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Tuoder · Mar 9, 2006, 10:48 PM

My Powerbook G3 has that whine, too. I don't see it as a HUGE deal, but it is a fit and finish issue. I would write it off in a cheap laptop, or even an ibook, but not a macbook. Still though, unless it is LOUD, I don't see it as a big deal.

Morn · Mar 10, 2006, 01:24 AM

It is quite loud. Though it varies from unit to unit from what I see at demo models at shops.

mdmalin · Mar 14, 2006, 01:45 AM

Originally Posted by Elixir

it might not be the harddrive. i'm thinking it might be the super drive

what do you think?

I'm getting the moo noise, too. I have the 120 GB HD, also, but it sounds like the noise is coming from the right side of the system. I mostly get it when running Rosetta, though this may just be a figment of my imagination. I put a DVD in the Superdrive, but I still heard the noise.

Could it be a fan trying to start up? Say if the temp was right on the threshold of when the fans should kick on? I tried testing this by putting my fingers by the hinge to feel the hot air blowing out, but both sides felt pretty even, so no luck there. What is even on the right side to make that kind of noise, if not the optical drive or fan?

inkhead · Mar 15, 2006, 03:29 AM

Try this simple trick. It's just processor stepping. Load photobooth, run it for 5ish minutes. Quit photobooth. Problem solved, your processor is now "stepped up"

Dave Hagan · Mar 15, 2006, 07:29 AM

I don't know how accurate this is, but a person on the Apple Discussion boards claims that Apple told him that they've identified the problem and are working out the logistics of finding a different vendor or replacement part.

apparently this issue has already been resolved... according the apple.com rep that i spoke to thats why so many orders were pushed off...

those that ordered back in feb now have the same shipping date as those that order last week or this week.

the problem was identified and it was a matter of getting enough replacement parts or an alternate vendor to keep up with demand.

to ease my discomfort during the wait they offered me free INCASE carry bags and expedited shipping at no charge.

milhaus · Mar 15, 2006, 11:58 AM

Wow, was the noise ever loud . . .
Fortunately, fixed with Mirror widget. Done. We're all good.

mintcake · Mar 15, 2006, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Dave Hagan

I don't know how accurate this is, but a person on the Apple Discussion boards claims that Apple told him that they've identified the problem and are working out the logistics of finding a different vendor or replacement part.

This is interesting, anyone able to substantiate this further? So would this mean that anyone whose MBP has not yet shipped can expect to receive a machine that does *not* suffer from the whine?

hmp · Mar 15, 2006, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by milhaus

Wow, was the noise ever loud . . .
Fortunately, fixed with Mirror widget. Done. We're all good.

Yeah, after a day with this machine I've come to the conclusion that the whine is not that big of a deal. The mirror widget fixes it and I can't hear it at all anymore. Since I rarely restart my Mac, the mirror widget option will suffice.

If Apple releases a software fix, great. If it has to get sent in, I probably won't bother. Not worth the time and effort lost by sending it back in forth for something that can easily be fixed with two seconds worth of work IMO.

mintcake · Mar 15, 2006, 05:49 PM

Yeah but the mirror widget needs to be running permanently in the background right? Which means, among other things, that your iSight will be permanently on?

That wouldn't satisfy me. :/

Rumz · Mar 15, 2006, 07:26 PM

The Whine: it's there. I'm at work though and there's a white noise generater here so I have to put my ear right next to the left speaker to hear it. Turning on Photobooth does knock it out. I'll try it later at home but it doesn't sound very loud to me. My Dell Latitude D800 (Intel Pentium M) did the same thing only perhaps a bit louder and it never really bothered me much. Besides, any time I'm going to be on it for a long time I typically listen to music so...

Little whine, no big deal.

hmp · Mar 15, 2006, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by mintcake

Yeah but the mirror widget needs to be running permanently in the background right? Which means, among other things, that your iSight will be permanently on?

No, it doesn't have to stay on. I initially thought the same thing, but after reading other posts I found out it just has to be on for a split second. After you close it, the whine is still not there. It doesn't come back until a restart. Even coming out of sleep the whine is not present.

cambro · 09:11 PM

I just got my MacBook Pro 1.83 120GB.

I was skeptical of the "whine" before, now I am not. I can definitely hear it. It is a much more consistent droning whine than anything I ever heard out of my TiBook 1Ghz. It is definitely related to processor activity.

Rather frustrating and annoying because I am otherwise very, very happy with what I've seen so far.

EDIT:

WOW!!!
The mirror widget really, really made a difference!
It also doesn't register in ActivityMonitor once you close it and exit out of Dashboard. WEIRD!?!?!?!

But hey, it WORKS!

hmp · Mar 16, 2006, 02:29 AM

Originally Posted by cambro

WOW!!!
The mirror widget really, really made a difference!
It also doesn't register in ActivityMonitor once you close it and exit out of Dashboard. WEIRD!?!?!?!

But hey, it WORKS!

Your reaction is very similar to mine - I loved everything about the machine except for the whine. Now that the whine can be easily fixed, I have no issues at all

NightEyes · Mar 16, 2006, 02:40 PM

You can also open up Comic Life and close it and the whine will go away.

cgijon · 08:13 PM

no comment.

hmp · Mar 16, 2006, 06:56 PM

Hmmm - interesting. I just opened up iChat for the first time and the whine came back!!

Mirror widget made it go away again though.

cambro · Mar 16, 2006, 07:20 PM

Just as a note to the curious...

After "fixing" the whine/buzz using the various "solutions" that nobody understands, I can say that my MBP 1.83 is REALLY QUIET! Much, much quieter than my Ghz TiBook.

mduell · Mar 16, 2006, 09:35 PM

How much does the battery life decrease by after running the open blah program/widget "fix"?

riotge@r · Mar 17, 2006, 03:25 AM

Originally Posted by mduell

How much does the battery life decrease by after running the open blah program/widget "fix"?

You won't notice a difference in battery life because you only need to run the widget for 10-20 seconds.

hmp · Mar 17, 2006, 04:34 AM

I wonder if the whine noise is apparent when running XP on the MBP - since software seems to somewhat remedy the problem..

Hopefully those that have installed XP can give some insight on this...

Barefoot Matt · Mar 17, 2006, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by riotge@r

You won't notice a difference in battery life because you only need to run the widget for 10-20 seconds.

I believe he was wondering if the widget trick worked by stepping up the processor or something, in which case there would be a difference. Has anyone actually tested battery life with and without the widget fix?

john h · Mar 17, 2006, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by bloodline

It seems apple have used a cheap DC-DC board in the new MacBook Pro causing the typical "cheap laptop" whine that some of us are all too familiar with, when the laptop is under no (or low power) load!

http://discussions.apple.com/thread....74397&tstart=0

Very embarrassing, I hope the Rev B machines fix this issue.

click http://gmh-sol.home.comcast.net/macbook_whine.au if you haven't heard a DC-DC whine before!

I was playing with the new MacBook Pro at CompUSA yesterday. It was hooked to the net. It was very fast and I tried everything I could to reproduce some of the problems I am reading about but it was very quiet even when I put my ear down close to it. The screen was noticeable brighter than my old PB. My concern is just how much of my software is not going to work and how much am I going to fork over to get the updates when they arrive. I was told that DiscWarrior does not work. I asked the sales guy if AppleWorks would work on it and he said no. That seems strange. I use it as my primary word processor.

john h · Mar 17, 2006, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by rtamesis

Then the solution to the whine is to get an iPod and crank up the volume to eventually decrease your sensitivity to hear the MBP whine.

I did check the MBP that my local CompUSA had. I definitely could not hear a whine, but then again, I am a heavy iPod user.

I flew jet fighters and helicopters for 20 years and not stinking whine is going to make me whine.

john h · Mar 17, 2006, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by Weyland-Yutani

My iBook G4 1.33 GHz is absolutely silent apart from when the HD is spinning, a CD/DVD or the fan goes on.

100% silence. I've never owned a PowerBook or MacBook Pro so I have to say I was surprised to hear the sound sampled above. No, actually I seem to recall that on my mother's 12" 1GHz PB it makes some similar noises as in the sample when scrolling.

What happened Apple? 12" PB makes noises but a 12" iBook not and they are very very similarly configured..

W-Y

My Ti 867 PB purrs on occasion but has never whined. Mostly it is very quiet except when the fan kicks on and that does not bother me. Listening to all the whining on the board has made me cross off the new MacBook Pro for a year or so.

mintcake · Mar 17, 2006, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by john h

I asked the sales guy if AppleWorks would work on it and he said no. That seems strange. I use it as my primary word processor.

Well Apple are pushing iWork nowadays as the successor to AppleWorks (which no longer ships on new Macs) so I'm not that surprised to be honest. iWork runs natively under Intel. Have you tried Pages?

aristobrat · Mar 17, 2006, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by john h

I asked the sales guy if AppleWorks would work on it and he said no. That seems strange. I use it as my primary word processor.

He's wrong.

http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?...60126094146180

If it's a general application, it's going to run on the Intel Macs. Software that deals directly with hardware (like DiskWarrior) will probably have issues. Many vendors are releasing Universal versions of their software for free.

riotge@r · Mar 17, 2006, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by john h

I flew jet fighters and helicopters for 20 years and not stinking whine is going to make me whine.

You didn't pay for that equipment with your own money either. Taxes don't count.

bcaslis · Mar 17, 2006, 07:23 PM

You won't hear it there since it was plugged in. You only hear it when running on battery, it goes away when plugged into AC power.

Originally Posted by john h

I was playing with the new MacBook Pro at CompUSA yesterday. It was hooked to the net. It was very fast and I tried everything I could to reproduce some of the problems I am reading about but it was very quiet even when I put my ear down close to it. The screen was noticeable brighter than my old PB. My concern is just how much of my software is not going to work and how much am I going to fork over to get the updates when they arrive. I was told that DiscWarrior does not work. I asked the sales guy if AppleWorks would work on it and he said no. That seems strange. I use it as my primary word processor.

Enigmaaron · Mar 18, 2006, 11:33 AM

So after spending an evening screwing around with XP loaded on my MacBook Pro I reboot into OS X and am shocked to suddenly have the dreaded whine. I was one of the first to get one a month ago and only ever had the faintest of whine. I couldn't believe how loud it was. I did the mirror widget thing and it went away thankfully. I came across this though on the apple discussion boards supposedly a bulletin given to techs at apple stores:

"1. Noise number 1 is a high pitched sound coming from the top right side of the keyboard that varies with screen brightness. This is a faulty inverter and needs to be mailed in for repair.

2. Noise number 2 is a lower pitched sizzling, vibrating, or buzzing sound orignating from the top left portion of the keyboard. According to the bulletin this is a "normal noise that is fully within spec. Please assure the customer that this is normal and will have no effect on the operation of the unit. All Macbook Pros will exhibit this sound and swapping hardware will not eliminate it."

Several there are reporting to be getting their logic boards replaced by Apple, but it seems that just fixes the buzz from dimming the screen brightness.

P.S. Does the mirror widget actually work on the MacBook Pro? All I get is a green screen.

Enigmaaron · Mar 18, 2006, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by hmp

I wonder if the whine noise is apparent when running XP on the MBP - since software seems to somewhat remedy the problem..

Hopefully those that have installed XP can give some insight on this...

The only sound I am hearing right now (currently booted in XP) is the left fan running at the usual level it runs when in OS X. (Which by the way seems contradictory to most people who claim their fans do not run, don't know what I did but mine started to run yesterday). I can't dim the screen so I can't see about that sound, but there is absolutely no whine at all.

joltguy · Mar 19, 2006, 08:38 AM

Thanks for the link to the Red Sweater blog!

The program in that post does correct the issue for me. It's not currently annoying enough for me to sacrifice the battery time, but at least I have it at the ready for those times when it is. Also, the comments (especially those by "Cryptonome") on that entry make me very optimistic that a future software update will correct be able to this problem in a non-battery affecting manner.

Other than this, my MBP rocks! Quite an upgrade from my old iBook G3 600.

JasonSnake · Mar 20, 2006, 12:12 PM

Hi guys, my first post. I'm getting more and more into the Mac world.

Anyway, I've had 3 computers so far do that "static" whine sound when the CPU is idling. One of them was actually an Acer Pentium II 266. My other two machines are AMD's. Desktop with an Athlon XP2600 @ 2.1 GHz and my HP laptop Athlon XP4000 64-bit @ 2.4 GHz. They all make the same noise at idle.

I heard it in my desktop when I had the hard drives disconnected and CPU fan running at minimal. I was pretty surprised but doesn't bother me one bit. You just get used to it after a month or so.

Think about it this way, it's like having a Ferrari engine idling & waiting to unleash its power at the press of the accelerator.

JasonSnake · Mar 20, 2006, 12:14 PM

Oh forgot to mention, when I underclock my laptop to about 1 GHz, the noise completely disappears. I do this to keep it from heating up too much (& when I don't need full power) and squeeze out a few moure minutes from the battery.

awcopus · Mar 20, 2006, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by joltguy

Thanks for the link to the Red Sweater blog!

The program in that post does correct the issue for me. It's not currently annoying enough for me to sacrifice the battery time, but at least I have it at the ready for those times when it is. Also, the comments (especially those by "Cryptonome") on that entry make me very optimistic that a future software update will correct be able to this problem in a non-battery affecting manner.

Other than this, my MBP rocks! Quite an upgrade from my old iBook G3 600.

joltguy, this is precisely the upgrade I will be making... once my 12" iBook G3 600 ceases to perform as admirably as it has or once I start reading about how amazingly fast FCP Studio runs on the MBP.

Not to derail the thread), but it would be great to hear from people about how the MacBook Pro feels when you pick it up, use it in different positions. Does it feel solid? Does it flex if you pick it up from the side?

Troll · Mar 20, 2006, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by awcopus

joltguy, this is precisely the upgrade I will be making... once my 12" iBook G3 600 ceases to perform as admirably as it has or once I start reading about how amazingly fast FCP Studio runs on the MBP.

Not to derail the thread), but it would be great to hear from people about how the MacBook Pro feels when you pick it up, use it in different positions. Does it feel solid? Does it flex if you pick it up from the side?

It certainly feels more solid than my TiBook use to feel. The battery is in nice and tight too.

I'm a bit disappointed that it's bigger in every dimension than my TiBook (except thickness which is a dead heat) and is marginally heavier than my TiBook was, but am much happier with the overall rugged feel.

john h · Mar 20, 2006, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Horsepoo!!!

I like wine too.

Just read this morning some possible cures for the high pitch whine. This is from memory so take it from there.

1. Turn on I-Sight by using Mirror Widget

2. Turn screen brightness to max then down then max

3. Some readers report that after waiting a few days the noise goes away

4. Tilt the screen back and forth and then gently squeeze on the lower left hand corner

5. Turn off the ambient light sensing keyboard lighting

6. Turn off Bluetooth

7. Turn off one of the processor core

These were all reported by owners of the intel model laptops and it was suggested in most cases was tied to an excessive power draw.

dec · Mar 20, 2006, 05:01 PM

8. dont bother turning on the machine , it'll be too much effort when you do

iHeartApple · Mar 24, 2006, 06:37 AM

I have a 2.0 MB Pro and when running OS X it has the Whine mentioned. I have also recentley installed Windows XP Pro as a dual boot and when running windows there is now whine - really quiet.

This would suggest that it could be a SW fit on the OS X side.

bloodline · 09:37 AM

Ok, I deciede to pop down to the local Apple store and pick up a 2.0Ghz MacBook Pro and see for myself what's going on. The DC-DC whine is present, but only when the MacBook is idle (and, it seems, when running on batteries). Since if I'm using the machine on batteries I want the longest battery life, I am happy to switch on CPU core, which both eliminates the whine and makes the battery last longer.

I hope Apple which patch the OS to do this automagically!

-Edit- Other than the Whine... this machine is amazing... Maybe not worth the credit card bill... but how can you put a price on happiness?

mintcake · Mar 30, 2006, 08:25 AM

Um, I thought you could also fix the whine by starting iChat and turning the iSight on? That doesn't fix it for me. The mirror widget does fix it, but it comes back on waking from sleep (I thought it was until a reboot?) - this is pretty annoying. It's not enough to make me send it back, but it is enough to annoy me. Do we have a one-click solution from the Dock yet?

n8236 · Mar 30, 2006, 08:35 AM

Have had my MBP for 3 days now and sadly it came w/ the whine. If I haven't read the posts about it, I don't think I would of thought much about it since my old cheap pos Gateway used to have that whine even louder. But i did spend a few quiet minutes listening to it and it's quite annoying. But I'm almost always around an environment where "complete silence" does not exist (ie. home, school, lab, classrooms, etc).

The whine is actually VERY soft. I was only able to notice it near complete silence. But it would be nice if it did go away just for piece of mind. But it hasn't deterred me one bit from loving my first Apple.

Is the Mirror Widget the lowest CPU/Memory consumption item out there that will get rid of the whine? If it is, I think I might just have it loaded 24/7.

mintcake · Mar 30, 2006, 04:38 PM

n8236, you don't need to run the mirror widget 24/7, just running it the once will get rid of the whine, however you'll need to do this every time you wake from sleep, not just when you reboot, so I still find it a huge hassle. I'm waiting for someone to come up with a one click solution.

I'm also hearing the 'mooing' sound that Elixir was talking about earlier in the thread. Slightly worrying. It came from the upper right of the case, above where the optical drive would be. I wasn't using the superdrive. I noticed it only right before the battery ran down completely. It sounded like a small motor trying to rev up but failing.

inkhead · Mar 30, 2006, 11:45 PM

i don't know why anybody downloads that stupid "mirror" widget. if the problem comes up just run "photobooth" it's in your dock anyway. let it run 5-10minutes problem solved. Or hopefully in the future the CHUD tools will let you adjust the processors.

mintcake · Mar 31, 2006, 12:03 AM

Photobooth does not solve the whine for me, the mirror widget does. The whine reappears the minute I close Photobooth, if I run the mirror widget it goes away until the next time I wake from sleep.

KTM525 · Mar 31, 2006, 02:46 PM

I don`t know if anyone knows of this but it`s the best solution for the CPU whining.

http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/down...oiseKiller.zip

Just download and run. It will run and close right away and the noise is gone. Set it up so that it starts everytime your mac starts and you won`t ever hear the noise and the program is not using your cpu either.

skyman · 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by mintcake

Photobooth does not solve the whine for me, the mirror widget does. The whine reappears the minute I close Photobooth, if I run the mirror widget it goes away until the next time I wake from sleep.

That means you do not have the processor whine, you have the display whine. If you turn your brightness all the way down does it go away?

skyman · Apr 1, 2006, 12:44 PM

I called Apple and they escalated my case. I received my second MBP yesterday and it has the exact same processor whine.

I love the MBP but the whine is annoying.

Apple also told me there are two "whines". A cabernet and a merlot (just kidding).

A display whine, which is not normal and a processor whine (which I apparently have) which Apple says is within normal specs. Well not in my book!

This is my 5th Apple laptop and the first with this problem.

This is so frustrating, I can't believe that Apple would release a product with a problem like this. On one hand I want to send the MBP back for a refund, on the other hand I want to keep it because it puts my 1GHz Ti PB to shame.

I lived with noisy fans with my Ti PB, I guess I can live with this "whine".

Will update after I talk to Apple again....... stay tuned.

mintcake · Apr 1, 2006, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by skyman

That means you do not have the processor whine, you have the display wine. If you turn your brightness all the way down does it go away?

No, I definitely have the processor whine. The display has no effect at all, at any brightness level. The whine goes with the mirror widget, and stays away. It also goes when Photobooth runs, but starts again when I quit.

chipchen · Apr 2, 2006, 02:06 AM

i ran the mirror widget for a few days... now the whine is completely gone... no whine at all (mirror widget gone)...

PacHead · Apr 2, 2006, 04:56 AM

Originally Posted by inkhead

yeah the whine is industry standard. It's with every laptop, it's not really that big of a deal. It just happens.

No it's not, my Pismo makes no sound at all (besides the fan turning on once or twice a year). I can't even hear if it's on or not without sticking my ear right next to the harddrive. I was thinking about picking up a new mac laptop soon, but annoying noise and sounds is simply unacceptable to me and I hope these macbooks don't sound like crap, otherwise I won't be buying one.