Filed under: Macbook Pro
Does the MacBook Pro fan constantly run? And a note about the whiney noise [Update]
I
have a minor dilemma, folks. If you remember, I reported on numerous problems
with my MacBook Pro, some of which Apple acknowledged, some it didn't.I'm having a new difficulty: the left-side fan of the machine is constantly running, non-stop, from the moment I turn on the machine. The Apple Store Geniuses continually tell me this is "normal" and "within Apple parameters," but I can't seem to remember my pre-replacement MBP sounding like a small aircraft auditioning for a spot on O'Hare's runway. So I ask you, dear MBP-owning readers: Is the left-side fan on your machine always on, making a sturdy and constant whooshy hum?
Oh, and one other thing: While the Genius was "testing" my machine in the back room, I glanced at his PowerBook's screen, which was open to a page diagnosing MacBook Pro problems. It mentioned the infamous processor whine, and described it as a problem with an internal component (obviously) and listed various serial numbers affected. It also -- brace yourselves -- seemed to indicate that the problem was fixed, and could be fixed on affected machines. The Geniuses seemed to be trained to tell you the problem is "normal" and a fact of life, but this page said that it certainly could be fixed by a replacement part if, and I'm paraphrasing here, the customer deemed the noise to be 'unacceptable' and threatened to return the machine. So, if the processor whine bugs you, just go to a Genius bar and demand a fix -- they'll probably oblige.
Update: In response to the 1,435,987 questions all asking the same thing: Yes, I am 100% positive the page I read involved the processor noise and not the LCD, because right above that paragraph about the whine was another paragraph describing the LCD inverter problem. They are two very separate issues, and I do -- despite allegations to the contrary -- understand the differences between them.
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
UAK said 1:10AM on 4-03-2006
YOUR WHINING is much more annoying and frustrating than the machine's.
Just stop your whining and get on with it.
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Cryptonome said 1:32AM on 4-03-2006
The MacBook Pro have a big issue, OS X is not ready enought to control the hardware that all. Well there are hardware issues as the inverter and battery problems, but after 4 weeks debugging the kernel and working hard to put a solution in place I can confirm that most of the problems are software related more than hardware related.
It's simple, and if you knwo a little about Intel processors and kernels, you can find that Apple forgot to control several parameters and insted of that release a unfinish product from the "Software side"
I manage to kill of the chiriping sound, It's easy, but the bigg question is why Apple and many apple technician don't agree on that.
I tested several times and found that Apple have only two processor states instead of the several that you can have with the new processors.
I'm not blaming the Developers at Apple, they did an incredible work in a sort time, I'm blaming Apple because did not recognize that the Software is not ready enought and is not using Enhanced Speed Step by software, the OS rely in the Processor to control several funtions.
I manage to port cpufreq as a kext and I found several interesting facts about how is manage the CPU.
We're blaming several times Microsoft to do anounce products that did not fullfil expect, but now Apple is making the same.
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Cryptonome said 1:51AM on 4-03-2006
Just and answer to Paul Cutting, I have a T60 and initially I found the same problem that in the MacBook Pro, why because Microsoft did not control the new CPU as have to.
I did instal RM CpuClock and manage to set up the right VC and speed and I extend the battery life for more than 40 % and remove all the noise from the processor, for the processor sound just activate C1E state and HALT on idle.
The noise came from the hardware, but it's because the hardware is not manage at it has to be managed, you can change in the hardware some parts to eliminate the noise, it's simple and perhaps cheaper than to modify the complete powermanagement control inside Darwin, I don't know.
The really big problem and it's why many people have not be able to do a solution like Cpu Clock right now is that Intel Darwin source code is now CLOSE and we're not able to look at it and found a solution for the problem with in the code.
But you can do a simple check as you know a lot of about CPUs and hardware, laucnh Reggie SE and trace the registers of the processor in several situations and you can find interesting information about what the CPU is doing.
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mazo said 2:46AM on 4-03-2006
Back to the fan question: My fan is not running constantly, but the hard drive on the left side is quite loud, mimicking the sound of a constantly spinning fan.
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Jens said 3:05AM on 4-03-2006
Hi!
I have a replacement because my first one had a broken right speaker. And I remember that one had a constantly running fan, too. I know that, because I was surprised, because someone had told me (years ago) that powerbooks an the like are extremely quiet.
My replacement has a constantly running fan, too. It is audible in most surroundings, but when I think terms like "dual core" and "X-Something GFX-Card" and feel the heat that it produces I have actually little idea how they could turn off all the fans even for a short time.
It doesn't disturb me much, because a) my old desktop machine was WAY louder b) it's very constant.
Only from time to time when the book gets under pressure (e.g. fast-forward a 1-hour-movie to somewhere in the middle in frontrow), the fan or another fan will fire up with a very audible, somewhat high tone, which would be very annoying to hear all the time. But it wears off normally after half a minute or so. Depending on the weight the book is lifting.
I haven't used (or listened to) a lot of high-end laptops from other makes recently but I think getting upset by a fan that runs in a machine with that hardware might be a little too sensitive...
Moreover the HDD seems to have a nice repertoire of funny noises (80GB, 5400rpm). When you have apps running in the background that access the HD a lot, there can be a high-pitched scratching noise from time to time which might sound a little like Darth Vader with a huge bogey in his nose...
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Michel said 3:42AM on 4-03-2006
I hate to complain, but I am close to renaming it to the CrapBook Pro.
I have owned three Macs prior to the MBP. I have loved them dearly, but I am not impressed with the MBP. Sure its faster, and larger than my 12 PB, but I cannot believe that Apple would release a product with obvious problems.
My initial boot had significant screen distortions. It happened again the next day as well. I call Apple (also sent them a picture) and after discussing the issue with a product engineer, the decision was to return and replace the laptop. To my benefit and convenience, Apple has offered to cover the cost of data transfer (I have sold my 12 PB). I appreciate all of this, but my question is: How could Apple release a product with these types issues?
I research the MBP for three weeks straight. Called four different authorized dealers and contacted Apple directly to get the skinny on the screen issues. I was told that the issues mentioned were only a select few. In other words we only read about the bad, the extreme cases. So I ordered my MBP, I believed that Apple must have figured out who was picking their nose on the job! Nope. If the research and statements were true, that only a select few had issues, what would be the odds of buying a lemon? Seriously, I am not a mathematician, but it is my opinion that Apple has a worm in its MBP, and it is time that they do something about it. I am going to be without a computer for a good two weeks, and that is not acceptable.
I sincerely appreciate the staff that at apple for their help, as it is not there fault. They have done everything that they can to best accommodate my situation, and it is Apples only saving grace at the moment. BUT, I cannot believe, for 3K CAD the product I have received. For the first time every, with an Apple product, I am concerned about receiving my replacement. The MBP falls short on the standards I THOUGHT Apple had.
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Jer said 6:12AM on 4-03-2006
No noticeable fan noise on mine. The first day or so I *thought* I heard something, but since I'd been reading all of these noise alerts I decided that it had made me hyper sensitive. (not that I'm dismissing others experience)
I noticed something yesterday, don't recall if it was fan noise or something else that got my attention, but popping open Activity Monitored showed that I had a process using 92% of CPU. Quit all of the apps and it was still there, did a bit of googling and found it's part of the Epson printer drivers (a rather strange driver in the first place). Force Quit and all is well.
It could be that older software and/or drivers might get into odd states under Rosetta causing excess CPU use and therefore more heat and constant fan running. Check your activity monitor.
I expect Apple & others will continue to tweak and tune for the new platform, making things better for all us out on the "whirring edge."
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Andy said 7:00AM on 4-03-2006
See this about revisions:
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=1584
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Alex Payne said 8:35AM on 4-03-2006
I've started a petition to encourage Apple to formally acknowledge the whine issue: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/whinefix/petition.html
If your MacBook is noisy, please consider signing!
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ryan said 9:10AM on 4-03-2006
My left fan seems to fun, but its really not very loud, in fact i hadn't really noticed it until i read this and listened up close. when running on batteries my book makes some weird noises, but i thought maybe that is normal of intel chips, as my friends dell laptops make the exact same noise. that noise is fairly annoying, although if there is even a little ambient noise in the room, i never notice that either.
the one real problem i've had is that sometimes when i put it to sleep, the display will not wake up. i know it's 'awake' because it makes sounds when i adjust the volume. the only way i can get the display to come back on it to do a full restard.
other than that, i like my macbook - i think its great.
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I want to be a reporter for TUAW said 10:35AM on 4-03-2006
This is a great place to get technical help, and complain that I can't deal with first addopters normal problems.
I believe it is practically a known fact that the first machine to come out-be it a car, xbox, tv-all have some problems. Most of which are solved by the first or second revision.
It is cool that you are brave enough to support a new system that will most definately have some sort of problem, but this is not news.
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Jon Livingston said 11:12AM on 4-03-2006
To hear the fan I have to put my ear close to the left side. No sound from the right. Very quiet in normal use.
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sergio said 3:39PM on 4-03-2006
From what I have read in a lot of forums and blogs, Apple already have a lot of negative press about macbook. Seems a very defective machine, I think this negative press (a fact) is what has put on hold a lot of purchases about the macbookpro.
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Drunk New Orleans Guy said 7:27PM on 4-03-2006
My stock MBP 2.0 has a very quiet "whooshing" sound that comes on the instant I power up the computer.
I don't know if this is the hard drive, or if it is the left side fan spinning at a very leisurely rate of speed. It is barely noticeable in a very quiet environment such as my home office. But at work, the gentle "whooshing" sound of cars going by on the street outside (not to mention the crappy Dell PC sitting on the desk next to the MBP!) is much louder than the sound coming out of the MacBook, and I don't notice it at all.
I *do* know that if I run CineBench a few times in a row to get things running really hot, "new" fan sounds kick in that are much louder and remind me of propellers on a model airplane. It appears that there is one fan for the CPU and one fan for the graphics card. Both fans seem to operate independently of each other.
I have occasionally heard a sound that I think others have described as a "mooing" (moofing??) sound. What I believe this to be is the fan on the right side kicking on for just a moment and then shutting off. Perhaps the graphics card temperature is right at the threshold of "hot enough to turn the fan on". So the fan turns on, then before the fan can get up to full speed, the temperature quickly falls to "cool enough to turn the fan off," and then the temp rises just a little bit and the fan comes on again? Imagine blowing on a spoonful of hot soup...*Blow* "That should cool it off...Nope! It's still too hot!"...*Blow* "How is it now?", etc. I must admit though, that running the computer for very long in the "Better Performance" Energy Saver settings does result in the MBP getting rather toasty...almost burn-worthy on the strip of metal right above the function keys.
I also have what I guess is the "CPU Whine," although to me it sounds more like a "sizzle" that varies in frequency slightly...it almost reminds me of the sound of rapid Morse Code or maybe a very high-frequency version of the sounds a dial-up modem makes when logging in. If I open up the "Mirror" Dashboard widget, wait for the camera to turn on, and then close the widget, the sound completely disappears and stays gone until the next time I restart the MacBook. If I go into Terminal and type "top" after this workaround, I see no indication whatsoever that any CPU percentage at all is being used by anything Dashboard-related (although I may be missing something, I am not an ?er-Geek). I *do* see a number of processes labeled "Dashboard" (I'm guessing one for each active widget), and although they appear to take up a wee bit of RAM, they all show 0.0% CPU usage. At the same time, my idle iTunes and Mail.app both use 0.2% of CPU. If I restart, and then check "top" before opening the Dashboard for the first time, none of the Dashboard processes are listed at all.
However, I can only hear this "CPU Whine" when my ear is placed less than 6 inches away from the left speaker, regardless of whether I'm in a very quiet environment or an only "semi-quiet" environment. The only reason I ever noticed it to begin with was I had been reading every MacBook-related web posting or forum I could find and had read the noise complaints and was *specifically* trying to listen for it. Otherwise, why the hell would I be sitting around shoving my ear up against the speaker? I would have never noticed it if it wasn't for all you whiners! ;-)
Unless the noises other people are hearing are considerably louder than what I have on my MBP, I can't understand why anyone would get bent out of shape enough to return their computer for repair or demand a refund - other than some demented sense of "It's Apple, it was expensive, SO EVERY LAST THING ABOUT IT MUST BE ABSOLUTELY PERFECT AND IT MUST BE SILENT AT ALL TIMES NO MATTER WHAT OR ELSE IT IS CRAP!!!"
If I hear about an officially confirmed repair process for eliminating the CPU Whine (other than "return the computer and see if the replacement sounds better") or if it becomes apparent that Apple thinks my fan behavior or the heat of the system is abnormal, I'll certainly give Apple a call and send it in. But I'm so happy with this computer that I couldn't imagine being without it for more than a day! As far as I'm concerned it performs flawlessly. Why should I get all upset about a noise I can't even hear unless I put my head against the keyboard?
Oh yeah, I do sometimes get the "Airport won't detect wireless network after waking from sleep" problem, but as far as I can tell, if I turn Airport off, and then right back on, it then automatically detects and joins the network. Looks like it maybe needs a minor software tweak, nothing more.
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rHoffa said 4:40AM on 4-04-2006
Hey, I got a MacBookPro recently, about a week before March ended. My notebook had the wierd sound coming from the processor, but it stopped after a little while. And the screen in Front Row and the desktop on my Sharp Aquos LCD TV shows no distortion with the extra light at the bottom of the display. So as far as I know I would say just certain notebooks are affected.
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Karl Kliem said 6:01AM on 4-05-2006
I was wondering why my MacBook Pro fan was blowing all the time really loud. I opened Activity Monitor and there were three Skype entries, each using 60% of the processor power (which doesn't make much sense). I force-quitted all of these and now the machine is quiet again.
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jb said 1:11PM on 4-06-2006
My first MacBook Pro had a slight whine not unbearable but annoying nonetheless and a faulty keyboard. I received a replacement three days ago, one of the new ones for which such problems are supposed to be resolved. Keyboard works, a faint but acceptable whine plugged in, and horrors! a noticeable whine when running off battery power. Firmware, OS update no help. The only way to stop it is to turn the built-in isight camera on with photobooth and leave it on. Very disappointing.
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Barbara Schmitz said 1:39AM on 4-13-2006
My 1.83 Ghz MacBook Pro's fan is on all the time - left side near the magsafe. It's very quiet, but is never off. The machine is also *very* hot in the same place. So, given other posts about the lack of productive answers from the Apple Genuises, my question is: Is this worth taking in for a look or calling AppleCare?
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Josh Strike said 10:25PM on 4-13-2006
Just bought a MacBook today - revision E - and I guess they fixed the fan problem, because the fan WILL NOT GO ON. This POS is running as hot as, or hotter than, my old Titanium that had a broken fan. To keep that one from melting down I used to keep a stack of magazines in the freezer and switch them out every 20 minutes. But this one's frying-hot. I finally made the fan go on by forcing a 3D rendering on both processors and running google earth at the same time. As soon as I shut out of Earth the fan went off again. What's the deal, did they just pull the heat sensors out of the new revision so the fans wouldn't go on?
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Josh Strike said 10:29PM on 4-13-2006
I gotta add -- the only way I'm not returning this thing pronto is if there's a hack that forces the fan on all the time. I don't mind a bit of noise in exchange for the power; but when the top surface of the laptop is hovering around 140 F and the bottom is over 160, there is something wrong with the design.
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