Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Eug Wanker · Feb 20, 2004, 08:30 PM

Apple officially responds to Power Mac G5 noise problem

ThinkSecret:

While customers grouse about their Power Mac G5's buzzing and beeping noises, an internal Apple service note acknowledges the problem and states that Apple will replace the power supplies of affected machines.

Link · Feb 20, 2004, 08:59 PM

Again?! *sigh* this is just gonna lead to another mess

Sorry to hear about those with affected machines (I know there are quite a few)..

I can't BELIEVE apple lately.. it seems EVERY product they release has a crapload of issues.

Scotttheking · Feb 20, 2004, 09:51 PM

Since when does thinksecret stating something make it official?

Link · Feb 20, 2004, 10:22 PM

Since their staff bought ikea furniture, wore dockers and tight polo shirts, and drank starbucks (and only starbucks)

Luca Rescigno · Feb 20, 2004, 10:45 PM

So let's see... Apple admitting a problem with the G5's power supply and offering to fix it is somehow bad? How does this one problem (so far the only one I have heard of that affects G5s) qualify as a "crapload of issues"? Besides, think of how many people actually have these problems that you bitch about so much. Most likely less than 5%. Yeah, I don't have any data to back that up, but neither do you.

Oh yeah, and because ThinkSecret actually has employees and they dress nice and drink Starbucks, I immediately believe anything they say

. Quit complaining about Apple's quality, they're pretty damn good for the industry and it's not like you're the one who has had these problems.

Vader�s Pinch of Death · Feb 20, 2004, 11:38 PM

How is Think secret official?

Anywho, mine sounds fine and I assume I have a rev A but I don't know how to check without ripping it open.

"Meanwhile, some customers report that the revised power supplies aren't fixing the problem satisfactorily, suggesting that it could be some time before the G5 noise issue is fully resolved."

fizzlemynizzle · Feb 20, 2004, 11:44 PM

how loud are we talking about here? like decibel measurements..

Vader�s Pinch of Death · Feb 21, 2004, 12:05 AM

Originally posted by fizzlemynizzle:
how loud are we talking about here? like decibel measurements..

It is not really a loud sound but a squeaking that is on and off. Some hear it through speaker which sucks when recording audio.

Eug · Feb 21, 2004, 08:13 AM

Originally posted by Scotttheking:
Since when does thinksecret stating something make it official?

That's just the title ThinkSecret used for their article.

osxisfun · Feb 21, 2004, 10:22 AM

is this the noise that goes away in "nap" mode?

masugu · Feb 21, 2004, 10:34 AM

Well....guess I am definitely going to wait for the dual 2.5 GHz (Rev B's)!!!!

Cadaver · Feb 21, 2004, 12:54 PM

I have 2x2 G5, which I'm sure is from the first batch of machines... and the only issue it seems to have is the barely-audible chirping when processor napping is on. Set to off (though apparently not recommended by Apple) solves this issue.

Occasionally, I hear a faint squeak coming from the fan behind the optical bay (in front of the HD cage). Seems to only make a sound when its running at its slowest (which, given the way I use my machine, isn't too often

).

As far as I can tell, the "rev. A" G5s have far fewer problems than many other rev. 1 Apple products.

djohnson · Feb 21, 2004, 12:59 PM

I want to know why people think that everything they buy should be perfect! When was the last time you bought a car and there were no recalls?

Perfection will not come to anything that people make ever...

Lateralus · Feb 21, 2004, 01:32 PM

Originally posted by djohnson:
I want to know why people think that everything they buy should be perfect! When was the last time you bought a car and there were no recalls? Perfection will not come to anything that people make ever...

People just like to bitch. Mac users in particular seem to get a boner from bitching.

Vader�s Pinch of Death · Feb 21, 2004, 02:02 PM

Originally posted by PowerMacMan:
People just like to bitch. Mac users in particular seem to get a boner from bitching.

When you pay over $5000 dollers for a computer that is supposed to be silent and used for Pro Audio then find out that the computer makes chirping sounds over the sound channel and 6 months later Apple still hasn't fixed it you better believe one should bitch.

Lateralus · Feb 21, 2004, 03:35 PM

Originally posted by Vader�s Pinch of Death:
When you pay over $5000 dollers for a computer that is supposed to be silent and used for Pro Audio then find out that the computer makes chirping sounds over the sound channel and 6 months later Apple still hasn't fixed it you better believe one should bitch.

How quiet would another $5,000 computer be? A Dell or a Sony for example.

Bitching about a bad product is one thing. But bitching about a product that is at the top of it's class just means you like to bitch.

That said, to be fair, I have not personally heard the chirp that the G5 makes. But I have dealt with several other Macs in the past that had problems, and as with them I am sure the chirp is not as big of a deal as the amount of complaining would make most people think.

Vader�s Pinch of Death · Feb 21, 2004, 04:08 PM

Originally posted by PowerMacMan:
How quiet would another $5,000 computer be? A Dell or a Sony for example.

Noise in the room is one thing but having chirping INSERTED into the OUT audio port is a totally different story or do you still not get it?

Eug Wanker · Feb 21, 2004, 04:11 PM

Originally posted by PowerMacMan:
How quiet would another $5,000 computer be? A Dell or a Sony for example.

For $5000 you'd be able to get a VERY quiet IBM desktop, and hardcore audio hardware which is basically isolated from the rest of the machine. Indeed, you'd be able to get that for $3000, if you went with a single processor machine.

IMHO, the G5 Power Macs are great machines overall, but these rev. A machines definitely need a few bug fixes.

Vader�s Pinch of Death · Feb 21, 2004, 04:25 PM

Originally posted by Eug Wanker:
IMHO, the G5 Power Macs are great machines overall, but these rev. A machines definitely need a few bug fixes.

Other then the chirping that some people seem to hear what other bugs?

My G5 is from September and it is very very quite. No other problems either.

Eug Wanker · Feb 21, 2004, 04:47 PM

Originally posted by Vader�s Pinch of Death:
Other then the chirping that some people seem to hear what other bugs?

My G5 is from September and it is very very quite. No other problems either.

There are problems with burned out power supplies etc too.

Vader�s Pinch of Death · Feb 21, 2004, 05:10 PM

Originally posted by Eug Wanker:
There are problems with burned out power supplies etc too.

EVERY computer has some sort of problem, you don't have to wait for rev b for a fix.

The Powerbooks had spots on the screen etc.

JCS · Feb 21, 2004, 10:15 PM

Apple admitting a problem with the G5's power supply and offering to fix it is somehow bad?

It's bad because replacing the power supply does not fix the problem. Some users have had their PS replaced several times already with different "revisions" (A-E). Although a new PS has occasionally fixed some of the various fan and audio-out noise issues (and some have caused them as well), none of them will eliminate the "chirp." I am unaware of any user anywhere who has solved this problem with a new PS (any revision). The only current work-around is to disable the CPU's "nap" feature and/or move your G5 away from you (e.g. push it far under the desk).

olePigeon · Feb 24, 2004, 07:48 PM

I'm confursed. Are there two different chirps? One that's audible outside the comptuer, and one that effects the audio I/O?

JCS · Feb 25, 2004, 10:36 PM

Originally posted by olePigeon:
I'm confursed. Are there two different chirps? One that's audible outside the comptuer, and one that effects the audio I/O?

Yes. A summary can be found here:

http://discussions.info.apple.com/We...0@.688d957b/27

with ongoing discussions in this forum:

http://discussions.info.apple.com/Po...QE0Sa0ABd9l.2@

although the 1,000+ original thread on the topic was closed by Apple.

jon l. dawson · Feb 26, 2004, 07:12 AM

I attempted to explain this to Apple Care last night, because I too am experiencing this problem, and the representative on the phone seemed very skeptical and clueless. He kept asking if what I was hearing was the fans, as if I can't tell the difference between a chirping noise and the fans speeding up with cpu activity.

He won't help me any more unless I call back from home and reproduce the noise over the phone. How am I supposed to do that? Is this the "official" response Think Secret is referring to?

jcadam · 12:00 PM

Originally posted by Vader�s Pinch of Death:
Noise in the room is one thing but having chirping INSERTED into the OUT audio port is a totally different story or do you still not get it?

Sounds like poor quality audio ports (if there's noise on the digital optical outs that's just inexcusable, but I'm assuming you're only talking about the analog in/outs, which wouldn't suprise me for built-in sound, if you're using a set of cheapo computer speakers you may not notice, but if you are using a pair of high-quality studio monitors you would notice just about ANY noise).

A pro-level PCI audio board would likely have cleaner in/outs.... Just a suggestion.

I don't have a G5, I have a G4 'windtunnel', so I'm not very sympathetic toward people who complain about the quieter G5

billybob128 · Feb 26, 2004, 12:16 PM

is this supposed to be the noise that sounds like there are two small bits of metal moving together vey fast - a small high pitched squeeking? if it is i only get it when i stop folding.

when it folds quite quiet though louger than 2 g4900 pMacs in a room

when it stops folding i get a squeeking from the power supply area