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arun.vbn Author

Level 1

10 points

Macbook Pro Retina when tilted or flipped makes a clicking/popping noise

Hello All.. Not sure if anyone of you have experienced a (formerly faint but growingly clearer) clicking noise from the 13 inch retina macbook pro?

I started hearing this about 3 or 4 months back, from inside the case of my macbook whenever i tilted it, not while working or when the device is stationary, only when I flip the device to one side, usually about 90 degree, whether with lid open or closed.. I already took it to two different Apple Authorised Service Centers in Germany (the place where I live does not have any Genius Bars).. But both of them could not fix it, one of them (Compustore, Nuremberg Germany) I think opened it up and made a bigger mess (now I can hear the noise a bit more louder), and the other (Gravis Retail, Nuremberg Germany) told me that all retina macbooks make the same noise when tilted, which of course I find difficult to believe..

When I bought it, the notebook had absolutely no noise from anywhere.. I live in Europe, and living rooms here can be freakishly quiet.. And I used to love it when there was not a click or a hiss out of place while working or carrying it around... To me, this made the device feel solid, and gave the impression of no moving parts inside, even though there were still the cooling fans.. But even they seemed held together so tight not making any noise out of the ordinary.. Of course one could hear them pretty well when they ran in top speed.. eg. during some heavy graphics, games etc.. But this again was a very steady whir.. which upon closing the heavy graphics app, slowed down steadily bringing the noise back to a zero. (I don't know if it's just me, I always thought it was intentionally part of the design, to try and make the whole device look and sound as solid as possible, like nothing lying loose inside).. I used to admire this in Apple devices.. But maybe I was wrong.. I don't know.. Is it only my macbook, or is it all retina macbooks and only I notice and care about such stuff?

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013), OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)

Posted on Mar 5, 2015 11:00 PM

71 replies

Aug 21, 2015 1:09 PM in response to arun.vbn

Hi!

I just began to experience the same issue here... I purchased my Macbook Pro Retina 13" early 2015 three month ago on the Apple Store in France. The noise seems to be indeed from inside the display, right behind the lightened Apple... I don't know for you, but to me this is really annoying, especially for a device that costs 1600$...

Do you have any news for that matter? Did you find any solution to the problem?

Aug 21, 2015 10:32 PM in response to vintatsh

I noticed that when my brand new 13 inch 2015 rMBP is tilted to the left or right... there is a sound coming from the top left and top right of the computer near the magsafe charging port and near the power button when titled respectively in those directions. It sounds like something is slightly moving and hitting the corner of the unibody.... I don't know if this is normal or not. My macbook is 1 week old and I don't want to bring it in for no reason. Is this normal?

Aug 22, 2015 5:46 AM in response to Elixir1119

Hi,

To me this is absolutely not normal... This is not an expected behavior for the MacBook...

At the beginning I thought like you, that the noise was coming from beneath the keyboard. But I put my ear against different parts of the MacBook and the noise was louder behind the screen. Are you sure of the localisation of the noise?

vintatsh

Level 1

15 points

Aug 22, 2015 6:24 AM in response to Elixir1119

No it's definitely coming form behind the screen.

If you nearly close the MacBook the noise gets even more noticeable.

I would like to know if other 2015 MacBooks have the same issue but I don't really want to go into an Apple Store and tilt MacBooks like a crazy person...

Aug 22, 2015 10:27 AM in response to vintatsh

I Bought the macbook pro 13 2015 last may...and i noticed that loose part inside the screen (when i press the screen it doesnt move...)

i call apple and they sent me a new one, and it makes the same sound. It is like a big part, a plate, or something isnide the screen that moves and makes "clack" when you move it or shake it even slowly.

im from Spain and i am worried if in the futures may damage my computer...i hope not.

but as i can see im not the only one and it is a manufacturing issue, or soemthing about the glue... Who knows.

Aug 22, 2015 8:12 PM in response to Skyline124

Im 100% sure that the noise is not coming from the screen. The screen is fine. I hear a slight noise that sounds like the entire inside of the computer is hitting the casing of the unibody on the upper right part of the macbook near the power button (right side) and the magsafe charging port on the left side. Anyways looking at apple forums, apparently its common in the 2015 rMBP and rMB. I see that quite a few people are worrying and posting about this.

Aug 23, 2015 5:26 AM in response to Elixir1119

IM 100% sure that the thing moving is coming from the screen. When you press hard the borders of the screen, it doesnt move...so it is like a plate inside the screen. to check by yourself, hold the mac by the screen, and shake it...

Aug 23, 2015 6:51 AM in response to alberto209

I honestly don't know what to tell you. Im positive it's not from the screen. In all honesty, I've read what I'm describing on 20 different forums by now, so I'm assuming this is normal and part of the 2015 line. The computer is fast, beautiful and great in all other respects.

Aug 23, 2015 6:55 AM in response to Elixir1119

could anyone upload a video with the sound?

vintatsh

Level 1

15 points

Aug 23, 2015 6:56 AM in response to Elixir1119

Well if you are sure it's coming from the body, then you could just open it and look if there is something loose inside.

Maybe we are talking about different problems here.

vintatsh

Level 1

15 points

Aug 23, 2015 7:38 AM in response to alberto209

Sure, not the best video ever created (you may turn up your volume) but it gets the job done: http://sendvid.com/m1kvnzqj

Aug 23, 2015 7:45 AM in response to vintatsh

Yup. Mines making that same sound when I tilt it from side to side. Did you contact apple?

Aug 23, 2015 8:16 AM in response to Elixir1119

THanks for the video. mine does the same. i called apple a few mo ths ago and sent me a new one, and does the same...

is annoying...

Aug 23, 2015 8:21 AM in response to alberto209

They sent you a brand new one in a box and everything? packaged with the plastic? Or was it a refurbished one.

vintatsh

Level 1

15 points

Aug 23, 2015 8:29 AM in response to Elixir1119

Not yet, I'm also not quite sure if I even should after reading the experience other guys had with it.

(I'm still interested if they got it fixed btw.)

In my case the noise get's only really noticeable if the MacBook runs for a while/ get's hot or if you tilt it from side to side for a couple of times.

Still a weird problem if you look at some pictures e.g. from iFixit there is not much that could actually move inside the display and it seems like a big part moving in there. My camera is aligned perfectly, the screen itself doesn't move... maybe it's a cable or something inside the plastic hinge... I don't know.

If it would be at least some part inside the body. Than you could just figure out what's loose and fix it yourself.

Sometimes when I just randomly try if it's still there there is nothing or it's just barely noticeable.

As I said: Not really noticeable in everyday use but it's still there and definitely not normal.

Maybe I will contact Apple in the next couple of weeks depending on how annoying the noise gets to me.

Macbook Pro Retina when tilted or flipped makes a clicking/popping noise