[uicandrew]

This is my first imac (intel or G5) so i don't have any frame of reference.

when my imac "wakes up" from sleeping, it sounds like the fan revs up for a sec. (like a "vroom" type of sound, as if you're rev-ing the engine of a car) then the sound disappears immediately. Also, i hear the speakers (external) pop (just once).

does anyone else's intel imac do this? it doesn't bother me, but i don't want it to be a sign of bad things to come later on down the line.

[eddiecatflap]

i hear a slight , ever so slight , increase in fan noise

but i can only hear it at night

compared to my imac G4 it's amazingly quiet , that was like a vacuum cleaner

and as for my old G3 imac , good lord , that sounds like a bloomin washing machine on full spin in comparison ( yes it still works! thats apple quality for ya !! )

[harrisjamieh]

Yep, mine makes the exact same 2 noises. First, the fans rev up, like you said - but only for a split second until they spin down again, and then my external speakers pop, so yes, this must be normal. When I had my G5 iSight iMac, I remember the fans spinning up in the same way, though I can't remember if the speakers poped or not, but I *think* they did.

[jwoods]

I don't notice the fans reving up, but I do hear the pop from the speakers. Having said that, I have a PC I use for gaming in the same room and it sounds like a jet engine, so I can't say my fans don't rev up, just that I can hear them over the noise the PC puts out.

[badnewsblair]

I have it too. It is just the fan spinning up. The fans in the iMac are larger surface area bladed fans that spin slowly almost always. this provides proper cooling without almost any noise at all. It's like when you start your car, some people open the accelerator a little to get the engine to proper RPM right off the bat.

@jwoods
Yeah, I used to have a home built PC in my bedroom as well and it was so loud that I kept it on at night so the fan noise could put me to sleep. I sort of miss that.

[jwoods]

Blair,

I hear you. I built the PC myself as well. I have 10 cooliing fans cooling everything down in a server case. Until I grabbed my iMac, I didn't really notice how loud it was. Now it seems to be way too loud. Almost annoying.

[uicandrew]

thanks for all your insight. Now I feel better that it's not "just me." I have my iMac in my living room, along with a shuttlepc that I built from scratch (using a case heavily advertised as being quiet) and i hear it over the sound of my imac. (i thought my imac was making the noise, but it wasn't. it was my shuttle pc.

Now i have to decide if the applecare is worth it. My iMac cost $1899, and the applecare is only $150 (less than 10%). i realize that it is less prone to mishaps because it is a stationary computer (yes, i realize that accidental damage is not covered) and it undergoes less stress than a laptop.

The macbook pro that i ordered then canceled cost $2600, and Applecare costs $350 (over 10%)

[BoingoBongo]

I have that noise too. That's about the only time I hear my iMac. Otherwise it's quiter than my TV (on mute, of course).