[mduell]

Originally Posted by Simon

If that's correct, my MBP/2.0/2.0/100-7200/256 has the CPU whine. I managed to get rid of it by using MagicNoiseKiller. It works until you reboot or wake the MBP. Then you just re-run it and all's fine. Can anybody confirm it has no significant battery tax? And if this really works, what's not in favor of Apple just putting the 'hack' in the next OS update? That would definitely be a lot cheaper and easier than swapping hardware components.

Whats the (actual, not predicted) battery life with and without MNK?
My guess is that the "CPU whine" is inductor whine, and the various hacks (Mirror widget, Photobooth, MNK) are using just enough CPU to prevent the chip from getting to C3 and C4.

[solidfox]

Originally Posted by riotge@r

I've gone through 3 MBPs and I've finally gotten one without the whine or a huge gap when the lid is closed. *sigh*

Hey! That's exactly what happened to me, I'm on my third now tho so next one'll be good, right? (1:st one: lidgap problem, 2:nd one: bump by the battery + whine, 3:rd big whine)

[jamarico]

Could anyone please try to explain how loud this whining really is compared to other noises? Is it really so loud that it draws your attention when you're concentrating on work? Are there any recordings?

I returned two PM G5 1.8 Dual because of the annoying whining/buzzing sounds and don't want to get them back with a new MBP. At an Apple shop I tried everything (later even with the help of an employee who was informed about the problem) to provoke any sort of whining noises on a W8607 MBP with the latest OS & firmware updates but heard nothing close to the noises my G5s made back then (only once there was something when I reduced the screen brightness).

[SEkker]

Originally Posted by jamarico

Could anyone please try to explain how loud this whining really is compared to other noises? Is it really so loud that it draws your attention when you're concentrating on work? Are there any recordings?

I returned two PM G5 1.8 Dual because of the annoying whining/buzzing sounds and don't want to get them back with a new MBP. At an Apple shop I tried everything (later even with the help of an employee who was informed about the problem) to provoke any sort of whining noises on a W8607 MBP with the latest OS & firmware updates but heard nothing close to the noises my G5s made back then (only once there was something when I reduced the screen brightness).

I, too, have had a hard time hearing the LOUD whining on my MBP. I even did a few tests with an naive listener -- my wife, who knows nothing about the issue. When this laptop is running off battery, in a quiet room (such as at night with no TV or itunes running), one can hear something that is likely to be just the genesis of the noise problem people report. But her comment to me -- after I pointed out the quiet whine -- was 'Yeah, I can hear it now that you point it out. But it's still no WAY as loud as your "jet engine" laptop' [my 667MHz TiPB, which had a VERY noisy optical drive that sounded like a jet engine when it would spin up].

I suspect there are some machines where this issue really became exacerbated by some other issue on that particular instrument.

[aristobrat]

My experience is like SEkker's. Unless I'm in a very quiet room, I don't notice it at all.

[pxlshftr]

The problem is that many of us use our laptops in quiet cubicles or offices where we're alone, and the whine will drive you absolutely nuts. I thought that people were just complaining for a stupid reason before i got my macbook, and now I feel like I'm going crazy if I have to listen to it for more than a minute.

[Tuoder]

I'd like to know if the 17" has the whine. When somebody gets it, could they post?

[MacBookProJoE]

I agree with pxlshftr, i never really thought it would bother me until i went to the library wth my macbook pro and heard this annoying-@$$ whine. I couldn't really getting any work done as it would go away when i scrolled through a page or open a program. Then it return!

-JoE

[Timetheus]

Ok, so the mirror widget trick worked great for me, but then I ran software update this morning - installing the Pages, Keynote, and Apple Keyboard updates - and now I have to keep the mirror widget running to shut it up. !!!! !!!!

Apple really needs to give us a fix - or at least explain why we have to listen to this thing!

[Timetheus]

I think I found a solution (used some information from xlr8yourmac.com). Apparently, the keyboard update replaces the file /System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext

If you have a backup of this file, just restore it and the whine will be gone. Since I never make backups of system files, I did a quick Google search, and luckily Apple provides this package for downloads (actually targeted to programmers, but no problem). Download it from http://developer.apple.com/hardwared.../usbdebug.html

I installed the package without the "-log" at the end. After reboot, the usual Mirror Widget trick works again.

Ok, so somebody over at Apple was on the ball - this fixed the issue for me, although it would seem I'm not up to date on with the Keyboard thing anymore, but seeing as how it never caused me trouble so I'm not going to worry about it.

I realize we all have a thousand theories for the whine, but how would the USB extension come in to play?

btw, the reverse fn function (where I now hold the fn key when I want the hardware functions, and the F keys are normal F keys by defualt) still works, and someone had said in comment under the MacNN story that it was a new option - is it? If it is then It didn't ax the whole update.

[Elixir]

Originally Posted by Timetheus

Ok, so somebody over at Apple was on the ball - this fixed the issue for me, although it would seem I'm not up to date on with the Keyboard thing anymore, but seeing as how it never caused me trouble so I'm not going to worry about it.

I realize we all have a thousand theories for the whine, but how would the USB extension come in to play?

btw, the reverse fn function (where I now hold the fn key when I want the hardware functions, and the F keys are normal F keys by defualt) still works, and someone had said in comment under the MacNN story that it was a new option - is it? If it is then It didn't ax the whole update.

i already posted about the fix a few threads below. it works wonderfully if u are willing to give up almost an hour of battery life

[Timetheus]

Originally Posted by Elixir

i already posted about the fix a few threads below. it works wonderfully if u are willing to give up almost an hour of battery life

Yeah, I saw that in the Apple forum asl well as here - and I'm not willing to give it up. I'm college student who uses my MBP portably on a daily basis - Batteyr life is high priority - besides the mirror widget still works without the lose of battery life (it must keep the CPU out of it's lowest, or idle, state, but not out of the other steps, hence the barely noticeable difference in battery life).

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Timetheus

I realize we all have a thousand theories for the whine, but how would the USB extension come in to play?

My theory on the MBP whine: It's inductor whine from some of the inductors in the power circuitry. Inductor whine usually happens when there is a relatively low amount of power flowing through them, so it happens most when the CPU is in one of the deeper sleep states.

My theory on the various hacks: They just keep CPU load high enough to prevent the CPU from falling into the deeper sleep states (C3 and C4), so power consumption stays up and the inductors don't whine.

Now, how would a USB extension come into play? When Core Duo debuted, a few people noticed that (under Windows) the battery life was significantly reduced with a USB device plugged in (even if the USB device wasn't pulling any significant power). Turns out there was a bug in Window's USB asynchronous scheduler that prevented the CPU from dropping down into the deeper sleep states when a USB device was plugged in. OSX may have a similar bug.

[Dave Hagan]

I have heard the whine on the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro. And I hear the same whine on my work's Dell Latitude D510. It's a Pentium M (pre-dates the Core Solo/Duo).

[dec]

i used to be able to get rid of the whine by running the mirror widget then closing it. i ran software update today, one of the things i got was the keyboard and mouse update. this forced the machine to reboot. When i did that the whine was obviously back, I ran the mirror widget, whine went away, i closed the mirror widget, whine came back...nooooooooooo.

[Elixir]

Originally Posted by dec

i used to be able to get rid of the whine by running the mirror widget then closing it. i ran software update today, one of the things i got was the keyboard and mouse update. this forced the machine to reboot. When i did that the whine was obviously back, I ran the mirror widget, whine went away, i closed the mirror widget, whine came back...nooooooooooo.

download quietmbp

i to had this problem after updating the keyboard.

[RealMac]

I had my unit shipped to Apple. One of my friends has a newer model and has no whine whatsoever. Maybe they will replace the logic board and the problem will go away. Wishful thinking perhaps?

[aristobrat]

No, it's realistic thinking.

I bought one of the last generation 15" PBs and they turned out to have a weird LCD issue. It did take several months (4), but Apple eventually started replacing the screens on units that were sent in for repair with a totally different part.

I have no doubt that Apple will eventually be able to repair all older MBPs to be as good as the ones shipping now, ... it's just trying to figure out when that point is.

Let us know how your repair goes!

[bigmig]

Originally Posted by Dave Hagan

I have heard the whine on the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro. And I hear the same whine on my work's Dell Latitude D510. It's a Pentium M (pre-dates the Core Solo/Duo).

I was just in the same room as my roommate's Dell Latitude D810 (Pentium-M), and his does not have the same whine as my MBP. Instead, his Dell has a whine that is an order of magnitude louder. It was painful just to be in the same room with for an hour...it was like there was a really loud mosquito flying around the room. Now I can totally understand why Apple says that the MBP whine is "within specification" - compared to the Dell it's whisper-quiet!

[aristobrat]

Well, compared to the previous model of 15" notebooks from Apple, the whine from the MBP is an order of magnitude louder, too. I think. I'm not sure what the correct term is when you compare something that was 0 (the whine in the previous 15" notebooks) to the whatever it measures at now.

[veauger]

Using CHUD to turn off one of the cores kills the whine on my MBP.

[onlykaria]

so what is the latest on whether the new 15in mbps and 17in mbps have the whine?

[RealMac]

Took my unit to the Apple store, got the logic board replaced. Noticed a few days later that the while was still there, but after not having my machine for over a week I decided to just run the QuietMBP all and deal. However, my unit now wsa unable to wake up from / go to sleep without crashing. I wiped the hard drive thinking it was a software issue. Nope...

If I just shut the lid, the system would just exhaust all my battery life and I'd have to charge it up again in order to use it. Let's hope I have better luck now...

[rslifka]

Got my 15" 1.83 today, brand new from Amazon ($150 rebate).

Whine is definitely there, only when the machine is idle.

I read a post a few pages back saying it was worse when MagSafe was plugged in. I plugged in MagSafe, it got worse (erratic, changing pitch) and then completely went away (for the time being).

Also, there really are two different whines. One is the completely common barely-audible whine that pops up every so often then goes away. The other... well. I'll tell you what - the difference is astounding. The PB is 100% quiet, I mean silent in the truest sense of the word. When the whine comes back on, it's like a screwdriver in your skull. Very much agreed with a previous poster - like a noisy mosquito.

I'll keep an eye (ear?) on it over the next few days.

Rob

[chris m.]

Originally Posted by rslifka

Got my 15" 1.83 today, brand new from Amazon ($150 rebate).

Whine is definitely there, only when the machine is idle.

I read a post a few pages back saying it was worse when MagSafe was plugged in. I plugged in MagSafe, it got worse (erratic, changing pitch) and then completely went away (for the time being).

Also, there really are two different whines. One is the completely common barely-audible whine that pops up every so often then goes away. The other... well. I'll tell you what - the difference is astounding. The PB is 100% quiet, I mean silent in the truest sense of the word. When the whine comes back on, it's like a screwdriver in your skull. Very much agreed with a previous poster - like a noisy mosquito.

I'll keep an eye (ear?) on it over the next few days.

Rob

Got my MBP 17 yesterday. I noticed the whine this morning. It's very slight on this machine and doesn't bother me very much.

What's interesting is that it does the exact opposite of what my 15 PBG4 did... that is, the noise on the MBP goes away if your doing something, like hovering the mouse over the dock with magnification on. With the PBG4, it would make the noise when you move the mouse over the dock, but was silent when nothing was happening.

I did notice that removing the mag safe also completely eliminated the noise for me... which is good news for those who are worried about battery life with the noise killers. Of course YMMV.

edit A couple other things I've noticed. Turning off one of the CPUs eliminates the whine. Also, the machine is perfectly silent in Windows XP.

Given that the whine is present with the mag safe plugged in, and perfectly silent with the mag safe out, I wonder if there's some sort of power management issue? And if perhaps this is something that Apple could fix with a firmware update? Also the fact that it runs quietly in XP is strange. Maybe all that spyware running in the background is working like the OS X quieting programs

[rslifka]

Chalk up another QuietMBP winner here.

Starting QMBP, I can move the slider and get the pitch of the noise to change. Around 150-180, it completely goes away. (I believe the instructions state to leave it as high as possible with the noise gone).

I wish that QMBP was a Preferences panel instead of an application.

Rob

[skyman]

Originally Posted by rslifka

I wish that QMBP was a Preferences panel instead of an application.

Rob

I wish we did not need to use QMBP at all. Apple are you listening.... Not.

[Macpilot]

All computers have a whine. Some just more than others.

The fact is these notebooks are only slightly louder than previous Apple notebooks.

You put one of these MBPs in front of a longtime Windows laptop owner, and they are going to say "I don't hear anything louder than I am used to hearing on my Dell."

It is either the fans, the whine, the disk, etc. Always there will be complaints. When these MBPs get louder than let's say, a MDD Power Mac, then we have a problem.

Personally, I will take the vastly superior performance of the Core Duo to a partially silent G4 slug, and live with the whine. You have a machine that completely outclasses the PoweBooks, with fans that almost never come on.

Think of it this way. You are getting a lot more work done in a shorter period of time. More time to go outside.

There are many things in this world more worthwhile to get worked up over.

As far as QC problems, there will always be problems. How Apple handles them will determine a lot. I think they have done an admirable job of keeping the anal Mac folks happy.

Good luck to all those folks with problems. Don't let it ruin your day.

[rslifka]

I understand what you're saying, but the simple fact is that this noise is much louder than the two generations of Dell notebooks (P3 and P4 mobile) I use at work. Period. I know because I did side-by-side comparison at the office today.

Also understand that people's tolerance for low and high frequencies differ. When I hear the bass from my neighbours, my fiancee never does. It's just life man... for those of us less tolerant to the whine *and* with notebooks that exhibit apparently worse than yours, it's a problem.

Rob

edit - toned down, grrr

[Photios]

I just purchased a MacBook Pro 17" from a local Apple store this past Friday. It is a week 21 build (the week I actually bought the machine).

From all that I have read, there are actually 2 whines... one is from the cpu, and the other is from the lcd screen. I definitely have the lcd whine, but not the cpu whine.

The whine from the screen is a very slight mosquito noise, and what is most interesting, is that the noise goes away if the screen brightness is either all the way down, or all the way up. I tend to like my screens bright, so I have it all the way up anyway. However, if I do turn down the screen, brightness somewhat, with even the slightest ambient noise, I cannot hear the whine.

I hope that this post is helpful to someone.

[skyman]

Originally Posted by Macpilot

All computers have a whine. Some just more than others.

Wrong!

The fact is these notebooks are only slightly louder than previous Apple notebooks.

Wrong Again. My PISMO was silent as were all the AI PowerBooks and iBooks.

You put one of these MBPs in front of a longtime Windows laptop owner, and they are going to say "I don't hear anything louder than I am used to hearing on my Dell."

Wrong again. My D810 is silent!

It is either the fans, the whine, the disk, etc. Always there will be complaints. When these MBPs get louder than let's say, a MDD Power Mac, then we have a problem.

Personally, I will take the vastly superior performance of the Core Duo to a partially silent G4 slug, and live with the whine. You have a machine that completely outclasses the PoweBooks, with fans that almost never come on.

I will agree with that.

As far as QC problems, there will always be problems. How Apple handles them will determine a lot. I think they have done an admirable job of keeping the anal Mac folks happy.

"anal Mac folks". You included?

[EdipisReks]

magicnoisekiller works very well for me, with less of a battery hit than the mirror widget trick.