I bought my 27" i7 iMac in the middle of April. I've started to notice that the hard drive is being pretty noisy lately. I never heard the hard drive on my previous 24" iMac, so it is kind of annoying to me. Would Apple swap out a new hard drive for me at the store if I took it in or would they tell me that it is "in spec"? I don't want to lug my iMac to the store if they wouldn't consider it something worth fixing.
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Is hard drive noise normal? (27" i7)
- Thread starter Prolif1k
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Some HDDs are louder then others. I have a Seagate in my i7 and it is loud. I have had many different HDDs over the years and it seems like Seagate's HDDs are louder then most.
However, it is not throwing any errors and all diagnostics check out OK.
Did you get AppleCare? If you did try running the Diagnostic Tool on the AppleCare disk. It will scan the HDD for defects.
Also if you have AppleCare and bring it in and complain chances are pretty good they will replace the drive. However, you may end up with another loud drive.
You can check your HDD model:
Apple -> About This Mac -> More Information -> Serial-ATA
Seagate drives begin with "ST"
However, it is not throwing any errors and all diagnostics check out OK.
Did you get AppleCare? If you did try running the Diagnostic Tool on the AppleCare disk. It will scan the HDD for defects.
Also if you have AppleCare and bring it in and complain chances are pretty good they will replace the drive. However, you may end up with another loud drive.
You can check your HDD model:
Apple -> About This Mac -> More Information -> Serial-ATA
Seagate drives begin with "ST"
Same thing happening with me.
I got a c2d. Wasn't noisy when I bought it. Then I moved places and I really started to hear it. Pretty annoying.
When the new 27" iMacs came out these boards were full of people complaining about the loud hard drives....me included
Apparently the design of the enclosure amplifies the thump of the drives. The seagates are especially loud....Plus there placed right at head level which probably doesn't help either.
Apparently the design of the enclosure amplifies the thump of the drives. The seagates are especially loud....Plus there placed right at head level which probably doesn't help either.
Update on Noisy drive
Just got a new 27" last week for myself - no noise but had dead pixels, they gave me a new one day befor last. New one has noisy drive. I am the IT tech for a school in L.A. and have many iMacs with no poblems. One person at National Support says they're aware of the problem and tells people to exchange the computer if the noise bothers them. Some people apparently it does not. Also there are different builds: late 2009, early 2010, and mid 2010. The first computer was a late 2009 build, no noise. This latest one is mid 2010 and has noise. Of course it had to be the one I purchased for personal use that I am having trouble with - go figure! I am going to try exchanging it for another.
Just got a new 27" last week for myself - no noise but had dead pixels, they gave me a new one day befor last. New one has noisy drive. I am the IT tech for a school in L.A. and have many iMacs with no poblems. One person at National Support says they're aware of the problem and tells people to exchange the computer if the noise bothers them. Some people apparently it does not. Also there are different builds: late 2009, early 2010, and mid 2010. The first computer was a late 2009 build, no noise. This latest one is mid 2010 and has noise. Of course it had to be the one I purchased for personal use that I am having trouble with - go figure! I am going to try exchanging it for another.
Noisy Drive Suc..
Returned the iMac with the noisy drive again. The second one they gave me had the same problem. Apparently all of the 2010 builds with the core i3 have the same HDD. The first one I got was a late 2009 build with the Core 2 Duo and they do not have this problem. I took back the iMac, can't live with the noise. Has anyone out there gotten a newer iMac i3 that does not have the problem and where did you get it? By the way, I tested every 27" iMac at our school and not one has the problem, they're the older 2009 build.
Returned the iMac with the noisy drive again. The second one they gave me had the same problem. Apparently all of the 2010 builds with the core i3 have the same HDD. The first one I got was a late 2009 build with the Core 2 Duo and they do not have this problem. I took back the iMac, can't live with the noise. Has anyone out there gotten a newer iMac i3 that does not have the problem and where did you get it? By the way, I tested every 27" iMac at our school and not one has the problem, they're the older 2009 build.
I may buy a Refurbished 21.5, 3.06 (i3) entry level iMac...
Has the 1 TB hd instead of the 500 gb drive...
I wonder if the HD drive has this noise that Apple changes out the HD before selling it as a "Refurbished"?????
Has the 1 TB hd instead of the 500 gb drive...
I wonder if the HD drive has this noise that Apple changes out the HD before selling it as a "Refurbished"?????
Do they accept such returns without any restocking fee? just because the hard drive makes some noise? how big was the noise?
How load was the noise
The noise is rather subtile, but it is not a continuous noise like the hard drive spinnig or a fan. That would not be a problem. It's the HDD head moving around (paging). Its random but continous. So for example every link you click on in safari you hear the heads moving around. It sounds like someone drumming inside the computer. During the day when there is a lot of noise you don't notice it, but in the early morning, evenings and if your in a quiet room, which I am, it drives you nuts.
They don't normally accept returns without a restocking fee, but because the first iMac Core Duo did not have the problem and the replacements they gave me iMac i3 did they made an exception.
The noise is rather subtile, but it is not a continuous noise like the hard drive spinnig or a fan. That would not be a problem. It's the HDD head moving around (paging). Its random but continous. So for example every link you click on in safari you hear the heads moving around. It sounds like someone drumming inside the computer. During the day when there is a lot of noise you don't notice it, but in the early morning, evenings and if your in a quiet room, which I am, it drives you nuts.
They don't normally accept returns without a restocking fee, but because the first iMac Core Duo did not have the problem and the replacements they gave me iMac i3 did they made an exception.
So let me get this clear.. you initially got a C2D model and returned it (without stocking fee) then got a iMac 27inch i3. i3 one has the noise problem and you returned it and got a new one as well? (w/o restocking fee)?
Long story short
Purchased 27" iMac Core 2 Duo on July 23, No noise work great but on Sat August 7 some pixels went bad. They exchanged it but didn't have that model any more so they gave me an i3. Sunday Aug 8, I hated the HDD sound, brought it back on Monday Aug 9. They tested it and said that it was in normal perameters but it was a little noisy as I described and gave me another exchange i3. Brought it home and same problem. Took it back on Tuesday August 10. They wanted to charge me a restocking fee but after discussing the whole thing they gave me a full refund with no restocking fee.
Very nice people.
By the way I understand the new Hitachi 2TB arne't just quiet, they are nearly silent.
Purchased 27" iMac Core 2 Duo on July 23, No noise work great but on Sat August 7 some pixels went bad. They exchanged it but didn't have that model any more so they gave me an i3. Sunday Aug 8, I hated the HDD sound, brought it back on Monday Aug 9. They tested it and said that it was in normal perameters but it was a little noisy as I described and gave me another exchange i3. Brought it home and same problem. Took it back on Tuesday August 10. They wanted to charge me a restocking fee but after discussing the whole thing they gave me a full refund with no restocking fee.
Very nice people.By the way I understand the new Hitachi 2TB arne't just quiet, they are nearly silent.
What a Nuisance
First, the Core 2 Duo - the one I just purchased - is a late 2009 build with a seagate 1TB model ST31000528ASQ. It is very quiet, but not silent - way better than the 1TB in the i3s.
If you want to upgrade to a 2TB they are made by Hitachi but there are mixed reports on the noise, quality, and reliability, so no gauranty you will get one that is not noisy.
O.K. let me tell everyone some things that Apple probably won't like. The guys at the genius bar and many apple care techs don't realy know whats going on. They're trained to be curtious, sympathetic, but they realy have no solid answers about anything.
The facts:
- Many apple care associates have told me they know there is a problem.
- Some apple store techs have told me they know there is a problem
- Some of the apple savy techs at Fry's electronics told me they know there is a problem.
All of which have told me they have been getting complants from customers.
Another thing that shows they realy don't have a clue: The apple experts at national apple care told me there is no difference between the Core 2 Duo (2009 build) drivers like for boot camp and the boot camp drivers for the i3. They are full of it. I have a copy of both and there is most definitely a difference in the drivers. Thats how I was able to fix the sound card and mouse problems in boot camp with the 2009 builds, by using some of the drivers frome the disk that came with the i3.
First, the Core 2 Duo - the one I just purchased - is a late 2009 build with a seagate 1TB model ST31000528ASQ. It is very quiet, but not silent - way better than the 1TB in the i3s.
If you want to upgrade to a 2TB they are made by Hitachi but there are mixed reports on the noise, quality, and reliability, so no gauranty you will get one that is not noisy.
O.K. let me tell everyone some things that Apple probably won't like. The guys at the genius bar and many apple care techs don't realy know whats going on. They're trained to be curtious, sympathetic, but they realy have no solid answers about anything.
The facts:
- Many apple care associates have told me they know there is a problem.
- Some apple store techs have told me they know there is a problem
- Some of the apple savy techs at Fry's electronics told me they know there is a problem.
All of which have told me they have been getting complants from customers.
Another thing that shows they realy don't have a clue: The apple experts at national apple care told me there is no difference between the Core 2 Duo (2009 build) drivers like for boot camp and the boot camp drivers for the i3. They are full of it. I have a copy of both and there is most definitely a difference in the drivers. Thats how I was able to fix the sound card and mouse problems in boot camp with the 2009 builds, by using some of the drivers frome the disk that came with the i3.