iMac 27" - how noisy?

+I would definitely request to be sure (by opening the box in the Apple Store if required)+

I doubt you'd get anywhere without first making the purchase. Otherwise, you'd be asking an Apple Store to immediately turn it into an opened box unit instead of one they could sell as new by not accommodating you. As I mentioned before, an independent seller who sells from their display shelves, not from the top of a stack of boxes, is the place to find what you want.

I just received my Core i7 and was understandably worried about getting a Seagate hd and what do you think? It has a Seagate 1 TB hd. And so far it is extremely quiet. Here's hoping it stays that way.

I reveived a new iMac 27 i7 today with a Seagate HD. Not only the HD but also the fans are so noisy that I will return the iMac to Apple. It is not possible to work for more than half an hour. The strangest noise is a very high tone which drives me crazy. Even my partner agrees to that. As long as Apple doesn't fix that problem I will not buy another one.
For everybody who receives one - my was first very slowly. A PRAM reset was of great help and made the machine much faster - unfortunately not quieter.

I'm on my 3rd 27 inch iMac, all with a 1 TB HD. I know that one was a hitachi and one was a Seagate HD. I returned the first one b/c the HD was so noisy. Number 2 was just as noisy and, after calling Apple Care, they asked me to return it for a capture. So, now I'm on my third one. Just as noisy as the first two. Really annoying. It is much louder than I would expect any respectable engineer / designer to create, knowing that the machine is going to be a foot from the user's face.
I really wish Apple would admit their mistake on this and make it right for those of us who shelled out $2K for these things.
Other than the noise, it's a great computer. Love the display, performance, etc. But this thing sounds like a 1995 PC. Constantly grumbling / writing / thinking...however you would describe it.

Are you planning on returning it? Apple seems to be tackling these issues and there definitely seem to be a number of issues affecting these 27" iMacs. I'm planning on ordering one in the next week or so -- or picking up a refurb. Hoping they solve the problems affecting what appears to be a beautiful computer.

My current iMac Quad is in Apple's words "whisper quiet". I rarely even hear the read write heads when I'm stressing it. I did however return two others that were uncomfortably noisy (humming and "groaning"). They are extraordinary machines and give my 8 core early 2009 Mac Pro a run for its money. If you happen to get one that isn't quite right don't fret . . . Apple will take care of you.

Good luck.

Message was edited by: Richard Platt

Just purchased the 27 inch i5 and i'm amazed at how quiet it is it's great.

I was told at the Apple store that they just make that much noise, because it's such a "huge" HD, and that if I wanted to return it, I would have to pay the $200 restocking fee. I know this was a big issue because Apple was doing a capture on these machines, specifically b/c of the HD noise (as far as I was told); so I'm hoping Apple does something about this.

...+the machine is going to be a foot from the user's face+.

I know that you're exaggerating, but for others who read it - this most certainly *is not* recommended procedure. In addition, since noise is exhausted to the rear, positioning it only a foot in front of of a wall, cabinet or other hard reflective surface is likely to result in unnecessary noise as well.

...+Apple was doing a capture on these machines, specifically b/c of the HD noise (as far as I was told); so I'm hoping Apple does something about this+.

If it's true that there is a widespread noise problem with the hard drives, I'm sure Apple will do something (as will the manufacturers of these hard drives).

On the other hand, if it turns out that the problem is due to users' inadequate positioning of these huge machines, and if in fact the 27-inch models are equally quiet to those 24-inch models and 21.5-inch models which ALSO contain these exact same 1TB hard drives, I'm equally sure that it will be left up to the users to modify the positioning of the iMac.

Time will tell, but due to the frequency of the "in your face" type comments I've been reading since buyers started receiving and using the 27-inch model, I'm left to wonder if these computers are being properly used. Perhaps users will first have to be tested for common sense:))

Hi Myhighway:

I've got a grumbler/growler (sounds like a growling stomach); it's a 1T Seagate.

The drive gave mw a couple of short gurgles in the first hours after unpacking. By the second day, I had growling, rather than gurgling. As I've loaded more programs on the machine, and accessed more apps, the sound occurs with greater frequency and there are more instances of longer growls. Loading Second Life, logging in, etc. brings me 30 seconds

My fans are smooth and quiet. Screen suffers no pixel anomalies or deaths; not so much as a blink, let alone a flicker.

Because my drive began as a cute, only occasional, gurgle, I'm guessing this drive's issue wouldn't have been discovered during the manufacturing process.

I've opted for the larger drive and more ram. --mbm

P.S. My desk faces into the room (away from he wall); back of the iMac is more than four feet away from any wall, article of furniture or window.

Let us know whenever you receive that larger drive. I returned my iMac because if the terrible hd noise + the 8 dead pixels in the iSight. Am sitting this out (though Apple isn't giving any official statements) to give them a second chance, but to be honest..the longer it takes them to do so, the less I'm willing to buy another iMac

Hi edrush001:

The week 48 machine (now in my possession) has perfect display and iSight pixels. It has never flickered. I'm a switcher, using the Apple wired keyboard with number pad (easier for a switcher, IMHO) and Magic Mouse.

The i7 is a great machine.

The experience I've had hasn't diminished how I feel about the i7 iMac. If I knew then (original order) what I know now, I'd probably have ordered the 1T version, but added more RAM. (In my case, that means I'd have ordered 8 GB rather than 4 GB.) If I found issues on boot up, I'd have taken the time to learn what could be repaired vs ordering a replacement machine and going without for any length of time.

You wrote, "...terrible HD noise."
Apple Care specialists gave me options. I was allowed to (a) return the unit; (b) take the unit to Apple Store (retail) and have the drive swapped out (even upgraded); (c) allow an Apple tech to come to my home and swap out the noisy drive for another. (My decision to replace the machine/upgrade HDD/order Time Capsule was greatly influenced by my need now to limit personal down time.)

You wrote, "...8 dead pixels in the iSight"
According to the Apple specialists I worked with, the Apple Store (retail) techs can swap out a defective iSight device pretty easily.

From the standpoint of a switcher, this is a great machine. I'm running windows on the side under Parallels 5, but much prefer to use the Mac-equivalent of the programs on the PC side.

I've owned my share of computers over time, a very few I consider to have been classics--the right machine at the right time. This i7 has a chance of out-ranking them all.

Hope this helps. --mbm

Hi all,

I am on my fourth i5; my first two had the 1tb Seagate drive and I had terrible rumbling from both the Seagate drives.. So I replaced the second 1tb iMac with a 2tb iMac (as it was reported that the 2tb drives do not have the loud grumbling) and my first 2tb iMac (sent back for yellow tinge) and now my second have a loud fan/hum noise. Here is how it works:

I walk up to my quiet sleeping iMac and wake it up

It is quiet, the screen lights up, and then I hear something start in the machine.. I know it sounds funny, but sounds like an airplane engine warming up

Then I hear the constant noise.. Kind of a hum, but not so much a hum when putting it on a mouse pad (as mentioned in this thread) but a steady noise..

When I feel the chin of the machine it has a steady minor vibration the whole time, and it almost sounds like a quiet version of the superdrive spinning.. It definitely sounds like something is spinning up and spinning the entire time I am using the computer...

It is kind of like white noise, and I do get used to it as it is not that loud, but it is noticeable..

Here is the worst part.. when I wake up my machine, nothing I select (Safari, Itunes, etc.) responds until the noise warms up and runs constantly.. Usually takes 15-20 seconds for Safari to respond (and the noise to be running) from the point of the screen appearing from sleep and I select Safari at that point.. I literally need to wait for the noise to start before anything I have selected launches..

The noise goes away completely when putting the computer to sleep.

If I don't put the computer to sleep but the screen goes to sleep, the noise turns on and off on a regular basis (maybe 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off).

I have determined the area where the noise is coming from - dead center of the back of the machine is where the vibration/noise is emanating from, which is the location of the 2tb drive.

I feel air blowing (lightly) from the vent at the top of the machine.

Therefore it must be the fan of the 2tb Hard Drive. Either that or the hard drive itself is spinning constantly the entire time the machine is awake, which is unlikely, right?

As mentioned earlier, I did not notice this noise at all with the first 2 iMacs which had 1tb drives, but have noticed it immediately with my last 2 2tb drive iMacs.. Does the 2tb drive have a different fan? OR... due to the size of the drive does it automatically require the fan to run all the time?

When using iStat Pro is shows my Hard Drive fan speed at 1099, which is normal I believe.. So, I wonder if the iMac uses a stronger fan for the 2tb drive which runs louder? hmmm....

Message was edited by: SeminolesFan

Hi Semi...Fan,
I reckon you have a bad HD Cooling Fan..... ?
(Its either out of balance with deposits - or has a dry fan bearing)

Do you keep your desk surface 'clean' and free of excess dust?
(fans pick up all the airborne stuff and some of that will deposit onto
the Rotor - particularly in humid environments)

You should not be getting any vibrations....!!