High Voltage

[jer446]

This is wierd.. I never noticed it before, so im not sure if it was always here.. but theres a faint noise that since i discovered it this afternoon, bugs the hell out of me. I have an imac g5 2.0ghz. 20 inch.. I had the hd replaced a couple weeks ago. There seems to be a sound, like a faint whine, you know the electrical buzzing type, sounds like not static.. but hmm hard to explain.. Hopefully someone will understand me.. But when i squeeze the computer, the noise stops, and when i let go, it starts again, sometimes immediately, sometimes a couple seconds later... what could this be? Nothing seems to be wrong with my computer..

 

[jer446]

does anyone know? This is scaring me lol..

 

[CanadaRAM]

The squeezing effect leads me to believe it is a mechanical sound. Could be a lot of things -- fan, hard drive would be the most pouplar... Take it to a warranty centre, of course they won't hear it, they'll tell you it's nothing, and send you packing. But at least you will have tried...


Seriously, if your machine is under warranty still, get the incident booked before the warranty runs out.

 

[mdavey]

There seems to be a sound, like a faint whine, you know the electrical buzzing type, sounds like not static.. but hmm hard to explain.. Hopefully someone will understand me.. But when i squeeze the computer, the noise stops, and when i let go, it starts again, sometimes immediately, sometimes a couple seconds later... what could this be?

Sounds like transformer buzz. Does the computer still make the noise even after it has been sleeping (pulsating white light) for a few minutes? Transformer buzz most commonly happens in old transformers as the glue or varnish that holds the transformer core together deteriorates, causing components to vibrate slightly. It can occasionally happen in new components that have suffered a knock or drop or when there is a problem during manufacture (impurities, sub-standard or faulty materials, unusual environmental conditions).

It is extremely unlikely that the transformer poses a risk to you but nether-the-less the noise is indicative of a faulty transformer coil (if that is the cause) and additionally the transformer is not working at peak efficiency if it is making a noise. If your computer is covered under warranty, I'd suggest asking Apple to take a look / fix the problem.

 

[jer446]

i have applecare, the 3 year extended warranty.. since i know they wont be able to hear it if i go to a center, will an apple technician come to my house to fix it? Then i know he will hear it because there will be quiet conditions..