Possible coil whine in my nMP

[Riwam]

Hear generated? Noise disappearing?

I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with the heat generated. Don't quote me on it, I just have a vague memory that I read something about it.

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Maybe some genius from the Apple engineers team building their nMP can find a relation between heat and noise, in a computer optimized to expel quickly and in the most efficient possible way the heat inside... and supposed to make no more than 12dB noise when idle at the (short) normal operating distance, a noise threshold which is equal to silence for any practical purpose...if kept!
Difficult to see any link between both things for non genius persons like for instance myself....but who knows what the Master Minds of Apple can discover...

 

[wildmac]

Remember the capacitors that used to blow up in the iMacs?

It's likely the source is some component on one of the boards that isn't up to spec, has a bad solder joint, or some other defect. With heat and variations in usage, the noise is generated.

It will likely be a while before it's pinpointed, so unless you have a system generating the noise, relax. Do something with your nMP. Or go outside...

 

[Riwam]

I just wonder...

Remember the capacitors that used to blow up in the iMacs?

It's likely the source is some component on one of the boards that isn't up to spec, has a bad solder joint, or some other defect. With heat and variations in usage, the noise is generated.

It will likely be a while before it's pinpointed, so unless you have a system generating the noise, relax. Do something with your nMP. Or go outside...

..............................................................
You are right. It may take some time to find out and correct this noise problem...provided someone at Apple's factory in Austin is conscious that this problem exists and does what he can to find a solution.
However I am afraid that since the big money is not made by Apple with these computers (in spite of their very high price) but with iPhones, iPads, Apps and music, such a matter might be neglected since anyway they cannot cope with all the orders of nMPs they already received.
I hope that somebody is aware of this matter and does something to solve it but hoping is not knowing and being certain...
Apparently Lenin said once "trusting is good, checking is better".
Some people have mailed directly to Tim Cook or whatever team of secretaries is "Tim Cook" and receives the mails addressed to him.
Those who mailed him have hopes and I can also just hope as well.
At the end we will find out we are more religious than we thought to be...thanks to Apple!

 

[ppxb]

Searching for error reason continues

If anybody is interested in my last two weeks, respectively, all the things that don't cause this issue within my MacPro6,1:

1. My local ASP said the sound is there. And the technicians there also said it shouldn't be there. Strike - admitting a mistake is very unusual for Apple...Great they did here.

2. My local ASP changed the first GPU (that one that doesn't hold the NAND memory), the sound is still there.

3. My local ASP changed the PSU, the sound is still there.

They are talking to Apple Care now what to do. It seems as if even Apple has absolutely no idea what causes the issue - otherwise they wouldn't have changed a FirePro D300 and a PSU...

Great start for such an expensive device.

 

[antonis]

If anybody is interested in my last two weeks, respectively, all the things that don't cause this issue within my MacPro6,1:

1. My local ASP said the sound is there. And the technicians there also said it shouldn't be there. Strike - admitting a mistake is very unusual for Apple...Great they did here.

2. My local ASP changed the first GPU (that one that doesn't hold the NAND memory), the sound is still there.

3. My local ASP changed the PSU, the sound is still there.

They are talking to Apple Care now what to do. It seems as if even Apple has absolutely no idea what causes the issue - otherwise they wouldn't have changed a FirePro D300 and a PSU...

Great start for such an expensive device.

It is getting interesting, especially since they tried to isolate the source. But I'm curious: what made them decide to change specifically only the 1 gpu ?

 

[dkmooers]

@ppxb, thanks for sharing your experience - definitely interested to see how it unfolds. Would be great to get a precedent set - I'd like to get this fixed on mine as well.

 

[Riwam]

Thank you very much for your valuable information!

If anybody is interested in my last two weeks, respectively, all the things that don't cause this issue within my MacPro6,1:

1. My local ASP said the sound is there. And the technicians there also said it shouldn't be there. Strike - admitting a mistake is very unusual for Apple...Great they did here.

2. My local ASP changed the first GPU (that one that doesn't hold the NAND memory), the sound is still there.

3. My local ASP changed the PSU, the sound is still there.

They are talking to Apple Care now what to do. It seems as if even Apple has absolutely no idea what causes the issue - otherwise they wouldn't have changed a FirePro D300 and a PSU...

Great start for such an expensive device.

.............................................................

Thank you very much for the valuable information you share with all readers.
Everybody should be grateful that you finally prove to everyone that the problem exists.
Of course it is difficult for you and I am sorry for that, but you have made a great contribution to make known a problem, the first and unavoidable step for any solution.
It is a courageous step.
I have been called by some not-so-clever people in other posts with all kind of nice names like "trolling", "stupid" and the like because I started a thread about these strange noises.
Now you show that even Apple admits the bug exists even if presently they have no idea how to solve it.
By telling your experience you are helping many other people who do not dare speak out and I can only say that you deserve all my respect and the respect of many people having the same issue!

 

[saschke]

When does your machine arrive, Riwam?

 

[Riwam]

In "April".... but maybe it is a 1.April fool joke, who knows

When does your machine arrive, Riwam?

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It still says April Saschke, and still says processing the order. No words about any shipping.
For the time being the bugs worry me more than the precise delivery date
By the way, I am in Basel, not too far from you... And probably not too far from your problems with the nMP you received...

 

[saschke]

...................................
It still says April Saschke, and still says processing the order. No words about any shipping.
For the time being the bugs worry me more than the precise delivery date

I would start worrying about the problem when it really occurs for you man. I know the anxiety about getting such a nice machine and you want it to be perfect. But maybe all will be good

My replacement is said to be shipped "April", too. In the meanwhile, I'm enjoying my nearly perfect nMP.

 

[Riwam]

Thank you Saschke

I would start worrying about the problem when it really occurs for you man. I know the anxiety about getting such a nice machine and you want it to be perfect. But maybe all will be good

My replacement is said to be shipped "April", too. In the meanwhile, I'm enjoying my nearly perfect nMP.

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I thank you for your encouragement. I appreciate it very much.
I hope that both of us are lucky and receive the most pleasant computer in the world, one that brings you a cup of coffee with Schtrudel when he feels you need it

 

[ppxb]

Some news

Today my local ASP called me and explained to me that Apple Care doesn't respond to their questions regarding those issues at the moment and that they are still waiting for more information on the matter from Apple. In the meantime I should get my Mac Pro back - this way I can at least work with it.

Needless to say that I am very happy with this suggestion. Even a Mac Pro with strange sounds is better than working without it...

The technician said they didn't change anything. During their tests they changed the PSU and the GPU and after nothing helped they changed both components back so that my Mac Pro is completely unchanged. I don't know what made them think the GPU A is wrong :-/

He told me something interesting at the end of the talk: A customer from Hannover (I'm in Germany) has exactly the same problem and a store in Cologne has it, too. Considering only very few people own Mac Pros up to this specific moment the error seems not to be extremely seldom.

 

[Riwam]

Thank you very much for your update

Today my local ASP called me and explained to me that Apple Care doesn't respond to their questions regarding those issues at the moment and that they are still waiting for more information on the matter from Apple. In the meantime I should get my Mac Pro back - this way I can at least work with it.

Needless to say that I am very happy with this suggestion. Even a Mac Pro with strange sounds is better than working without it...

The technician said they didn't change anything. During their tests they changed the PSU and the GPU and after nothing helped they changed both components back so that my Mac Pro is completely unchanged. I don't know what made them think the GPU A is wrong :-/

He told me something interesting at the end of the talk: A customer from Hannover (I'm in Germany) has exactly the same problem and a store in Cologne has it, too. Considering only very few people own Mac Pros up to this specific moment the error seems not to be extremely seldom.

........................................

Very kind to keep us informed.
Thanks?

 

[lietsche]

I have a 6c, 32gb, 1TB, D700's and do hear the very high pitched noise, too.
It is not very loud but I can hear it. I am in Europe for what it is worth with very good hearing (38 yo). If I put my ear on top of the mac pro I can clearly hear it. From where I am seated it is not too disturbing and I will now move it further away. IMHO the noise does not change and remains pretty much constant, under full load or in idle. I've been to an official reseller today and checked their Mac Pro and could hear the exact same noise. They did not know anything about it, but the guy in the store could clearly hear it as well. So I guess it is a widespread construction/design issue which some people do hear more, and some people less, with some machines being affected a bit more and some less....

 

[Riwam]

Do you intend to do anything about it?

I have a 6c, 32gb, 1TB, D700's and do hear the very high pitched noise, too.
It is not very loud but I can hear it. I am in Europe for what it is worth with very good hearing (38 yo). If I put my ear on top of the mac pro I can clearly hear it. From where I am seated it is not too disturbing and I will now move it further away. IMHO the noise does not change and remains pretty much constant, under full load or in idle. I've been to an official reseller today and checked their Mac Pro and could hear the exact same noise. They did not know anything about it, but the guy in the store could clearly hear it as well. So I guess it is a widespread construction/design issue which some people do hear more, and some people less, with some machines being affected a bit more and some less....

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Do you intend to do something more than just put it at a greater distance from you?

 

[lietsche]

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Do you intend to do something more than just put it at a greater distance from you?

Not for the moment. When it is more far away I don't hear it so I don't have a problem. I can't send it in because I have to work with it (on a deadline). And I don't want to receive an exchange which eventually is worse. So I wait a bit to see what comes out of this "whine-issue" in the upcoming weeks. Maybe a FW-Update can fix it. But again- it is not disturbing enough for me to take action for the moment. I do have Apple Care so I am not in a hurry.

 

[dkmooers]

Crossing my fingers for a firmware fix or even a hardware fix. I put the Mac Pro on the floor behind my desk and can't hear it anymore, even in a dead-silent studio, but would be nice to have it on the desk for easy access!

 

[McTaste]

Has anyone in the USA experienced this? Maybe it's a voltage issue?

 

[Riwam]

Not any voltage issue....

Has anyone in the USA experienced this? Maybe it's a voltage issue?

...............................
It does not seem to have anything to do with the electricity supply.
People in the States reported in different posts they had the dreaded so called "coil whine" ...although the name is used for lack of a better one.
Nobody knows why some nMP show that, while others don't, and apparently not even the technicians of Apple know what part is causing it.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Well this is the second day with my new Mac Pro, and the only sound I get hear in my room when working is the light hum of my external HDD's inside a cabinet under the desk.

The machine itself is dead silent so far, even when working in FCPX with small projects. I'll certainly post here again if I do hear this odd noise or if the machine gets loud for some reason.

 

[tylmad]

I just got my third nMP. The previous two (4c, 32GB, 512SSD, D500s) had the terrible noise so I returned them. I decided to change specs the third time, and went for a 6c, 32GB, 512SSD, D700s. (just a short summary)

This one is really quiet, I can't hear any noise when entering the room, or standing infront of it. So, I'm happy!

There is a noise, but it's really quiet. When running Heaven Benchmark, I can still hear the strange ticking sound, still changing based on what the camera looks at in the test. But the noise is quiet, and I have to put my ear against the chassi to hear it, and that's not anything I do often

I'll work with my new nMP a couple of hours today and hopefully not be bothered with any irritating noises, so I hope this one is a keeper!

 

[Riwam]

Be so kind to keep us informed please!

I just got my third nMP. The previous two (4c, 32GB, 512SSD, D500s) had the terrible noise so I returned them. I decided to change specs the third time, and went for a 6c, 32GB, 512SSD, D700s. (just a short summary)

This one is really quiet, I can't hear any noise when entering the room, or standing infront of it. So, I'm happy!

There is a noise, but it's really quiet. When running Heaven Benchmark, I can still hear the strange ticking sound, still changing based on what the camera looks at in the test. But the noise is quiet, and I have to put my ear against the chassi to hear it, and that's not anything I do often

I'll work with my new nMP a couple of hours today and hopefully not be bothered with any irritating noises, so I hope this one is a keeper!

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Dear tylmad
It would be awfully nice of yours if you keep us informed, so we know that the noise problem with that new configuration you now received is definitively solved.
Thank you very much in advance!

 

[Riwam]

I just got my third nMP. The previous two (4c, 32GB, 512SSD, D500s) had the terrible noise so I returned them. I decided to change specs the third time, and went for a 6c, 32GB, 512SSD, D700s. (just a short summary)

This one is really quiet, I can't hear any noise when entering the room, or standing infront of it. So, I'm happy!

There is a noise, but it's really quiet. When running Heaven Benchmark, I can still hear the strange ticking sound, still changing based on what the camera looks at in the test. But the noise is quiet, and I have to put my ear against the chassi to hear it, and that's not anything I do often

I'll work with my new nMP a couple of hours today and hopefully not be bothered with any irritating noises, so I hope this one is a keeper!

...........................
Dear tylmad

Since I should in the next days receive my ordered nMP...and I confess I am very afraid in advance of the "noise" problem, may I know where you are to know the local Apple branch which helped you so much replacing twice your noisy computer until you received a quiet one?

Thank you very much in advance!

 

[Jim-H]

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I confess I am very afraid in advance of the "noise" problem, may I know where you are to know the local Apple branch which helped you so much replacing twice your noisy computer until you received a quiet one?

All this worrying about the so called dreaded "Coil Whine" may have you hearing this noise even if it doesn't exist. The power of the mind can play games with your senses. Here's hoping you get a nMP that is silent.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

All this worrying about the so called dreaded "Coil Whine" may have you hearing this noise even if it doesn't exist. The power of the mind can play games with your senses. Here's hoping you get a nMP that is silent.

Oh certainly! I've been having no issues at all. In fact even when rendering in FCPX, or running 3D benchmarks I don't yea hear the system. All I hear the light hum of my external HDD's.

In the end he might end up hearing it, even if it's not there. Could be tinnitus for some as well.