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Managed to record my new iMac 27" hd noise

E

Editor-

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 13, 2009
44
0
Hello everyone

I have taken my iPhone and recorded an audio file to give you guys an idea what I am talking about. The recording is taking close to the screen but I can hear the noises from 2 meters away when there is absolute silence. Next to this problem I have 7-8 broken pixels in my iSight camera so I'll probably return it anyway. The iMac makes this noise ALL day long, even when it's idle etc

Would be nice to get some comments about this because it has been annoying me for quite some time. Is this noise normal?

The link with recording:
I can not upload the file and make it work? can someone do it for me?
mail me at ed-rush at hotmail dot com

Something to do with audio file rights maybe?
http://pieter-1asfz.posterous.com/9152957
The sound starts at second 07

Thanks a lot guys,

Really appreciate it!
 
I could barely hear anything on that sound file. When I turned the volume all the way up I could hear (very quietly) standard hard drive sounds.
 
Yeah it is.

I know that they sound a bit like standard, but this is really too loud when you don't have any music running in the background. Is it supposed to work every 2 seconds I use the computer? Because I hear it all the time, even when the computer is in idle. Sorry for the low volume, iPhone wasn't set too high when I recorded it
 
That's what mine sounds like too. I am half tempted to just return it and go back to my old 24" until all issues are resolved.
 
Editor- said:
Yeah it is.

I know that they sound a bit like standard, but this is really too loud when you don't have any music running in the background. Is it supposed to work every 2 seconds I use the computer? Because I hear it all the time, even when the computer is in idle. Sorry for the low volume, iPhone wasn't set too high when I recorded it
Click to expand...

I hate Seagate drives, they are junk. I almost lost over 2,000 mp3 songs due to their faulty hard drives (Thank God for my time capsule). They sent me a new one and then 2 months later same thing happened, what are the odds?
Never had that happen to me in my entire life. If I were you I would have Apple swap it to a western digital.

Read these reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Momen...BBLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1261959633&sr=8-1
 
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Doesn't sound too bad to me, especially considering you recorded it next to your screen. And being able to hear the HD at a normal viewing distance from your screen in not uncommon. I have a WD in my 27" iMac and it's pretty quiet, though I can hear the HD from time to time during heavy use.

My opinion is that your expectations are too high. Just about every PC that I've owned over the past 15+ years has had audible hard drive noise at close distances to the computer, unless the sound of the fans drowned it out! LOL. The iMacs are still VERY quiet compared to most computers.
 
Myeah thing is that I have always used a Windows computer and never heard a hd making noises all the time. I do understand that yours is a Western Digital but you do mention that the drive only makes noises when it is on heavy load.

It does annoy me though, and I got the feeling that it is becoming louder. I listened to the recording once more and it definitely sounds double as loud as that.
Will they be willing to swap if they do also state that the noise it is making now is 'normal'?
 
Editor- said:
Myeah thing is that I have always used a Windows computer and never heard a hd making noises all the time. I do understand that yours is a Western Digital but you do mention that the drive only makes noises when it is on heavy load.

It does annoy me though, and I got the feeling that it is becoming louder. I listened to the recording once more and it definitely sounds double as loud as that.
Will they be willing to swap if they do also state that the noise it is making now is 'normal'?
Click to expand...

If you call Apple and have them hear the recording I doubt they would do anything (you need headphones to really tell). But I would take it to the store and tell the genius guy that you think the drive is becoming louder. If it is really bothering you (which I feel for you), have them change it. Remember you paid a lot of money for this computer, it was not free, if you are not satisfied, have them fix it. Tell them you would rather have another hard drive brand installed, they should do something.
When did you buy your 27" iMac? From what I understand, the new shipments are coming with Western Digital HDs, maybe it is for a reason (you can tell I am really burned by Seagate lol).
 
hmmm i dont know what to say listening to your recording on my eMac was ok could not hear much
but thats because the emac`s fan is making the same noise :)
but listening on my iMac g3 to your recording ,which has a WD drive fitted i had to turn the volume down and it was still louder then my iMac g3

seagate :eek: dont understand apple why they fit the cheapest and most unreliable harddrives on the market in the new imac`s :confused: i mean it cant cost to much more if they would fit Wd drives or hitachi , samsung or toshiba which are all better then seagate
 
sparkie1984 said:
from what ive read, a hamster driving the hard disk would be more reliable!!
Click to expand...


that could be true , they are very reliable when spinning their wheel and they do that for about 2 years ,then you only need to replace the hamster , still cheaper then a new drive ;)
 
thiagos said:
I hate Seagate drives, they are junk. I almost lost over 2,000 mp3 songs due to their faulty hard drives (Thank God for my time capsule). They sent me a new one and then 2 months later same thing happened, what are the odds?
Never had that happen to me in my entire life. If I were you I would have Apple swap it to a western digital.
Click to expand...

See, now that's totally weird because my experience is 100% the opposite. I've owned many drives over the years of many makers and had far better luck with Seagate than Western Digital.

Also, I can confirm that the Seagate in my i7, although it is not totally silent when it is accessing, does not make the clicking sound in the recording of the OP.

Read these reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Momen...BBLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1261959633&sr=8-1
Click to expand...

That's a 2.5" drive. You want to look here and here. This is pretty much the same drive shipping in the default i7.

I've got a 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda in an Icy Dock Firewire 800 enclosure as well. It has been running solid for me for a year and a half now with no complaints at all. I heard of some problems with the 1.5 on it's release but they had been corrected in firmware by the time I bought mine. They're fast, cool and quiet.
 
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I have OCD for these kind of things and I don't hear anything bad to be honest. Maybe its worse in person but judging by that clip, it sounds fine. It's not going to be dead silent, it's a hard drive. It spins, and moves around.
 
SaSaSushi said:
See, now that's totally weird because my experience is 100% the opposite. I've owned many drives over the years of many makers and had far better luck with Seagate than Western Digital.

Also, I can confirm that the Seagate in my i7, although it is not totally silent when it is accessing, does not make the clicking sound in the recording of the OP.



That's a 2.5" drive. You want to look here and here. This is pretty much the same drive shipping in the default i7.

I've got a 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda in an Icy Dock Firewire 800 enclosure as well. It has been running solid for me for a year and a half now with no complaints at all. I heard of some problems with the 1.5 on it's release but they had been corrected in firmware by the time I bought mine. They're fast, cool and quiet.
Click to expand...



I never said it was a 3.5" Hard Drive, I was just giving him an example on how Seagate sucks. EVen the link on the hard drive you provided have horrible reviews. Seagate has gone downhill and fast...
 
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Aside from barely being able to hear anything, it doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary.

Dells seems to be constantly clicking and clacking as they are being used.
 
thiagos said:
I never said it was a 3.5" Hard Drive, I was just giving him an example on how Seagate sucks. EVen the link on the hard drive you provided have horrible reviews. Seagate has gone downhill and fast...
Click to expand...

If you're offering an example, offer a relevant one. While the overall reviews at Amazon are not perfect, the latest reviews on the Seagate drives at both Amazon and Newegg are 5 stars for the Seagate in question. Let's not project our own bad experiences to the world at large.

The last Western Digital I owned was in my mid-2007 24" iMac and it died a premature death along with all of my data. Fortunately, I had a complete backup on the abovementioned Seagate 1.5TB. ;)
 
SaSaSushi said:
If you're offering an example, offer a relevant one. While the overall reviews at Amazon are not perfect, the latest reviews on the Seagate drives at both Amazon and Newegg are 5 stars for the Seagate in question. Let's not project our own bad experiences to the world at large.

The last Western Digital I owned was in my mid-2007 24" iMac and it died a premature death along with all of my data. Fortunately, I had a complete backup on the abovementioned Seagate 1.5TB. ;)
Click to expand...

Like I said that was an example. Seagate hard drive are not what they used to be, they have firmware problems which causes the hard drives to fail, just because you were lucky to own one that did not fail, does not mean most people are not having issues with theirs. Instead of pointing out people's answers trying to help this guy, why don't you offer a relevant answer that would help him out with his issue?
The facts are the facts, Seagate hard drives fail more often than other brands, period.
 
thiagos said:
Like I said that was an example. Seagate hard drive are not what they used to be, they have firmware problems which causes the hard drives to fail, just because you were lucky to own one that did not fail, does not mean most people are not having issues with theirs. Instead of pointing out people's answers trying to help this guy, why don't you offer a relevant answer that would help him out with his issue?
The facts are the facts, Seagate hard drives fail more often than other brands, period.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to hear about your problems, really. However, you're confusing "facts" with your own bad experiences again. You had some bad drives so now it's "Seagate sucks!" and the entire product line fails disproportionately higher than that of Western Digital? OK, sure.

Have a look here, or maybe here at your own temple of product reviews, Amazon. I don't see any evidence whatsoever to support your theory that Seagate "fails more often than other brands".

I did offer a relevant 'answer' to the OP. I pointed out that there is something awry with his HD because my Seagate 1TB does not make that clicking sound.
 
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thiagos said:
Same Seagate HD that comes on the iMac

image-3160356-10521304
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433

1TB 3.5" Western Digital Drive

image-3160356-10521304
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=22-136-284&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&SelectedRating=-1&PurchaseMark=&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=2
Click to expand...

Not sure how these user reviews back up your "Seagate sucks" philosophy. The Seagate, while not as favorably reviewed as the WD (4 times less reviews) overall, still has 72% good or excellent. I'm also not sure this is the same exact drive that Apple is using in the 27" iMacs because mine has a "Q" on the end.

But assuming it is you could also note that:

88% (16 total) of expert reviews favored the Seagate

while

80% (27 total) favored the Western Digital

Search hard enough on the Internet you'll find data to back up any opinion. All hard drives of all makers fail. I'm not on here trying to say Western Digital sucks, as you are accusing Seagate of. I'm saying that I've had better experiences overall with Seagate and I've owned both.

More relevant to the topic at hand, I'm reading that when the Seagates make the clicking noises noted by the OP it is a sign of impending failure so I would recommend he send it in to Apple for replacement.
 
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