Usually when you first turn on the Mac in the morning within five minutes or less usually there is like a long processing noise, like something is uploading - the computer is waking up all its programs, etc. I have a question about the times where you are just on a website and you hear something similar and you are not even clicking on something or doing anything, just reading for a while. Why would the computer make a processing sound when there is nothing to process? It's not the fans either. I was thinking it was the popup blocker working, but I've been on websites like wikipedia that have no popups and I've heard that sound. I looked on the internet and couldn't find anything. Thanks!
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processing noise
- Thread starter certo
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It's the hard drive working. Even though you'er not actively doing anything with your computer, the hard drive still has to perform background reads and writes, which are the basic functions of the operating system.
The hard drive noise is only normal, but unfortunately for the iMac (being on your ear level and being aluminum), its design makes for that hard drive's sound to be amplified.
The hard drive noise is only normal, but unfortunately for the iMac (being on your ear level and being aluminum), its design makes for that hard drive's sound to be amplified.
processing noise
Thank you! It was bothering me for a while every time I heard it but now I feel better knowing it's a normal thing. Sometimes I am also really near the screen because the print is so small because I didn't use the zoom thing.
Thank you! It was bothering me for a while every time I heard it but now I feel better knowing it's a normal thing. Sometimes I am also really near the screen because the print is so small because I didn't use the zoom thing.
Well that depends on what people consider a bothersome noise level for hard drives. When there's multiple threads on this very subforum talking about hard drive noise, it surely isn't 90% of iMacs that have absolutely silent drives.
I know going from my old G5 iMac to this aluminum iMac, I could clearly hear the hard drive, but it puts out as much sound as any other seagate/western digital external hard drive I've ever owned or have been around.
I know going from my old G5 iMac to this aluminum iMac, I could clearly hear the hard drive, but it puts out as much sound as any other seagate/western digital external hard drive I've ever owned or have been around.
Millions of macs are sold each year, while only about 40% know about this form, and 10% come here to either complain, or try to justify their problems. 90% is about right.
I had a noisy seagate hard drive for 8 months, and after putting up with it, I gave in and finally took it to an apple store. What did they tell me? The noise was normal.
I knew that it wasn't because my friends iMac was silent, so I wanted it fixed, not just because I wanted it perfect, but because it was very, very distracting and became annoying over time.
They replaced it, I have another seagate, but now, my iMac is completely silent, even under the heaviest tasks.
To the OP: If it becomes annoying over time like mine did, just take it in and explain it to them. After pram resets and cleaning my HD, and reinstalling OS X, the noise didn't stop. Like I said, if it bothers you, get it fixed.