Power Supply making weird noise.

Ok so when I run 3DMark, and its loading up the test, my power supply makes this "loading" noise (I dunno how else to explain it).

It does this for every test load.

Also when I ran Lego Star Wars (Old game I know, but I love it), the power supply will make the constant "loading" noise.

Is it just the M17 drawing power or should I worry?

 

I would stop using it. The power supply is one of those things that can start a fire if it's not working properly, and a AC adapter should be silent.

 

Well it is silent, but it makes this noise when I load anything grahpics intensive. It isn't affected when i run anything CPU intensive.

 

Time to call AW CS for the first time.. Here goes nothing...

Ok so I called, and the Alienware Rep told me that as long as the green light on the AC adapter does not blink or turn off then they can't replace the AC adapter. So at this point he tells me to keep using it for a couple of days and see what happens.

-If the weird noise is not an indicator of something wrong with the AC adapter, then I dunno what is. -_-

 

Are you sure its the power supply? Not the fans ramping up? Just cannot put the "loading" noise with anything else, other than a HD.

 

No I'm sure its not the fans. I put my ear next to the power supply and I was able to hear it coming from inside the AC Adapter.

-Also when i pulled it out the outlet, the noise stopped.

 

eerrr, I think I saw your green light blink once or twice, yup there it goes again.. Have them do something for you by replacing the power supply adapter at least.

Just keep working the laptop, if you notice anything elese such as performance wise or heating issues request they (AW) repair it.

Good Luck

 

That sucks that AW won't fix it... I would consider it a serious problem if it were my laptop. I would not trust a power supply that was making any type of noise. It could be an internal component that is faulty, but only expresses that fault when it is placed under load. Who knows if this problem will get worse with time, but the consequences if it does could be catastrophic (fry your laptop/burn down your house). Since AW is a niche manufacturer I would have expected them to be more concerned with customer satisfaction... especially with a relatively cheap component like a power supply.

 

That sounds about right.

 

Yeah I'm working on some hunches at the moment. I was using a surge protector with this laptop and my e1705 and I'm thinking that may have had caused the noise.

 

Also you say when you disconnect the adapter the noise stops... as Tabbed Out states the problem is either in the adapter or the power supply itself. Also with the year coming to an end, best if you call later and get them when all are back to work. Just keep an eye on it, as long as you don't walk away from it for long periods you should not burn down the house.

 

Whoa, even at idling its making the noise except you can't hear it unless you put your ear onto the AC Adapter.

 

It seems to only happen when the GPU is put under pressure. I ran 3DMark and duign the CPU test, I heard no noise.

 

There are always ways to make it stop blinking and totally doesn't work if you feel you need an exchange.
But we won't discuss it here.

Tell the rep that, see if he sees the point.

 

So there isn't any performance issues as I just ran 3DMark and PCMark and temperature readings are good. When my laptop idles, there is a noise too which worries me even more.

 

why not just lie to cs and have them send you a new one.

 

Hi,
I had the exact same issue with the m9750. It sounds like an electrical buzz, doesn't it? It's either a grounding issue, or theres something wrong with the ac adapter. I would try plugging it into a different outlet and see if the sound is still present. You may want to keep an eye on the temperature of the ac adapter as well. If it feels burning hot, i would insist on a replacemnt.

Gabe

 

Yes that's exactly it! I have tried a different outlet to no avail. It is luke warm when running idle.

 

Hi,
i would call the supportand insist on having them replace it. Describe it as an electrical buzz, and im sure they'll jump on it.

Gabe

 

Ok Thanks!