Noise from new 27" iMac

[Serif]

I have a new i7 iMac with both SSD and internal drive. Everything seems fine with the system except it's making more noise than I'm used to. I have an existing 24" iMac, the version with the 2.8GHz "extreme" C2D processor and that runs effectively silently. The new iMac is making a sort of throbbing noise with a frequency of about a second. It's fairly quiet but is noticeable in an otherwise silent study.

Is this normal on the new models and is it something I should be concerned about? Other than that, and a small speck of dust behind the glass, the machine seems to be free of the other issues mentioned in these forums.

 

[xraydoc]

I have a new i7 iMac with both SSD and internal drive. Everything seems fine with the system except it's making more noise than I'm used to. I have an existing 24" iMac, the version with the 2.8GHz "extreme" C2D processor and that runs effectively silently. The new iMac is making a sort of throbbing noise with a frequency of about a second. It's fairly quiet but is noticeable in an otherwise silent study.

Is this normal on the new models and is it something I should be concerned about? Other than that, and a small speck of dust behind the glass, the machine seems to be free of the other issues mentioned in these forums.

Use the Apple System Profiler to see which vendor made the hard drive in your iMac. Segate drives tend to make more noise than others.

 

[Serif]

Use the Apple System Profiler to see which vendor made the hard drive in your iMac. Segate drives tend to make more noise than others.

Good thought, and I was thinking along those lines myself. However the system uses an SSD as a main drive. It has a 2TB for backup but that is normally spun down and the noise continues regardless.

 

[lovecupboard]

From the Apple Discussions board: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2244915&start=135&tstart=0

Earlier, massive thread here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/806850/

I purchased the 2.8GHz i5 and just began to notice the loud hard drive noise this morning and was trying to search for a fix. I also have a buddy who purchased the 2.93GHz i7 and has the same issue. I'm assuming if it's a 27" and it has a Seagate HD, you're SOL. This is an already existing issue coming over from the late-2009 model.

I'm also coming over from a 24" and I never had this issue previously.

 

[Serif]

Thanks for the pointers to the other threads lovecupboard. I'm pretty certain this isn't a disk problem in that it doesn't sound like the noises described in the thread and the drive in question is an Hitachi HDS722020ALA330 which is normally left spun down since my main drive is the SSD.

I'm beginning to think the noise in question might be an unbalanced fan. Is this likely to cause further problems in the future? Otherwise I'm inclined to just try and ignore it.

 

[bas-macfan]

Today I send my iMac back. Because of the noise. It is getting worse over time. Like my HDD is doing extreme hard tasks. After a couple of calls Apple advised me to send it back.

Now hoping that the iMac is silent and no other issues (yellow tint etc.)

 

[lovecupboard]

After playing with the iMac some more, the noise seems to go away the more I use the computer. The noise will occur after start-up, but the more intensive I get and as time passes, the noise seems to disappear.

I don't think it's a fan issue as fans don't make a clicking noise, which this sound definitely is. With an overpowered fan, it'll sound almost like you're starting up a lawnmower.