with it. Of-cause, the perfect solution would be a mac with zero noise, maybe the next gen. of iMacs... Maybe no fans, no noise. Apple does look at this we guys write. And so far, Im extremely pleased with their results, especially in regards to the noiseless solutions.
Mike.
well to be honest, i think mines a little too quite. i have a feeling my fans are broken because even when my computer gets around 170 degrees the fans dont get stronger. i NEVER actually hear the fans, only after a big update. besides that all i hear is air moving.
and by no noise, i mean unless you sit there and listen for it you wont hear it. with any music playing, even at the lowest setting, it will drown it out.
and by no noise, i mean unless you sit there and listen for it you wont hear it. with any music playing, even at the lowest setting, it will drown it out.
I also got a faint buzzing sound, I assume it's from the fan and it doesn't really bother me. It's much more quiet than my old iMac G4 which was quite loud I assume that the fan is faulty but it's too old and I thought it was supposed to be that way when I bought it.
Uma888 said:mine is making the same noise
i just got it today
Should i call apple?
I'm still waiting for number three. If it's quieter than the first two, you'll want to do the same.
I realise that some people think I'm going to be disappointed but I cannot believe that the current noise I'm experiencing is what Apple call "whisper
quiet" and other iMac owners call "moving air". This thing grinds. Apple seem to agree. I remain hopeful!
I will post feedback when I have some more news.
It certainly seems like there are a handful of people with machines that make noises they shouldn't be making (judging by feedback here and at apple.discussions).
I'd guess a few owners will tolerate or not notice the faulty machines.
Apple must be selling a lot of these though. Is it safe to assume that only a very small percentage of them are faulty?
I'd guess a few owners will tolerate or not notice the faulty machines.
Apple must be selling a lot of these though. Is it safe to assume that only a very small percentage of them are faulty?
Add me to the list of people with this 'problem.' As jacq said, it's not really the loudness of the noise that's annoying ... just the type.
Putting my hand over the rear vent makes the machine almost silent ... I can live with the ordinary cooling sound, just no the buzzing fan sound.
Unfortunately, I don't think we have faulty iMacs ... I think it's just the way the Rev C's are, so I'm going to live with it.
Putting my hand over the rear vent makes the machine almost silent ... I can live with the ordinary cooling sound, just no the buzzing fan sound.
Unfortunately, I don't think we have faulty iMacs ... I think it's just the way the Rev C's are, so I'm going to live with it.
Wow, this noise issue is very confusing. I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that it's a very individual thing -- both in terms of the machine and the people using them!
I've been test running an Rev B iMac, trying to decide if I should keep it or get the isight model (I don't need the new features). One of the issues that's had me on the fence is the "noise issue". Lots of peole with the Rev B's have had fan noise issues. But now I'm beginning to wonder if this is just an issue with the iMac period.
I can tell you that from my few days with this machine, it's pretty quiet if I'm just word processing, emailing or web browsing. That said, it does have a "buzz" which is not very loud but gets a bit more high pitched as the machine works. Sometimes just changing pages in a forum causes changes in the frequency and that's what's annoying. It's not constant. Right now, I have the g5 next to an old g3 iMac. The g3 is definately noisier -- but the noise doesn't change.
I'm curious -- with the isight model, do you hear the buzz go up and down so to speak (this is what I assume most people think sounds like an airplane. To me it's not loud but similar to the sounds a plane makes when it pulls away from the gate onto the runway - even a little change is speed makes the pitch increase)? Or does the buzz stay steady and constant regardless of what you're doing?
I've been test running an Rev B iMac, trying to decide if I should keep it or get the isight model (I don't need the new features). One of the issues that's had me on the fence is the "noise issue". Lots of peole with the Rev B's have had fan noise issues. But now I'm beginning to wonder if this is just an issue with the iMac period.
I can tell you that from my few days with this machine, it's pretty quiet if I'm just word processing, emailing or web browsing. That said, it does have a "buzz" which is not very loud but gets a bit more high pitched as the machine works. Sometimes just changing pages in a forum causes changes in the frequency and that's what's annoying. It's not constant. Right now, I have the g5 next to an old g3 iMac. The g3 is definately noisier -- but the noise doesn't change.
I'm curious -- with the isight model, do you hear the buzz go up and down so to speak (this is what I assume most people think sounds like an airplane. To me it's not loud but similar to the sounds a plane makes when it pulls away from the gate onto the runway - even a little change is speed makes the pitch increase)? Or does the buzz stay steady and constant regardless of what you're doing?
You guys have freaked me out now. Just got my 20" today and it too has a faint buzzing that doesn't sound like the fan. Sort of like a whir...it makes the desk vibrate slightly too. It is noisier than my previous 17" 800mhz iMac...not sure if this is anything to worry about. Other than that, this computer is gorgeous!
harveypooka said:
There seems to be quite a few owners of the new iMac G5 20" iSight commenting on noise problems. I think it would be of interest to the forum readers if some of those experiencing the fan noise (buzzing sound or vibration) could make a recording and post it on the forum.
Number 3 - better but no charm...
Number 3 arrived and it is definitely the quietest one so far. I haven't done the firewire transfer yet so I haven't done a full set of comparisons.
The CPU fan still makes the loudest sound compared to the other sounds being made (blowing air & hard disk). It is a whirring sound, far less pronounced than my second iMac and, I think, less irritating than the first iMac.
I still don't understand how so many others in forums have described this computer as silent or "only the sound of moving air". I am still disappointed as it is louder and tons more irritating than my iMac G4.
I guess I will try to live with this one for a while but I am going to try to find some iMacs in a shop and have a close listen sometime. I just need to know that I haven't been unlucky three times.
Or perhaps an Intel iMac will be quieter...
Number 3 arrived and it is definitely the quietest one so far. I haven't done the firewire transfer yet so I haven't done a full set of comparisons.
The CPU fan still makes the loudest sound compared to the other sounds being made (blowing air & hard disk). It is a whirring sound, far less pronounced than my second iMac and, I think, less irritating than the first iMac.
I still don't understand how so many others in forums have described this computer as silent or "only the sound of moving air". I am still disappointed as it is louder and tons more irritating than my iMac G4.
I guess I will try to live with this one for a while but I am going to try to find some iMacs in a shop and have a close listen sometime. I just need to know that I haven't been unlucky three times.
Or perhaps an Intel iMac will be quieter...
If anyone is interested I have audio files of two of my buzzing iMacs. I'm not sure how to post them though. Do I need somewhere to host the files?
Buzz of number 3 is still far too irritating. It is particularly noticeable when the hard drive spins down. Then it is the only audible noise.
Buzz of number 3 is still far too irritating. It is particularly noticeable when the hard drive spins down. Then it is the only audible noise.
The sounds...
Thanks to harveypooka for hosting these files. I should point out that I had the gain turned up on my DV camera and held it round the back, so they sound really loud. However the loudness of the hard drive should act as a reference point. The irritation is more of an issue than the loudness. In both cases I woke from sleep, started Garageband (audio muted) then selected sleep again.
20" iSight iMac Number 2 (more rhythmic)
http://www.junktown.co.uk/imac/iMac2.m4a
20" iSight iMac Number 3 (a more constant buzz)
http://www.junktown.co.uk/imac/iMac3.m4a
Thanks to harveypooka for hosting these files. I should point out that I had the gain turned up on my DV camera and held it round the back, so they sound really loud. However the loudness of the hard drive should act as a reference point. The irritation is more of an issue than the loudness. In both cases I woke from sleep, started Garageband (audio muted) then selected sleep again.
20" iSight iMac Number 2 (more rhythmic)
http://www.junktown.co.uk/imac/iMac2.m4a
20" iSight iMac Number 3 (a more constant buzz)
http://www.junktown.co.uk/imac/iMac3.m4a
I know this will not make you feel better, but mind does not sound like that at all. I can hear it if I put my ear about 1 ft from the imac. But, from normal sitting position, I cannot hear it at all. If it is absolutely dead quiet, I can still barely hear it. Your recordings do sound like there is a grinding issue. I wonder if this is more limited to the 20 inch models?
My 20" iMac makes a slight buzzing, no where near as much as the recordings though...more like a fan/buzz thing...audible now (just writing this) along with the fans. I'm going to try out a iMac in the Apple Store near me, running Marble Blast. An Apple tech guy told me this should tax the system enough...if there is a buzzing it's just the fans (which I doubt). But yeah, I'll check out the store iMac...
Add me to the club, just swapped for my 2nd 20" at the Apple Store, Bluewater, UK.
I was following a similar thread in the Apple discussion forums about this, I did an online support chat and was told the 20" should sound similar to the 17"
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=242630&tstart=15
We have a 17", that is virtually silent, minor fan/air moving noise only.
The 20" only sounds like that when you cover the rear round vent, covering the vent on the 17" makes no differece as the 'buzz' is not there at all.
I note the the 20" vibrates also on the left side, more towards the bottom.
Is is a noisey, off balance or poorly secured fan?
I am annoyed now, 2 trips to the Apple store and they have £1200 on mine, I have a noisey computer.
I find the 'buzz' distracting to work with, although the iMac is a lot quieter than my old PowerMac G4 (FW800)!
The question I ask is are any 20"s quiet like the 17"s, this needs a direct comparison which I can do as my wife has a 17", as noise level is a very personal subjective thing.
I was following a similar thread in the Apple discussion forums about this, I did an online support chat and was told the 20" should sound similar to the 17"
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=242630&tstart=15
We have a 17", that is virtually silent, minor fan/air moving noise only.
The 20" only sounds like that when you cover the rear round vent, covering the vent on the 17" makes no differece as the 'buzz' is not there at all.
I note the the 20" vibrates also on the left side, more towards the bottom.
Is is a noisey, off balance or poorly secured fan?
I am annoyed now, 2 trips to the Apple store and they have £1200 on mine, I have a noisey computer.
I find the 'buzz' distracting to work with, although the iMac is a lot quieter than my old PowerMac G4 (FW800)!
The question I ask is are any 20"s quiet like the 17"s, this needs a direct comparison which I can do as my wife has a 17", as noise level is a very personal subjective thing.
mrzippy said:
Yep, that's exactly what mine sounds like. The left side...it's not awful, but if a fan is loose I'd rather get a replacement. Mine too was around £1160 with a student discount...
I have read on the Apple forum, link added to my post above, that someone has gone through 4 iMac with no luck...
Are any quiet or is this noise 'normal'?
Just because someone says their 20" is silent, they need to compare directly to a 17" in a quiet area like I did.
Are any quiet or is this noise 'normal'?
Just because someone says their 20" is silent, they need to compare directly to a 17" in a quiet area like I did.
I compared my sound to Jacg's recording of his iMac. The sound is similar and he got his replaced.