Brand New Mac Pro Exhibits Jet Engine Fan Noise

Question

Brand New Mac Pro Exhibits Jet Engine Fan Noise

Hello everyone,

I've finally taken the plunge and purchased the new Mac Pro 2.8 8 core machine. When I was filling out the registration info on first startup, the fan noise became extremely loud. Much louder than in the store or any computer I've ever owned, even more than a 9 inch steel regular external Wal-Mart fan I own. I finished filling out the registration information and shut down the computer. (Also, the the room thermometer indicates the ambient temperature is between 74 and 75 degrees.)

I've searched around and found that I should reset the SMC(?) by unplugging everything, waiting for about 15 seconds, then plugging everything back in and turning it back on. I unplugged everything for 5 minutes (did this procedure twice) then plugged it back in but with no success. The fan noise starts very shortly after turning the machine on. Is this something common with the new Mac Pros and is something I can fix on my end or does this sound like I got unlucky and received one that Apple will need to repair?

I haven't turned it back on for fear that it might cause any damage but I'm beyond excited to get everything under way as I'm typing this back on my Windows machine I'm upgrading from.

I do plan on contacting Apple directly once their support lines open again but thought I could get a headstart by asking everyone here.

Thanks in advance for any help and advice,
TR

2008 Mac Pro 2.8 8 Core

Posted on Jan 26, 2008 8:53 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

HanoverFiste

Level 1

5 points

Jan 26, 2008 9:18 PM in response to Twisted Raven

TR,

I just purchased a Mac Pro Dual 2.8 quad (early 08) and have had no abnormal (9 inch steel regular external Wal-Mart fan) fan noise. With that said my average ambient temps are a little cooler than yours (67-70 deg avg).

Some additional hardware info. ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT, 2GB RAM, 2 HDD (1-320GB, 1-500GB). Also, I have this sytem running with both MacOS and Vista installed. No noticable difference in fan noise with either OS.

If I can think of any additional details I will let you know but thats all that comes to mind at this moment.

Hope this helps.

-Hanover

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Answer 2

BillF

Level 3

649 points

Jan 26, 2008 9:21 PM in response to Twisted Raven

I have had my 2.8 8 core for 2 weeks. No problems and I have 6 GB of RAM and two HDs in here. Try restarting the machine and hold down command-option-P-R. This resets the PRAM. It is an old Mac trick, and it cures a host of problems. Good luck.

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Answer 3

phjo

Level 1

30 points

Jan 26, 2008 11:00 PM in response to Twisted Raven

I had the same problem (or so it looks). In my case, it was the fan of the video card, whose connector is slightly bent. If the sound you're hearing is more like a whining than a humming, then chances are it comes from the little fan on the video card rather than from the 12cm fans the case is using... And in that case, a smc reset won't fix it.

I fixed it by gently replacing the cable of the fan on the connector.

That being said, I'll probably insist on having my video card replaced because that lousy connector is not pretty, and obviously is causing some trouble...

It might be very different in your case, but this is something to look at...

phjo

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Answer 4

Jan 26, 2008 11:10 PM in response to BillF

Hanover,

You've got the exact same system I just purchased minus the extra 500gb hard drive so if you haven't had anything abnormal with yours that definitely raises a red flag for me.

BillF,

I tried restarting with those keys pressed down until the second chime but unfortunately it didn't work. Thanks though as it was worth a shot!

By all accounts it seems like this is something that's out of my hands to fix. It's definitely not normal and probably a one in a million thing but hopefully it can be sorted out quickly, I can't wait to start using it.

Thanks,
TR

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Answer 5

Jan 26, 2008 11:14 PM in response to phjo

phjo,

I'll open up the side and see if I'm mistaking the video card fan for the case fans. It's not really a whine, at least to my ears, but more like an airplane or vacuum cleaner with a large bag on the back of it.

Thanks, I'll let you know what I find,
TR

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Answer 6

Jan 26, 2008 11:35 PM in response to phjo

Well I know now it's most definitely not the video card.

I turned it on with the side open while watching and listening intently to the video card and case fans. Not even 10 seconds after turning it on I could feel the wind kicking up into my face and blowing my hair from the front fan.

Years and years from now when these become relics to the future Mac Quad 20 Core machines I could turn it sideways and mount it on the wall to use it as a hand dryer, it really pushes a LOT of air through the case. It's nice to know that it can do it when it needs to, just not on bootup and sitting at the desktop.

I'm not even sure the fans would go this crazy with an application pushing it hard. Maybe if you were rendering Toy Story 3 in the middle of the desert while it's strapped to a big rock.

TR

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Answer 7

phjo

Level 1

30 points

Jan 27, 2008 12:49 AM in response to Twisted Raven

yes, obviously not the video card then... You might just for fun install istat pro to see how fast your fans are running. It might be valuable to check what reported temps are (maybe one bad sensor, or some bad part that is really overheating...)

But definitely, a call to apple is in order...

For your information, and according to istat pro, my fans are running at :

exhaust : 599rpm
CPU fan : 499rpm
Power supply : 600rpm
Hard drive : 799rpm

phjo

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Answer 8

BillF

Level 3

649 points

Jan 27, 2008 2:02 PM in response to Twisted Raven

I see that you tried resetting the SMC/PMU and the PRAM.

By any chance did you migrate your files off of another Mac that had a system folder? Just curious. Another thought is to reseat your harddrives, RAM, RAM risers, and the video card on the off chance something is a little loose, or not seated properly. After reseating everything, try zapping the PRAM one more time.

If you migrated your software, you may want to try doing a clean install of all files. I installed the entire system and then applications so that all were in pristine shape. Then I migrated the data files over using firewire target disc mode. Just a few more thoughts.

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Answer 9

Jan 27, 2008 2:38 PM in response to Twisted Raven

I run a dozen Mac Pros in my classroom (not the new models) and anytime that the fans have gone into high overdrive it has been a prelude to a more serious problem. Usually the next step involves kernel panics and then the IT people have to come in and reimage the machine or replace the ram. Last time they had to replace the logic board and the ram on a machine that started having the high fan noise and then kept freezing and having kernel panics.
I hope your problem is simple.

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Answer 10

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Jan 28, 2008 4:57 AM in response to Luis Ortega

Boosts the air conditioning it sounds like, and keep the room from getting so warm (one Mac Pro can heat 150 sq ft quite nicely).

Heat kills.

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Answer 11

Jan 28, 2008 9:37 PM in response to Twisted Raven

I was all ready to call Apple in the morning, hooked everything back up, turned it on and guess what? The fans weren't going ballistic anymore. I was shocked to say the least after the previous experiences. I had unplugged everything for at least 5 minutes each time when trying to perform those resets and the fans just wouldn't back down. The system then sat unplugged completely for several hours before I hooked everything back up to call Apple and the fan issue didn't reappear. I can't explain it. The system is quiet as a mouse. I hear the hard drive over the fans, and I can now hear the external fan and even the wall clock ticking over this machine. I am beyond impressed.

I did notice a red light emitting from the Digital Optical Out port and wasn't sure if that was normal. I've searched through the board and found folks with MacBooks having an issue with that but I'm able to get sound through the internal speaker unlike them. Is that normal for the new Mac Pros to have that constantly on? I looked in the manual as well but didn't see anything regarding it.

I did get the iStat Pro Widget, THANKS for the info on that phjo!! I used to use a few programs on the PC to monitor the temps so a program that would do that was one of the first things I knew I wanted to find. Here's what the results are which all seem to be normal, please let me know if something looks off:

CPU
User: 0%
System: 0%
Nice: 0%
Idle: 100%

Memory
Wired: 122mb
Active: 184mb
Inactive: 13mb
Free: 1.67gb

Disks
Macintosh HD
U: 39.48gb
F: 258.3gb

Temps
CPU A: 29 degrees
CPU A: 29 degrees
CPU B: 27 degrees
CPU B: 28 degrees
Ambient: 21 degrees
Northbrige: 34 degrees
Expansion Slots: 31 degrees
HD Bay 1: 25 degrees

Fans
Exhaust: 600rpm
CPU Fan: 500rpm
Power Supply: 599rpm
Hard Drive: 801rpm

BillF,
This is a brand new system, with no migration of any kind from any other system. This happened when I turned the system on for the first time and was in the middle of filling out the registration information.

Now with the fans backed down I installed a new firewire sound interface (I'm an audio recording guy) without a hitch and then ran into a new issue. This is unrelated and a software issue but it's just my luck I guess since I must've received a Logic Studio set with a bad disk. An hour or so after initiating a complete install when I put in the Audio Content 3 disk it errored out. I've looked on the boards and seen this to be an issue with a bad batch of disks going out so I'll have to call Apple for a replacement disk.

I've had the system off and on several times today and haven't had that fan issue reoccur. If everything seems normal with those numbers I posted from iStat Pro above then I think I should be okay. I'm going to mention this to Apple when I call regarding the Logic Studio disk issue and see what they say but this system is going to be used fairly well on a daily basis so if it happens again I would expect it to be soon.

TR

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Answer 12

JamisonF

Level 1

15 points

Mar 21, 2008 11:46 PM in response to Twisted Raven

Solving the Mac Pro fan noise issue

After a while the fan in my Mac Pro was always on at full blast. My once quite computer was a thing of the past. I read all the articles and tried Apple's suggested fixes and nothing worked until my video card started acting up and I did a little searching on the web and found this gem posted on April 17, 2007:

http://www.macosg.com/group/viewtopic.php?t=13207

It turns out that the video card that shipped with my MacPro, ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB, has its OWN FAN and that fan has an air intake grill that tends to get clogged up with dust. When the grill is covered in dust, the video card fan stays in permanent overdrive (and the video card can start acting funny if it gets too hot).

You can clean the air intake WITHOUT TOUCHING THE CARD. Just turn the Mac off, open the side, find the video card and look at the front of it (the back aligns with the back of your computer and your monitor will be plugged into it). Inside the front end of the white plastic box on the video card you will see the air intake grill (which will either look like a grill of very many very thin vertical sheets of copper colored metal or it will look like a wall of dust that you would find covering an airconditioner filter that was never cleaned. If it's covered with dust, blow the dust out of the intake with a hairdryer set to cool.

When the dust is gone, you may find that your Mac is silent again.

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