Are Powerbooks power supply quieter than iMac?

satchmo · December 25, 2003 9:32AM

As much as I'm attached to my long necked iMac, I think I'll have to part with it in the new year . Mostly because I need a laptop for mobility.

One issue that has somewhat bugged me about the iMac from day one was the droning hum of the power supply. Sure it's not like my G4 tower at work but it's very noticible in a home environment.

Can anyone comment on how the powerbook compares? It'll mostly be used at home, so hopefully it's quieter.

bunge · December 25, 2003 9:37AM

The iMac's power supply is inside the machine so it needs a fan. The PowerBook power supply is on the cord outside of the machine so it doesn't need any fans to reduce heat. That means it makes no audible noise.

satchmo · December 25, 2003 9:46AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bunge

The iMac's power supply is inside the machine so it needs a fan. The PowerBook power supply is on the cord outside of the machine so it doesn't need any fans to reduce heat. That means it makes no audible noise.

Hmm...I thought every laptop had to have some sort of fan to cool it off.

alcimedes · December 25, 2003 10:13AM

are you talking about the power supply or the CPU?

they are two different things.

as for your iMac making noise, does it make noise when there's no CD in the CD tray?

bunge · December 25, 2003 10:28AM

alcimedes is right. I was referring to the power supply, not the internal fans.

satchmo · December 25, 2003 10:35AM

I guess I'm referring to the any overall noise emitting from either computer.

My iMac (15" 700 first gen FP) does have a noticible hum coming from the base/dome. I'm guessing it's the power supply. But also detect a faint whisper of a fan as well. Maybe the current rev.b/c models have alleviated this problem.

ichiban_jay · December 25, 2003 1:18PM

o my, the powerbook is extremely quiet... you cannot hear a thing under normal use. But if you to some intensive stuff, the turbine fan may come up (at 118F). Its not very loud at all, especially compared to the PC that is right by me.

paul · December 25, 2003 1:33PM

if you keep it cool the PB is silent... but if it gets hot, it can get quite loud.

on my 667 DVI there are 3 fan speeds: off, low, and high

low is audible, but not that bad. High is REALLY loud... but it doesn't usually last long...

alcimedes · December 25, 2003 4:53PM

other than some minimal fan noise (whisper if you're close type) the iMac should be silent. (if it's the domed kind)

if it's not, remove any cd's you have, and unplug any speakers. see if that gets rid of the noise.

satchmo · December 27, 2003 8:15AM

Quote:

Originally posted by alcimedes

other than some minimal fan noise (whisper if you're close type) the iMac should be silent. (if it's the domed kind)

if it's not, remove any cd's you have, and unplug any speakers. see if that gets rid of the noise.

Hmm...I'm wondering if there's something wrong with my power supply.

When I'm right up close, I can hear the whispering of the fan. But on top of that noise is a very distinct hum or buzzing sound that sounds like the supply. It's not the hard drive for sure.

It's been like this since day one and I've always thought it was the norm.

My fear is what it might cost to fix since my Applecare is no longer valid.

clayton magnet · December 27, 2003 11:39AM

The new 1.25GHz iMacs certainly are not whisper quiet. They are noticeably louder than a 700MHz model.

dmband0026 · December 29, 2003 12:27AM

I have never heard of a power supply making noise...I would get that checked out. I have a Cube which has an external power supply and I've never heard anything from it in the three years I've had it.

pbg4 dude · December 30, 2003 10:57AM

My 1.25GHz Al barely makes any noise at all. I have to put my ear to the case to hear the hard drive, and I can't hear the fan if anything else is going on in the room.

I've had this laptop since September and have used it almost exclusively sinced I purchased it and have yet to have any noise complaints at all with it.

cosmonut · December 30, 2003 11:33AM

My AlBook is virtually silent. Only when the HD is accessing something is there a *faint* clickety click. My Pismo, on the other hand has ALWAYS been noisy. You can constantly hear the whirring of the HD.

My parents' iMac is somewhere in the middle. When the room is completely silent you can hear a mild "droning" of the fan, but it's not overly obnoxious.

kraig911 · December 30, 2003 11:49AM

hrmmm laptop... you mean notebook don't you

they get hot, and they use fans to cool themselves off, don't use it on your lap or it will only get hot faster.

gammera3d · December 30, 2003 12:14PM

I've got the 15" iMac 800 and next to my new 15alu book it sounds like a freight train. I take my Powerbook to bed with me and in the middle of the night when all is silent the book quiet you might occasionally hear a clicking but it's nothing. Even when watching a DVD its silent.I used to set the iMac on a stool next to the bed, the constant noise would drive me crazy even when listening to music at low volumes. There is definitely a noticable difference. I say get the 15alu book and enjoy the silence.

satchmo · December 31, 2003 9:02AM

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more irritating it's getting.

The droning sound is loud...akin to what you might hear from your refridgerator. I don't think that's normal.

Oh well, I guess more justification for getting a new PB after MWSF.

chaos215bar2 · January 6, 2004 10:14PM

I would get the power supply checked out. The only time I ever heard one make a humming sound was shortly before it died.

Are Powerbooks power supply quieter than iMac?

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