Vibrating iMac?

[ClassicBean]

I just returned my iMac because of a few dead pixels. Got a new one. Looks great.

But now I notcie that if you touch the back of the iMac, it has a slight vibration to it. It's slight, but it's there.

If this were my first iMac, I would assume that this is normal. But I don't remember feeling that vibration on my previous iMac. It is possible that it was there and I never noticed it because I was too fixated on the dead pixels, but I just want to make sure.

So, iMac owners, if you touch the back of your iMac - say near the top or middle - is there a slight vibration? I am assuming that this is the hard drive or fan, but I want to make sure that mine isn't faulty.

Any help would be great. Please provide me with some peace of mind OR a reason to go back to the store.

 

[BlakTornado]

It's there on mine, although mine isn't Silent (Can hear the fans humming, but quietly, though. Don't know if people literally mean silent) and it had a stuck pixel... so it's not like mine is the most reliable source...

 

[Yuppi]

My has a slight virbration too. But I would not be to scared. Of course the new iMac has fans and it also has a harddisk. And every rotating part creates vibrations. So if you can sleep while it is running than I wouldn't care

 

[negatv1]

So, iMac owners, if you touch the back of your iMac - say near the top or middle - is there a slight vibration?

That is right where the hard drive is, spinning at 7200 rpm. Probably going to sense some sort of vibration on the thin aluminum shell of the imac.

 

[ClassicBean]

Ok! Good to hear. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks for the responses.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

FYI: The vibration increases dramatically in proportion to the raunchiness of the pr0n your surfing...

...they don't charge extra for that...

All joking aside... I swapped out my stock drive for a larger one, and got a dud... it vibrated like crazy by the time I pulled it. Got progressively worse with more noise and a low frequency hum emitting from the center of the unit: it was terrible. A little drive vibration is ok, but it should not be excessive and certainly shouldn't increase!

And now back to the joking:

iBrator

 

[ClassicBean]

yeah the only reason i noticed the vibration was because i had my eyes right up to the screen as I searched for dead pixels on the new unit. That's when my ears perked up and heard the vibration. Then, i touched it to see how it felt, hence my original post.

But from what I am hearing, a slight vibration is perfectly normal and expected.

 

[queshy]

From where you're sitting if you don't feel/hear the vibration then don't worry about it.

 

[HLdan]

Well it IS an electronics device that contains a hard drive and fans which create noise and vibration. What does anyone expect? The machine is already whisper quiet which is phenomenal in itself. Stop looking for problems to create and enjoy.

 

[ClassicBean]

UPDATE: So I was able to get rid of the annoying hum. I placed a mousepad underneath the iMac stand. I guess the humming sound / slight resonation was the combination of the unit and the fake wood Ikea table working off each other.

Ended up cutting the mousepad roughly to size so you don't even see it. It's much quieter now.

Now, all I need is a new mousepad.

 

[brookie4993]

internal part or magnetic?

i have noticed the slight vibration too, but it also goes away once i place my second hand on the back of the case.

you try it.. rub your right hand along the right side, and then touch your left hand to the left side periodically and notice the dissipation of the vibration.

this shows that it is caused by a magnetic vibration or charge, since your hand acts as a ground for the electricity.

 

[bonespur]

vibration history - including a change

Since my iMac was new, over three and a half years ago now, it has had what sounds like basically the same vibration as you all have described above.

I too found early on that I could reduce resonance with the desk upon which the iMac sits by standing the iMac on a layer of foam plastic, such as a mouse pad.

In the last few days, the vibration has changed. Previously it was a steady vibration. Now the vibration pulsates at (I'm estimating) somethjing like 2 Hz or maybe it's 3 Hz, and sounds almost exactly like some refrigerators do, just not as loud. In fact when I first heard the pulsating vibration I ignored it for several days as I was convinced it was coming from a refrigerator down the hallway - but when I stick my ear close to the iMac I can tell the pulsating vibration is coming from the rear of the iMac.

By the way, are there "warning" sound signatures from hard drives and fans that are about to fail?

 

[mtnDewFTW]

It's normal. I have it on mine too.

 

[drambuie]

Since my iMac was new, over three and a half years ago now, it has had what sounds like basically the same vibration as you all have described above.

I too found early on that I could reduce resonance with the desk upon which the iMac sits by standing the iMac on a layer of foam plastic, such as a mouse pad.

In the last few days, the vibration has changed. Previously it was a steady vibration. Now the vibration pulsates at (I'm estimating) somethjing like 2 Hz or maybe it's 3 Hz, and sounds almost exactly like some refrigerators do, just not as loud. In fact when I first heard the pulsating vibration I ignored it for several days as I was convinced it was coming from a refrigerator down the hallway - but when I stick my ear close to the iMac I can tell the pulsating vibration is coming from the rear of the iMac.

By the way, are there "warning" sound signatures from hard drives and fans that are about to fail?

That could be a beat from two fans operating at slightly different speeds. The sound will vary in intensity as the vibrations slip in and out of phase. A way to test that is to put a load on the CPU so that the fans speed up.