New MacBook Pro 13 2.5GHz clicking noise

wootae8 · Dec 17, 2012

I bought my Macbook pro 13 inch 2.53GHz at best buy last sunday and its great. I did notice that it makes a clicking noise from somewhere in the computer. It isnt from the speakers and im not exactly sure where it is from. i returned it for a brand new macbook pro and it keeps making this sound. is there something wrong with the two macbooks that i got or is it normal for it to make a clicking noise?
Thanks in advance

chscag · Dec 17, 2012

It's possible you may be hearing clicking from the optical drive. It would be unlikely that two new computers would have a defect that caused clicking. Does it click all the time or only when the machine is first turned on?

dawson1112 · Dec 17, 2012

I bet its the optical drive they all do that when you turn it on or any time it looks at the drive. Even when you open up system info

wootae8 · Dec 17, 2012

Im not too informed in the field of hardware, but it does it maybe every 30 secs-1 min. Its just a faint click here and there. Im sure if it happened on two different computers it would be a problem. Is the optical drive the CD slot? it sounds like it might come from there? i could be wrong

chscag · Dec 17, 2012

Yes, the optical drive is the DVD - CD slot on the side of your MBP. Place your ear close to it to see if you can pinpoint the noise.

wootae8 · Dec 17, 2012

i will try to listen more carefully to see if i can locate where its coming from. i think its from the optical drive but would it only make sounds if there is a CD inside?

dawson1112 · Dec 17, 2012

wootae8 said:
Im not too informed in the field of hardware, but it does it maybe every 30 secs-1 min. Its just a faint click here and there. Im sure if it happened on two different computers it would be a problem. Is the optical drive the CD slot? it sounds like it might come from there? i could be wrong

If its happening that often it shouldn't be the disk drive as the only time it clicks is when you bring it out of sleep or turn it on , and when you open storage in system info. Unless it has a disk in it that your using then you may hear it when it is reading the disk. Could you describe what your doing most often when you hear this sound.
Maybe the fan is just kickng up when it hits the temp threshold

wootae8 · Dec 18, 2012

it sounds almost like the sounds when you click the mouse but it's a lot fainter. i do belive it is coming from the right side of the computer and it happens no matter what im doing. ill jsut let it sit and it will make the sound

wootae8 · Dec 18, 2012

ok i think ive located the sound. if i am correct, along the edge closest to you, as in the edge closest to you when you are typing, there is a small slit on the right side of that edge. the clicking seems to be coming from there. is that the fan? should i be concerned becaseu the clicking is rahter annoying.

chscag · Dec 19, 2012

If I understand you correctly, that small slit is the SD card slot on the side of the machine. That should not be making any noise at all. The sound may not be coming from there though. It could be coming from anywhere inside of the machine. There are three things that could make a clicking sound:

Optical drive upon start up of the computer.

Fan (there is only one fan in your machine)

Hard Drive

If any of the three are making a constant clicking sound, then there's a problem. Are you connected to the internet or have any kind of program running when the clicking starts? The clicking could also be coming from your speakers and that's why I'm asking about what program if any is running when the clicking starts.

wootae8 · Dec 19, 2012

This is where i think its coming from. THis slit or maybe the one next to it. What is here?

pigoo3 · Dec 19, 2012

wootae8 said:
This is where i think its coming from. THis slit or maybe the one next to it. What is here?

That's the sleep light.

If you're really this concerned about this "clicking"...just take it to your nearest Apple Store to have it checked out. It very well may be something unusual...and if it is...we could be guessing what it is forever...and still not get it right.

- Nick

chscag · Dec 19, 2012

Again, that slit is the SD card slot. And since this is the second new machine that the clicking can be heard from, it could be something you're running from your MBP. In other words, the sound could be coming from the internal speakers in your MBP.

Are you on any social networks or doing any on line chatting? Certain programs will make a click sound when someone (that you are friends with) comes on line. You never answered that question....

If none of the above is true, take the machine back to Best Buy again and exchange it for another once more.

wootae8 · Dec 19, 2012

So Im guessing im the only one who has experienced this clicking noise? Ive relocated the sound to be the opening right next to the CD slot. I put my ear to it and it was making really silent clicking noise and then it makes a loud clicking noise. No, its not a noise from the speakers, im sure. its definitely hardware. I guess ill take it back again and have them either look at it or replace it again..

pigoo3 · Dec 19, 2012

wootae8 said:
So Im guessing im the only one who has experienced this clicking noise?

It's really hard to say since we cannot hear it.

wootae8 said:
Ive relocated the sound to be the opening right next to the CD slot. I put my ear to it and it was making really silent clicking noise and then it makes a loud clicking noise.

Since you've gotten two of these units so far...and noticed the "clicking" on both of them. It would seem to me that either you are the most unlucky person in the world to have gotten two MacBook Pro's making this "weird" clicking sound...or you are being hyper-sensitive to some sort of noise that is totally normal for a MacBook Pro.

FYI...the hard drive in the 13" MacBook Pro's from at least the last three models (2010-2012) is located right next to the CD/DVD drive...so I'm betting that this "weird" clicking that you're hearing is simply the read/write heads moving back & forth as they access (read/write) to the hard drive. Different hard drives make different noises & sometimes the hard drive sounds can be louder & softer (even two hard drives from the exact same manufacturer & capacity).

So I'm betting the "clicking" you're hearing is the hard drive just "doing it's thing"!

- Nick

dawson1112 · Dec 20, 2012

pigoo3 said:
It's really hard to say since we cannot hear it.

Since you've gotten two of these units so far...and noticed the "clicking" on both of them. It would seem to me that either you are the most unlucky person in the world to have gotten two MacBook Pro's making this "weird" clicking sound...or you are being hyper-sensitive to some sort of noise that is totally normal for a MacBook Pro.

FYI...the hard drive in the 13" MacBook Pro's from at least the last three models (2010-2012) is located right next to the CD/DVD drive...so I'm betting that this "weird" clicking that you're hearing is simply the read/write heads moving back & forth as they access (read/write) to the hard drive. Different hard drives make different noises & sometimes the hard drive sounds can be louder & softer (even two hard drives from the exact same manufacturer & capacity).

So I'm betting the "clicking" you're hearing is the hard drive just "doing it's thing"!

- Nick

very very true ^^^

pigoo3 · Dec 20, 2012

wootae8 said:
Ive relocated the sound to be the opening right next to the CD slot. I put my ear to it and it was making really silent clicking noise and then it makes a loud clicking noise.

As I mentioned in my previous post...I think that this "clicking" is from the hard drive...which if it is...is most likely completely normal. As an FYI...check out the photo below...and you will see that the hard drive is located immediately in front of the CD/DVD drive (exactly where you describe the "clicking" is coming from):

For orientation sake...the "square thing" above the hand in the photo is the CD/DVD drive...the part that the hand in the photo is tilting/removing...is the hard drive. The front edge of the computer is where the palm of the hand is located...and the computer is laying on it's top (the part with the Apple logo on it). To access the inside of a newer MacBook Pro the access cover is on the bottom.

- Nick

New MacBook Pro 13 2.5GHz clicking noise

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