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n8236 · Jul 11, 2006, 12:52 AM

I'm assuming this is the video chip fan coming from the upper right side. I just recently started playing Titan Quest via bootcamp and this noise never surfaced until tonight. The fan noise isn't a steady wind noise like a standard fan, but also with an obvious quick constant ticking. It's hard to describe, but the noise is pronounced even more when the video card is used at its load.

I would hate to have my mbp brought into repairs because my pc at the moment is unoperational as well -_-; but if it does, i'm gonna request they change my main logic board as well to get rid of the whine. sigh. this sux. (my mbp is about week 8)

Jason · Jul 11, 2006, 03:10 AM

I had the same noise, it was those short burst like you described. It was quite piercing to be honest, It sounded like the noises that my PC used to make when i was running my p4 2.8 with a 16MB graphics card!! Yes as you can imagine, it toasted the graphics card fan.

Anyway, that noise with the MBP hasn't come back yet, although i am getting a replacement due to an annoying whine that seems to be coming from the bottom of the LCD. Anyway good luck with it, hopefully you will end up with a perfect machine as we all deserve!

Simon · Jul 11, 2006, 03:53 AM

I had something similar. It sounded as if the fan blades were hitting something. I noticed that the sound was in sync with the fan's rpm. I also noticed that the sound disappeared once I removed the battery. I recently had the battery exchanged and ever since the sound is gone. I'm wondering if my battery had bloated (like many early MBP batteries did) and put some pressure on something around the fan area.

Do you guys still notice the sound when you remove the battery?

n8236 · Jul 11, 2006, 05:55 AM

This experience just gets weirder. At first I thought it might of the AC, so i unplugged it, same. Booted into OSX, same (but that noise level was at a minimum, though still very audible). So I tried to duplicate the noise once more to make sure it was permanent by booting back into XP and playing TItan Quest. It lasted for another 15 mins or so until it magically disappeared.

I even made an Genius Bar appointment, but no longer since i can't replicate the noise.

Simon, I think you might be right about the fan slapping against something (possibly moveable) since my noise went away. It didn't sound like it was something of interferrence type of noise. But whatever it is, it's gone now and hope it won't be back otherwise it's going back for repairs.

I've been thinking about replacing the main logic board too, but gotta find the time to do it since i use my mbp on a daily basis. You think the Apple Store will gladly replace it?

Simon · Jul 25, 2006, 05:20 PM

Apple just released this new KB article about a high-pitched buzzing sound from under the keyboard. They want 'em sent in. I'm wondering if this is related.

SeattleWRX · Jul 25, 2006, 06:54 PM

I've had the high pitched whine since I got the machine a few months ago. Fixes using i sight. I'm getting the right side buzz also now. Even louder when running bootcamp. This is a corporate machine so I will have to work through them to get it fixed. Bizarre.

Simon · Jul 26, 2006, 02:49 AM

Well dammit. My buzz just came back after an extended period of silence.

I was playing CoD2 in a room w/o air conditioning and it was rather warm. The fan was on full blast after about 30 min of playing which is nothing unusual.

After I quit the game and the fans throttled back down I noticed the darn buzz is back again. It ramps up and down with fan speed, and it's always there no matter if you start up cold or if you're running apps. IIRC correctly there are two fans. One of them runs constantly at low RPM while the other only turns on above a certain temp threshold. Since the sound is always there, I'm guessing it originates from the first one.

I'd really like to know where the sound actually comes from. I guess I'll have to send the machine in. I figure I'll wait till Apple ships rev B with Merom and once I get the new MBP I can send in the old one. Don't wanna be w/o my main work machine for two weeks.

n8236 · Jul 30, 2006, 11:12 PM

I apparently temporary fixed the buzzing fan by giving a little firm slap on that buzzing speaker area. It does go away, but only temporarly and I would have to slap it again for it to go away, but after a couple days fo slappage, the the buzzing has completely gone away.

So to test this, I installed CoD2 (Call of Duty 2) and i don't hear it buzz or hitting anything anymore. I hope it stays that way, but if it doesn't I'll have to send it in for AppleCare.

Simon · Jul 31, 2006, 08:00 AM

Your image

is kinda worrying. Since Apple already had to downclock the GPU and the fan starts revving up pretty late, I'm wondering if many of these MBP issues are caused by nothing more than insufficient cooling. How hard would it have been to lower the fan threshold temp with a simple little firmware update?

02gtstang · Jul 31, 2006, 09:09 AM

mine is at apple for this right now. I sent it in once, they replaced the logic board, and sent it
back, but the noise was unbearable. I hope to have it back this week, once I get it, I will post
exactly what was replaced.