My Mac is whining...

[norda72]

I have an Mac Pro mid 2012 which I bought in April 2013. Immeadiately when I turned it on the first time I heard an annoying wining sound which I haven´t heard from the Mac Pro early 2008 I owned before. All since then I get disturbed by the sound, which can be heard a couple of meters from the computer. I have had it to service at Apple-center two times during the warranty time, and the second time they changed graphic card, but even as today I hear the sound and find it disturbing. The computer has 8 fans, I believe, and I don´t know which one of them who is the soundmaker. When you turn the computer on you can hear a even higher wining sound which decreases when it has been going for some minutes. The computer is an 3,2 Ghz 4-core-computer with SSD Samsung ECO 850 and 20 gigabytes memory (out of 32). This has gone so far so I think of buying another one, a used one on Macsales.com, but they are very expensive even if they are from 2010 or earlier. Saw one with 12 cores which costed almost 4 000 dollars (almost 32 000 Swedish Crowns). I can´t afford it... What can I do about this? I am satisfied with the computer, except from it´s 2.0 USB-connection and no HDMI or Thunderbolt...

With regards
Pär Nordqvist, Sweden

 

[h9826790]

$20 Inateck KT4004 will give you USB 3.0

Most modern GPU have HDMI output (7950 or GTX 680 has factory Mac Edition card, but they are expensive, you can get the same model's PC card and then flash it by yourself. A used card may as low as $100)

Back to the sound issue. It's hard to tell where is the source, but possible from the PSU. If it's from the fan, they usually only occur at a particular RPM, so very easy to verify (use fan control software to alter the fan speed one by one).

If it's from the PSU, change the demand may change the sound. e.g. Most of the CPU / GPU benchmark software can achieve that.

Another possible source is the HDD tray. I experience this once before, may be I did tighten the screw properly on one of the HDD, so the tray vibrate and making some funning noise. The noise is not loud, but high pitch, so easy to notice, but hard to fine out the source. It annoyed me for quit a long time, until on one occasion, I open the side door when the noise is there, the noise suddenly disappear. Since the door lock will lock the HDD tray as well, so I give all HDD tray slightly push (one by one), and finally able to pin point the source and fix it.

Another forum member also reported his noice is from the processor cage, just need a piece of paper to fill the gap, and the noise stop.

 

[norda72]

$20 Inateck KT4004 will give you USB 3.0

Most modern GPU have HDMI output (7950 or GTX 680 has factory Mac Edition card, but they are expensive, you can get the same model's PC card and then flash it by yourself. A used card may as low as $100)

Back to the sound issue. It's hard to tell where is the source, but possible from the PSU. If it's from the fan, they usually only occur at a particular RPM, so very easy to verify (use fan control software to alter the fan speed one by one).

If it's from the PSU, change the demand may change the sound. e.g. Most of the CPU / GPU benchmark software can achieve that.

Another possible source is the HDD tray. I experience this once before, may be I did tighten the screw properly on one of the HDD, so the tray vibrate and making some funning noise. The noise is not loud, but high pitch, so easy to notice, but hard to fine out the source. It annoyed me for quit a long time, until on one occasion, I open the side door when the noise is there, the noise suddenly disappear. Since the door lock will lock the HDD tray as well, so I give all HDD tray slightly push (one by one), and finally able to pin point the source and fix it.

Another forum member also reported his noice is from the processor cage, just need a piece of paper to fill the gap, and the noise stop.

[doublepost=1464365124][/doublepost]Thank you for your answer! PSU, is that powersupply unit, or is it something else?

 

[owbp]

PSU, is that powersupply unit

Yes it is.

 

[norda72]

[doublepost=1464365124][/doublepost]
Thank you for your answer! PSU, is that powersupply unit, or is it something else?

"If it's from the PSU, change the demand may change the sound. e.g. Most of the CPU / GPU benchmark software can achieve that." What shall I change? What demand?

 

[owbp]

He was speaking about pressure you put on PSU. So if PSU is the source of that sound it should be different when system is idle from the sound when CPU an/or GPU are at full load.

 

[norda72]

He was speaking about pressure you put on PSU. So if PSU is the source of that sound it should be different when system is idle from the sound when CPU an/or GPU are at full load.

[doublepost=1549128710][/doublepost]I guess it can be the fan at he powersupply, but who knows? I also heard less noise when sidedoor was opened. It have to be a Windows-machine next time, not a Mac for a fortune...

 

[verdejt]

Download this software. Macs Fan Control Here is the Link.

https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/47386/macs-fan-control

Once installed this software will allow you to change the speed of each fan individually and should Help you narrow it down to which one is noisy.

Also you might have a build up of dust inside the machine. I know I blow mine out every few months and I'm surprised at just how much is in there each time. Remember before doing this shutdown your machine and unplug it.

 

[smirk]

It is possible that it is the fan on the video card. I'm not sure if Macs Fan Control will control the GPU fan or not. The old video card in my PC behaved exactly as you described until I finally disassembled the GPU, peeled back the sticker covering the fan spindle, and put a drop of oil in there. It's been silent ever since.

 

[h9826790]

It is possible that it is the fan on the video card. I'm not sure if Macs Fan Control will control the GPU fan or not. The old video card in my PC behaved exactly as you described until I finally disassembled the GPU, peeled back the sticker covering the fan spindle, and put a drop of oil in there. It's been silent ever since.

No software in macOS can control the graphic card's onboard fan

 

[AidenShaw]

No software in macOS can control the graphic card's onboard fan

Most graphics cards have exposed fans - I've used my finger to stop the fan briefly to check for noise. (Don't stick your finger into the blades - just touch the central hub. )

 

[hongkongs]

FYI a solution which works for me.

My 2010 cMP have whining noise from the PSU(not from my 7970 or other fan). I thought that might be because my PSU was dying.

It's sounds like some coil or capacitor whine. And it gets worst after I use the computer for a while.
So I purchase another used PSU hope to eliminate the issue.
Unfortunately, the replacement PSU still whine. although not as bad as the old one.

Then I figure maybe the component is too old in those PSU. So I try to increase the fan speed to keep them under better
thermal condition.
I then use iStat menu. The default PSU fan speed is too low while the "PSU 2" temp reading around 36-39.
I set the fan speed in iStat menu so the fan keep minimum speed at 750RPM when "PSU 2" temp is below 33.
Once it goes above 35, I set it to run at 950RPM. and so on...

The noise now almost fully gone, It's still there but it's so low now that it's barely audible.

It seems the PSU temp sensor aren't located near the component which needs cooling.
so the temp reading rise slowly. but the increased fan speed do help my PSU whine.

You can test by manually set the PSU fan speed to much higher for a while. then tune it down to listen.
If that really help ur case then you can proceed to setup the FAN speed rule.

Goodluck guys.