Mac Users Report Strange Sound Coming From New iMacs.


As users receive the first batch of Intel-based iMacs, many are reporting their reactions to the new machines online.

A growing number are reporting that, like other Macs in the past, the Intel Core Duo iMacs suffer from a severe fan noise problem.

But Apple has gotten out in front of this charge, and says that the sound users are complaining about is not the sound of the fan.

“To the untrained ear, it might sound like a high-pitched whine, similar to the noise a fan might make,” said Peter Mehring, head of Apple hardware engineering. “But that’s not at all what it is.

“It’s the sound of the Intel processor having fun.”

Indeed, upon closer inspection, it does appear that the sound in question is actually that of the Intel processor, as Apple’s recent advertising indicates, having the time of its life.

“It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard,” said new iMac owner Don Revis. “But when I turned off all the other electronics in the room and put my head right up next to my iMac, I could hear that the sound – which I had thought was a fan – is actually a tiny little voice going ‘Wheeeeeeeeee!’

“It’s kinda… creepy… actually…”

Revis’ story was confirmed by several other users who say that while the processor most commonly makes a prolonged “Wheeeeeee!” sound as if riding a roller coaster, it also laughs, titters, giggles, chortles, and otherwise expresses its joy at being part of a Macintosh.

So far, however, no one has made the point that the source of the sound does not necessarily matter, that it’s still annoying.

“Well, if it’s the Intel processor just having a good time because it’s in a Mac…” Revis said, “I guess I can’t complain about that.

“I mean… hasn’t the Intel processor suffered enough?”

48 thoughts on “Mac Users Report Strange Sound Coming From New iMacs.”

  11. I can’t beleive it.

    Eleventeenth!

    Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!

  12. Damn it.

    Meant to say Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

    I have just finished celebrating my eleventeenth post with

    TWO FRIED EGGS

    Mmmm.

  17. WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE!

    WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE!

    WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE!

    WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! WHEE!

  18. Fried eggs… That sounds delicious. I’ll just dig out that G5 Powerbook prototype I grabbed from the recycle bin at Apple, and fry a couple up!

    Thanks for the idea, Gordon!

    -jcr

  20. If the Intel chips are having that much fun, doesn’t it imply that [TEXT REDACTED BY DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY] wiped up? I thought they already solved the heat dissipation problem.

    Also? Fried eggs. With salsa on top. And a sausage link. And coffee. (Man, this is like Denny’s porn!)

  22. Chicken-fried steak, biscuits and gravy, two eggs over-easy, hash-browns, and an endless supply of fresh black coffee… now that’s breakfast!

    Or, beer and cold pizza, that works for me too.

  26. I was just speaking with the Intel processor’s parents, and I mentioned this post, thinking they would be pleased to hear that the Intel processor was happy. They were not.

    They became very agitated and started muttering curses against Apple and saying something about “the wrong crowd.” One of them demanded the number of “a good lawyer.” When I left, they were talking about sending the Intel processor to military school.

    Some kinda screwed-up d*mn family, huh?

  30. Shit, Christo Columbus! You beat me to it… that’s right, folks… you gotta “call” first post to get it. Hey Now, how’s it goin’ what’s goin’ on?

    Note to Balmer: stick a sound into Vista that makes it sound like that processor is having fun “ALL THE TIME”. Just get our lab iMac and record whatever sound that thing is making. I smell feature bloat…

  31. Shit, Christo Columbus! You beat me to it… that’s right, folks… you gotta “call” first post to get it. Hey Now, how’s it goin’ what’s goin’ on?

    Note to Balmer: stick a sound into Vista that makes it sound like that processor is having fun “ALL THE TIME”. Just get our lab iMac and record whatever sound that thing is making. I smell feature bloat…

  32. Shit, Christo Columbus! You beat me to it… that’s right, folks… you gotta “call” first post to get it. Hey Now, how’s it goin’ what’s goin’ on?

    Note to Balmer: stick a sound into Vista that makes it sound like that processor is having fun “ALL THE TIME”. Just get our lab iMac and record whatever sound that thing is making. I smell feature bloat…

  33. So the CPU is inside the MacBook going “wee”. Like, the CPU is going wee. As in taking a pee. No wonder there is a weird sound coming from the laptop. A weird odor is soon to follow.

  34. Soooooo, when the MacBook Pros come out, will the processor make a choking sound when the battery runs out?

  36. Thermal noise is due to thermal excitation of charge carriers. it is white in spectral density and it is proportional to the absolute temperature. This thermal noise induced jitter and it totally suck.

  38. Heh, I think it’s a funky/inspired idea, but I do think they should allow the sound(s) to be disabled. I would go nuts having someone/something going “whee” in the background of my music and/or work, eventually.

  39. man this whine is BADDD its hurting me i cant believe they are all this way.. i mever thought i had special hearing but damn its too annoying but at least it goes away.. is this really everyones mbp sending it back in in useless???

    its happy inside the mac are you joking???

    whats going on here??

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  45. This terrible, uncomfortable, ear splitting sound is anything but funny, and it continues on with Intel’s newest processors to this very day. To bad AMD can’t compete, at least they don’t cause high frequency hearing damage!

  47. I am not sure that I can completely understand your comments. Would you be so kind as to expand on your reasoning a little more before I comment.

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