So I finally became a tool and purchased a 13" Macbook Pro a month ago. I really like it and the battery life is great. There's really only one issue that bugs me.

After Apple ditched the removable battery and made the entire bottom one piece it's more flexible and makes clicking sounds. Basically if you press slightly on the bottom around the middle left the aluminum panel has a little play and hits the motherboard and makes a popping sound. This happens every single time I pick it up. What's even more frustrating is when I'm using it on my lap every time I pick up my left hand from the keyboard it makes the popping sound due to my leg being beneath the laptop and my hand applying pressure to the top.

I couldn't believe Apple would implement such a shitty design so I went to the Apple store to check out all the demo models. Sure enough about 1/3 of them exhibited this popping issue and the rest seemed like they would start as time went by.

I have yet to take it to the genius bar because I have a feeling they'll tell me to nicely fuck off. Every time I go in there with a weird problem they look at me like I'm stupid and simply can't fathom why I would have an issue with an Apple Product and say, "I've NEVER EVER heard of that issue before" and sound all amazed. I keep wanting to say, "well fuck you then. You're tech support and you not knowing about a common issue that's on numerous Apple forums online just means you're an idiot." But I refrain from any obscenities.

Anyway this annoys me so I've been brainstorming possible solutions. I've taken off the back panel and see exactly the issue. The middle is just flexing and hitting the bottom of the motherboard when it's put under even the slightness of pressure. The best and probably only way to solve this would be to put some type of foam/padding barrier in between the case and motherboard in particular spots. Whatever padding that's used would obviously have to be able to stand up to high temperatures.

I'm going to take it into the Apple store first and see what they can do, but I'm pretty sure they'll just send it off and the back will be taken off, replaced, and the case will start popping again as soon as I get it back in a few weeks. I'd rather not go that long without a laptop so I've just been thinking of other solutions that wouldn't void any type of warranty or damage the laptop at all.

Oh and there's people discussing the issue in macrumors etc if you google "Macbook Pro aluminum flex bottom."

Any thoughts?

10/1/2010 11:38:21 AM

get a real computer and leave the fanboygadgets alone

10/1/2010 12:39:24 PM

dammit I knew someone was going to say that.

My "real" computer is my i7 950 with dual OC'd EVGA Nvidia 460's and SSD's in Raid0 running dual Dell 24" ultrasharps.

For laptops I don't mind having an Apple product. Didn't need something powerful. This just annoys me. I thought they were supposed to be quality. Or at least appear to be quality. heh.

10/1/2010 12:53:41 PM

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

<3 this thread. NeoData has revelation ITT.

10/1/2010 2:28:52 PM

haha. fine. i bet some type of tape would work.

10/1/2010 2:47:28 PM

does this only happen after the laptop has been running, ie it's warm and more easily to flex due to material properties or does it happen when the laptop is cold too, ie shutdown and not used for awhile? i have a Summer '09 13" MBP and hot or cold, i dont have that issue. i've never heard of that issue previously either, but that doesn't mean anything.

10/1/2010 2:53:25 PM

Either way. I don't think it being warm changes the flex that much. I went into the apple store and picked up the demo models. Some of them made the popping sound too. It's really annoying every time I take my left hand off the keyboard if it's on my nap I hear the little pop.

10/1/2010 2:58:58 PM

Yea my 13" MacBook Pro with non-removable battery definitely does not have this problem

10/1/2010 4:41:46 PM

dont touch it that way - steve

10/1/2010 4:42:42 PM

The only problem mine has it that if you pick it up while a cd is spinning it sounds like you just ruined the cd ( although you didn't.

10/3/2010 11:13:24 AM

^^^you're lucky then. It's annoying.

^yeah that's just the design of the CD drive. also slightly annoying. Luckily I've probably handled a cd/dvd twice in the last year?

10/3/2010 2:07:26 PM

Took it to the sto. They're ordering a new back for it. They said that might fix the issue. Other than that they said that's just how they're designed.

10/3/2010 6:48:37 PM

Now when i type the whole case just creaks like i'm typing on a trash can lid. I fucking hate this. Wish I could get a full refund. The build quality on Macs have gone to shit. Might try to sell it and get a new Air if they don't turn out to be shitty too.

11/10/2010 7:08:38 PM

Sounds to me like you're just being incredibly picky.

The flexing case, yeah, I an understand that. you don't want a piece of metal hitting a motherboard.

But CREAKING! Really dude?

My 15" MBP lid makes a slight creaking sound when i open/close the lid. I mean. WHY WOULD IT EVER DO THAT?!?!?

And me calling you picky is a pretty bad thing to be called by me, as I am very picky myself. I had the monitor replaced on my MBP because of bad backlight bleeding. I have taken a few of the keys off the keyboard because of the key making a louder than normal sound.

Before going to the store and bitching some more, try checking the case for the source of the creaking.

11/10/2010 7:42:28 PM

I will. I'm sitting here and every 10 seconds or so there's a creaking sound coming out of the left side of the case like the cover isn't seated properly or something. Might try taking the back off then re-seating it. Maybe I'm putting more pressure on the case with my palms than average but it shouldn't sound slightly like an aluminum can flexing after you take it out of the freezer.

11/10/2010 9:07:16 PM

Quote :

"The build quality on Macs have gone to shit. Might try to sell it and get a new Air if they don't turn out to be shitty too."

If the build quality on Macs has gone to shit, why would you waste your time with another Mac?

[Edited on November 10, 2010 at 9:15 PM. Reason : .]

11/10/2010 9:15:38 PM

Good point. I played with the 13" Airs and they feel more solid simply because there's not enough metal to cause creaking or flexing.

It just seems the older laptops with the removable battery were much more solid because the back didn't flex so much. Same thing with the unibody design. The older ones were more solid, the unibody ones just make all these weird creaking sounds when you pick them up/type on them.

11/10/2010 9:29:53 PM

i have an old pre-unibody (early '08) and its flexy as shit compared to the unibodies. the unibodies feel like bricks. how could they possibly flex?

11/10/2010 10:26:49 PM

I have a 4 yr old dell, it does not flex, it's a brick, I could use it as a deadly melee weapon if needed. Can you say that about your mac? no...

nuff said... Get a dell if you want to kill people and still have computing power afterwards.

11/10/2010 10:38:08 PM

I have the oldschool Lenovo's with the solid metal cage and metal lid.

It's pretty much a tank.

While the metal cage has always remained they're starting to make them with metal lids again

11/10/2010 10:46:50 PM

Quote :

"For laptops I don't mind having an Apple product. Didn't need something powerful."

wat

Hardware Overview:

  Model Name:    MacBook Pro
  Model Identifier:    MacBookPro6,2
  Processor Name:    Intel Core i7
  Processor Speed:    2.66 GHz

NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M:

  Chipset Model:	NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M
  Type:	GPU
  Bus:	PCIe
  PCIe Lane Width:	x16
  VRAM (Total):	512 MB

11/11/2010 2:20:58 AM

Most people are reasonable enough to not spend $2,200 on a laptop.

11/11/2010 8:29:58 AM

^^lol exactly not powerful. That's midrange at best.

Anyway I meant more for the price. For the $1200 for the 13" MBP I could have gotten a much more powerful laptop with an i7 and much better GPU than either the 320 or 330.

People don't buy Macs because they're the best bang for your buck. That's common knowledge.

11/11/2010 8:49:44 AM

That's right, they buy them so they can flex their personal image.

11/11/2010 8:56:28 AM

haha nice. Yeah I had many other options to get a powerful laptop. I wanted the case and OS. I can't bash Apple unless I own one amirite? Turns own it's a badly built laptop. Maybe I just got a dud I don't know.

11/11/2010 8:59:13 AM

I had this problem on my 13 MBP.

basically there are these little collapsible "pins" on the motherboard (don't know the technical term). I think they are designed to keep the case from coming into contact with the components on the motherboard. They are copper/silverish in color and collapse when pressed. Some make a really obnoxious clicking noise when you tightly grab the case in the area they are supporting.

All I did was open it up and put a small piece of adhesive foam (think little sticky footpad things you put on coasters and what not) on the metal case where the pin comes into contact. You will be able to see the exact area due to the pin rubbing on the aluminum. When you tighten the case back down, the foam pad will compress the pin permanently, eliminating the clicking sound.

[Edited on November 11, 2010 at 10:51 AM. Reason : sp]

11/11/2010 10:51:13 AM

^THANK YOU!! I was suspicious about the pins when I opened up the case the first time. I'll look into this when I get home. Think they're resistant to heat? Guess the pins don't get too hot.

11/11/2010 11:56:47 AM