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iMac G5 - Loud Fan!
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WinTroll
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Sep 19, 2004, 02:06 AM
 
Is anyone else having this problem?

I just got mine at the local Apple Store here. Came home all excited and everything!

Turn it on and NO dead pixels, thank god.

However, the fan is extremely loud and annoying. And I am a PC user who is used to loud fans too. It sounds like someone is flying an RC plane around outside, that type of noise. I can easily hear it through my music playing.

THIS SUX!

Going back to the Apple Store tomorrow and exchange it (more like wait another week for another one to arrive).

I am just sitting here in safari and itunes with 40% CPU idle. I have not even installed any software yet.

Is there anything that I can do? I do not want to take this back to the store.
     
iREZ
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Sep 19, 2004, 02:08 AM
 
Could it be RAM overload? The ones I saw in store were making no noise and had a few apps running.
NOW YOU SEE ME! 2.4 MBP and 2.0 MBP (running ubuntu)
     
PEHowland
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Sep 19, 2004, 02:36 AM
 
Originally posted by iREZ:
Could it be RAM overload? The ones I saw in store were making no noise and had a few apps running.
What is RAM overload?? Why would installation of RAM cause 40% CPU usage?

I would be tempted to try reseting the System Management Unit (SMU) which is responsible for controlling the fan speed in response to information from the OS. Sounds like your SMU is just running the fans at full power. The SMU reset button is on the mainboard, level with and about 2" to the left of the four system monitor LED's. It looks like a little square with a circle inside. There are two of them - you need to press the lower one of the two (lower when viewed such that the LED's are to the right).

Also trying changing the power management modes in the OS to see if this resets anything.

Hope this helps.
Paul

Wassenaar, The Netherlands.

Home: iMac G5 1.8GHz
Work: Powermac Quad and MacbookPro 17" C2D
     
iREZ
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Sep 19, 2004, 02:47 AM
 
By RAM overload, I meant that maybe he had too little. Sorry for the bad choice of words, it's pretty late here in LA and I had a long night last night.
NOW YOU SEE ME! 2.4 MBP and 2.0 MBP (running ubuntu)
     
PEHowland
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Sep 19, 2004, 03:47 AM
 
Originally posted by iREZ:
By RAM overload, I meant that maybe he had too little. Sorry for the bad choice of words, it's pretty late here in LA and I had a long night last night.
Oh OK. I understand. Too little RAM would cause a lot of disk activity due to swapping and paging. I guess this might cause the hard disk to heat up, causing the fans to speed up, but I think this is unlikely. If this is going on, then the best way to check would be to close all the applications and see if the fans slow down. Then gradually open more apps and see if continual hard disk activity is heard, followed a bit later by fan speed increase.
Paul

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Home: iMac G5 1.8GHz
Work: Powermac Quad and MacbookPro 17" C2D
     
WinTroll  (op)
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Sep 19, 2004, 04:52 AM
 
I notice lots of people in the Apple Support Discussions complaining about this issue too.

I installed another 512 to bring it to 768 megs of RAM.

Lack of RAM is not the problem. I set the CPU to reduced (let's see....buy a fast Mac, then forcibly reduce the CPU speed?!?! So why buy a faster Mac?)

The fan is noisy. No doubt.

So I installed Command & Conquer Generals and let it rip at 1024 x 768 at medium settings. The game was VERY playable by the way! Smooth scrolling and absolutely no pauses or jerkiness in the game (I kept playing the skirmish for about 2 hours).

However, the fans were at FULL blast during the game. I actually had to turn the game sound up because they were so loud.

Once done, I exited and the fans went back to simply annoying instead of incredibly annoying with the game running full tilt.

Sitting here after a reboot and only running safari. Fans are making the hair dryer, RC model noise. It even interferes with iTunes. Forget about listening to classical, jazz or new age on your iMac. Play Metallica and you might not hear the noise, but other than that.

This thing is going back to the Apple Store tomorrow at noon.

But now what do I do? Can't really exchange it since there are no others (long backlog), I could upgrade for the PowerMac, but I would imagine that I am going to have the same problem.

The days of silent and quiet Macs are gone.

The nVidia 5200 Ultra with 64 meg held up very nicely to my C&C test though. I was somewhat surprised. I sort of expected him to crawl, but he did great.

Wow, I pulled the back off to install the memory (and again to remove it before reboxing him) and the G5 cover is very hot (expected) but the hard drive is nuclear hot (and its a 5400 rpm right?).

I am SOOOOOOOOO disappointed right now. I was so excited when I bought this.
     
PEHowland
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Sep 19, 2004, 05:25 AM
 
Originally posted by WinTroll:
I notice lots of people in the Apple Support Discussions complaining about this issue too.
I just took a look over there. There's actually quite a range of opinion ranging from "completely silent" to "so loud I'm returning it". It'll be interesting to see whether this is due to different people's perceptions of fan noise or whether there is a genuine range of sound levels on the models rolling of the production line. I guess it may also depend on what power setting people are using.
Paul

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Home: iMac G5 1.8GHz
Work: Powermac Quad and MacbookPro 17" C2D
     
storer
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Sep 19, 2004, 07:54 AM
 
Originally posted by PEHowland:
I guess it may also depend on what power setting people are using.
or how good their hearing is!
     
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Sep 19, 2004, 08:06 AM
 
I've heard about this, it seems like there is some sort of software error. Reinstall the OS to fix it.
     
Nivag
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Sep 19, 2004, 08:10 AM
 
i thought i read that the iMacs weren't to be no louder than a whisper at normal running speeds and max out at 35db
     
nudnik1972
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Sep 19, 2004, 08:11 AM
 
anyone else notice that those complaints seem to be limited to the 1.6Ghz base model?
IMac, therefore I am.

17" IMac G5, 1.8Ghz, 80GB HDD, Bluetooth, 768MB RAM
     
jasonv1
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Sep 19, 2004, 08:47 AM
 
I dunno, I just took delivery of my G5 dually yesterday and I think it is pretty quiet.

From what I understand, yours sounds like an anomaly compared to other iMacs in the group.

Jason

Originally posted by WinTroll:
at noon.

But now what do I do? Can't really exchange it since there are no others (long backlog), I could upgrade for the PowerMac, but I would imagine that I am going to have the same problem.

The days of silent and quiet Macs are gone.

-Formerly: Mac Plus, PowerMac 8100, Orange Clamshell iBook, G3 B@W, G3 900 iBook, G4 eMac, G5 1.8 Dually, G5 2.0 Dually, G4 iBook, G4 Mac Mini, MBP Rev1 2.0.

-Current: MBP Core 2 Duo

-If I can sneak it in the house: Mac Pro (any will do)
     
kcmac
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Sep 19, 2004, 10:23 AM
 
You can hear the fans on my iMac but they are quiet. My 12" PB fans are louder. (rev a).

I have the 20". It would seem to me (if this fan issue is widespread) that this could be another advantage of the bigger form factor. More roominess for the components inside. The memory sticks especially. They lean away from the processor in the 20".

Just speculation on my part. (I'm probably also looking for more verification as to why I really needed the 20".)
     
the_glassman
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Sep 19, 2004, 10:35 AM
 
Who gives a f$ck? If you want a silent computer buy a used cube or older imac, unless there is something wrong with yours, then I can understand being upset. But any kind of computer especially one with the latest and greatest specifications (well expect the crap graphics card) will need some kind of active cooling. I have an eMac as loud as hell and had what was historically known as the loudest mac ever in a G4 powermac tower. Turn up itunes or learn to live with it. It can't be that loud, it it were up to steve everything would be fan-less without any optical drives and zero upgradability.
     
pliny
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Sep 19, 2004, 02:00 PM
 
things that sit on your desk, esp somehting with a monitor hum, psu hum, hdd spin, and fan all in one, are going to be right in front of your face, alto in this instance, all of it behind a very nice looking screen. i find it hard to think that it can be so loud as to warrant a return, but maybe i guess, thereh ave been some loud imacs.

i was using a g4 imac the other day, it was very quiet, i had to bend down to the base and even then could barely hear anything.
i look in your general direction
     
WinTroll  (op)
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Sep 19, 2004, 02:04 PM
 
Originally posted by nudnik1972:
anyone else notice that those complaints seem to be limited to the 1.6Ghz base model?
Mine is the middle of the road model (17" with SuperDrive).

And as a PC user, I know what loud is too.

This is unacceptably loud, even for a PC. If this were a PC, I would be taking it back too.



And this is such a cool computer.

I'll give it a few more days, since the Apple Store lets me have 14 days to decide.
     
WinTroll  (op)
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Sep 19, 2004, 02:08 PM
 
Originally posted by kcmac:
You can hear the fans on my iMac but they are quiet. My 12" PB fans are louder. (rev a).

I have the 20". It would seem to me (if this fan issue is widespread) that this could be another advantage of the bigger form factor. More roominess for the components inside. The memory sticks especially. They lean away from the processor in the 20".

Just speculation on my part. (I'm probably also looking for more verification as to why I really needed the 20".)
True, the memory sticks in this iMac G5 1.8 lean over towards the G5 casing.

Oddly, though, the G5 casing, while hot, was not as hot as the hard drive was.

I love this computer, so I am going to wait a couple of days and see what happens in the forums and from Apple.
     
WinTroll  (op)
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Sep 19, 2004, 02:15 PM
 
Originally posted by pliny:
things that sit on your desk, esp somehting with a monitor hum, psu hum, hdd spin, and fan all in one, are going to be right in front of your face, alto in this instance, all of it behind a very nice looking screen. i find it hard to think that it can be so loud as to warrant a return, but maybe i guess, thereh ave been some loud imacs.

i was using a g4 imac the other day, it was very quiet, i had to bend down to the base and even then could barely hear anything.
Yes. The G4 iMac was incredibly silent. I used to have one.

And I fully expected that this G5 iMac would certainly be louder and was well prepared for that.

And yes, it is that loud as to warrant a return. For those familiar with SFF (small form factor) PC's, it is that loud.

Like others have posted though, it is more the pitch or tone than the db level, per se. If it sounded more like a box fan, I would not be here complaining.
     
WinTroll  (op)
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Sep 19, 2004, 02:19 PM
 
Originally posted by the_glassman:
Who gives a f$ck? If you want a silent computer buy a used cube or older imac, unless there is something wrong with yours, then I can understand being upset. But any kind of computer especially one with the latest and greatest specifications (well expect the crap graphics card) will need some kind of active cooling. I have an eMac as loud as hell and had what was historically known as the loudest mac ever in a G4 powermac tower. Turn up itunes or learn to live with it. It can't be that loud, it it were up to steve everything would be fan-less without any optical drives and zero upgradability.
Ironic comment since Apple has long claimed this as a feature over the PC world.

I shouldn't have to cripple my CPU (by reducing its speed) or constantly play iTunes to mask the annoying sound coming from the computer.

Apple is all about aesthetics right? This is unacceptable from an Apple computer.

I wouldn't even accept this noise from my PC.
     
hldan
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Sep 19, 2004, 05:29 PM
 
Originally posted by WinTroll:

The days of silent and quiet Macs are gone.

Wow, I pulled the back off to install the memory (and again to remove it before reboxing him) and the G5 cover is very hot (expected) but the hard drive is nuclear hot (and its a 5400 rpm right?).

I am SOOOOOOOOO disappointed right now. I was so excited when I bought this.
It's actually a 7200RPM HDD.
Apple is going to tell you the fans are acting properly and most likely they are. Apple's biggest fault is that they over-advertise quiet and low db fan noise but of course this is when the computer is basically idle.
You should be happy when the fans turn on, they can be a bit annoying on my Powerbook but I am usually releived when they turn on because I know the computer is functioning properly and it will not over heat. Be happy you have no dead or stuck pixels, this is something that Apple won't cover out of the box without a restocking fee.
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WinTroll  (op)
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Sep 19, 2004, 06:45 PM
 
Originally posted by hldan:
It's actually a 7200RPM HDD.
Apple is going to tell you the fans are acting properly and most likely they are. Apple's biggest fault is that they over-advertise quiet and low db fan noise but of course this is when the computer is basically idle.
You should be happy when the fans turn on, they can be a bit annoying on my Powerbook but I am usually releived when they turn on because I know the computer is functioning properly and it will not over heat. Be happy you have no dead or stuck pixels, this is something that Apple won't cover out of the box without a restocking fee.
It is not the fact that there is fan noise that bothers me. I fully expected it (especially with a G5 chip).

But the tone or pitch of one of the fans is right at the point of being really annoying. That's what eats me the most. I noticed it right away as it was powering up too.

Sounds just like a model airplane buzzing around outside.
     
Link
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Sep 19, 2004, 06:55 PM
 
Originally posted by the_glassman:
Who gives a f$ck? If you want a silent computer buy a used cube or older imac, unless there is something wrong with yours, then I can understand being upset. But any kind of computer especially one with the latest and greatest specifications (well expect the crap graphics card) will need some kind of active cooling. I have an eMac as loud as hell and had what was historically known as the loudest mac ever in a G4 powermac tower. Turn up itunes or learn to live with it. It can't be that loud, it it were up to steve everything would be fan-less without any optical drives and zero upgradability.
Whoa WHOAA whoa... hang on a second.

How DARE you post this sort of thing on a forum? You're going right for the blind zealot description you do NOT want to give the people here.
Aloha
     
Link
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Sep 19, 2004, 06:56 PM
 
Originally posted by WinTroll:
It is not the fact that there is fan noise that bothers me. I fully expected it (especially with a G5 chip).

But the tone or pitch of one of the fans is right at the point of being really annoying. That's what eats me the most. I noticed it right away as it was powering up too.

Sounds just like a model airplane buzzing around outside.
Probably a bad bearing in there somehow.. I'm sure they'll at least replace the fan, if not the entire machine, sorry to hear about that man and good luck!
Aloha
     
OB1
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Sep 19, 2004, 07:05 PM
 
You don't need to make excuses. If you think it's too loud, it's too loud.

To quote Apple - "The speaker grill lets a trio of ULTRA-QUIET blowers draw cool air into the system. These custom heat dissipaters can rotate at speeds as low as a few hundred RPM. Advanced thermal software spins them as fast or slow as needed and YOU'LL HARDLY EVER NOTICE THEM. QUIETER THAN A WHISPER the iMac G5 measures less than 25dB when idle (at the same distance of 50cm, a whisper in a quiet room measures more than 30dB).

I think you're more than justified in returning it.

Some people have recommended you try reinstalling the OS and resetting the System Management Unit (PEHowland, third post down) Tried that?

I was really hoping not to see any "Loud G5 iMac!" threads, but here one is already

Good luck.
     
storer
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Sep 19, 2004, 07:21 PM
 
I find it hard to believe it would exceed the volume of music. I can only just hear my Windows Box over my music, and to hear that i need to strain my ears.
     
the_glassman
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Sep 19, 2004, 08:29 PM
 
Originally posted by OB1:
You don't need to make excuses. If you think it's too loud, it's too loud.

To quote Apple - "The speaker grill lets a trio of ULTRA-QUIET blowers draw cool air into the system. These custom heat dissipaters can rotate at speeds as low as a few hundred RPM. Advanced thermal software spins them as fast or slow as needed and YOU'LL HARDLY EVER NOTICE THEM. QUIETER THAN A WHISPER the iMac G5 measures less than 25dB when idle (at the same distance of 50cm, a whisper in a quiet room measures more than 30dB).

I think you're more than justified in returning it.

Some people have recommended you try reinstalling the OS and resetting the System Management Unit (PEHowland, third post down) Tried that?

I was really hoping not to see any "Loud G5 iMac!" threads, but here one is already

Good luck.
They also would lead you believe the iMac is the ultimate gaming machine which is also not the case. Don't buy into the hype and don't believe everything Apple's marketing department wants you to believe.
     
pliny
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Sep 19, 2004, 10:01 PM
 
just because one guy has what he thinks is a loud machine means....what?

i look in your general direction
     
El_Chupacabra
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Sep 19, 2004, 10:48 PM
 
It means that the machine is too loud for his taste and he's not happy, and rightly so.

I would return the thing and hope for a better replacement. Maybe try a floor model and see if it�s any better?
     
WinTroll  (op)
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Sep 19, 2004, 11:57 PM
 
Originally posted by OB1:
You don't need to make excuses. If you think it's too loud, it's too loud.

To quote Apple - "The speaker grill lets a trio of ULTRA-QUIET blowers draw cool air into the system. These custom heat dissipaters can rotate at speeds as low as a few hundred RPM. Advanced thermal software spins them as fast or slow as needed and YOU'LL HARDLY EVER NOTICE THEM. QUIETER THAN A WHISPER the iMac G5 measures less than 25dB when idle (at the same distance of 50cm, a whisper in a quiet room measures more than 30dB).

I think you're more than justified in returning it.

Some people have recommended you try reinstalling the OS and resetting the System Management Unit (PEHowland, third post down) Tried that?

I was really hoping not to see any "Loud G5 iMac!" threads, but here one is already

Good luck.
I will reload it now from scratch after resetting the SMU. Not a big deal since I have not installed much on it now (30 hours later).

And I have owned an iMac G4 17" too. I fully realize that it would never be that silent, but playing C&C Generals, it literally sounds like a hair dryer.

Sitting idle (confirmed 80% cpu idle via top) one of the fans makes a noise akin to an RC (remote control) airplane buzzing around outside. I am well conditioned to loud fans in the numerous PC's that I have owned. This iMac is far louder from idle to load than my Dell.

Either way, the sound is annoying more than loud and can be easily heard through jazz and classical music without even trying.

I may even pull the back off, secure the unit, and power it on. Being careful not to touch anything to find out which fan of the two at the top of the unit (third appears to be in the power supply sucking air into the case) that is the culprit.

Back to the Apple Store tomorrow after I call AppleCare in the morning to get their take on it.

Isn't the 20" in the same size case as the 17" though?
     
kcmac
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Sep 20, 2004, 12:13 AM
 
Originally posted by WinTroll:
Isn't the 20" in the same size case as the 17" though?
How do ya figure? Are you talking about the whole case? That would make the 20" bigger.
     
Lancer409
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Sep 20, 2004, 12:45 AM
 
good luck with your imac's ... i heard from some that they were near silent... hope that gets fixed...

No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
     
PEHowland
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Sep 20, 2004, 01:06 AM
 
Originally posted by WinTroll:

And I have owned an iMac G4 17" too. I fully realize that it would never be that silent, but playing C&C Generals, it literally sounds like a hair dryer.

Sitting idle (confirmed 80% cpu idle via top) one of the fans makes a noise akin to an RC (remote control) airplane buzzing around outside. I am well conditioned to loud fans in the numerous PC's that I have owned. This iMac is far louder from idle to load than my Dell.
If what you are describing is true, then it definitely sounds like a defective machine to me, not a general feature of the iMac. There are too many other people around describing the machine as near-silent for your experiences to make sense otherwise. Good luck with the replacement.
Paul

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Home: iMac G5 1.8GHz
Work: Powermac Quad and MacbookPro 17" C2D
     
WinTroll  (op)
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Sep 20, 2004, 08:29 PM
 


I had to return it to the local Apple Store today.

A sad day.

The tech came out and said that there was certainly something wrong with the fan making that buzzing noise. He heard it too.

I tried to check out the other demo models but there is too much noise in the store to really give it a good test.

So I will wait for a while and see what happens.

Perhaps I'll save some money and go for the 20" next time, more space inside for cooling too.

Damn, that was a fine looking computer that was easily upgradeable too.
     
PookJP
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Sep 20, 2004, 09:16 PM
 
Originally posted by WinTroll:


I had to return it to the local Apple Store today.

A sad day.

The tech came out and said that there was certainly something wrong with the fan making that buzzing noise. He heard it too.

I tried to check out the other demo models but there is too much noise in the store to really give it a good test.

So I will wait for a while and see what happens.

Perhaps I'll save some money and go for the 20" next time, more space inside for cooling too.

Damn, that was a fine looking computer that was easily upgradeable too.
What are you so sad about? You found out the computer loved, except for its one flaw, was defective. So now you can have the computer you love minus the flaw.

This is a good thing.
It's the devil's way now.
     
WinTroll  (op)
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Sep 20, 2004, 09:57 PM
 
Originally posted by PookJP:
What are you so sad about? You found out the computer loved, except for its one flaw, was defective. So now you can have the computer you love minus the flaw.

This is a good thing.


No more in-stock though.

Try again in a few weeks (long backlog).

     
storer
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Sep 20, 2004, 10:46 PM
 
Good Luck. I hope you get another one without the problem.
     
anti-sleep
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Sep 21, 2004, 01:19 AM
 
I just recieved my 1.6 GHz with 160 gig HD today. While it is louder than I thought it would be based on the ads, I wouldn't say it is unacceptably so. Definitely better than my 12" Powerbook. (Which is now for sale btw )
     
PookJP
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Sep 21, 2004, 01:16 PM
 
Originally posted by anti-sleep:
I just recieved my 1.6 GHz with 160 gig HD today. While it is louder than I thought it would be based on the ads, I wouldn't say it is unacceptably so. Definitely better than my 12" Powerbook. (Which is now for sale btw )
How much for the 12"?
It's the devil's way now.
     
cmoney
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Sep 21, 2004, 03:12 PM
 
Well at least it's good that Apple took it back without hasssle. They're usually pretty strict for returns and that means there was a definite problem with the unit.

Good luck with the next one!

Originally posted by WinTroll:


I had to return it to the local Apple Store today.

A sad day.

The tech came out and said that there was certainly something wrong with the fan making that buzzing noise. He heard it too.

I tried to check out the other demo models but there is too much noise in the store to really give it a good test.

So I will wait for a while and see what happens.

Perhaps I'll save some money and go for the 20" next time, more space inside for cooling too.

Damn, that was a fine looking computer that was easily upgradeable too.
     
WinTroll  (op)
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Sep 22, 2004, 12:01 AM
 
Originally posted by cmoney:
Well at least it's good that Apple took it back without hasssle. They're usually pretty strict for returns and that means there was a definite problem with the unit.

Good luck with the next one!
Yes. No restocking fee either.

But that was because I saved everything (literally) and reboxed like it was brand new.

I will look at getting the 20" next time though.

And I want to watch the forums to see others issues.

I'm down for now, but not out!

     
FulcrumPilot
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Vladivostok.ru
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Sep 23, 2004, 07:38 PM
 
Originally posted by WinTroll:


No more in-stock though.

Try again in a few weeks (long backlog).

get a life! it's only a computer!! Jesuz!

go on a vacation to spain!

( Last edited by FulcrumPilot; Sep 23, 2004 at 07:46 PM. )
_,.
a solitary firefly flies at nite
into the darkness an endless flight
a million flashes of delight.
     
hldan
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Sep 23, 2004, 08:06 PM
 
Originally posted by FulcrumPilot:
get a life! it's only a computer!! Jesuz!

go on a vacation to spain!

Ditto, there's worse things to be stressed about. At least there was no restocking fee. You are out "no" money.
iMac 24" 2.8 Ghz Core 2 Extreme
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iBorg
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Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Minneapolis, MN
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Sep 24, 2004, 12:15 AM
 
Originally posted by FulcrumPilot:
get a life! it's only a computer!! Jesuz!

go on a vacation to spain!

Originally posted by hidan:
Ditto, there's worse things to be stressed about. At least there was no restocking fee. You are out "no" money.
What's wrong with you two? The guy's relating his excitement, then disappointment, with a defective iMac that he fell in love with!

Switch to decaf, dudes!



iBorg
     
alternate_bit
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Sep 24, 2004, 12:30 AM
 
seriously. we are on this message board because we like macs. this guy bought a brand new system and is disappointed that he had to take it back and they don't have any more in stock. i would be disappointed as well.
     
watashi
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Location: south west ohio
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Oct 2, 2004, 11:04 PM
 
got my iMac G5 last week and noticed the fan pitch is quite high, and while it is not really loud, I can hear it even when I have earbuds in listening to tunes. Our eMac is loud, but the pitch of the noise is lower so it isn't that bad, similar, but about a quarter as loud as the exhaust fan on the oven. My iMac G5 sounds exactly like what was described above, a remote control airplane, and with it pitching up and down with every scroll of the screen in Safari, or every application of a filter in Photoshop, it sounds like an RC plane doing stunt loops, high for a few seconds, then low, then high again, then low. I was so happy when I turned on the system and saw the beautiful wide LCD, with no dead pixels. Our son's tangerine iBook had a stuck pixel right in the center of the screen. Our dual USB iBook was perfect, but I was still hesitant to get such a relatively large LCD after the first iBook. But the fan noise is just as bothersome as a stuck pixel would be. I hate to pack it up and carry back to the store if they can't help in the store and have no replacements -- plus, I transfered everything from my iBook to this -- not a small task. I'm curious if it is just a few noisy fans, or if this is how it is supposed to be. Seems there would be more comments on here if it were more wide spread.

I'll have to go back to the store and listen to their systems some.
I prefer to Mac...
     
Londor
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Location: London, UK
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Oct 3, 2004, 09:07 AM
 
Watashi,

Take the computer back and ask for a new one. The iMac should be very quiet. Read David Feliciano posts in this thread (he had a similar problem)

http://discussions.info.apple.com/[email protected]
     
Parky
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Oct 3, 2004, 05:19 PM
 
Mine is very, very quiet. Even after I have been hammering it with iMovie the fans get going but never as loud as my G4.

Ian
Computers - Au MacBook 2.4Ghz, iMac 24" 2.8Ghz Core 2 Duo
iPods - 5GB original iPod, 4GB nano - Red, 1GB 2G shuffle - Silver, 4GB 3G Shuffle - Black, 16GB touch, 16GB nano Red, 16GB iPhone 3G.
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Boswell
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Location: Milwaukee, WI
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Oct 7, 2004, 09:19 AM
 
I know that I am going to get a ton of 'Bad Press' on this comment, But...

My iMac G5 also is making a very small and somewhat irritating noise coming from one of the internal fans. However, if I place a 1.5 inch strip of tape over the top vent, in just the right spot, it reduces the 'high pitched whine' dramatically.

I know that this 'solution' runs in the face of logic, from a heat flow perspective, but it does not seem to have affected the internal temperatures to this point.

Let the comments fly!!!

BTW the position on the back-top vent is approximatelt three inches from the left when facing the back of the machine.
     
Rob the R
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Location: Houston, TX
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Oct 11, 2004, 01:35 PM
 
I won't say anything about the tape fix, but I did have an interesting experience with my fan.

My 20" iMac G5 truly is whisper quiet. I am having trouble with my BTO Bluetooth module being recognized by the OS (bummer). The Apple tech person had me walk through all sorts of stuff - one step was to log into Open Firmware (Option-Apple-O-F upon startup, but don't do that unless you know what you are doing!).

As soon as we got to the OF prompt, the fans kicked into high gear. They were very, very loud - a hair dryer is a good description. The tech person said that the software that controls the fan speed is not enabled in OF, so they all ran at maximum speed. I had never heard the fans run anywhere near as loud as that. As soon as we rebooted into the normal OS, the fans went back to normal.
     
mattyd
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Location: san fran, ca
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Oct 11, 2004, 01:38 PM
 
same thing happens if you boot from the hardware test CD.
     
 
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