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chenyichung · May 25, 2005, 03:41 AM

hey guys,

just got a brand new iMac G5, are you suppose to be able to hear the fan? It's always on. From the back it sounds like a fan, but when i'm sitting infront of my iMac, sounds like a buzzing. Is this normal?

-Yi Chen

discotronic · May 25, 2005, 10:20 AM

What model iMac do you have. Is it the original G5 model or the new model?

Check out this link:

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...ight=fan+noise

johnMG · May 28, 2005, 03:34 PM

Yi Chen, sounds like you got a "rev. A" (revision A) iMac G5.

Yup. Lots of folks complain about the buzzing.

Some folks have even had problems with the power supply (or possibly misguidedly replaced the power supply thinking it would help with the buzzing).

That's the rev. A iMac for you.

I returned mine.

chenyichung · May 29, 2005, 03:24 AM

i'm pretty sure i got the rev. B, cause' i got the 1.8GHz 17" with 128mb video card. The fan sound coming from the back of the iMac at the top where the vent is was fine, just sounds like air coming out. The buzzing was coming from the bottom of the iMac on the left side, bottom, like where the speakers are. So i took it in and the mac rep told me it did sound a lil loud, so she exchanged it for a new one. It buzzing on the new one isn't as loud, sounds just like the iMac rev. B's in the store, so i was satisfied.

See, the thing is, the apple store had to install TIGER on all of the iMac G5 rev. B machines, you can tell because you know the tape that seals the box, showing it's factory sealed, you'll see that it's double tapped, meaning they had to open up the iMacs to install TIGER.

What pissed me off was that they're not real careful when they pull your machine out ta install TIGER. I noticed a very hairline scratch on my LCD, i'm assuming it happened when they took the iMac out to install TIGER. I wish they were more careful, or would at least cover up the LCD. I mean, it's very hairline. I have to look at the LCD under a lamp from an angle in order to see the scratch, but still. There was a scratch on the first one I had and also the replacement.

So yea, if you want an iMac rev. B that's truely untouched, fresh from the apple factory, just ask for one that doesn't have the double tape sealing the box closed. You can tell if it's double taped cause' you can see the larger tape ontop of the original tape.

-Yi Chen

johnMG · May 30, 2005, 01:16 PM

Ahh. You got the rev. B. Glad to hear it's working out for you.

I know what you mean about the store installing Tiger. That stinks. In my case, the store (CompUSA) was a little better about it. They simply opened the iMac cardboard box, placed the Tiger DVD pouch inside the box, then closed it back up. They never put their hands on the actual iMac. The box had that extra sealing sticker the way you describe.

I don't know why they even open the box at all though. Seems a much better idea to simply hand you the Tiger DVD set when you buy the machine (if it doesn't already come with Tiger). That way you're really sure nobody touched the computer.

Thanks for the note about the fan noise. I guess it's just very difficult for Apple to squeeze all that hardware + a G5 into that thin case without having *some* fan noise.

My brother-in-law was considering a new iMac, but he's only a casual user and I had an LCD he could use, so I advised him to go with the 1.2 GHz mini. I haven't heard any complaints about the mini, and with the G4 it should be whisper quiet, and plenty fast (he's currently using a 500 MHz G3 iBook, so the mini will be a major improvement

.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · May 30, 2005, 09:45 PM

On the rev B 20 inch I can't hear a thing in a quite office.

redstr718 · May 31, 2005, 01:10 AM

I have had mine since december. Love it. Recently the fan has been getting ouder. SO I have started to keep it off whenever I am not around. But one other weird thinr that happens is the fan is super loud and then the computer puts itself to sleep while I am working. When I wake up the fan is so loud its ridiculous. Is this from it over heating? Any tips?

jokell82 · May 31, 2005, 10:28 AM

All these fan noise posts are making me very nervous about the 20" 1.8 I have coming on Monday...

Big Mac · May 31, 2005, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by redstr718

I have had mine since december. Love it. Recently the fan has been getting ouder. SO I have started to keep it off whenever I am not around. But one other weird thinr that happens is the fan is super loud and then the computer puts itself to sleep while I am working. When I wake up the fan is so loud its ridiculous. Is this from it over heating? Any tips?

Yeah, that behavior is called a thermal runaway - your Mac is overheating for some reason. You should have that looked into.

wordsmith · May 31, 2005, 01:14 PM

According to posts on lots of Mac boards, loud fans at maximum revs and running really hot seems to be a problem for both Rev A and Rev B iMacs. I was just about to order a new Rev B and just to be on the safe side I googled iMac problems and found too many posts reporting the same problems. I know that if you have a problem your more likely to post about it, while happy owners just keep using their iMacs.

Nevertheless, I'm going to hold off a couple more months and keep checking the posts to see what develops. Wish it were otherwise as the new 20" iMac fits my needs perfectly.

Meritocracy · May 31, 2005, 02:12 PM

I've just ordered another 20", and I'm presently sitting here in front of my week old Rev. B. The fan issue is a problem, at least on mine, and for a few others on Apple's Discussion Board. This seems to be less endemic then what occurred with the Rev. A's, however, it's still an irritating problem to those of us hoping this issue was completely solved with the B's. I was told if I decided to do a return/exchange through Apple, (I purchased through the online store), I wouldn't have a machine till roughly the end of June. I simply can't be without a system for that long, thus, I've basically been forced to purchase a new 20" and ship this one back as soon as the new one arrives (Credit Card company is loving this)...My fingers are crossed the one enroute is perfect.

His Dudeness · May 31, 2005, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by jokell82

All these fan noise posts are making me very nervous about the 20" 1.8 I have coming on Monday...

I have a new 17" model at home. The fan comes on sometimes, just like all fans in every computer I have ever used in the past 25 years. And yes, a fan makes noise. Don't worry about it. Enjoy your iMac.

jokell82 · May 31, 2005, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by His Dudeness

I have a new 17" model at home. The fan comes on sometimes, just like all fans in every computer I have ever used in the past 25 years. And yes, a fan makes noise. Don't worry about it. Enjoy your iMac.

Oh I'm hoping that it wont have any problems, but I'm still going to be nervous until I turn it on for the first time.

His Dudeness · May 31, 2005, 07:02 PM

Mine comes on rarely, though.

chenyichung · Jun 1, 2005, 01:55 AM

can you guys do me a favor?

turn off the A/C in your house, close the door to the room your iMac is in, make sure you can hear a pin drop. Now, place your head near the bottom left corner of your iMac where the left speaker is.

Whoever can't here a fan buzzing sound is extremely lucky. I've had 3 rev.B iMacs now and they have all this sound. Even the iMac rev.B in the apple store have this sound. They actually told me i couldn't exchange it anymore because they hear the same sound on the rev.B iMacs in the store.

But i mean when are you ever gonna be in a completely silent room?

Seriously, with everything stuffed into a 2 inch thick rectangular box, i've finally come to respect how quiet my iMac rev.B is. Seriously, compared to my PC desktop that i just sold, these iMacs are amazing.

I think no matter how good of a fan apple installs in these iMacs, even the a rev.D iMac in the future, we're all still gonna here the fan sound. I just came to realize i'd rather have the fan sound than a melting G5 processor.

-Yi Chen

Ozzpot · Jun 1, 2005, 04:22 AM

Originally Posted by chenyichung

can you guys do me a favor?

turn off the A/C in your house, close the door to the room your iMac is in, make sure you can hear a pin drop. Now, place your head near the bottom left corner of your iMac where the left speaker is.

Whoever can't here a fan buzzing sound is extremely lucky. I've had 3 rev.B iMacs now and they have all this sound. Even the iMac rev.B in the apple store have this sound. They actually told me i couldn't exchange it anymore because they hear the same sound on the rev.B iMacs in the store.

But i mean when are you ever gonna be in a completely silent room?

Seriously, with everything stuffed into a 2 inch thick rectangular box, i've finally come to respect how quiet my iMac rev.B is. Seriously, compared to my PC desktop that i just sold, these iMacs are amazing.

I think no matter how good of a fan apple installs in these iMacs, even the a rev.D iMac in the future, we're all still gonna here the fan sound. I just came to realize i'd rather have the fan sound than a melting G5 processor.

-Yi Chen

I absolutely agree. I got my new iMac G5 on Monday (a Rev.B 2.0ghz 17"). It runs like a dream, but the fans are almost always on. You can hear them spin faster and faster (and louder) depending on CPU activity. When activity is high, the sound is kind of whiny buzz. It is louder than I would expect from a Mac, but you must consider the reasons for this (as Yi Chen has pointed out) - you have a very powerful machine squeezed into a plastic box 2 inches thick. If you've ever looked inside an iMac G5, you's see what an incredible job the designers and engineers have done in squeezing all that power and technology into such a tiny space. Consider an equally powerful Windows PC - the largely empty case means it has so much space inside for air to flow around, and still needs fans easily as loud as the noise from a G5. So maybe you shouldn't be so critical.

Besides, as far as I am concerned, the fans only ever get as loud as a PCs fans when I am playing UT2004 or something. And even if the noise of that doesn't frown the fans out I am far too engrossed playing it anyway.

thisisjames · Jun 1, 2005, 07:02 AM

Has anyone else got Hardware Monitor? I have a RevB 20" 2GHz iMac G5, and according to that app the fans never drop below the following values:

"System" Fan = 1700 RPM
CPU Fan = 1500 RPM
Hard Drive Fan = 2300 RPM

I've had the app over a week and these are the absolute lowest the fans run, from the second it is switched on from cold. No one at Apple really has a clue at what speed they should run so I'm hoping some of you guys can find out if we're all the same boat and it's designed that way, or if any of us have faulty systems!

James

Meritocracy · Jun 1, 2005, 10:14 AM

James,

Default settings (cold):

iMac 20" Revision A-

1500 CPU
1800 HD
1240 SYS

iMac 20" Revision B-

1500 CPU
2300 HD
1700 SYS

thisisjames · Jun 1, 2005, 10:22 AM

Thanks for the info, Meritocracy. Where did you find those specs, or is that from personal observation. I only ask because I was on the phone to Apple's "Tech Support" today for half an hour while the question of fan speed was raised through every level possible before them fobbing me off by insisting I took it to be repaired!

Thanks again!

James

Meritocracy · Jun 1, 2005, 11:02 AM

This discussion has been going on forever on Apple's board. This is the information those of us with fan issues (both Rev. A and B owners) have gained.

Hodog16 · Jun 2, 2005, 10:22 AM

Finally got my new iMac set up yesterday. The fan noise isn't beyond what I've heard in other computers. Didn't hear buzzing per se but it is noticeable.

Nothing that some nice desktop speakers and iTunes can't overcome

.