[losta]

I've had an iMac DVSE for almost a month now. It is very loud (sort of an ambiant humming sound that seems to come from underneath) and I have never heard another iMac as loud as this. It bothers me quite a bit. Has anyone else had this problem. My time to exchange it is running out an I know that no DVSE are currently in stock. Any suggestions?
Thanks

I have an iMac DV with the same problem. I have posted a topic in another group on this board (iMac noise level"0. I am not sure what to do myself. It works great, just that noisy whine and hum. is that what your's is doing?

Look at some display models and if you can tell in a store (noisy in stores!), see if they are as noisy. If not, take it back or trade.

Let me know what ypou do.

ProfDave

[Sender]

Call Apple, get a case# and take it to an authorized service center. They should replace the drive. Thats what I did.

[joeyzr]

Can anyone provide that telephone number at Apple to get a case number under that one-year warranty? The number is not on the warranty card.

The HD on my DV seems louder sometimes and quieter at other times. But compared to the demo models I have seen at three area retailers, that high-pitched hum should not be there at all.

Most of all, I would like to ask Apple what my options, if any, would be for replacement of the HD. I don't know that it would be worth my time to surrender the iMac for a period of time just to get another Quantum Fireball. I just don't trust it.

[Loert]

My DV is loud as well. The terrible part is not the loudness, but the fact that it whines up and down so you can't ignore it. If it stayed at one pitch, I could tolerate it. I think I will give Apple a call tonight and see about getting them to replace the HD.

The phone # is the 800 that is in your documentation and warranty docs. It's 1-800-500-7078. They give you a case # automatically, on any call.

[joeyzr]

Thanks for the telephone number; I did not see it in the documentation earlier. And yeah, I know about the "up and down" whinning, that's exactly my problem too.

I decided to take my iMac DV to a small, mac-only, Apple Authorized service center. I hope they don't give me the run-around and just replace the HD. I'll be calling the Apple number if it isn't their plan to replace the HD, because I think that's the only option at this point.

I don't disparage Apple at all. I am very happy with their products still. We'll see about their warranty work though.

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joeyzr

I have previously replied on the other thread on this topic. I bought my DV (Blueberry) over a month ago now and when I first got it home there was a *painfully* loud whine coming out of it. I took it straight back to the store and they said it must be a faulty hard drive and let me take another one off the floor. This one was nowhere near as loud but certainly MUCH LOUDER than I believe it should be. When I posted before I had a bunch of people reply that the iMac DV is much quiter than any previous Apple they had owned. I really have my doubts about that.

It is my belief that the drive Apple has chosen to ship in the DV models is either a bad design or perhaps a faulty batch.

BTW, I have also noticed that the DVD drive is also very loud. These two things really annoy me about the DV and make me wonder if I made the right decision in choosing to buy an iMac.

[Sender]

With all the problems with the quantum drives, it must be a bad batch. Mine didnt start out noisy at all though. Three weeks later it was unbearable.

How many thousands of drives will they replace before allowing warranty replacement with another brand?

In response to everyone calling to get a case number from Apple on this humming problem, you should also get a CS (customer satisfaction) code #. I work for an Apple service provider and those are really more useful to us than a case #. Hope this helps out.

Here's something to try and i'm not joking
I think the newer imac's will have more
problems since they removed the fan..
Ok try pointing A fan at the vent holes on
the top see if this help's.
I really hope someone tries this because if
anyone has ever touched a CPU for mac or PC
you will say what are they crazy getting rid
of the fan!

Christopher

If you point a fan at the vent holes, or anywhere else for that matter, would that not probably make more noise that the computer itself?

if you point the fan blowing down into your machine from the top, you run the risk of damaging you iMac. the cooling system works on convection cooling, where the heat from the cpu, motherboard, hard drive, and monitor rises, pulling cooler room air into the space beneath the iMac cooling everything. if you blow air down into you, you are disrupting the current or air, and run the risk of pushing this hot air back toward the motherboard and fragile internal components, not a good idea. the noise is cause by a bad hard drive, take it to an authorized apple repair person, they will fix it for free, if they deem it a problem. if you move you iMac after it has been on, and place you hand on the spot where it was resting, you will notice that it actually leaves the space cooler than the area around it, evidence that the convection cooling is working, very cool (pardon the pun). thanx.

[joeyzr]

Two days later, I got my iMac DV back from the small, mac-only, Apple Authorized Service center. They replaced the drive without hassle, and it sounds much better. There is an audible hum, but it doesn't rise and fall and is no longer so high-pitched. It sounds like a quieter fan.

From all that has been written in this forum, it seems this Quantum Fireball HD just isn't a top of the line or quiet HD. But after replacement, at least it isn't annoying. I am satisfied and encourage anyone with a HD that seems just a tad too loud to give Apple Authorized Service Centers a chance.

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joeyzr