MBA 13'' i5 128gb --- can always hear fan?

[docgerrard]

I thought my MBA was supposed to be completely silent but I can always hear the fan running in a silent room, and in a noisy room I can hear it if i put it up to my ear.

My computer constantly runs at 50+degrees C, don't know if this is normal. Also, the fan is auditory but it only runs at around 2000rpm.

Is this normal?

 

[miles01110]

I thought my MBA was supposed to be completely silent

Haha, who told you that? The only MBA that's silent is the one that's off.

 

[ZBoater]

It is possible for a fan bearing to be slightly damaged and cause abnormal noise even at 2000rpm. Possible, but unlikely.

There is alway going to be some noise if a fan is turning an air is flowing. It should be a faint whoosh sound. To really know if it's abnormal you'll likely going to have to compare it to other MBAs, preferably at an Apple Store or Best Buy if you have one near by. However, as the previous poster said, I will be completely silent when it's off.

 

[jsolares]

I thought my MBA was supposed to be completely silent but I can always hear the fan running in a silent room, and in a noisy room I can hear it if i put it up to my ear.

My computer constantly runs at 50+degrees C, don't know if this is normal. Also, the fan is auditory but it only runs at around 2000rpm.

Is this normal?

My CPU is at 50C almost all the time as well, the fan is also 2000rpm, my room has no windows and little external sound and i couldn't really hear it.

Haha, who told you that? The only MBA that's silent is the one that's off.

Almost every fanboy/reviewer out there from what i've seen :S

It is possible for a fan bearing to be slightly damaged and cause abnormal noise even at 2000rpm. Possible, but unlikely.

There is alway going to be some noise if a fan is turning an air is flowing. It should be a faint whoosh sound. To really know if it's abnormal you'll likely going to have to compare it to other MBAs, preferably at an Apple Store or Best Buy if you have one near by. However, as the previous poster said, I will be completely silent when it's off.

An Apple Store just opening or closing, a Best Buy will be probably better

 

[litchblade]

Haha, who told you that? The only MBA that's silent is the one that's off.

I do not hear my fan at all except when I play or view HD movies.

besides that, I NEVER hear it. Im not kidding. The only thing I hear is my external hdd

 

[ZBoater]

I do not hear my fan at all except when I play or view HD movies.

besides that, I NEVER hear it. Im not kidding. The only thing I hear is my external hdd

If you go into a completely silent room and you press your ear against the exhaust vent, you might hear it. Be sure to clean out any ear wax from your ears before you try this.

Also have someone take a picture of you while you do that. It will be amusing. The putting your ear against the vent I mean, not the ear wax cleaning. We don't need to see a picture of THAT.

 

[Young Spade]

I do not hear my fan at all except when I play or view HD movies.

besides that, I NEVER hear it. Im not kidding. The only thing I hear is my external hdd

Well then your hearing is bad; as it always spins at a minimum of 2k (at least for the MBPs), the Airs should have similar fan speeds.

It's faint, but it's there. I can hear 2k on mine if the room is silent.

 

[komoornik]

Well then your hearing is bad;

Some people already agreed to this statement in another topic

 

[docgerrard]

Some people already agreed to this statement in another topic

also, my computer almost constantly makes a noise that sounds a lot like old windows computers used to when the processor was running. is this normal?

i know people say just go to the apple store and check it out.. but its too loud in there!

edit: i hear both the fan and this in combination all the time. not loud but definitely audible in a quiet room (where i often am because of studying)

holding the left side to my ear, i hear the fan
holding the right side to my hear, i hear the noises i am familiar with in windows --- like a hard drive

i figured a solid state hard drive is not supposed to make noises though... right?

 

[TheRealDamager]

Different people have different hearing sensitivity. I can't hear the fan at 2K unless my ear is up to the exhaust. Some people can.

 

[jsolares]

also, my computer almost constantly makes a noise that sounds a lot like old windows computers used to when the processor was running. is this normal?

i know people say just go to the apple store and check it out.. but its too loud in there!

edit: i hear both the fan and this in combination all the time. not loud but definitely audible in a quiet room (where i often am because of studying)

holding the left side to my ear, i hear the fan
holding the right side to my hear, i hear the noises i am familiar with in windows --- like a hard drive

i figured a solid state hard drive is not supposed to make noises though... right?

I'm not sure you're supposed to use your computer holding your ear to it tho...

The hard drive noises you think you're hearing is weird tho.

Maybe my tinnitus doesn't let me hear the fan when it's on low :S YMMV

 

[ZBoater]

I can't understand this concern about fan speed. My 9 year old Dell XPS makes a sound like a jet taking off. I mean, it's hard to carry a conversation while seated in front of it. THAT is loud.

For completely silent operation, get an iPad...

 

[Gregintosh]

The air will make a little bit of noise but is silent when ambient sounds are considered. If you live in a really quiet area with no traffic everything is off (including AC/Heating/etc.) then its possible to hear it faintly if you are looking for it.

Mine runs around 55-57 even when I am just typing and surfing and not doing much else and the fan is also around 2,000 rpm. I can't hear anything unless I put my ear up to it.

As long as it doesn't sound like a jet is taking off or like its going to crack, its probably fine. Lets put this this way: is the sound so loud that it bothers you?

 

[xraydoc]

also, my computer almost constantly makes a noise that sounds a lot like old windows computers used to when the processor was running. is this normal?

i know people say just go to the apple store and check it out.. but its too loud in there!

edit: i hear both the fan and this in combination all the time. not loud but definitely audible in a quiet room (where i often am because of studying)

holding the left side to my ear, i hear the fan
holding the right side to my hear, i hear the noises i am familiar with in windows --- like a hard drive

i figured a solid state hard drive is not supposed to make noises though... right?

Install one of the utilities that reports the fan speed and let us know what it's reading.

Couple of possibilities here -

1) your fans are running too high. If so, we need to figure out why
2) your fans are running at idle speed but still making an abnormal amount of noise. This would require service
3) your fans are running normally but you're ultra sensitive to the sound

 

[halledise]

Install one of the utilities that reports the fan speed and let us know what it's reading.

Couple of possibilities here -

1) your fans are running too high. If so, we need to figure out why
2) your fans are running at idle speed but still making an abnormal amount of noise. This would require service
3) your fans are running normally but you're ultra sensitive to the sound

reset PRAM and run repair disk permissions - or the other way around.

I rarely if ever hear the fans kicking in on my MBA i5 128gb.

xraydoc's #2 suggestion is the most appropriate if the above don't fixit for you

 

[ZipZap]

I can't understand this concern about fan speed. My 9 year old Dell XPS makes a sound like a jet taking off. I mean, it's hard to carry a conversation while seated in front of it. THAT is loud.

For completely silent operation, get an iPad...

Agreed...this OCD concern over fan noise is silly. You all wanted i5s/i7s and these things run hot. You're going to hear the fan from time to time.

If your fans are at 2000 rpm and under normal use conditions you can hear the fan without trying hard to do so....you have a bearing issue and should take the unit in for repair.

 

[bp1000]

I can only hear mine if i really listen out for it.

But there is always going to be some noise or else the cpu would fry in seconds.

 

[yusukeaoki]

50C is normal. I dont see a problem with that.
Who ever told you that MBAs are silent is either uneducated or just messing with you.

 

[fireworksdesign]

i think its the applications,widgets , websites you are using and triggering the fans to kick in. The more power hungry the app is, the more the fans will be louder.

I thought my MBA was supposed to be completely silent but I can always hear the fan running in a silent room, and in a noisy room I can hear it if i put it up to my ear.

My computer constantly runs at 50+degrees C, don't know if this is normal. Also, the fan is auditory but it only runs at around 2000rpm.

Is this normal?