MacBook Pros with 7200RPM HDDs getting a touch too noisy?

MacBook Pro hard disk storage really seem to be down on its luck this generation. First was the 3Gbps SATA transfers (now fixed), which honestly didn't affected but a marginal percentage of users upgrading to SSD themselves. Now comes word from a number of irate users on the Apple support forums that claim their HDDs, specifically those spec'd at 7200RPM, are suffering from performance issues and some audible clicking / beeping sounds. The folks at Other World Computing chimed in to say that it might have something to do with the Seagate Momentus 7200.4 G-Force drives, which takes anti-shock precautions that are possibly causing both noise and extra strain. If you're not hearing anything now, we wouldn't suggest you start getting hyper paranoid over the issue -- it's the internet, where things often get blown way out of proportion, in case you haven't noticed. If you're still worried / curious, hit up the read link for the full collection of anecdotes.

[Via Engadget Spanish and MacNN]

[Dr. Spaceman @ Jul 12th 2009 3:23AM]

I have a 7200rpm 500GB drive and a 5400rpm 500GB drive in my 17" uMBP. I'm using an MCE Optibay.

I am experiencing none of these problems.

[James @ Jul 12th 2009 3:31AM]

I trust your computer advise no more than i do your medical advise Dr. Spaceman.

[DR House @ Jul 12th 2009 3:45AM]

Take my advice then I'm smarter than him
All good 7.200 drives is a little bit noisy compared to the good 5.400 drives
your 1999 drives doesn't count people

[N I T E @ Jul 12th 2009 4:13AM]

I have been using 7200rpm hard drives for nearly 2 years now. No problems!

[Dr. Who @ Jul 12th 2009 4:57AM]

I would not be surprised at all if it is the anti-shock precaution in the Seagate drives. With many things you CAN have to much of a good thing, eg: the two different anti-shock devices now with the MBP's and this drive.

[Samboini @ Jul 12th 2009 5:37AM]

Where is Paul a. Chapel, saviour of the internet, when you need him?

[Shinigami @ Jul 12th 2009 5:47AM]

Mac Book Pro users! If you can afford a MacBookPro and have HDD issues with it, you can surely afford SSD hard drive, which has none of these problems.
Peace!

[Saint @ Jul 12th 2009 6:25AM]

Why do you like Paul Chapel he is a tool. You should be banned for even saying his name. Why don't you go and play with your little pathetic MacBook Somboini! Microsoft owns you!

[b @ Jul 12th 2009 7:10AM]

what apple does as a computer MANUFACTURER is merely putting together a load of components shipped from other companies and screw it up in places.

battery overheating, hard-drive noise, why would it all come down to apple's fault? and once a single apple product goes wrong, the whole world talks about it, does it mean dell products are any better? i've never had a dell machine that lasts longer than 3 years(broke up physically into pieces), whereas my original powerbook g4's still working at 7-year old.

of cos all products have a certain rate of manufacture defects, but issues like this are with component suppliers and all computer makers who take their supply from them suffers, NOT JUST apple.

[Bobs @ Jul 12th 2009 7:36AM]

Who let all these doctors in here?

[Samboini @ Jul 12th 2009 7:40AM]

Saint, I suggest you go look up the word 'facetious'. I'd also suggest, going off your shoddy grammar and inability to even type my name correctly, that you read the rest of the dictionary cover to cover.

[XGM @ Jul 12th 2009 9:48AM]

I have a 320GB 7200PRM Seagate Momentus with the G-force sensor in my MBP, no issues since I installed it. (Model # is ST9320421ASG)

[Saint @ Jul 12th 2009 10:21AM]

You said you wanted to be saved by Paul Chapel a well known troll Somboini so that makes you a troll too. I guess you think that Macbooks are perfect and have a fanboi poster of Steve Jobs in your bedroom. Do you worship it in the morning. Ha ha.

[Saint @ Jul 12th 2009 10:43AM]

Why don't you put your head in a sausage blender Chapel right after you get back from Starbucks with your fanboi friend Somboini. I bet you have some gaming to do together---oh wait macs don't have any games and even if you did your hard drive would be to noisy and you couldn't here the game anyway. Ha ha.

[Saint @ Jul 12th 2009 10:51AM]

Ha ha. The Wii is for children and girls. I bet he plays it with a Justin Long lookalike and they kiss the poster of Steve Jobs before playing. The Wii looks like a Apple TV so maybe even got confused and bought it because it was shiny and looks like the Steve Jobs little toy. You guys are lame. I bet you play it together every morning before you come here to troll.

[Saint @ Jul 12th 2009 11:00AM]

OMG you guys are nasty. You should get a room together. Ha ha.

[Argot @ Jul 12th 2009 11:50AM]

It just works...

What?

It just works...

WHAT?

IT JUST WORKS!!!!

[DanielT @ Jul 12th 2009 2:00PM]

You go ahead and rag on Paul a. Chapel, but I'll tell you what, that guy has a character shaped by honor and nobility.

[NoAndThen @ Jul 12th 2009 2:18PM]

Oh my sweet Jesus, this is one of the most ridiculous and hilarious interchanges I've ever seen here.
It's the first time I've actually ever ranked up the real Paul a. Chapel.

But yes Saint, none of the 6 xbox 360s we've been through at my house had any problems. Microsoft just has a really sweet exchange program where they give you a new xbox every 2-9 months or so.

[Kulahan @ Jul 12th 2009 2:22PM]

@b,
You're right, apple is just there to compile the parts, but you should could probably agree that any company that compiles parts for you should make sure that, since they're gonna force you to live with the choices for selections they're gonna give you, they had BETTER damn well pick out good, reliable, high quality ones. Also, since apple specifically tries to make it difficult for people to go out and build a custom mac-compatible computer, when something goes wrong with a mac laptop, it's a pretty damn big deal. You're right, dell should get a little bit of a hit for not building reliable machines, but any idiot can go out and build a windows-compatible computer. It takes a little research and knowledge to build a mac-compatible computer.
(because they "just work".)

[loosely_coupled @ Jul 12th 2009 3:40PM]

In my mind, unless you need massive storage, if you are going to spend ~$2000 or more on a new laptop, why would you not spend $350 on an aftermarket SSD like an OCZ Vertex/Patriot Torqx/Corsair P128/etc. The best thing is to lower the processor speed a bit and pick the cheapest harddrive when you order, and then put in the SSD when you get it.

Getting a modern, high performance SSD will increase your machine's perceived quickness more than any other upgrade possible. Your boot time is cut in half, large applications load almost instantaneously, etc. Unless you need 500GB of storage, it is stupid not to.

[Samboini @ Jul 13th 2009 1:03PM]

Paul, just this once, I'll commend your replies. People, note this date!

[Leindurstit @ Jul 12th 2009 3:26AM]

Breaking news alert: 7200RPM 2.5" drives are noisy. More at 11.

[Samboini @ Jul 12th 2009 5:30AM]

Go fuck yourself, San Diego.

[Saint @ Jul 12th 2009 6:21AM]

Ha ha Microsoft never has problems like this so Apple can suck it. They can't make one thing that doesn't break after using it a week. Ha ha.

[Lundmark @ Jul 12th 2009 7:20AM]

Maybe because Microsoft makes software, see?

[Saint @ Jul 12th 2009 7:24AM]

Microsoft made the Xbox 360 and it is perfect and never has has a problem so suck it Apple fanboi. Ha ha.

[googleadam @ Jul 12th 2009 7:30AM]

Id hate to break ur bubble.....

buuuuuuuuuuuuutttt I wouldn't go so far as saying the X360 hasn't had ANY problems...

ahem ~30% RROD?

[Saint @ Jul 12th 2009 7:34AM]

That is so false. There are no problems with Xbox just summer heat on them. Those numbers are just reports from the Apple biased gadget media. They are in the tank for Apple and totally hyped those numbers. The Xbox 360 has no problems. It's perfect and totally owning the Wii and PS3. Ha ha.

[Blaine Oliver @ Jul 12th 2009 7:35AM]

I know irony is hard to get, but you need to try and understand when someones mocking not being truthful.

[Postal Dude @ Jul 12th 2009 7:42AM]

And I thought Apple fanboys were bad, until I saw Saints comments.

[ProfessorDex @ Jul 12th 2009 8:21AM]

I'll give Saint credit for something.......he must have been strong to have climbed out of the abortion pail.

[CHENG @ Jul 12th 2009 9:59AM]

@ Saint, Please shut up. U are making other microsoft users look bad. RROD is real, but microsoft is earning loads of profit right now with price reduction for XBox 360 compared to PS3. Noisy hard drives are part of ALL computers and laptop issues, not Mac alone. It's just that for Mac, u dont get much of a variety.

[Saint @ Jul 12th 2009 10:25AM]

Hey Chang I didn't have those problems with my Xbox. Where are you getting your numbers? You sound like just another fake Apple fanboi to me. You don't even own a pc I bet. Don't tell me how to act I've been a Xbox user forever and there is nothing wrong with it. Maybe you watch too many Mac commercials. Don't believe everyting you see on TV especailly if it has to do with Apple.

[iomatic @ Jul 12th 2009 1:21PM]

I have an XBox 360. It's not the one I bought. It's the third one Microsoft sent me because of the red ring of death. It works great now. Doesn't make Microsoft the worst company in the world.

Hey Saint, your reality does not make everyone else's reality.

[oliver hart @ Jul 12th 2009 1:58PM]

http://mckinlay.net.nz/hdapm/

[the4thheat @ Jul 12th 2009 6:25PM]

lol how can you guys take such obvious trolling seriously? Even a genuine Xbox 360 fanboy would admit it's been a problematic console since the people who play on their 360's all the time have probably gone through a couple consoles already. My first 360 was problematic out of the box-kept locking up on random levels of games, and it had the older kill all your discs if you move it drive to boot.

Anyways most MS hardware other than the 360 has been pretty decent, keyboards and mice and routers have all been pretty good. But what that has to do with 7200RPM hard drives being noisy is beyond me.

I think anybody who buys a Macbook Pro and ticks off the 7200RPM option box should just blame themselves for being too anal. Being surprised that a 7200RPM drive is marginally louder than a slower drive is just plain stupid...it's like getting the upgraded V8 engine in a car then whining that the engine makes loud sounds.

[nikster @ Jul 12th 2009 11:52PM]

@saint too bad people don't get sarcasm here, only reason you could be low ranked.

Everyone knows that temperatures rise in the summer and people keep their Xboxes in closed cabinets and play on them on the long hot summer days all day long so a small percentage of them experiences thermal issues. Nothing to worry about.

:P

[The Angry Intern @ Jul 12th 2009 3:28AM]

I got my MBP before the new ones got released and put a 500GB 7200 rpm drive in it, doesn't seem any louder than when I had the 5400 rpm drive in it. I feel it vibrate the laptop a bit more than it did before, but it's not any louder.

[MRCUR @ Jul 12th 2009 1:59PM]

I don't think people are complaining about the noise necessarily. Of course 7200RPM drives are going to be a bit louder, I would say more audible actually - drives today aren't "loud", from the increase in speed. I believe the issues are excessive clicking (probably from the heads stopping) and some drives make actual beeps. The clicking and beeping would definitely drive me insane, but I don't get 7200RPM drives in the first place because I can't stand the increase in noise.

[iKrolm @ Jul 12th 2009 10:46PM]

I have a 5,400 RPM HDD that clicks whenever the accelerometers detect a sudden motion and stop the heads. It's supposed to do that and it's really not very that audible...

[kal326 @ Jul 13th 2009 10:01AM]

I have a Seagate 500GB 7200rpm drive in my ThinkPad, I purpose didn't get the G-Drive because the machine has its own drive shock system and I didn't want any issues with the two conflicting. I haven't noticed any differences in ambient noise or any clicking. Vibration is a bit more over a 320GB 5400rpm WD Blue that was replaced, however it is less noticeable that the optical drive spinning up. Hell I hear the fan more than I hear the HD.

[Stephen @ Jul 12th 2009 3:28AM]

I remember i had an old Maxtor in an external case, and under high load it would start to beep... the drive died a month later due to heat buildup :/

[superberg @ Jul 12th 2009 3:31AM]

Mad props for the Say Anything reference. I was pondering a 7200 RPM for my MBP (the last pre-unibody revision), but the heat concerns and battery drain were giving me pause. Now this? I think I'll stick with 5400.

[kojo87 @ Jul 12th 2009 3:51AM]

i can't find the Say Anything reference and now i can't stop looking for it and i feel inferior to you. please show me

[kojo87 @ Jul 12th 2009 4:00AM]

oh you meant Say Anything the MOVIE not he band. and you meant the huge friggin boombox on the picture. wow. im going to bed now.....

[lawyer bird @ Jul 12th 2009 5:00PM]

Yeah I thought he meant the band too. A reference to the movie is just HARDLY commonplace these days..

[Someone on the Internet @ Jul 12th 2009 3:32AM]

While apple deserves a good working over for all the crap they do, you have got to be kidding yourself if you think this is legitimate.

On a side note, I have 7200 rpm Seagate drive in my laptop and it quieter then 5400 rpm Toshiba (i think) that was in it before.

[B3astofthe3ast @ Jul 12th 2009 3:33AM]

Its a computer, using regular computer parts...things like this happen.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Jul 12th 2009 3:37AM]

I thought only the 13" units had the 1.5GBit problem. And 13" units aren't offered with 7200 RPM drives so they can't have this problem. So why tie the two together?