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the dreaded whine: can it be fixed?
- Thread starter QCassidy352
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DHagan4755
macrumors 68020
Let get something completely straight The whine is NOT the Core Duo processor. It is the DC converter inside the laptop. If it were the processor then those with Intel Mac minis and iMac Core Duos would be complaining about the whine too, and they are not. This whine can be heard when using very specific aspects of certain applications on older PowerBooks and iBooks too.
emw said:
lol sorry. 67° C. 😱
DHagan4755 said:
yeah, I was wondering if the desktop macs had this problem too, and if not, why not. How can you be sure it's the DC converter?
QCassidy352 said:
The whine seems to change when the computer is plugged in vs. battery power. I get a higher pitched sound when plugged in, and when the MBP is running on battery, it sounds a little like a VERRRRY LOUD fan. But since it's different on battery and outlet power, could that have something to do with the DC converter?
emw
macrumors G4
Dunno - could have as much to do with processor settings on battery vs. on power. It seems a little odd that if it is DC converter related it would stop when the CPU is loaded, unless it has something to do with the amount of power consumer (processed?) by the converter.airkarol said:
airkarol said:
how interesting - mine is the reverse. It's annoying audible when plugged in, but almost silent on battery power. (I wish it were the reverse...)
DHagan4755
macrumors 68020
Plugged-in vs. not plugged in...you guys have to remember that in order for these laptops to work they have to convert AC to DC, hence that big power brick! Well just think that when you plug and unplug your Mag-Safe connector there are different power consumption levels, hence different aspects to the whine (or sometimes lack thereof). The Intel processor speed-steps according to whether or not it's running on a battery or connected to the mains.
Desktops have a constant level of power (because they are always connected to AC) and they are also bigger on consumption for a brighter LCD backlight, and faster and bigger hard drives. Plus in most cases, there's going to another constant too: a wired keyboard and mouse always using USB power, or a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse constantly using Bluetooth power where that's not always necessarily the case on a MBP.
Again this "whining" does not happen on the Intel iMac or the Intel Mac mini that use the same "Yonah" Intel Core processor. The only commonality to the whien is that they are all laptops.
Desktops have a constant level of power (because they are always connected to AC) and they are also bigger on consumption for a brighter LCD backlight, and faster and bigger hard drives. Plus in most cases, there's going to another constant too: a wired keyboard and mouse always using USB power, or a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse constantly using Bluetooth power where that's not always necessarily the case on a MBP.
Again this "whining" does not happen on the Intel iMac or the Intel Mac mini that use the same "Yonah" Intel Core processor. The only commonality to the whien is that they are all laptops.
DHagan4755 said:
Ok, I'm with ya so far... but why, then, would some people's whine get worse on battery power while other people's gets better?
Also, assuming that you are correct and this is the DC converter, what does that mean in terms of solving this issue? (Of note, emw had a bad adapter, got a new one, and the whine went away.)