Mac mini making random click sounds (hardware)

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Hey I'm new to mac forums, I just wanted help because I've had my mac mini mid 2011 baseline model for a couple of months now, and have started to hear a random click sound come from the mini. I used the live chat feature with apple and I am still covered with warranty, so they said they could check it out. I just dont want the hassle of backing up files etc so I can send it in, Also I'm working on some school work so this is an inconvenient time. Does anyone know if this is a normal expectation from the computer or if there may be some faults?

Any help would be much appreciated.
 

cwa107


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Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
It's really hard to diagnose the issue based on a description alone. Yes, there are normal ticking sounds that computers make - most namely the hard drive's heads moving from position to position can emit a bit of a tick (the loudness varies from model to model and it can get louder over time). Typically that kind of a tick would be more random, not rhythmic and constant.

Since the 2011 models don't have a Superdrive, I'd venture to say that a more rhythmic ticking is most likely going to be a bad electrical component in the power supply. It could also be something jammed in a fan, but with as fast as those fans spin, it would be more like a hum (think of the sound that a 'wheel of fortune' makes when it's spinning).

I take it you don't have an Apple Store near you?
 

robduckyworth


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15" MBP, 2.5GHz i7, 750GB, 6770M 1GB, iPad 3, iPhone 4, custom PC
Hey I'm new to mac forums, I just wanted help because I've had my mac mini mid 2011 baseline model for a couple of months now, and have started to hear a random click sound come from the mini. I used the live chat feature with apple and I am still covered with warranty, so they said they could check it out. I just dont want the hassle of backing up files etc so I can send it in, Also I'm working on some school work so this is an inconvenient time. Does anyone know if this is a normal expectation from the computer or if there may be some faults?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Do you notice any freezing, or lockups while using the Mac? Particularly when transferring files, or accessing them.
 

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