Different people complain about a "coil whine" high pitch, low volume in differently configured 2013 MacPros. Is Apple doing something to solve this annoying noise. (MacRumors)

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Level 1

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Different people complain about a "coil whine" high pitch, low volume in differently configured 2013 MacPros. Is Apple doing something to solve this annoying noise. (MacRumors)

If you follow discussions about the new MacPro in MacRumors Forum, you will find among many other topics, this problem affecting many people having received their new MacPro.

Some people have even posted recordings of such an unpleasant sound coming from a supposed dead silent computer according to Apple's advertisements..

I have to wait several weeks to hopefully in April or maybe even in May May, receive mine, but must admit I am already worried about this problem.

The new MacPro is not supposed to be put under the table on the carpet but on the table, very near to the user and to his ears.

While some people report in MacRumors having received a silent computer, others had sent it back for exchange because they suffered from the above mentioned noise.

As far as one can judge from the different posts related to this noise problem, following few facts appear to be confirmed:

1) it does not affect all of the already delivered machines according to a certain number of satisfied owners but nobody knows how many computers suffer from this bug

2) it does affect different configurations of the new MacPro

3) when a MacPro has this problem the sound changes with the computer load

4) nobody, including Apple, seems to give a clear answer about the part or component of the machine responsible for its cause

5) nobody, including Apple, has found a solution to eliminate it, if present in a certain machine (or if they found it, they do not tell it to the public)

6) needless to say, this high pitch, low noise, is NOT the normal and hardly possible to hear (unless placed one ear at the machine) faint whispering noise caused by the warm air coming upwards, which is the way this machine works and will not annoy anybody!

7) the sound is just called "coil whine" in the MacRumors posts for lack of a better way to describe it. It does not need to actually come from a coil

8) it might possibly help to localize the source (place) in which the noise is generated if the open MacPro could be put to work, but as you know, it only works with the cover on. This leaves only the engineers of Apple as the only people who can find the cause and the cure. Any attempt by anybody else to "trick" the machine will no doubt damage it and void the warranty of a very expensive computer.

9) it does not depend on the electrical current since it affects machined in Sweden or Germany with 220-230v but also computers using 110v

I was shocked but one buyer who reports in MacRumors that Apple customer help refused to repair or exchange his new MacPro and simply told him to cancel his order and get his money back !!!!

I can hardly believe that the customer service of Apple, who enjoys a very good reputation, may behave in such an unfriendly way to a customer of their very best and most expensive computer.

Just to prevent an evident supposition regarding sound perception in advance, The usual argument that different people in different ages have a different hearing is a well known fact. I am perfectly aware of it.

However I am 69 years old and nevertheless can clearly hear the recording noise files posted in MacRumors.

Therefore I do not accept neither age nor over sensibility to noise, as a realistic explanation.

It has to be taken seriously as a bug.

I have no way to know how many already delivered machines show this unpleasant noise problem but Apple should know it by now.

At least I hope it!!!

Even if 2 months waiting time is quite a lot for any appliance, I personally would rather wait even longer...if that is the price to pay in order to finally receive a quiet computer,in case that finding, securing delivery and replacing the faulty component causes a further production and accordingly a further delivery delay.

Having to return it for exchange, assuming that Apple does not refuse it, (which I very much hope will not be the case, as in the above reported "cancellation suggestion solution"), would anyhow extend the waiting time adding to it a great frustration after having it already.

Therefore as usual, better to prevent that to have to heal...

Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.2), My new MacPro is not yet delivered

Posted on Mar 14, 2014 4:35 AM

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Answer 1

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Mar 14, 2014 4:43 AM in response to Riwam

Possible coil whine in my nMP ( 1 2 3 4 5)

Has anybody received a TRULY SILENT nMP? ( 1 2 3)

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Answer 2

Riwam Author

Level 1

1 points

Mar 14, 2014 5:24 AM in response to The hatter

Thank you very much.

One of those 2 posts was initiated by myself.

Still no solution in the horizon.

Hoping for Apple's engineers.

Thank you again?

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Answer 3

Mar 14, 2014 5:26 AM in response to The hatter

Mine is dead silent in all situations, I can hardly tell if the computer is on or off.

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Answer 4

markwmsn

Level 6

15,065 points

Mar 14, 2014 8:00 AM in response to Riwam

No matter the age or general health, different people have different abilities to hear various frequencies, whether you want to accept it as an explanation or not.

For myself, I have no problem believing that some people can hear (and even be annoyed by) sound that others (perhaps even the majority of others) cannot hear (or are not annoyed by).

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Answer 5

elvis69

Level 1

0 points

Mar 14, 2014 8:45 AM in response to The hatter

Hi, you're right "the hatter" I did not see there was already a topic open on this issue, how to delete my post?
Overall I would say that I have the same problem, first time this is a sound not intrusive but when you work side constantly, We hear only this.

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Answer 6

Mar 14, 2014 8:49 AM in response to Riwam

I received my new Mac Pro on February 26. It is a 6 core with 1 tb pcie drive and It is unbelievably quiet at all times. My "speaker" is a 1911 thunderbolt monitor.

Speculation:

I have owned many mac computers since 1984 and have always used apple peripherals with the assumption that apple designs and manufactures them with care so that they mesh and work perfectly together. My experience verifies this assumption. (Mine have). It does seem to me, as I read these forums, that users who complain about various problems mostly use products of "other" manufacturers, usually PC products which, I think, are often made to different standards than are macs.

I wonder what percentage of the "whining" peripherals are of PC manufacture?

Bob

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Answer 7

nfoo

Level 1

108 points

Mar 14, 2014 9:54 AM in response to Riwam

First:

Apple said you can give it back and get your money back, because it is the easiest way to buy ANOTHER one.

It is a well known service by Apple to be very liberal about taking back devices and giving the Customer the opprtunity to get a brand new device, instead of getting a repair. So now people even start complaining about getting their money back. 😉

In my experience Apple will listen very carefully and if you have a legit claim and your are nice to the service people - and not be a you know what - they will go great length to satisfie you.

I know this from experience as a customer. With many devices and a lot of service case.

I had my Mac Pro 2010's Power Supply changed just days ago, because there was a "coil whine". No problem at all. Had it back even earlier than expected. Then again: I'm an Apple Care Customer and that is a big bonus.

So, to make it short:

If it really annoys you - all claims about supposed bad quality management asside, because noise from coils is just a thing of tolerances you can't really control - give the thing back or let Apple repair it.

Just contact Apple. I'd be really suprised if they wouldn't help you.

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Answer 8

Riwam Author

Level 1

1 points

Mar 15, 2014 11:41 AM in response to markwmsn

Your answer makes me feel better. Accordingly I might in your opinion still be able at 69 to hear sounds than other people, although younger, do not hear. Good to know it. Someone mentioned an App which generates different sound frequencies. If I find out that App I will check myself.

However I still believe from the recorded files I heard, placed in forums by people complaining about an annoying sound coming from a new MacPro, that that sound is by no means truly high. I would be very surprised if it is over 10 KHz...

I still have to wait many weeks and hope that when I receive the computer I cannot hear anything annoying.

Thanks!

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Answer 9

Riwam Author

Level 1

1 points

Mar 15, 2014 11:44 AM in response to innocentius

May I know innocentius the configuration of your silent new MacPro?

Thanks!

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Answer 10

L Konig

Level 1

35 points

Apr 12, 2014 5:06 AM in response to Riwam

I have a 6 core with 1 TB memory. It was dead silent at first but now 7 days into use I also have the irritating high pitch "squeak" or as they are referring "coil sound". I am running two 30 inch cinema displays with the apple dvi to display port converters.

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Answer 11

Apr 12, 2014 6:05 AM in response to Riwam

6 Core 16 GB memory, 256 GB disk, AMD FirePro D500 3072 MB, 512 GB disk.

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Answer 12

Apr 12, 2014 8:48 AM in response to L Konig

There is no broad recall in place. You should presume there will never be one, and pursue relief for YOUR system immediately.

Apple watches the repair numbers very carefully. If they see a trend developing (such as a lrge number of systems replaced or repaired), they will assign engineers to examine the returned systems and research the reasons why. If users "wait for Apple to act" there will not be enough problems logged in the system to initiate an investigation, and the problems will not come to the attention of top management. So "waiting for a fix or recall" is strongly NOT in the best interest of getting your issues fixed.

If purchased direct from Apple, you have 14 days from receipt to freely exchange or refund. After that, it is a repair, complete with all the inconvenience and down-time that will entail.

IF there is a recall later, Apple will refund any reasonable amount you spent to get repairs.

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Answer 13

Apr 24, 2014 3:44 AM in response to Riwam

So its been two weeks. I sent my orginal nMP in because of the high pitch fan noise. After the downtime finally I got a brand new mac pro in yesterday and to my shock the same exact noise is coming out of this NEW machine! This is a different brand new machine that they sent back to me and its having the same problem. Not good at all. I have been on the phone with technical support all day today and every day since this problem has risen up and they are working hard to figure it all out. I must say that they are the true bright spot in the situation and with that said I am very frustrated and extremely put off by this situation with the product.

I have been waiting for this new computer for years and I spent a lot of money on this system and to get a high pitch very annoying constant ringing coming from it is quite jarring. To have two weeks in downtime and to get a different machine with the same problem is infuriating.

With tech support I unplugged every thing and plugged the comp to a totally different outlet. Still had the same noise persist. We went through a butt load of other diagnositc explorations but it all came down to this machine having a real "hardware issue".

I told tech support that I really dont want to send my computer in for another two weeks and get a third one back with the same "hardware issue”.

I have a 6c/ 512gb HD/ 16gb ram/ D700 graphics card.

I am lost in the wilderness of despair with my 2013 New Mac Pro.....

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Answer 14

Riwam Author

Level 1

1 points

Apr 24, 2014 8:39 AM in response to creativedeep

Dear creativedeep

No reason to despair. 😉

Not every nem MacPro has that problem but you were unlucky and received 2 with it.

I received 2 weeks ago a 6c, 1TB, D500, 12 GB machine and I cannot hear any strong high pitch noise from my computer but a very faint noise from the fan, hardly hearable and therefore not annoying.

However I do hear the loud and unpleasant external conventional HDs, for instance for Time Machine, and all other noises around me.

I am 69 y.o. and with a small tool app I could check my hearing and it stops at 10 kHz due to my age.

So should that noise be higher than 10 kHz, I would not be able to hear it but if you are a young person, you can.

It would be interesting if you record the noise and put the recorded file somewhere to be heard.

If then someone like me can hear it, it is by far not as high as people believe it to be.

Some poeple in MacRumors Forum recorded their sounds and I could hear those sounds so in my opinion they were not much higher than a few kHz, which is unfortunately the range in which we humans hear best.

Don't despair and continue to hack on Apple until they solve your problem.

In the meantime it might be useful to record and post, as already mentioned, the sound file and so have it heard by others.

Best regards. Edmund, Basel, Switzerland. 😉

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Answer 15

Oct 4, 2017 9:35 PM in response to Riwam

I am a college student learning computer science.I am going to the Apple store for the coil whine after 6 months I brought my Mac book air. It makes me mad. I can't stand it anymore.

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