Hum Query - 11/21/12 01:49 PM
I have an intermittent hum that I do not believe is the hard drive but which I would like to know more about, relative to whether it's likely to be a major issue. (iMac 8.1, Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.66 GHz)
Why I don't believe it's the hard drive:
1. The hum is not constant. It comes and goes and sometimes seems to be triggered coincident with a change in the material on screen. Very often, I can get rid of it with a restart.
2. I have booted from my clone and still heard the hum. I assume at this point the Mac hard drive is not running.
3. I have ear-checked. From the front of the machine, the sound originates in the top left corner. Going to the back of the machine, the hum is loudest in that corner and, as I move across the top of the machine toward the centre, the hum diminishes. As well, in the centre I can hear the hard drive whirring - a very different sound.
Questions:
1. If my assumption might be correct (that the hum isn't the hard drive) what is in that corner of the machine that could hum?
2. Is it something I should be able to confirm without a trip to the shop?
3. It is likely to be something that may need immediate replacement or could it be more like my neighbour (a minor irritant I can learn to live with).
Why I don't believe it's the hard drive:
1. The hum is not constant. It comes and goes and sometimes seems to be triggered coincident with a change in the material on screen. Very often, I can get rid of it with a restart.
2. I have booted from my clone and still heard the hum. I assume at this point the Mac hard drive is not running.
3. I have ear-checked. From the front of the machine, the sound originates in the top left corner. Going to the back of the machine, the hum is loudest in that corner and, as I move across the top of the machine toward the centre, the hum diminishes. As well, in the centre I can hear the hard drive whirring - a very different sound.
Questions:
1. If my assumption might be correct (that the hum isn't the hard drive) what is in that corner of the machine that could hum?
2. Is it something I should be able to confirm without a trip to the shop?
3. It is likely to be something that may need immediate replacement or could it be more like my neighbour (a minor irritant I can learn to live with).