2017 iMac 27" 5k - BUZZ ELECTRIC NOISE - URGENT

[MarcoTogni]

Apple already changed the iMac and sent me a new one today.
Do you think if I call Apple, they can give me a refund for this purchase or even change this iMac with a MacBook Pro?
I am really not satisfied about this computer.. but the first iMac was bought about 20 days ago, but I received the replacement today, so I think I should be covered with the refund option?

Did you try the last iMac in a different environment or not? Did it have the same problem in a different location or source of power?

Yes I tried it. Different rooms, same problem.

 

[rkuo]

Apple already changed the iMac and sent me a new one today.
Do you think if I call Apple, they can give me a refund for this purchase or even change this iMac with a MacBook Pro?
I am really not satisfied about this computer.. but the first iMac was bought about 20 days ago, but I received the replacement today, so I think I should be covered with the refund option?




Yes I tried it. Different rooms, same problem.

It's unlikely the power in one room of your house is different from another. Take it to the Apple Store and listen for the noise there. Or take it to work. The problem is most likely your house. Not the iMac. In which case you would want to install some sort of power conditioner between your house's power and the iMac to remove the transients in the power.

 

[nelsonsack]

Hi,
I bought an iMac 27" 5k (2017 model of course) and I received it 10 days ago.
Since 3-4 days ago I noticed after just some minutes it makes a kind of "electric noise" when the monitor is "used", I mean when I do something on the screen, even for simple tasks: scrolling, resize a folder, watching video etc. Especially when the brightness is at max level.
I am not talking about fan, I talk about the electric buzz you can hear in the video I made.
This noise is NOT loud, but it's possible to hear it, I can't work well with it and especially I think it may become a huge problem near the future.

My questions are:
- Is it normal? does your iMac do the same electric noise when you do something on the screen and the brightness is at max level?
- WHAT SHOULD I DO? I received it 10 days ago. Should I ask for a complete refund to Apple, and buy a new one?

Please check the video: of course I increased the audio so you can hear the buzz.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Try putting a towel or cushion of some type below the base of the iMac. It will prevent any vibrations which might be triggering the noise.

 

[jlseattle]

Apple already changed the iMac and sent me a new one today.
Do you think if I call Apple, they can give me a refund for this purchase or even change this iMac with a MacBook Pro?
I am really not satisfied about this computer.. but the first iMac was bought about 20 days ago, but I received the replacement today, so I think I should be covered with the refund option?




Yes I tried it. Different rooms, same problem.

Do you have an Apple Store close to you? I wonder if it is all the heat from the moving fusion drive and the i7 processor? I know that the i7 runs hot (from what I read) and the fusion drive is a spinning disk the generates heat. I have an i5 3.8 with an SSD drive and it is pretty much silent. Maybe return and get a SSD drive and a i5 processor (my computer is super snappy and quick).

Also, I wonder if they sent the same computer you returned back by mistake (probably not) but you never know.

 

[MarcoTogni]

Do you have an Apple Store close to you? I wonder if it is all the heat from the moving fusion drive and the i7 processor? I know that the i7 runs hot (from what I read) and the fusion drive is a spinning disk the generates heat. I have an i5 3.8 with an SSD drive and it is pretty much silent. Maybe return and get a SSD drive and a i5 processor (my computer is super snappy and quick)


Also, I wonder if they sent the same computer you returned back by mistake (probably not) but you never know.

I don't think it's a heat problem, because it happens even after few seconds from when I power on the computer.
They sent me a new iMac, I am 100% sure, but the serial number is quite the same: of course I don't mean anything about it, but maybe some iMacs had this problem? I don't know..

It's unlikely the power in one room of your house is different from another. Take it to the Apple Store and listen for the noise there. Or take it to work. The problem is most likely your house. Not the iMac. In which case you would want to install some sort of power conditioner between your house's power and the iMac to remove the transients in the power.

I don't have any chance to bring the computer in other places. The home is quite new, made with Japan standard.

Try putting a towel or cushion of some type below the base of the iMac. It will prevent any vibrations which might be triggering the noise.

It's not that kind of vibration. But to answer you: I tried with different table, put the iMac on the wood floor and even on the tatami (japanese floor).

 

[SaSaSushi]

I don't have any chance to bring the computer in other places. The home is quite new, made with Japan standard.

Do you have any fluorescent lamps plugged into the same circuit as the iMac? It doesn't matter if they are in another room if they are on the same circuit they can cause interference like you are experiencing.

Remove or replace them and you may find the buzz magically disappears. It sounds to me like something else on the circuit might be causing your noises.

 

[MarcoTogni]

Do you have any fluorescent lamps plugged into the same circuit as the iMac? It doesn't matter if they are in another room if they are on the same circuit they can cause interference like you are experiencing.

Remove or replace them and you may find the buzz magically disappears. It sounds to me like something else on the circuit might be causing your noises.

All lights on celeing of each room in my home are circular fluorescent lights. i don't have any lamp.
Does it matter if I switch them off? I mean, I switched all lights off all lights in my home but the buzz is still there. Do you have any advice please?
Thank you

 

[SaSaSushi]

All lights on celeing of each room in my home are circular fluorescent lights. i don't have any lamp.
Does it matter if I switch them off? I mean, I switched all lights off all lights in my home but the buzz is still there. Do you have any advice please?
Thank you

Do the overhead lights have a dimmer switch to change brightness levels? I really think it has something do with some other interference in your power source. Are you plugging directly into the wall socket or using a surge protector? A surge protector might help.

It's too bad you can't take it somewhere else outside of your own building for a quick test because that would prove it's not the Mac. Are you near an Apple Store? I do realize the 27-inch iMac is not the easiest to transport.

 

[MarcoTogni]

Do the overhead lights have a dimmer switch to change brightness levels? I really think it has something do with some other interference in your power source. Are you plugging directly into the wall socket or using a surge protector? A surge protector might help.

It's too bad you can't take it somewhere else outside of your own building for a quick test because that would prove it's not the Mac. Are you near an Apple Store? I do realize the 27-inch iMac is not the easiest to transport.

The lights don't have a dimmer.
Nearest Apple store is at 35 miles from here and I don't have a car.

I plugged in the computer in the socket, ad in a power strip.

 

[SaSaSushi]

The lights don't have a dimmer.
Nearest Apple store is at 35 miles from here and I don't have a car.

I plugged in the computer in the socket, ad in a power strip.

Do you have any friends living nearby (not in the same building) who you could bring the iMac over to plug in at?

You could try calling Apple and explaining your situation as well. There is probably an authorized service center nearer to you, maybe even in your own town.
At the very least they can plug the machine in and see if the buzzing occurs there.

 

[MarcoTogni]

Do you have any friends living nearby (not in the same building) who you could bring the iMac over to plug in at?

You could try calling Apple and explaining your situation as well. There is probably an authorized service center nearer to you, maybe even in your own town.
At the very least they can plug the machine in and see if the buzzing occurs there.

I know it's strange, but I don't have anybody who I know near me. There is no authorized service center near me where I can bring the computer by myself. I am 100% sure.
I called Apple, they told me to send back even this new iMac and they will give me a refund. I am sad because I waited almost 1 year to buy a new iMac and then this happened.. :-( Of course I will not cry for it, there are many worst things in the life.


Don't you think if it's the problem of my electric circuit, the buzz should always happen in the screen? but now it happens only when I move something on the screen or I watch a video etc. I mean when there is any "animation" on the screen.

 

[SaSaSushi]

I know it's strange, but I don't have anybody who I know near me. There is no authorized service center near me where I can bring the computer by myself. I am 100% sure.
I called Apple, they told me to send back even this new iMac and they will give me a refund. I am sad because I waited almost 1 year to buy a new iMac and then this happened.. :-( Of course I will not cry for it, there are many worst things in the life.

That is sad.

I was thinking there might be a way to fix it using a surge protector with a noise filter if you were able to prove the problem was noise from the power source.

Here is an example of a surge protector with a noise filter.

 

[Fishrrman]

Call an electrician.
Let him check the quality of the power in your house.

I wonder if the circuits there are grounded?

 

[SaSaSushi]

Call an electrician.
Let him check the quality of the power in your house.

I wonder if the circuits there are grounded?

This is an excellent suggestion.

Also, it reminded me that here in Japan almost all electrical sockets are two-prong, non-polarized, not 3-prong with the ground pole like in the USA.

The iMac here in Japan ships with a two-prong connector but you can see that it also has a ground wire wrapped around it. I would be willing to bet that if you were to properly connect that wire to ground you might solve your problem.

I guess the electric here in my house is grounded well because I'm not using the ground wire and I don't have any buzzing. I do have a good surge protector though.

 

[MarcoTogni]

I have one question: if it's a problem of my electric circuit, don't you think the buzz should be always present in the iMac? I mean, now the buzz only appears when I move something on the screen, how is it related to the electric circuit? Shouldn't it always be present?
Thank you

 

[cynics]

I have this on my Thinkpad T420. I hate that sound btw and I can understand your concern. Its sooooo distracting although its relatively harmless.

For me its interference related to the power supply charging the battery. The noise (again for me) is actually coming from the speakers. Like you, you can only hear it while moving around the GUI, scrolling, moving the mouse and windows etc. Disconnecting the speakers makes the noise go away (since its interference volume/mute have no effect). Also removing the battery and it goes away. Using a 3rd party charger maximizes the noise. Using 1st party charger reduces it, and plugging that into a UPS reduces it further.

Because this is a rare problem on here and you have experienced it two different iMacs I feel its something to do with the "cleanliness" of the power supplied too it or its connections. And no, a buzz isn't constantly present if you have an issue with the mains power.

First off and most obvious are you using a grounded outlet? How old is the home (wiring)? Are there things like dimmable LED bulbs, plasma TVs, microwaves, meth lab, etc on the same circuit? The outlets have a ground correct? Is the circuit a GFCI or AFCI? Are there more then an average amount of things with motors in the house? Do the lights ever dim when a heavy load comes on ex. air conditioner? Ever notice anything else electrical that just doesn't seem quite right but never really cared like switches that do nothing, other appliances that buzz, breakers tripping for no reason, lights dimming, etc etc. Anything else near the Mac or its wiring especially something that uses a lot of power?

But first before calling an electrician you'll need to take the Mac somewhere else to test it (where are you located?).

If you establish its a problem due to the incoming power, then you'll need to call and electrician. Unfortunately in my experience its hard to find a good electrician for these types of issues (I work around 50+ and I'll often be called in to fix issues like this). So I would look for a electrician with a really good reputations, thoroughly describe the problem and ask for their "best guy" (most companies have one) and if they tell you he is busy that day tell them you'll wait.

I could tell you a list of things to check and do but without the right tools and knowledge you could literally kill yourself since most of the work will end in the load center (breaker box). I would suspect the issue to be related to grounding since grounding and EMI go hand in hand, ever heard alternator whine in a cars audio with acceleration? That is due to poor grounding. However it could be a lot of things like low voltage, within operating range but just barely. Or although unlikely something to do with the power factor.

 

[SaSaSushi]

I have one question: if it's a problem of my electric circuit, don't you think the buzz should be always present in the iMac? I mean, now the buzz only appears when I move something on the screen, how is it related to the electric circuit? Shouldn't it always be present?

As cynics said above, I don't think that is true. Also, I still recommend you try grounding the wire on the AC plug and see if it has any effect.

 

[rkuo]

It seems to be easier for OP to post than to troubleshoot.

 

[jlseattle]

Sorry you're going through this Marco. It's sad to not get to keep something you saved so long for. It sounds like it's an electrical issue. If you don't own house it's tough to get fixed. Hmm maybe a fancy 15" MacBook Pro?

 

[czacha]

Buy UPS .. if it won't fix problems give back iMac and perhaps get MacBookPro like jlseattle wrote?

 

[MarcoTogni]

In Japan many cables at home they are not grounded, it's never a big problem. Today I bringed the iMac in my bathroom where I have the grounded socket and I used the grounded cable: I mean I connected the power AND the small cable that you can see in the attachement, but it still did that noise.

Then I went to Apple Store in Tokyo and I asked if I must use the grounded cable and they said no, then I asked if they are using that grounded cable in their computers there, and the girl went under the desk to check, and she confirmed they are not using that grounded cable.

Today I will give back this second iMac. My idea is this:
- I wait some weeks to be sure it's not a production problem.
- I will buy a new iMac
- I will buy an UPS (any advice for it? I read there are some that are "cleaning" the electricity.
- if it will not work well I will give back that iMac too and I will buy something other (MacBook Pro, probably).


Any advice for the UPS? any other advice about what I should do?
Thank you!

 

[czacha]

Sorry for your problems it must be frustrating.

I'm getting this UPS - https://www.amazon.co.uk/CyberPower-CP1500EPFCLCD-Backup-Sinewave-Sockets/dp/B00BUJBD6K

 

[SaSaSushi]

Then I went to Apple Store in Tokyo and I asked if I must use the grounded cable and they said no, then I asked if they are using that grounded cable in their computers there, and the girl went under the desk to check, and she confirmed they are not using that grounded cable.

I'm in Japan and I'm not using the ground cable either. But then again I don't have any interference on my AC line.

The ground was one thought. I still think you cannot rule out the electric in your home as the problem until and unless you test the iMac elsewhere.

 

[MarcoTogni]

I'm in Japan and I'm not using the ground cable either. But then again I don't have any interference on my AC line.

The ground was one thought. I still think you cannot rule out the electric in your home as the problem until and unless you test the iMac elsewhere.

I agree, but I don't have any chance to try it in another place.
Today I sent back the second iMac to Apple and they will refund me. I think I will buy another iMac after few weeks. If it will have the same problem, we can be quite sure it's my home. In that case, do you recommend an UPS?

 

[jlseattle]

I agree, but I don't have any chance to try it in another place.
Today I sent back the second iMac to Apple and they will refund me. I think I will buy another iMac after few weeks. If it will have the same problem, we can be quite sure it's my home. In that case, do you recommend an UPS?

So this must be frustrating. I would work to get the imac into a different house/environment if the new one makes noise. At that point it would indicate issues in your house environment versus a specific unit issue.