High-pitched sound

I know there have been several threads about this, but none seem to have any solutions. I just got my f3sv-x1 last week and today its started making a high-pitched whine thats very irritating. It only seems to sound during normal load; it goes away when I play games and it doesn't usually start during bootup until windows is loading.

Its definitely coming from the laptop itself, its not the ac adapter. I've taken it into different rooms to make sure.

Anyone have any ideas on whats causing this and how to fix it? I'm guessing its a fan (maybe cpu fan). I don't think its the hard drive because for the most part, its a steady sound regardless of hd activity.

Thanks

 

I have read quite a bit about that too, and some people think it's the processor or the chipset. But I have not seen any solutions.

 

It's specifically one of the deep-sleep states that the CPU core(s) transfer(s) into when idling (I think the state designation is C3 or C3E but I don't remember exactly). Some of the Core 2 Duo CPUs will make this sound -- it's a known, unsolved issue.

There is a fix for it, you can use RMClock and set it to run HLT instructions on the CPU when it is idle; but this comes at a disadvantage: the power saving features of the deep-sleep states are lost and you will lose some 10 to 20% of battery life; also the CPU will always be shown at 100% load (although the dynamic multiplier switching will still work and there will be no slowdown in applications).

Overall, I suggest just ignoring the whine or getting used to it.

 

Thats a bit of a bummer that there isn't a proper fix; guess I'll just have to live with it. Thanks a lot!

 

Keep an eye for future fixes though, because this is a widespread problem (I am praying my M1330 does not have it) so eventually it has to be fixed.

 

Unfortunately it may well be that the only "fix" we're going to see is a change in the architecture of the CPU...

 

From what E.B.E. is saying, it is the processor not the laptop making this noise, so any laptop with this series of processor would make this noise, regardless of brand or model

 

Yeah but if we can prove that it is the processor then we can call Dell support (or your laptop maker) and make them fix it with a replacement processor etc. We just have to show them some solid documentation that it is the the processor, and a sure fire way of how to fix it.

 

I wouldn't go that far myself, changing the CPU because it's making a strange sound sometimes

And anyway, you're just as likely to get a CPU that whines in the same way as a replacement (assuming that not all of them do like that, which is not at all sure, since it's a problem with the CPU line).

 

Its not the CPU...

Or the motherboard, fan/heatsink, hard drive, battery or dvd drive. I should know because my M1210 had no less than 3 repair visits and the motherboard changed 3 times, fan/heatsink twice, hard drive 3 times, battery twice and dvd twice.

Dell finally stated they would send me a new m1210 and then, while in production, upped the free replacement to a M1330. The M1210 is not avail to home users any longer in Canada and will be phazed out apparently.

This problem dates back to 95-96 with Dell and several other companies, including Mac, and the reason has never been pinpointed. Its not specific to any particular model or processor although it has reappeared once again in certain models with the C2D. The only cure is to scrap the model or internal components and start over.

Its just a bad mix, nothing more nothing less.

The good news is....at least in my case, Dell opened their eyes and replaced the crap with quality and threw in a few upgrades for me.

 

@ E.B.E: That's why I said wait to see if they finally find exactly what is causing the sound before you get them to start replacing stuff.

@flamenko: You did not say they replaced your CPU? And if there is a fundamental design problem with the CPU or Motherboard replacing yours with one that has the same flaw will not fix it anyway.

So just because you had your MB replaced 3 times means nothing if they just put 3 bad motherboards/CPU's back into the computer.

From the descriptions I have heard I feel that it is either the CPU or the Motherboard. Not the fans because that would have been fixed by now. And the sound normally occurs during power stepping the CPU.

 

Ok let me rephrase for you.... motherboard and CPU 3 times.

Further, telling someone to just sit and wait until they find the cause...bad bad advice. This same issue has been dealt with and stretches back to 1995 with Dell and was a huge issue with Macs. They have never found the reasoning. All the parts work correctly, the correlation of which creates something.

If everyone is to sit and wait, as you say, we should all suffer until they find the problem...wrong approach.

When you buy a system that has a warranty, and it has a problem, you get it fixed. If its no fixed you call again and again and again and you keep records of it all.

Ive heard the complaints of well over a hundred several of which are just sitting and waiting. What are there chances of them getting thei system replaced and Dell saying "Sorry, let us do what it takes to make you a happy customer again?" Dell thinks they are happy and when they finally call in and say this was evident all along, they wont be believed.

The only way to solve an issue is to address it...

Maybe this is why they stopped the production of my M1210 and are sending me a M1330 free and maybe this is why M1210's are no longer available to home consumers in canada and maybe this is why Im told by XPS Support that they are being phased out...

Would they do this if noone complained?

Check out this forum if you want to debate the issue further...

http://www.dellcommunity.com/suppor...thread.id=7927&view=by_date_ascending&page=19

I am a main contributor; it is a journal of my frustrtion pretty much. Two, count it, two of us are now getting replacement systems. Maybe its because of the forum maybe not.

 

I am not saying noone should complain ever. I just said that noone knows what is causing the problem right now. I would rather know what I want them to do when I call rather than have them just replace random parts on the off chance that it may get fixed.

You are right though, it would be a good idea to get a support ticket in now just so you have a record of the problem with the manufacturer. Then eventually you may get a replacement. But in the mean time you will have to have your system gutted several times until they decided it's cheaper to give you a new one.

@Thraken: Maybe seeing your system is only a week old return it now and try a system that uses a different chipset? Because as you can see from these threads there is no sure fire solution. Maybe get a system based on AMD chips would do the trick? I am praying that the Santa Rosa chipset and processor does not have this problem.

 

I remember the whining issue was also a problem on my old Pentium M thinkpad t41p. At the IBM forurms : thinkpads.com the cause was pinpointed to winxp impementing a powersaving feature on the usb devices. Disabling the usb powersaving feature (forgive me for not remembering the exact details) eliminated my problem with the high pitched whine. I have not had that problem with newer cpus and chipsets, my asus w7j does not have the whine, but I am not sure whether it has this deep sleep mode.

 

MonkeyX....

ReRead my post and maybe I got a bit...blunt??? I didnt mean to be rude or anything.

Its our transactions that have helped all of us here and at the other forums and sites we contribute to..

 

thraken, i think it is most likely the cpu. the signs that indicate that it is the cpu and not something else is that you mostly only hear it on battery power, and when you scroll through pages, you can hear it stutter. in the past, i have also had a problem with the hd making a high pitched noise. you can test if this is the hd by running hdtune and seeing if it causes this noise to occur.

if it is the cpu problem, there are two fixes. one is the hlt command on rmclock that ebe mentioned. there is another fix where you disable your usb powersaving modes....i think if you search airman's high-pitched noise fix, or something similar to that, you can find the other fix. moreover, some people have been able to get their problem fixed by replacing the motherboard.....but since almost all motherboards are mostly the same, your motherboard may be exchanged for another one that still has the same problem. the noise is most likely due to some sort of resonance, and for some reason, some motherboards have this problem while others don't.

 

Maybe I was blunt too, because I am not mad or anything. Just explaining what I was trying to say. It's all good, you made good points.

 

Yeah I think its the cpu. I used rmclock to run hlt command and that fixed it. I'm usually plugged in so the loss in battery life isn't a big deal; I'll just disable it and live with it when I'm not. Thanks a lot for your help everyone.

Now all I need to do is figure out why my screen stays blank after resuming from hibernate...argh!