Imac 27" making weird noise

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Hey, i just hv my imac 27" for two days, it is making a weird noise. It is not a continuous noise, it is like the sound of a popping bubbles in a water boiler, it happens randomly, usually 1 to 2 seconds, but it usually happens when i tried to click into something, or tying on the keyboard. i hv transferred my old data from my macbook, it wont affect it right. Although it is a minor problem, do u guys hv the same problem, is it the sound of the hard disc??
 
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13 inch alMacBook 2GHz C2D 4G DDR3, 1.25GHz G4 eMac
That would be your hard disk. :D
 
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Don't you have any other way of describing the sound it makes?

And if it is bothersome in any way, and disturbs you from doing what you want to do, then it's probably a good idea to bring it in, and see what the guy at the genius bar says.

DarkestRitual: Nice going on the sig!!:)
 
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i found out it mostly happens in firefox, the sound is really like that, i think if my mac is working, i wont bother with it yet, but i just want to know is other people hving the same problem
 
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Your HDD does make a light clicking sound every now and then, they all do.

It's up to your experience with previous computers to determine if it's supposed to sound like this or not.
 
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Imac 27po makes noise

Hi,

I have my computer since November 2009 and I have heard the same sound you described since the first time I turned it on. I thought it was the hard disk so I went to the Apple store and spoke about it with a technician, he told me that everything is ok, the sound is normal. I don't think so but, after all, he is the specialist, isn't he? So, I came back home and everything was fine in spite of the noise. But, since a few weeks, the noise is still there but a new kind of sound has added to the first one, but this one is continous, like an helicopter or a constant popping pop corn. I'm afraid of what it is. Is it the hard disk? it's gonna crash and die? I wonder if I return to the apple store with my computer...
 
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chas_m

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But, since a few weeks, the noise is still there but a new kind of sound has added to the first one, but this one is continous, like an helicopter or a constant popping pop corn. I'm afraid of what it is. Is it the hard disk? it's gonna crash and die?

If you had an up-to-date, bootable backup of your HD on an external, you would have the luxury of barely caring.

If you're not already doing this, I would recommend both a Time Machine backup and a bootable "clone" backup, updated at least daily. You might also want to install the free utility "SMART reporter" on your menubar.

Finally, you might also want to try doing a zero-out and reinstall of the drive's contents. Having a bootable backup clone makes this an easy job (though it will take an hour or three), and should put your mind to rest whether the drive is going south or not.
 
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i still hv the same noise, but luckily the noise is still the same. I dont think the helicopter sound u r saying is from the hard drive, coz my friend hv the same problem, he replaced the internal drive with a ssd, but still hv a continuous annoying and noticeable noise, which cant be coverd by music, which mine one can. I will suggest u to call up the apple care and tell them this is not tolerable, and ask them to listen to the noise, i bet they will repair it for u.
 
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Does it sound like your stomach making noises? As strange as that is, mine makes a bit of a gurgle noise every few minutes. It kinda bothers me, but usually I have music going so I don't notice it.
 
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Does it sound like your stomach making noises?

I just started using my new iMac 27" and have the same exact symptoms. It is like your stomach making noises when you are hungry. I so hope this is not normal because I don't think I can stand that noise if it is already getting annoying. "Upgraded" from my MBP but I didn't have that going on... if it was a fan or something I could deal with but since .. not sure.
 
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i think the noises is from the hard disk, but i hv not changed my hard disk to ssd, so not sure. btw i really think it is luck, coz the friend i talked about in my last post, he asked apple for a refund, and get another imac a week later, then he changed the hard disk to ssd again, and since then he doesnt hv the noise any more. therefore, i would say there is more than one type of noises, and the stomach noises is very likely to be hard disk, but dont know about the helicopter one. hope it helps
 
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hey guys , im having the same problem its an imac 27 i5 mid 2010 , and the sound is some what like a crack pop "a small pop with a bit crackling to it" , and its not the hdd sound or the vents in any way , its coming from the upper left side of the imac from the power supply i guess , and its randomly when in idle and more obvious in normal use of web browsing , and do one ,

its kinda disappointing really i just got my imac and the macbook , to switch from windows and personal build pc's , and i thought that the apple products are spot on ,
 

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The inside of an iMac acts a bit like an echo chamber because of the way it's built. The sound may actually be coming from the hard drive. Take it on in and let an Apple genius listen to it. If there's a problem with the hard drive or something else, they'll repair it. Before taking it on in, make sure you use Time Machine to make a backup of your hard drive.
 
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Mine makes the same noise actually all the ones I have had made the hard drive noise...honesty doesn't bother me anymore. With music playing I can't hear it.
 
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I've just unboxed my 27" iMac and i noticed this noise...is there any way of reducing it or making it stop because for me its ruining what is a really nice bit of kit ?
 
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I've just unboxed my 27" iMac and i noticed this noise...is there any way of reducing it or making it stop because for me its ruining what is a really nice bit of kit ?

Wow ... it amazes me. This is the single quietest machine ever, and you're worried about a very very quiet hard drive. You ever listened to a PC doing it? Most hard drives in standard PC's are click click click a lot worse than this. Other than that tiny tiny noise, you hear nothing. And you're still saying it ruins it?

I'd say it's probably time to get over it :) After a few days you wont even notice it.
 
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My built in HDD (500GB Hatachi)makes some click noises, mostly when its sleeping. But my whole 24" 2008 iMac makes less noise than my 1TB Portable/External Western Digital HDD

My computer can make a humming noise and the fans can be pretty loud when I'm doing graphic intensive stuff.
 

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