Hi there,
I am contemplating buying a new 27" iMac to use it as a combined file server and external display for my MB Pro 13". (I know, I know ... quite a luxury.)
My question is: *How noisy (if at all) is the new machine?* I would have it switched on constantly (with the screen set to sleep) and worry about a 747 roaring on my desk?!
Kind regards from Berlin!
MacBook Pro 13",
Mac OS X (10.6.2),
4 GB RAM, 500 GB HD
if you make the purchase… could you drop a note on noise level here ? like you i am most curious about that and rather buy a bit slower C2D iMac than a noisemaking i5/7 …
Thanks for all your input so far. (I would be buying a C2D machine since I don't need a quadcore number cruncher.)
I just listened to a 27" iMac at a local store - the only thing I could hear was the hum of the store's fluorescent lights on the ceiling! Impressive.
So, none of you guys even hear the HD? Or do you just have bad hearing? I hear mine constantly when it's reading/writing.. which is alot. Is this a faulty drive or is this normal?
It isn't dead quiet. I don't know why people say things like that. Either they are being dishonest or they have hearing problems. It's a unit with fans. They spin and make noise. That noise isn't under your desk, it is in your face. You can hear the hard drive noise, the fans, and the air escaping the vents.
I second that, it is not dead quiet. I have an iMac i7 (if it makes any difference) and everytime I put a CD/DVD it is noisy (not terrribly but noticeable) and accept that as it near my ears and not on the floor it would be more audible.
My question - is this normal for everyone or should mine be more quiet?
Thanks.
I guess even without an iMac 27", I might shed some light on those noises you're observing:
Whenever you insert a CD or a DVD into the optical drive of the iMac, the optical drive tends to spin the disk up to full speed. This can be as much as 570-1600 rpm for a DVD, sometimes even faster for CDs. The sound you'd be hearing then is a combination of the disk itself rushing through the air (it's the friction of the speeding disk and the "slow" air around it), the hum of the drive mechanics themselves and - this depends very much on the disk - any vibrations occurring. And yes, this can be noisy, especially when the inserted disk itself is not "balanced" too well (e. g. when the center hole is ever so slightly off center).
However, I am much more interested in the noise of the machine without optical drive running.
Why would you let your iMac making noise at night ?
If you don't use it then turn it OFF !
Every computer makes noise.
When you insert a CD/DVD, when you copy big files, when you play a game, when you edit videos, photos etc...
It's just impossible otherwise, I mean, it HAS to make noise, a fan or HDD spining can't be unheard.
Now if your question was : - is it noisy by itself when only browsing, listening to some iTunes stuff & everyday use :
think it is quite silent (given the fact that it's actually just in front of you), and makes even less noise than a under-the-desk pimped'out (4HDD, 2PCIe cards & one big GC) Mac Pro.
Those are just my 2 cents, but you cannot buy it hoping it'll make no noise.
It has to, and considering you might listen to music while working or watching streamed series...
You won't hear a thing (except if you actually try & hear every single noise).
I see alot of mds and mdworker when it's not actually indexing anything in spotlight. Also lots of safari reads/writes when I'm just browsing the web..