2016 Macbook Pro Issue - High Pitched Keyboard Clicking Sound

[wiffle]

Yes, please do that and let us know...

I've been meaning to do this but have not had time. The more exposure the sales floor has seeing people do this, the better chance we have of Apple fixing it! Keep us posted!

Alright.. here's my very anecdotal experience testing my 1 day old 2016 15" tbMBP compared to the 2017 MBP keyboard in-store. Obviously this is no methodical or objective test and I'm biased having had my last 2016 replaced due to the sticky key issue... In any case, I imagine there are those who are interested in my little analysis.

The keyboard feels different. There isn't much else to say about it - the 2017 feels - as others have alluded to - more sturdy and rigid. The keys are less "clacky" if that makes any sense... It's very difficult to explain the difference but typing the same sentence on both keyboards feels noticeably different - largely, in my personal opinion, in favour of the 2017.

I also tested the Terminal "yes > /dev/null" command and ran 6 instances of it, let it heat up for a reasonable amount of time (longer than the time it would have taken to reproduce the sticky key problem on my previous and replacement 2016 MacBooks), and was not able to detect any sticky key issues on the 2017. I tested this on two different units, both 15" tb variants (one silver and one space grey if it matters lol) and was unable to reproduce the problem on either one. I ran the same test with my 2016 right beside it and sure enough within 5-6 minutes my "5" and "J" keys exhibited the issue. Again.. this is anecdotal. This isn't to say that there was a silent fix, but speaking with some associates they admit to some silent fixes being implemented on various Apple products in the past... "antennagate" "bendgate" etc etc. Also, keep in mind that this was tested on two 2017 units which just so happen to not exhibit the reproducible sticky key issue. There are plenty of 2016 MacBooks out there that don't exhibit this issue so this could have simply been a coincidence.

Nevertheless this is my isolated experience. For what it's worth, I'm convinced measures were taken to at least improve the quality and manufacturing process of the keyboards if not changes to the switch mechanism directly. They feel different. However, again, I'm biased and others should wait for more objective measures such as an official teardown comparison before coming up with their own opinions. It would also be great if others could do similar in-store comparisons and report their experiences!

I will be bringing my 2016 MacBook in to see the Genius Bar tomorrow in hopes that they'll honour a replacement for a 2017 machine... after all, this replacement is 1 day old!

 

[applepeach90]

Besides the noise (which is surprisingly annoying) - is there any damage or real problems with having this? It seems widespread enough on the 15" models that it may not be worth trying to fix...

Alright.. here's my very anecdotal experience testing my 1 day old 2016 15" tbMBP compared to the 2017 MBP keyboard in-store. Obviously this is no methodical or objective test and I'm biased having had my last 2016 replaced due to the sticky key issue... In any case, I imagine there are those who are interested in my little analysis.

The keyboard feels different. There isn't much else to say about it - the 2017 feels - as others have alluded to - more sturdy and rigid. The keys are less "clacky" if that makes any sense... It's very difficult to explain the difference but typing the same sentence on both keyboards feels noticeably different - largely, in my personal opinion, in favour of the 2017.

I also tested the Terminal "yes > /dev/null" command and ran 6 instances of it, let it heat up for a reasonable amount of time (longer than the time it would have taken to reproduce the sticky key problem on my previous and replacement 2016 MacBooks), and was not able to detect any sticky key issues on the 2017. I tested this on two different units, both 15" tb variants (one silver and one space grey if it matters lol) and was unable to reproduce the problem on either one. I ran the same test with my 2016 right beside it and sure enough within 5-6 minutes my "5" and "J" keys exhibited the issue. Again.. this is anecdotal. This isn't to say that there was a silent fix, but speaking with some associates they admit to some silent fixes being implemented on various Apple products in the past... "antennagate" "bendgate" etc etc. Also, keep in mind that this was tested on two 2017 units which just so happen to not exhibit the reproducible sticky key issue. There are plenty of 2016 MacBooks out there that don't exhibit this issue so this could have simply been a coincidence.

Nevertheless this is my isolated experience. For what it's worth, I'm convinced measures were taken to at least improve the quality and manufacturing process of the keyboards if not changes to the switch mechanism directly. They feel different. However, again, I'm biased and others should wait for more objective measures such as an official teardown comparison before coming up with their own opinions. It would also be great if others could do similar in-store comparisons and report their experiences!

I will be bringing my 2016 MacBook in to see the Genius Bar tomorrow in hopes that they'll honour a replacement for a 2017 machine... after all, this replacement is 1 day old!

Great review. Haha. Hope you can get a replacement. Also, I noticed the keyboard on the picture of refurbished 2016 model looks like the 2017 version, so I wonder if the refurbished model's keyboards have been replaced. Lastly, if you can't get 2017, maybe you should ask them to change your 2016 keyboard to 2017 version? Good Luck tomorrow

 

[vsize8]

Got my new MacBook Pro 13 2017 (Kaby Lake) without touch bar version. The "delete " key got loud clicking sound when the machine is warming. Really sad, It's brand new. When machine is cold. The key doesn't sound differently.

 

[TripleMoxy]

Alright.. here's my very anecdotal experience testing my 1 day old 2016 15" tbMBP compared to the 2017 MBP keyboard in-store. Obviously this is no methodical or objective test and I'm biased having had my last 2016 replaced due to the sticky key issue... In any case, I imagine there are those who are interested in my little analysis.

The keyboard feels different. There isn't much else to say about it - the 2017 feels - as others have alluded to - more sturdy and rigid. The keys are less "clacky" if that makes any sense... It's very difficult to explain the difference but typing the same sentence on both keyboards feels noticeably different - largely, in my personal opinion, in favour of the 2017.

I also tested the Terminal "yes > /dev/null" command and ran 6 instances of it, let it heat up for a reasonable amount of time (longer than the time it would have taken to reproduce the sticky key problem on my previous and replacement 2016 MacBooks), and was not able to detect any sticky key issues on the 2017. I tested this on two different units, both 15" tb variants (one silver and one space grey if it matters lol) and was unable to reproduce the problem on either one. I ran the same test with my 2016 right beside it and sure enough within 5-6 minutes my "5" and "J" keys exhibited the issue. Again.. this is anecdotal. This isn't to say that there was a silent fix, but speaking with some associates they admit to some silent fixes being implemented on various Apple products in the past... "antennagate" "bendgate" etc etc. Also, keep in mind that this was tested on two 2017 units which just so happen to not exhibit the reproducible sticky key issue. There are plenty of 2016 MacBooks out there that don't exhibit this issue so this could have simply been a coincidence.

Nevertheless this is my isolated experience. For what it's worth, I'm convinced measures were taken to at least improve the quality and manufacturing process of the keyboards if not changes to the switch mechanism directly. They feel different. However, again, I'm biased and others should wait for more objective measures such as an official teardown comparison before coming up with their own opinions. It would also be great if others could do similar in-store comparisons and report their experiences!

I will be bringing my 2016 MacBook in to see the Genius Bar tomorrow in hopes that they'll honour a replacement for a 2017 machine... after all, this replacement is 1 day old!

Thank you for testing, and good luck with the replacement! Let us know how you get on with it.

 

[TripleMoxy]

Got my new MacBook Pro 13 2017 (Kaby Lake) without touch bar version. The "delete " key got loud clicking sound when the machine is warming. Really sad, It's brand new. When machine is cold. The key doesn't sound differently.

That's disappointing. Are you going to take it back for a replacement?

I was really hopeful that they had solved the problem by now.

 

[justinf77]

The keyboard feels different. There isn't much else to say about it - the 2017 feels - as others have alluded to - more sturdy and rigid. The keys are less "clacky" if that makes any sense... It's very difficult to explain the difference but typing the same sentence on both keyboards feels noticeably different - largely, in my personal opinion, in favour of the 2017.

I found a buyer for my 2016 13" MBP at a good price so I used the money to upgrade to the 2017 model. This was totally unnecessary but the only reason I did it was because I wanted the new AppleCare+ on my MBP, which the old machine wasn't eligible for. (Yes, I'm a little crazy with this stuff, but on MacRumors forums I'm in good company haha.)

Anyway, I find your description of the keyboard changes to be spot on. It feels sturdier and more rigid, and it's definitely noticeable. This is the only 2017 model I've tried so far, but I did use 3 2016 MBPs at various points and even though there was variation in each of those keyboards (some more clicky than others), none of them felt quite as solid. It's subtle and hard to explain, but I do think there is a difference. Of course, I'm also open to the idea that this is purely a placebo effect, or the result of it being a brand new machine, but if I had to bet money on it I would say there was some keyboard refinement in the newer models.

I should note that only 1 of the 3 2016 MBPs I used exhibited the high-pitched clicking sound when it got warm. This machine is still in use by my roommate and it hasn't happened again since the first day he had it, likely because he never pushes his computer to the limit so it stays relatively cool most of the time.

 

[Brookzy]

Tried a few 2017 MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboards today. They've definitely been changed despite still being called "2nd gen" - more tactile and sturdy than the 2016 MacBook Pro keys were.

 

[wiffle]

Went to the Genius bar right now. After a fairly brief conversation, they acknowledged the issue with the replacement 2016 MBP keyboard but they wouldn't completely commit to replacing it with a 2017 model. They want me to check it in and test it out - likely going to result in another Topcase replacement but may be open to complete unit replacement as per the Genius manager.. not counting on it though.

I'm not disappointed, per sé, but the greedy part of me would've loved if they could've done an express replacement for a 2017 model. I'm on a bit of a tight deadline for a project and this results in me not having a unit for another 3-4 days again. Frustrating.

Anyone have any thoughts on how I can push the conversation towards a 2017 replacement? I definitely emphasized time sensitivity but it doesn't seem like they're really willing to budge.. Note I did go to a different Genius bar than my original replacement - perhaps I should've went back to the original as they may have been a bit more empathetic...

 

[Brookzy]

Went to the Genius bar right now. After a fairly brief conversation, they acknowledged the issue with the replacement 2017 MBP keyboard but they wouldn't completely commit to the 2017 replacement. They want me to check it in and test it out - likely going to result in another topcase replacement but may be open to complete unit replacement as per the Genius manager.. not counting on it though.

I'm not disappointed, per sé, but the greedy part of me would've loved if they could've done an express replacement for a 2017 model. I'm on a bit of a tight deadline for a project and this results in me not having a unit for another 3-4 days again. Frustrating.

Anyone have any thoughts on how I can push the conversation towards a 2017 replacement? I definitely emphasized time sensitivity but it doesn't seem like they're really willing to budge.. Note I did go to a different Genius bar than my original replacement - perhaps I should've went back to the original as they may have been a bit more empathetic...

If you don't ask, you don't get! Apple will honour any reasonable and justified request with enough effort.

 

[wiffle]

If you don't ask, you don't get! Apple will honour any reasonable and justified request with enough effort.

I did ask!! That was my initial request at the onset... So the Genius tech who I met with first spoke with his leader and their compromise was for them to decide whether to replace the topcase or issue a 2017 replacement hahah

 

[fokmik]

Yes the new keyboard will not have sticky keys, but the warmer high sound keys it will still occur from time to time on some keys

 

[MrGuder]

I just got my 2017 MBP 15" 2.8 16/512/Radeon Pro 555 delivered today.

If you remember my posts, I tried several 2016 MBP 15" and also the 2015 MBP 15" and ended up keeping them for over 2 weeks and even doing a in depth review here comparing the 2 along with detailed info on why I returned the 2016 models for loose keys, uneven feel of the keyboard. The last 2016 I almost kept but the space bar starting getting wobbly and I just didn't like how the keys felt. So I had ample time to really test those 2016 ones out and ended up returning both.

So after a few hours with the 2017 model, I can say with certainty that the 2017 keyboard does feel different than the 2016 model. I'm not sure what Apple did but they did something under the keys. I went and tested each key across the board about 10 times literally listening and feeling and then typing up a word doc. What I noticed first is all the keys have the same press and return. There is less click sound and each key exhibits a firm, solid feel. There is absolutely no wobble or give like I experienced with the 2016 model. I noticed that each key springs back with the same solid feel.

When I went through every key, I could hear that the keys in the middle still sounded a bit more hollow than the other outer keys but I really wasn't expecting that to change over the 2016 model since I think it's just the way it's designed underneath. I'm noticing though that the 2017 has a much better feel, the spring and return rate as you press and the key lifts feels much better and quite different than the 2016 keyboard. I can remember both my 2016 MBP's 15" both had terrible space bars and all I had to do was rest my thumb on it and it just felt cheap and moved just a little and had a wobble feel. This 2017 space bar is rock solid, no wobble, no movement just so much more pleasant to press with my thumb.

What I am finding is that because all the keys have a very solid feel that it gives off a more premium feel typing on it than I got with the 2016. I think Apple must have put something under the keys to create a more stable feel across the keyboard, when you press and let go it springs back slightly quieter with no loud click or clack sound. It's still not super quiet to type on but it doesn't quite sound as loud as last yrs keyboard to me.

So far with only a few hours on it I am very happy with the feel and sound of the 2017 keyboard.
Now that I am really happy with the keyboard, my next thing to see is if the updated internal HD graphics 630 runs smoother with less lag than I got with the 2016 model, that was another reason I returned the 2016.

 

[monkeydax]

I just got my 2017 MBP 15" 2.8 16/512/Radeon Pro 555 delivered today.

If you remember my posts, I tried several 2016 MBP 15" and also the 2015 MBP 15" and ended up keeping them for over 2 weeks and even doing a in depth review here comparing the 2 along with detailed info on why I returned the 2016 models for loose keys, uneven feel of the keyboard. The last 2016 I almost kept but the space bar starting getting wobbly and I just didn't like how the keys felt. So I had ample time to really test those 2016 ones out and ended up returning both.

So after a few hours with the 2017 model, I can say with certainty that the 2017 keyboard does feel different than the 2016 model. I'm not sure what Apple did but they did something under the keys. I went and tested each key across the board about 10 times literally listening and feeling and then typing up a word doc. What I noticed first is all the keys have the same press and return. There is less click sound and each key exhibits a firm, solid feel. There is absolutely no wobble or give like I experienced with the 2016 model. I noticed that each key springs back with the same solid feel.

When I went through every key, I could hear that the keys in the middle still sounded a bit more hollow than the other outer keys but I really wasn't expecting that to change over the 2016 model since I think it's just the way it's designed underneath. I'm noticing though that the 2017 has a much better feel, the spring and return rate as you press and the key lifts feels much better and quite different than the 2016 keyboard. I can remember both my 2016 MBP's 15" both had terrible space bars and all I had to do was rest my thumb on it and it just felt cheap and moved just a little and had a wobble feel. This 2017 space bar is rock solid, no wobble, no movement just so much more pleasant to press with my thumb.

What I am finding is that because all the keys have a very solid feel that it gives off a more premium feel typing on it than I got with the 2016. I think Apple must have put something under the keys to create a more stable feel across the keyboard, when you press and let go it springs back slightly quieter with no loud click or clack sound. It's still not super quiet to type on but it doesn't quite sound as loud as last yrs keyboard to me.

So far with only a few hours on it I am very happy with the feel and sound of the 2017 keyboard.
Now that I am really happy with the keyboard, my next thing to see is if the updated internal HD graphics 630 runs smoother with less lag than I got with the 2016 model, that was another reason I returned the 2016.

Thanks for the insightful review and post! Looking forward to hear from you on the performance of the updated HD Graphics 630 to see if it does any better than the 530.

 

[emde]

I just got my 2017 MBP 15" 2.8 16/512/Radeon Pro 555 delivered today.

If you remember my posts, I tried several 2016 MBP 15" and also the 2015 MBP 15" and ended up keeping them for over 2 weeks and even doing a in depth review here comparing the 2 along with detailed info on why I returned the 2016 models for loose keys, uneven feel of the keyboard. The last 2016 I almost kept but the space bar starting getting wobbly and I just didn't like how the keys felt. So I had ample time to really test those 2016 ones out and ended up returning both.

So after a few hours with the 2017 model, I can say with certainty that the 2017 keyboard does feel different than the 2016 model. I'm not sure what Apple did but they did something under the keys. I went and tested each key across the board about 10 times literally listening and feeling and then typing up a word doc. What I noticed first is all the keys have the same press and return. There is less click sound and each key exhibits a firm, solid feel. There is absolutely no wobble or give like I experienced with the 2016 model. I noticed that each key springs back with the same solid feel.

When I went through every key, I could hear that the keys in the middle still sounded a bit more hollow than the other outer keys but I really wasn't expecting that to change over the 2016 model since I think it's just the way it's designed underneath. I'm noticing though that the 2017 has a much better feel, the spring and return rate as you press and the key lifts feels much better and quite different than the 2016 keyboard. I can remember both my 2016 MBP's 15" both had terrible space bars and all I had to do was rest my thumb on it and it just felt cheap and moved just a little and had a wobble feel. This 2017 space bar is rock solid, no wobble, no movement just so much more pleasant to press with my thumb.

What I am finding is that because all the keys have a very solid feel that it gives off a more premium feel typing on it than I got with the 2016. I think Apple must have put something under the keys to create a more stable feel across the keyboard, when you press and let go it springs back slightly quieter with no loud click or clack sound. It's still not super quiet to type on but it doesn't quite sound as loud as last yrs keyboard to me.

So far with only a few hours on it I am very happy with the feel and sound of the 2017 keyboard.
Now that I am really happy with the keyboard, my next thing to see is if the updated internal HD graphics 630 runs smoother with less lag than I got with the 2016 model, that was another reason I returned the 2016.

Great review! Thanks for providing some hope that this issue is potentially resolved.

 

[seadragon]

If you shake it, a bunch of shims will probably fall out.

 

[polee]

I just got my 2017 MBP 15" 2.8 16/512/Radeon Pro 555 delivered today.

If you remember my posts, I tried several 2016 MBP 15" and also the 2015 MBP 15" and ended up keeping them for over 2 weeks and even doing a in depth review here comparing the 2 along with detailed info on why I returned the 2016 models for loose keys, uneven feel of the keyboard. The last 2016 I almost kept but the space bar starting getting wobbly and I just didn't like how the keys felt. So I had ample time to really test those 2016 ones out and ended up returning both.

So after a few hours with the 2017 model, I can say with certainty that the 2017 keyboard does feel different than the 2016 model. I'm not sure what Apple did but they did something under the keys. I went and tested each key across the board about 10 times literally listening and feeling and then typing up a word doc. What I noticed first is all the keys have the same press and return. There is less click sound and each key exhibits a firm, solid feel. There is absolutely no wobble or give like I experienced with the 2016 model. I noticed that each key springs back with the same solid feel.

When I went through every key, I could hear that the keys in the middle still sounded a bit more hollow than the other outer keys but I really wasn't expecting that to change over the 2016 model since I think it's just the way it's designed underneath. I'm noticing though that the 2017 has a much better feel, the spring and return rate as you press and the key lifts feels much better and quite different than the 2016 keyboard. I can remember both my 2016 MBP's 15" both had terrible space bars and all I had to do was rest my thumb on it and it just felt cheap and moved just a little and had a wobble feel. This 2017 space bar is rock solid, no wobble, no movement just so much more pleasant to press with my thumb.

What I am finding is that because all the keys have a very solid feel that it gives off a more premium feel typing on it than I got with the 2016. I think Apple must have put something under the keys to create a more stable feel across the keyboard, when you press and let go it springs back slightly quieter with no loud click or clack sound. It's still not super quiet to type on but it doesn't quite sound as loud as last yrs keyboard to me.

So far with only a few hours on it I am very happy with the feel and sound of the 2017 keyboard.
Now that I am really happy with the keyboard, my next thing to see is if the updated internal HD graphics 630 runs smoother with less lag than I got with the 2016 model, that was another reason I returned the 2016.

Thank you. I am now reconsidering the non touchbar MacBook Pro 13.

 

[s-o-teric]

Just fyi, I have a non-touchbar 2017 13" mbp and had 3 keys sticking the first day. Posted a video on another thread.

So...I don't personally believe they changed anything.

 

[vjobs]

Just fyi, I have a non-touchbar 2017 13" mbp and had 3 keys sticking the first day. Posted a video on another thread.

So...I don't personally believe they changed anything.

I do think they have changed something. It seems much less people have issues with the 2017 than 6 months ago with the 2016.

Seems like you are just unlucky, sorry for you.

 

[Blizzardman]

Good news. I just got back my 2016 15 inch touchbar MBP after they applied the shim-kit fix for a couple of keys that were clacking when the computer was warm. I am happy to say the keys do not feel any different and do not make the same noise when the computer was under load. Looks like the shim-fix might provide hope for those still seeing this issue. I wonder if the 2017 now have the shim kit installed from the factory?

 

[seeforyourself]

Good news. I just got back my 2016 15 inch touchbar MBP after they applied the shim-kit fix for a couple of keys that were clacking when the computer was warm. I am happy to say the keys do not feel any different and do not make the same noise when the computer was under load. Looks like the shim-fix might provide hope for those still seeing this issue. I wonder if the 2017 now have the shim kit installed from the factory?

What's a "shim-fix"?

 

[seadragon]

What's a "shim-fix"?

They literally stick things under the keys to compensate for a design flaw. I wouldn't want it.

 

[Blizzardman]

They literally stick things under the keys to compensate for a design flaw. I wouldn't want it.

To each his own but in my case the keys feel exactly the same as all the rest except now they don't have the clacking problem so I am happy.

 

[mjezzi]

So, I went to the Apple Store and did a stress test to warm up my 2016 MacBook Pro 13" w/o TB and got keys to pop. Depending on how you're doing the stress test and which part of your computer is warming, different keys will pop. In total, I had about a dozen keys popping (not all at once) depending on which keys got warm.

I tried to simulate the stress test on the 13" 2017 store model w/ TB but could not get any keys to pop and the keyboard was definitely warm. I really wish there was another random 2016 MBP that I could test so I could figure it if it was reproducible for 2016s and not 2017s, but of course, all the store models were updated to the 2017 models. I was not able to feel the difference though between the two keyboards as others mentioned in this form. Although I'm not confident in that estimate.

So they offered to shim all dozen keys for me. I'm hoping I won't be able to tell a difference. The keys that have popped were almost every number key and the top row of letters except for R through U. I'm also concerned that over time, there may be other keys that decide to pop, and if I'm out of warranty, I won't be covered (stated by the genius bar tech). Not a happy situation to be in. At the very least they should acknowledge the issue and say that they will shim any popping keys in the future.

#popgate

EDIT: So I went back to the Apple Store and tried both my 2016 macbook and a 2017 macbook side-by-side and now, yes, I can totally see the difference. 2016 keys seem a little sloppy and clickity clackity, and the 2017 keys feel much more consistent, a little quieter, and a litter firmer to press (they feel a lot better).

 

[wiffle]

So, I went to the Apple and did a stress test to warm up my 2016 MacBook Pro 13" w/o TB and got keys to pop. Depending on how you're doing the stress test and which part of your computer is warming, different keys will pop. In total, I had about a dozen keys popping (not all at once) depending on which keys got warm.

I tried to simulate the stress test on the 13" 2017 store model w/ TB but could not get any keys to pop and the keyboard was definitely warm. I really wish there was another random 2016 MBP that I could test so I could figure it if it was reproducible for 2016s and not 2017s, but of course, all the store models were updated to the 2017 models. I was not able to feel the difference though between the two keyboards as others mentioned in this form. Although I'm not confident in that estimate.

So they offered to shim all dozen keys for me. I'm hoping I won't be able to tell a difference. The keys that have popped were almost every number key and the top row of letters except for R through U. I'm also concerned that over time, there may be other keys that decide to pop, and if I'm out of warranty, I won't be covered (stated by the genius bar tech). Not a happy situation to be in. At the very least they should acknowledge the issue and say that they will shim any popping keys in the future.

#popgate

At 12 keys you should be asking for a topcase replacement... Nevertheless, what "stress test" were you using?

 

[mjezzi]

At 12 keys you should be asking for a topcase replacement... Nevertheless, what "stress test" were you using?

6 continuous "yes" commands, computer against computer chess game, and some weird graphical math thing (a genius tech was showing me), and a large file transfer over ethernet.