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New 2.26 (2009) Mac Pro Humming Noise

Yes. Its not the graphics card.
I'm on my 2nd Nehalem Mac Pro and both have this "issue"
In my case its the fan called "BOOSTA" that makes this noise (pulsating / oscillating hum) because it changes the frequency when you use SMCfancontrol to speed up that fan.
Going to exchange it a third time, if that one has the same hum I'm gonna have to live with it.
 
I also have the Nehalem 2*2,26 with the Radeon 4870 and I too experienced the humming noise from time to time.

My self made desk is not perfectly horizontal so I tried a few things, like using a mousepad on one side of
the Mac Pro, but this wasn't really a solution because after a while the humming started again (without moving the machine).

After wa while I opened the side door of the Mac Pro while it was running and suddently the noise stopped.
I could recreate this cenario as often as I wanted ... no door = humming is gone ... closed door = humming started again

It seems that the aluminum door kinda reflects that noise.

So ... after this enlightenment I tried to keep the door unlocked (the switch on the back of the mac), but it didn't help either.


How did I get rid of it ?

I pressed the door to the mac pro while I locked it again ... I know it sounds crazy, but the humming noise is gone.


Maybe I experienced something else here, but you should try a few things before you exchange
it and get one that has the same problem
 
Just wondering... when you open the side door, how many gray, rubbery plastic strips are glued to the door ? It looks like my door is missing 4 of them. I can see two pieces of clear plastic film covering 2 screws (at HDD bay height) and another two at the bottom of the door. They have the same shape and size of those gray rubbery "things", but they're just clear plastic, it almost looks like the gray plastic stuff is supposed to sit there... Because when I press firmly against the door, the noise fades. Its not completely gone but way better... maybe its because of those missing rubber-things the door doesn't sit tight and resonates with the case...
 
Further to my slightly noisy 4870, my MP 09 developed a high pitched hum/whine overnight which was driving me mad this morning. Moved it slightly to investigate and now it's gone completely?! It seems that with all the fans generating slight vibrations if it's not on a completely level or soft surface the new MPs may be more prone to vibration related noise than previous.

Do the majority of people with noise issues have them on their desks? I do, not for show, just to prevent it becoming a £2600 vacuum cleaner...
 
I just received my Mac Pro 2X2,26Ghz 8-core >>> it's so quiet...you can
hardly hear it. I have the ATI 4870 card. So no complains from my side.
 
Dragonforce said:
Just wondering... when you open the side door, how many gray, rubbery plastic strips are glued to the door ? It looks like my door is missing 4 of them. I can see two pieces of clear plastic film covering 2 screws (at HDD bay height) and another two at the bottom of the door. They have the same shape and size of those gray rubbery "things", but they're just clear plastic, it almost looks like the gray plastic stuff is supposed to sit there... Because when I press firmly against the door, the noise fades. Its not completely gone but way better... maybe its because of those missing rubber-things the door doesn't sit tight and resonates with the case...
Click to expand...

I too, would like to know how many rubber stripes you should have? The top three in mine are clear plastic, while the rest are rubber.

My Mac Pro also has this annoying oscillating hum, plus sometimes also a buzzing noise from the power supply.
 
AppleX1986 said:
I too, would like to know how many rubber stripes you should have? The top three in mine are clear plastic, while the rest are rubber.

My Mac Pro also has this annoying oscillating hum, plus sometimes also a buzzing noise from the power supply.
Click to expand...

Then you have definetely more rubber stripes than I do.
My door has a total of 4, while the rest are clear plastic, thin film.
 
Dragonforce said:
Then you have definetely more rubber stripes than I do.
My door has a total of 4, while the rest are clear plastic, thin film.
Click to expand...

I have 8 in total. 5 with rubber, three without...
Now, I don't know how much of a difference it would make had they all been rubber. But it does seem kind of odd with these differences.
 
Guys, Really, its just a noise. Live with it. Fans make noises fact. Simple really . Mine does it, as Im sure everyone thats made will. It will have a lot to do with its location in your room. To be fair. Its stealthy compared to my beloved G5 or either of my macbooks. Simple fact is machines make noise. Dont like it? move it. or turn the volume up.

As for the guy who sent a load of 08's back, I really pitty your local dealer.

Sorry but it had to be said.
 
MADMAXX said:
Guys, Really, its just a noise. Live with it.
Click to expand...

If the noise was consitent, then I could live with it. But it's not. The hum is on off, on off etc which is very annoying. I tried to ignore it but found it impossible.
 
AppleX1986 said:
I too, would like to know how many rubber stripes you should have? The top three in mine are clear plastic, while the rest are rubber.

My Mac Pro also has this annoying oscillating hum, plus sometimes also a buzzing noise from the power supply.
Click to expand...

Yes, the bottom five are rubber and the top ones are plastic
 
Dragonforce said:
Yes. Its not the graphics card.
I'm on my 2nd Nehalem Mac Pro and both have this "issue"
In my case its the fan called "BOOSTA" that makes this noise (pulsating / oscillating hum) because it changes the frequency when you use SMCfancontrol to speed up that fan.
Going to exchange it a third time, if that one has the same hum I'm gonna have to live with it.
Click to expand...

Dragonforce: Did you get your third MacPro? Is it any better?
 
I got a brand new nehalem octo 2.26 and - until I read this topic - I didn't complain about any noise coming from my mp.
Now - late at night - it seems that a strange oscillating low-freq noise is audible.
Maybe it's only suggestion.
Did anyone record this noise? Could this record be uploaded and linked here, in order to understand if it's the same problem that we are experiencing?

thanks in advance
 
amoergosum said:
That would be interesting.
Click to expand...

maybe someone it's talking about a real apple fault and someone's talking about a regular hardware noise
the matter is that we are discussing together about a noise we've never heard together

there a lot of people around pretty sure about the issue
if one of them can record the noise and post the recording on some file hosting service like rapidshare, megaupload etc., it would be easier to understand what we are taking about
 
I've a noise like an old pc loading floppy disk :|

It happens at random, sometimes it does so every 5 minutes, sometimes hours pass without the noise
 
Well here I am, back from the Apple Retailer with my 3rd quad Nehalem Mac Pro in stock config. I had a long not-so-friendly conversation with the store representative, trying to explain to him the reason I'm bringing back the machines. We did set up the Mac Pro I brought to the store and listened closely - we couldn't hear anything except the noise of the GT120 - because the ambient noise in the store was relatively loud... I felt like an idiot. Well, he agreed to give me a third machine and brought a new one from the back. We opened the box, set up the Mac Pro and I listened closely... couldn't hear anything oscillating / humming except the GT120 (again) so we boxed it and I brought it back home.

Unboxed, set it up, booted and MEH - there it is again, the low pitched "hmmmmmm hmmmmmmm hmmmmmmm" noise which is driving me mad. Going to keep this one now, but I will have to buy a couple of cable extensions because I'm going to put the humming monster a few more feet away from my desk.

This humming noise is one of those noises - once you heard them you can't seem to ignore them. My wife actually says I'm crazy, she can't hear anything except the constant hum of the GT120...

Good luck with yours... :(
 
Dragonforce said:
Well here I am, back from the Apple Retailer with my 3rd quad Nehalem Mac Pro in stock config. I had a long not-so-friendly conversation with the store representative, trying to explain to him the reason I'm bringing back the machines. We did set up the Mac Pro I brought to the store and listened closely - we couldn't hear anything except the noise of the GT120 - because the ambient noise in the store was relatively loud... I felt like an idiot. Well, he agreed to give me a third machine and brought a new one from the back. We opened the box, set up the Mac Pro and I listened closely... couldn't hear anything oscillating / humming except the GT120 (again) so we boxed it and I brought it back home.

Unboxed, set it up, booted and MEH - there it is again, the low pitched "hmmmmmm hmmmmmmm hmmmmmmm" noise which is driving me mad. Going to keep this one now, but I will have to buy a couple of cable extensions because I'm going to put the humming monster a few more feet away from my desk.

This humming noise is one of those noises - once you heard them you can't seem to ignore them. My wife actually says I'm crazy, she can't hear anything except the constant hum of the GT120...

Good luck with yours... :(
Click to expand...

Maybe its just a normal sound of the new mac pros?
 
Dragonforce said:
Well here I am, back from the Apple Retailer with my 3rd quad Nehalem Mac Pro in stock config. I had a long not-so-friendly conversation with the store representative, trying to explain to him the reason I'm bringing back the machines. We did set up the Mac Pro I brought to the store and listened closely - we couldn't hear anything except the noise of the GT120 - because the ambient noise in the store was relatively loud... I felt like an idiot. Well, he agreed to give me a third machine and brought a new one from the back. We opened the box, set up the Mac Pro and I listened closely... couldn't hear anything oscillating / humming except the GT120 (again) so we boxed it and I brought it back home.

Unboxed, set it up, booted and MEH - there it is again, the low pitched "hmmmmmm hmmmmmmm hmmmmmmm" noise which is driving me mad. Going to keep this one now, but I will have to buy a couple of cable extensions because I'm going to put the humming monster a few more feet away from my desk.

This humming noise is one of those noises - once you heard them you can't seem to ignore them. My wife actually says I'm crazy, she can't hear anything except the constant hum of the GT120...

Good luck with yours... :(
Click to expand...


Can you record a sound clip and post it?
 
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