Uni Macbook Pro emitting sound

[dan.mac]

Hi All,

Just noticed that today when I wake up the macbook pro from sleep I can hear a noticeable (but not very loud) mechanical sound emitting from under the left-side of the keyboard. After 3-5 minutes of operating the laptop, the sound reduces and disappears completely. Both fans operate around the 2000rpm mark during this period.

Can people suggest what this is and whether it is anything to be concerned about.

 

[o2xygen]

Its fine. It happens on mine, I think its the hard disk??

 

[dan.mac]

It did it again tonight but its not the hard drive waking up with that two part distinctive sound but a softer grinding sort of sound near the left speaker, under the keyboard and it disappears slowly. Only concerned because I've never heard it before. Had the macbook for 6 or so months.

 

[LedCop]

Is it cold, where you're at?

My MacBook Pro with a CCFL (not LED) back-lit LCD makes a loud "grinding" sound when booted up or woken from sleep realllly cold. I think it's a LCD thing; the lamps or inverter or whatever. Guess I can't blame it. I hate waking up in the cold too.

 

[dan.mac]

Is it cold, where you're at?

My MacBook Pro with a CCFL (not LED) back-lit LCD makes a loud "grinding" sound when booted up or woken from sleep realllly cold. I think it's a LCD thing; the lamps or inverter or whatever. Guess I can't blame it. I hate waking up in the cold too.

Funny you should ask that because it started to happen after the coldest night of the year so I thought it could be the cold. But I'm in Aus so it only really gets to the 15 degrees centigrade inside the house which isn't cold compared to some places in the world.

It's happened again this morning and the macbook does feel very cold. Again it has disappeared after a couple of minutes of activity.

Does yours emit a sound from near the tab-caps lock type of area?

 

[emt1]

It did it again tonight but its not the hard drive waking up with that two part distinctive sound but a softer grinding sort of sound near the left speaker, under the keyboard and it disappears slowly. Only concerned because I've never heard it before. Had the macbook for 6 or so months.

There are very few possibilities here. Most likely it is your hard drive, which seems to make a sound until it "warms up". It could also be a fan, or your optical drive.

 

[David235]

I have a mid 2009 MacBook Pro 13", and I am hearing a whining sound below the top left of the keyboard. But it does not disappear as the OP described.

It appears to increase when I start certain apps. When I start PeerGuardian it reaches the noise level of the infamous CPU whine. When I start Photobooth it adds a certain interval to the whine. I thought they fixed the CPU (transistors) making noise.

 

[kurono]

mid 2009 MBP whistling noise

I have a mid 2009 MacBook Pro 13", and I am hearing a whining sound below the top left of the keyboard. But it does not disappear as the OP described.

Sadly I have to confirm that I've the same problem with mine that arrived today. The sound also comes from the location you've observed.

You know what I noticed:
The sound changes depending on LED-backlight level!
If I turn it to maximum or minimum it goes somewhat down but at about 3/4 it's mostly penetrating. I find it so disturbing that I have to return it.
I hope they're not totally ignorant (here at the dumb third party service provider, in such situations I hate there are so few Apple Stores in Europe)

 

[dan.mac]

There are very few possibilities here. Most likely it is your hard drive, which seems to make a sound until it "warms up". It could also be a fan, or your optical drive.

Should any of that be a concern for me?

 

[David235]

Sadly I have to confirm that I've the same problem with mine that arrived today. The sound also comes from the location you've observed.

You know what I noticed:
The sound changes depending on LED-backlight level!
If I turn it to maximum or minimum it goes somewhat down but at about 3/4 it's mostly penetrating. I find it so disturbing that I have to return it.
I hope they're not totally ignorant (here at the dumb third party service provider, in such situations I hate there are so few Apple Stores in Europe)

Hmm. With me it's not the backlight. The sound can be heard with the backlight totally off, or even in clam shell mode.

 

[dan.mac]

After my MBP being in the repairers for three weeks the issue has been resolved. The heat-sink had some bubbles on the surface- air was getting in them and making the noise. Heat-sink was replaced and no noise anymore.