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Axo1ot1 · Jan 4, 2005, 01:15 AM

Well I bought this 1 GHz 17" PowerBook the August before last, and I sold it to my dad a few months later. Well about 4 months ago I bought it back from him. I can't remember if this was a problem when I sold it to him, but it is a problem now.

What it is is a medium-high-pitched noise that modulates slightly and cuts in and out several times a second, and is always going when the computer is on. It's pretty subtle, but I use it as my workstation in a pretty quiet house every day, and it's absolutely obnoxious. I've experimented with having different programs off (Dreamweaver makes my G5 do a crazy high pitched noise for some reason), but I haven't had any luck. Anyone know what's going on here?

Randman · Jan 4, 2005, 01:33 AM

Check your Energy Saver settings.

Axo1ot1 · Jan 4, 2005, 02:35 AM

Originally posted by Randman:
Check your Energy Saver settings.

For what, exactly? I can't find the 'Turn Off Horrible Noise' checkbox

Simon · Jan 4, 2005, 02:56 AM

Originally posted by Axo1ot1:
For what, exactly? I can't find the 'Turn Off Horrible Noise' checkbox

He means you should check the setting of Options > Processor Performance. If this is set to 'Highest' instead of to 'Automatic' chances are your fan will be running more often.

Axo1ot1 · Jan 4, 2005, 03:09 AM

I have it on custom settings...

I am pretty sure it's not the fan, because that makes a different noise.

javadesigner · Jan 4, 2005, 07:56 AM

I had the same problem with 3 or 4 separate
17" laptops. All make a noise - regardless
of "energy saver settings", the noise has
nothing to do with energy saver at all. (and/or
chud tools or whatever stupid ritual clueless
people suggest). The noise is because of:

a) LCD baclight invertor: the 17" (ALL apple 17")
laptops whine when you turn the backlight down
from full-on. This can be clearly heard in
a quiet room (try doing this at midnight inside
a closet where there is no noise and you'll hear
it). I can hear this clearly even during the
day. Those who can't hear it have bad hearing,
probably destroyed by loud music in their
formative years.

REPEAT: This is a backlight invertor problem
not a fan problem. I have experienced this
problem on high-end SGI 1600SW flat panels
(they cost $3000 each a few years ago) and
it's the invertor circuit. Most laptops
(say by sony or ibm or even the apple ibooks)
DON'T have this problem.

b) The second problem IS a fan and/or power
supply problem and is a CONSTANT noise.
Again, this is independent of any software
settings and is louder when the machine is
plugged in. (again, this has NOTHING to do
with energy saver, custom settings at lowest
processor performance don't help).

The ONLY REASON why some people hear the
noise on the 17" more than others is individual
hearing capacity. ALL 17" laptops have this
problem. I have personally experienced this
on 4 separate laptops, all brand new and
made within the past 6 months.

javadesigner · Jan 4, 2005, 08:00 AM

Axo1ot1:

You should send a email to steve jobs (look
up his email via google) and clearly tell
them how unhappy you are with paying top
dollar and getting this kind of crappy laptop.
This would be EXPECTED in say sony or ibm but
NOT apple. Apple automatically has a built-in
HIGHER expectation than other componies.

Secondly, if it's a brand new laptop, you
can return it and wait until Jan 11. Apple
MAY release a updated 17" which MAY have
lesser fan noise. Who knows ?

SEkker · Jan 4, 2005, 08:09 AM

If you are covered under Apple Care, it might be worthwhile visiting an Apple Store and showing them the problem. This is not something I have experienced with my revA PB17 that's about 3 months older than yours.

Simon · Jan 4, 2005, 08:14 AM

Originally posted by javadesigner:
(and/or chud tools or whatever stupid ritual clueless people suggest)

Wow, 28 posts on this board and that's the tone you chose to post in. Good luck.

BTW, speaking about 'clueless people', how about posting w/o using the return key more than twice? Your postings are a PITA to read on anything larger than a 640x480 resolution.

javadesigner · Jan 4, 2005, 09:15 PM

Originally posted by Simon:
Wow, 28 posts on this board and that's the tone you chose to post in. Good luck.

Wow, your post isn't doing a lot of good for your
reputation. Tinkering with chud/energy-saver
IS clueless on all 17" systems -- the noise is
not affected by any energy saver setting
as I explained in excruciating detail and as experienced
by many others including the original poster.

I await, with bated breath, to learn at the feet
of a master such as yourself. Please DO help
us all and tell us exactly how to stop the
noise from the backlight, fan and power-circuit
on the 17".

Go on, we're waiting.....

javadesigner · Jan 4, 2005, 09:20 PM

Originally posted by SEkker:
If you are covered under Apple Care, it might be worthwhile visiting an Apple Store and showing them the problem. This is not something I have experienced with my revA PB17 that's about 3 months older than yours.

This will never work in any Apple store
(I don't know about the original poster but I've
tried it myself).

You know why ? There is way, way, waaaaaaay
too much ambient noise in an apple store.
You can only hear the irritating noise in
a quiet room at home. You can't hear it
even in a office or computer lab (with other
running machines), forget about the apple store.

And no, taking the machine into the "back"
of the store ain't gonna help.

bighead · Jan 4, 2005, 11:48 PM

Search Google for "powerbook sizzle" and look at the second result. Therein may lie your answer.

SEkker · Jan 5, 2005, 10:32 AM

Originally posted by javadesigner:
This will never work in any Apple store
(I don't know about the original poster but I've
tried it myself).

You know why ? There is way, way, waaaaaaay
too much ambient noise in an apple store.
You can only hear the irritating noise in
a quiet room at home. You can't hear it
even in a office or computer lab (with other
running machines), forget about the apple store.

And no, taking the machine into the "back"
of the store ain't gonna help.

The PB17 'sizzle' is not 'high-pitched', as described by the original poster. I've heard the sizzle on my PB, and I am personally very sensitive to high frequency sound bleeding from electronics. The frequency of the 'sizzle' is closer to the middle auditory frequencies.

If the problem cannot be heard in an Apple Store, I doubt Apple will worry too much about it, either. If it's a problem in day-to-day use, maybe turning on iTunes to play quiet background music would be an easy fix for the poster.