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Tommylein

macrumors newbie
Sep 3, 2018
10
5
Augsburg, Germany
Hey there, for years I wanted a MacBook, so last year I tried it out with the 15" 2016 and 2017. Unfortunately both had dead Pixels :(
Now I wanted to try it again with the 15" 2018 and I was sooo happy, that it had no flaws with the screen. After about a week during installing Microsoft Office I noticed the "Coil Whine Issue".
In this situation it was really loud noticeable, from a typical distance... It was sooo frustrading, but than I thought, this sound will just appear in specific situations... but the situations became more...
So it was also very noticeable During a Benchmark or when I used Garageband. If I downloaded some Instruments in Garage Band, I could hear the whine every where in the room :(

So after hard days of thinking what to do, I decided to take it back to apple, the last possible day.
I was or I´m still really, really sad because I was so happy that it hasn´t any dead Pixels...

Don´t know what to do now... buy a new one and live with it? Will the next unit have it too? Does every MacBook have it?

And sorry for my English, I´m from Germany

I´m so sad :(:(:(
 

maverick808

macrumors 65816
Jun 30, 2004
1,145
156
Scotland
Don´t know what to do now... buy a new one and live with it? Will the next unit have it too? Does every MacBook have it?

I suspect every MacBook has it but some people don't notice it or haven't used their machines in a quiet environment whilst their machine is doing it. Can't be sure, but certainly all the ones I've been able to hear have had it. It's a real shame because for those sensitive to the noise it becomes unbearable. It seemed to bother you a lot so if possible I'd say wait until the next model.
 

CreeptoLoser

Suspended
Jul 28, 2018
369
333
Birmingham, Alabama
I suspect every MacBook has it but some people don't notice it or haven't used their machines in a quiet environment whilst their machine is doing it. Can't be sure, but certainly all the ones I've been able to hear have had it. It's a real shame because for those sensitive to the noise it becomes unbearable. It seemed to bother you a lot so if possible I'd say wait until the next model.

I do late shifts in the AM hours when it is silent. No whine and I push systems hard.
 

Tommylein

macrumors newbie
Sep 3, 2018
10
5
Augsburg, Germany
hmm it´s hard for me to wait much longer, soon I have to write my Master Thesis and that´s kind of I nightmare with my old Windows PC. Since I had the MacBook for two weeks, I hate my old machine from 2009 o_O

Maybe I will make another atempt in a few weeks and then I know if every Machine makes that noise.

I also tried an MacBook Pro of a friend of mine (13" 2015) and found out that it makes the same noise but you could just hear it, with your ear next to the left side of the keyboard. On my machine I could hear it maybe 5-10 times louder :(

What´s going on with Apple? They have thousands of engineers and don´t realizie such things? Unbelievable ...
 
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Oreotto

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 29, 2016
24
7
Hey guys. My problem is kind of solved.

I have been using my most recent exchange for a week, and it's silent.

There is coil whine for sure, but it's not severe as I can't hear it unless I put my ear close to the keyboard. In fact, I didn't notice the issue in the past week at all.
 

Tommylein

macrumors newbie
Sep 3, 2018
10
5
Augsburg, Germany
@Oreotto, would you say that your recent machine has less coil whine than the others you had? Did you realize some differences between the machines at all, or during the time of use?

i really liked the MacBook I had, the screen was sooo nice and everything was fine, I really want to make another attempt, but I´m very scared of it. It´s a lot of money for me as a student, so every attempt is really like a heart attack for me :(
 

Oreotto

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 29, 2016
24
7
@Oreotto, would you say that your recent machine has less coil whine than the others you had? Did you realize some differences between the machines at all, or during the time of use?

i really liked the MacBook I had, the screen was sooo nice and everything was fine, I really want to make another attempt, but I´m very scared of it. It´s a lot of money for me as a student, so every attempt is really like a heart attack for me :(

Yes it's absolutely less coil whine on the new one. No other differences noticed except less software updates required.

Good luck.
 

mscaff

macrumors newbie
Sep 10, 2018
11
6
Hello All, I'd like to ask the MBP 2018 owners in the community to test the following.

Explanation of Issue:
Audible Buzzing/static noise from the SSD/SSD power delivery during High Disk Activity.

For your reference, the issue occurs during but is not limited to, the following scenarios and is quite audible in a quiet environment, and audible at a 6" distance in a normal environment.
- High disk activity (MacOS)
- High disk activity (Bootcamp Win10 - proving this is not a software issue, could be firmware though)
- High disk activity (Installing OS, whether it be Mac or Win10)
- High disk activity (Booting)
- Copying files
- Download Steam games
- SSD Benchmark (Blackmagic Disk Speed Test)

This is not the static speaker issue, occurs in Bootcamp, on Boot, and within latest MacOS.

This issue can be replicated 100% of the time by generating disk I/O with Blackmagic Disk Speed Test (https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/blackmagic-disk-speed-test/id425264550?mt=12)

Please help me test this issue as I have returned my MBP and the second replacement makes the same noise!
 
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DeanPSN

macrumors 6502
May 21, 2018
283
215
Dublin, Ireland
Hello All, I'd like to ask the MBP 2018 owners in the community to test the following.

Explanation of Issue:
Audible Buzzing/static noise from the SSD/SSD power delivery during High Disk Activity.

For your reference, the issue occurs during but is not limited to, the following scenarios and is quite audible in a quiet environment, and audible at a 6" distance in a normal environment.
- High disk activity (MacOS)
- High disk activity (Bootcamp Win10 - proving this is not a software issue, could be firmware though)
- High disk activity (Installing OS, whether it be Mac or Win10)
- High disk activity (Booting)
- Copying files
- Download Steam games
- SSD Benchmark (Blackmagic Disk Speed Test)

This is not the static speaker issue, occurs in Bootcamp, on Boot, and within latest MacOS.

This issue can be replicated 100% of the time by generating disk I/O with Blackmagic Disk Speed Test (https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/blackmagic-disk-speed-test/id425264550?mt=12)

Please help me test this issue as I have returned my MBP and the second replacement makes the same noise!

No noise from mine.
This was the first thing i checked when i got it.
I tried even with my ear next to the vents/under the speakers, nothing.

i9/512GB/16GB
 

mscaff

macrumors newbie
Sep 10, 2018
11
6
No noise from mine.
This was the first thing i checked when i got it.
I tried even with my ear next to the vents/under the speakers, nothing.

i9/512GB/16GB

So no noise whilst up against the left side of the keyboard whilst running Blackmagic Speed Test?
Must test this consistently.
 

Tommylein

macrumors newbie
Sep 3, 2018
10
5
Augsburg, Germany
With my Macbook Pro 2018, the loudest buzzing noise appeared when I start GarageBand and download some instruments in the App... it was maybe 2-3 times louder than Blackmagic Speed Test.

I pay such an insane amount of money for this device and than it makes noise like a 199$ PC from the discounter :(

Maybe some inductor was 0,00001$ cheaper from a other producer ...
[doublepost=1536586226][/doublepost]and I asked a Friend of mine who is really waaay less sensitive to such "imperfections" than I use to be, but even he said that is not acceptable
 

AdamA9

macrumors 65816
Feb 2, 2010
1,232
355
I suspect every MacBook has it but some people don't notice it or haven't used their machines in a quiet environment whilst their machine is doing it.

I really wish I hadn't read this thread. I didn't notice it, but I read this, and mine does the same and now I cannot unhear it. I swear it getting louder, but then that's just my sensitivity to irritating noises.

So I now cannot unhear and I have a problem that I never knew I had.

This is the reason I don't put grey test screens up on my OLED TV, because I don't want to know about issues I don't know I have.

Dammit!
 

mscaff

macrumors newbie
Sep 10, 2018
11
6
So is anyone here finding genuine luck with replacement iterations?

If so, what is different between the two models? Do you notice the serial numbers are quite different indicating potentially a different batch?

Anyone with whine - could you indicate your country and state? My help identify a bad batch.

Western Australia for me.
 

Tommylein

macrumors newbie
Sep 3, 2018
10
5
Augsburg, Germany
I purchased mine in the end of August in Germany. So there are very large differneces in place and time, due to this thread is from July.

So the "Bad-Batch-Theory" seems to be unrealistic :(

I think it´s more likely that not everyone is able to hear the sound
 

happyhippo1337

macrumors 6502
Jul 3, 2013
260
143
My 15'' 2018 base model has the most annoying coil whine ever. It's ok in High Sierra, but ridiculous in Mojave. There's got to be something wrong there. I can here a grinding creaking hissing noise from 5 meters away easily. Need the device at the moment, but will have it swapped in the forseeable future for sure.
 

volbrene

macrumors newbie
Sep 12, 2018
3
0
I have the MacBook Pro 2,6 ghz 512GB SSD and the coil whine is still there.

Maybe I think that the 512 SSD has a Problem. Did anyone have problems with the 256 GB SSD?
[doublepost=1536794116][/doublepost]
Hello !

I have exactly the same noise ! MacBook Pro 2018 15 inch 2.2ghz !
When i open application or when i start my MacBook or when i accessing tu my folders from the Finder !
I made change the MacBook by the Apple store ! And... SAME NOISE ! so i called Apple Care online service and this noise is really not normal according to them ! So im on my way of the Apple store .. again !

Did you have the 256 GB or 512 GB SSD?
 

Billy Shears

macrumors member
Sep 5, 2018
68
12
As the title says. I'm literally on the verge of buying MBP 15 2018 i7 2.6, 32GB, 560x, 1TB tomorrow morning, but seeing these issues makes me rethink it. It's not that easy for me to get a replacement since in my country they will order custom configuration for me from US and I'll have to wait for it 30 days. Is this really that common or what? Maybe it's normal? Guys help me out
 

volbrene

macrumors newbie
Sep 12, 2018
3
0
Sorry Apple but this is bullsh**. My 256gb MacBook 2016 on my work, have no coil whine, but this is another Series.
 

Tommylein

macrumors newbie
Sep 3, 2018
10
5
Augsburg, Germany
Billy Shears, I think nobody can tell you if the coil whine is common or if you will even hear it.
You will never know if there are a hundred thousand people without it and just the few with problems are going to write in such threads... maybe you should just try it out :)

Btw. I had the 512 GB SSD, but I think the coil whine wasn´t just the SSD but also the wireless card, because the whine was waaay louder when I downloaded something than during Black Magic Speedtest.
 

maverick808

macrumors 65816
Jun 30, 2004
1,145
156
Scotland
...I think the coil whine wasn´t just the SSD but also the wireless card, because the whine was waaay louder when I downloaded something than during Black Magic Speedtest.

I experienced the same in that I heard it both when there was SSD access and when there was network activity. However, I don't think either the SSD or Wi-Fi card themselves make noise. In my opinion it's almost certainly something related to the power supply that is producing the whine, like a transformer. The whine will happen when it vibrates at just the right frequency and it just so happens that both SSD access and network activity cause about the same amount of power draw that then results in that component vibrating at that frequency.

In short, I'd bet that it's just one single component in the power supply conversion area that is causing it.
 
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