Electrical Sound in MacBook Pro 13" 2015

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2 points

Electrical Sound in MacBook Pro 13" 2015

I've searched a lot about it but haven't been able to find any question or answer similar to mine. I have MacBook Pro 13" 2015 with iStatsMenu installed. The reason why I mentioned iStatsMenu is that it shows me the RPM value of existing fans.

I sometimes hear quite electrical sound. It doesn't always happen, but it especially happens little bit loudly when I download something, meaning when there is a high load in network. At first, I thought it was CPU, but in under heavy load or normal load I don't hear that sound that loudly. By the way, I feel like I have to define the meaning "loud" in this context, it is like the room should be quite, and you need to get little closer to the body of your MacBook Pro.

I have another MacBook Pro, which is mid-2014 15" and I realized that it has a similar sound, as well. But its fans are usually around 2000 RPM, so I wonder if the fans' noise is blocking it since it is not that loud. I also made a similar check in my wife's old MacBook Pro, which is early 2011 and I heard a similar sound in that too. But again my new MBP is little louder, I assume it is because fans are usually 0 RPM, and which is really nice by the way, probably because of the new Intel CPU architecture, Broadwell. Some people say that sound is coming from fans, and I don't think so since fans are at 0 RPM and I still hear it. I wonder if it has anything do to with network card, which would be wireless card in this case.

So my question is whether as a MBP owner you hear a similar sound in your MBP? I would like to especially hear from MBP 13" 2015 owners. You can best hear it when you download an update or make a speed test at www.speedtest.net since it heavily uses your network bandwidth to download and upload for testing.

By the way, when I say electrical, I couldn't really find a better way of describing it. It is like a buzzing sound, but it gives you the impression of an electrical sound. It not a continuous sound like whining. I think buzzing can be a good candidate to describe it. But this sound effect is kind of close to that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5mmw9qphkE&spfreload=10

Thanks in advance. If you guys cannot hear it, I will have to take it to Apple Store, but I am in middle of Doctor of Computer Science degree pursuit so I don't really want to leave my laptop for a week or so, which doesn't necessarily mean that it will take that long though.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch,Early 2015), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on Apr 23, 2015 2:37 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 14, 2017 8:02 PM in response to nklmk

Hi!!

Is your mac now completely silent?? And you don't hear this electrical or buzzing noise anymore?? I think I am having the same issue with my MBP now. How did you determine that this noise were coming due to your Wifi router??

Thanks!!

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Answer 2

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Apr 23, 2015 3:42 PM in response to atarikg

When ever you turn on a MBP, the fan(s) will always be on. Of they are not, then you have a problem.

Ciao.

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Answer 3

atarikg Author

Level 1

2 points

Apr 23, 2015 4:33 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

Can you base this answer of yours on an official reference for MBP 13" 2015?

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Answer 4

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Apr 23, 2015 4:43 PM in response to atarikg

If you have a new 2015 MBP, you are entitled to 90 days of complementary telephone support. Make that call and ask the Apple representative. Let me know what is the default fan rpm and the maximum rpm. I would appreciate knowing.

Ciao.

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Answer 5

mezzetti

Level 1

15 points

Apr 25, 2015 11:10 PM in response to atarikg

Same here,

it is like an electrical sound, and yes, it is not coming from cpu (different loads doesn't triger the sound), but not even fan.

It seems more like a malfuncitoning capacitor somewhere.

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Answer 6

atarikg Author

Level 1

2 points

Apr 25, 2015 11:09 PM in response to mezzetti

Hey thanks for the answer, do you also have MBP 13 2015?

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Answer 7

atarikg Author

Level 1

2 points

Apr 26, 2015 8:41 AM in response to atarikg

I found this description, which made sense to me, but still I will take it to Apple Store for check. Meanwhile, you can read this:

Circuit board noises

The last source of noise in computer systems is buzzing or chirping sounds that seem to be coming from an area of the circuit board and not directly from a device such as a hard drive or fan. While semiconductors themselves should not make any sounds, you may still hear some bizarre noises coming from circuit boards during use. These can be high-pitched whistling sounds, or chirping sounds that may be persistent, but also may only be noticeable when certain tasks are performed.

In this Apple Discussion thread a number of people have noticed such buzzing sounds coming from their Airport Extreme units when performing file transfers, and have been concerned whether or not the device is going bad.

This kind of sound is usually from the capacitors on the circuit board, which help manage the power distribution to the components of the circuit board. As different components are used, the different degree of capacitor usage may result in higher load that can cause chirps and buzzes. (So possibly, mine is happening in Network Card capacitors, or something).

If you have ever used external camera flashes, you can hear the capacitor charge with a very high-pitched whine. A similar thing is always happening on other capacitors in the system, but usually they are not noticeable. Additionally, a camera flash is being charged all at once (one cycle) whereas the capacitors on a circuit board are being tapped for power and charged at very high rates (usually 60Hz or higher), which will result in a more constant buzzlike sound. You can usually hear this or similar sounds coming from any DC power converter (the small black cube you plug into a wall socket) when it is under load.

This noise is quite common, and if this kind of noise is coming from your system the best thing to do is monitor it and see if it gets any worse. For very prominent buzzing I recommend you take the device in to be checked out, and at least be compared to other models of the same product. However, if the buzz is soft, you should not worry about it unless the sound and volume of it change over time.

Usually this kind of buzzing noise is from power supplies, though it can be from other capacitors, especially if they are just warming up. As with any uncertain noise in your system, be sure you have a complete backup of your data just in case the noise escalates to indicate a larger problem.

I copied the text above from http://www.cnet.com/news/addressing-various-noises-that-may-come-from-your-mac/

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Answer 8

vintatsh

Level 1

15 points

Apr 26, 2015 2:52 PM in response to atarikg

I also have a 13" MacBook Pro Retina 2015 (256GB SSD/ i5 2,9GHz) and am experiencing this noise, coming from the W/E keyboard area.

There are a lot of MBP Retina owners describing this very faint buzzing noise (and it's really only noticeable when you do certain tasks in a very quiet room).

Running the Blackmagic Disk-Speed Test for example the noise is quite noticeable (especially when writing, when reading it's more like a consistent sound), when I don't do anything with my MacBook though (just being on the desktop) it is completely silent. Scrolling on webpages like here I can also here it.

Judging from all the people complaining about this issue I think it's not some sort of defect, more like a "bad" motherboard design/ loud transistors.

I just wonder if EVERY MacBook Pro Retina has this noise.

Same problem: MacBook Pro 13" early 2015 - buzzing sound when SSD being accessed

Let me know what the outcome of the check is.

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Answer 9

atarikg Author

Level 1

2 points

Apr 26, 2015 4:41 PM in response to vintatsh

You are right, at first I thought it was because of Network card or something, but I didn't think about the fact that when you download something, the data is written to SSD. I realized it was not as much loud as during downloading while uploading. I also downloaded the app you mentioned in your post from AppStore, and ran it and the sounds was as loud as I first heard it. So it seems to have something to do with SSD. I usually find it hearable in a quite room while an update is downloading, and I didn't think that the downloaded file performs a lot of writing in SSD.

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Answer 10

atarikg Author

Level 1

2 points

Apr 27, 2015 4:58 PM in response to atarikg

OK, so today I went to Apple Store. Unfortunately the store was too loud, the technician had some problems hearing it. They decided to replace it. However, my new computer is also having the same sound. So I am not really sure if it is a defect or a just a design. I think everyone has it in a way. So I am not going to pay attention to it anymore unless I see something really bad.

Thanks those who contributed to this discussion.

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Answer 11

capapple

Level 1

8 points

Jan 12, 2016 1:22 PM in response to atarikg

Hello, I have a brand new early 2015 Macbook Pro 13" (8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD) mode A1502. Purchased yesterday.

While doing an Apple software update shortly after booting the computer for the first time, I noticed a quiet hissing sound coming from the computer. The noise is easier to hear if I hold my ear closer to the "G" key or so, but I can hear it from my normal sitting distance, too.

The noise sounds exactly like a hard disk drive being accessed ... a nearly identical cadence of hdd clicks and whirs, but quieter. The noise is a faint, rapid series of clicks and chirps and squeaks. This Mac has an SSD of course, which should be silent.

I can replicate the sound by copying large files. I have also noticed a similar quiet sound while adjusting screen brightness, but the sound doesn't sound like a hard drive but instead sounds like a slower frequency clicking noise that matches each step in the screen brightness. Likewise, even scrolling a web page makes a sound that matches the scrolling.

I've googled around a bit and I've come across discussions that sound similar to my "problem." People in those discussions stated the problem was likely due to noisy capacitors or some kind of motherboard inductor circuit. (I am not an expert on electronics by any means btw.) Other discussions have called this "coil whine."

(See 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) and others )

I'm pretty confident it is not fan noise.

I believe the sound is likely coming from the circuitry ... some kind of peizoelectric noise, perhaps.

The noise is there when the laptop is running solely on battery power and also when using AC adapter power.

I suppose I can tolerate the noise, however having just purchased an extremely expensive laptop, I'm concerned I could be using a lemon. I've seen several posts about people having their laptops replaced with new ones, only to find that the new laptop has the same issue.

My question is: Is this type of noise *just* noise or does it eventually cause the motherboard or other components to fail?

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Answer 12

capapple

Level 1

8 points

Jan 12, 2016 2:02 PM in response to atarikg

"So I am not going to pay attention to it anymore unless I see something really bad."

atarikg, did you ever "see something really bad"?

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Answer 13

vintatsh

Level 1

15 points

Jan 12, 2016 2:04 PM in response to capapple

Hi,

Don't worry, I have the same noise since I bought the MacBook in April last year. No problems.

Still hear it now and then but really got used to it.

The same kind of noise my power adapters (from the MBP and the iPhone) happen to make (mostly when they are done charging)

Scrolling this website right now even (in a very quiet environment) causes it to make this noise.

At first I was irritated too (even my previous MBP from 2010 with an upgraded SSD didn't make any noise except for the fan always running)

but I'm pretty sure every other MBP out there has the same noise.

Definitely not coming from the fan. My guess would be coil whine from some capacitors around the CPU or SSD.

It's normal but not entirely quiet as I thought it would be since there are absolutely no moving parts

inside the Mac except for the fan (which most of the time isn't even running).

But you won't hear it most of the time (it has to be very quiet inside the room and you have to get really close to the MBP to actually hear it)

and getting it replaced won't fix it.

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Answer 14

capapple

Level 1

8 points

Jan 13, 2016 5:52 PM in response to atarikg

Good article about this:

Apple versus the analog monster

http://arstechnica.com/staff/2006/03/3059/

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Answer 15

capapple

Level 1

8 points

Apr 10, 2016 5:31 PM in response to atarikg

Update: My 2015 MBP has now frozen five times in the past 24 hours. This is unusual.

Wonder if it is related to the above issue.

I've been running terminal.app, Safari, and iMovie at the time.

I did the "D" command on boot to run diagnostics and it says everything checks out.

I zapped the PRAM three times.

I ran the command-R boot option and ran Disk First Aid (no problems w/ filesystem.)

The faint inductor coil sound is still there when the computer is active (scrolling a browser window, for example.)

The MBP will run for 30-90 minutes or so between seemingly random freezes.

When the Mac freezes the display just stops. (There are no weird lines or video garbage on the screen). The mouse cursor won't move. The trackpad will click when pressed for a few seconds, but then stops clicking (force touch touchpad btw). Press-and-hold power button to force a restart, then everything is fine ... for a while.

I checked the console log and I've noticed WindowServer apparently not responding is a common message at the time of crash.

I've googled a bit on 2015 MBP freezes and it seems to be a fairly common issues, possibly related to a bad mainboard/graphics card.

Will probably take it in for service 😝

Trying to get projects done and my Mac is not cooperative!!! GRRRRRR!!!! Do not want.

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