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    Very weird sound coming from left side of laptop.....

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by rascalking, Aug 17, 2011.

  1. rascalking

    rascalking Notebook Guru

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    Hello,

    Been a while since I've posted. Hope you guys can help me out.

    I bought the m17x R3 a few weeks and I've been very happy overall. However, there's a bit of an annoyance thats popped up recently.

    Basically, from the left side of the laptop, I'm constantly hearing a faint grinding sound. I know the first thing that pops up in your head is the fan, but as I said, it sounds too faint to be that. It sounds more like that "loading sound" you hear whenever you launch a task on your computer, except quieter.

    Since it's almost impossible to explain, I recorded the sound so you ca get a better idea. Please let me know what you think! Its driving me nuts!

    Memo.m4a

    Make sure to turn your volume all the way up!


    Thanks!
     
    rascalking, Aug 17, 2011
    #1
  2. hteng

    hteng Notebook Consultant

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    this is a known problem, basically the left grill has a piece of paper just infront of the speakers. it's glue will wear off over time and the paper will touch the speakers creating the buzzing, grinding..etc sound. see thread below with pictures of the issue, to fix it you'll have to completely strip the whole laptop though.

    http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/591467-speakers-quality-m17x-r3.html
     
    hteng, Aug 17, 2011
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  3. stonedzombie

    stonedzombie Notebook Consultant

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    Same problem.
     
    stonedzombie, Aug 17, 2011
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  4. rascalking

    rascalking Notebook Guru

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    Are you sure that's the problem? As I've only had the laptop for less than two weeks and I'm almost sure the sound isn't resonating from the speakers.

    It's indeed coming from the left side grill, around the fan, but I can hear it when I dont even think the fan is on.
     
    rascalking, Aug 17, 2011
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  5. qohelet

    qohelet Senior Member

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    Mine has this weird ticking sound almost every time my left fan would start. Some people told me its normal. I had an m14x that had the same issue. However, a lot of owners of m14x said they hear the same thing and its pretty normal.
     
    qohelet, Aug 18, 2011
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  6. rascalking

    rascalking Notebook Guru

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    Ticking would definitely be the fan, but this isn't really a ticking sound.

    Could you give a listen and tell me what you think?
     
    rascalking, Aug 18, 2011
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  7. rascalking

    rascalking Notebook Guru

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    rascalking, Aug 18, 2011
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  8. rascalking

    rascalking Notebook Guru

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    Took her apart.

    I can confirm it's either the hard drive, or something right by the hard drive that could possibly make that noise (definitely not fan).
     
    rascalking, Aug 18, 2011
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  9. Joe85

    Joe85 Notebook Deity

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    Try removing the hard drive and booting the laptop and see if the noise persists.
     
    Joe85, Aug 18, 2011
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