Sounds coming from F8Va, need clarification

[Update: 11.25.08] Received a new replacement which also has issue #1 and an even louder #4
[Update: 11.20.08] Updated post with more details and attached more audio clips for some of the issues


I need help in finding out why these noises are coming from my brand new asus laptop (purchased on Oct.22.08)! I've used my brother's older toshiba laptop and I have never experienced such noises before. I am not sure if this is the result of having a dedicated video card in a laptop or it is just that I am unlucky and received a lemon.


I've been running on AC power when I discovered all these issues; switching to battery yielded the same problems.

1. Dull "ding" sound. This can occur from every 30 seconds to every few minutes. I believe it is coming from the HDD
Ding during bootup - 2.36MB
Ding during idle - 2.52MB
[UNSOLVED]


2. Loud disc drive and HDD noise during bootup of laptop. Its heard on the lower left side.
Disc drive noise in bootup - 5.22MB
[UNCERTAIN]


3. HDD clicking noise; begins from startup. Continues to occur even if there are no applications opened. (Seems to stop after approx. 30mins. of usage)
[SOLVED - E.B.E. explained that "HDD can make noises even while the computer is idle, because many applications and OS processes are working in the background, and some of them will access the HDD."]


4. High pitch whine; also begins from bootup. (Although it can sometimes fade away, it seems to be a constant noise)

I have looked through the forums but I don't know whether the high pitch noise is caused by the HDD going into sleep mode then waking up again, the fan itself, or if its just the whine coming from the coils on the motherboard ( source).
[UNSOLVED]


5. Fan. Its audible most of the time when CPU temp. reaches above 42C, and the Core reaches above 29C. I noticed that when the fan begins to work and whirl (when CPU>42C and Core>29C), the whine noise usually occurs as well. Often, the whine would eventually fade out after the fan goes back to light spinning. However, even just being idle or doing simple tasks like internet surfing, PC Wizard can show CPU temps of 43C-50C+. Again, I am not sure if this is because I have the dedicated HD 3650 card, but I find it strange that temperatures would increase when I'm only typing a docuement. This can be slightly annoying since this noise combo can fade in and out approx. every 3-5mins.
[SOLVED - It seems that the power settings affects the CPU performance, which in turn determines how often the fan needs to work]


6. Abrupt siren-like sound. This has occured on a few occasions now. Once it was during a video playback. And the most recent time was when I was playing Left 4 Dead. It was louder than any of the previous times (I was forced to cover my ears). And it didn't seem like it would stop or fade out like the previous times, so I paniced and unplugged the power cord.
Sharp siren noise - 1.09MB
[UNCERTAIN - Someone mentioned this might be the cause of the built-in microphone feedback.]


7. Component spinning obstruction noise: I first noticed this sound when I was moving my laptop into a different room. When you gently dip the laptop gently back and forth, there is a noise that sounds like a spinning component inside the laptop is being hindered by another object. Its heard on the lower left side. I think its the disc in the HDD
Spinning obstruction noise - 219MB
[UNSOLVED]


Currently, problem #6 is the biggest concern, followed by #1, then #4.

What are your thoughts on these issues?
I hate how I have to deal with these arising problems on a brand new product. Its extremely frustrating because it has prevented me from settling in and transfering my desktop data onto it.

 

1. I cannot say unless you identify its source. Isn't it the HDD head parking? Maybe you can record it and upload...
2. ODD sound normal, HDD depends on how it sounds. It is normal for the HDD to work hard during bootup, but if they are not normal RW noises, then it's NOT good. Again, I would need to hear the notebook (I'm not even sure I could tell from a recording).
3. Depends again, see above. Is it normal R/W noise, or is the HDD clicking because it parks the heads? Former is normal, latter is not.
4. Looks like some interference. Does it happen both on battery and AC? Does it happen when the notebook is idle?
5. Fan noise is normal, fan noise oscillation is due to poor temperature threshold choices at ASUS, or due to uneven CPU usage, see below. The CPU temperature seems to be normal (laptops do get hotter than desktops)

Make sure you do not have some processes that eat too much CPU, either legitimate processes with bugs, or else spyware or malware. Check with task manager.

That's all I can say... If I were with the notebook I would probably be able to do more, these things are tough to troubleshoot from a distance.

 

@E.B.E.

I don't really have the time to troubleshoot all my problems at once so I'm going to try and solve them one by one.

For problem #1:
Its definately a component sound of some sort because I had my speakers muted when it occured. It was annoying because when I tried to record it, it did not sound, but the moment I stopped the recording, it occured again. I will try again to have it recorded.

However, while waiting to record the 'dung' sound, a NEW sound surfaced. At that time, my speakers were on and I was browsing videos at gametrailer.com. Out of no came this sudden sharp VRRR sound!
Here is the link: (make sure your speakers are at low volumes) vrrr_sound.wav - 1.09MB

SIGH, I always have the worst luck with new technology purchases...
My 14 days are also up, so now fixes have to be dealt by shipping to ASUS.

 

Weird. That doesn't sound like "vrrr" to me, more like a high-frequency beep. I can't tell what it is...

Were you running on battery at the time?

 

I have been running on AC power when I discoverd all my problems.

Things to note:
When I first heard that hi-frq sound, it happened in the video during an ad and a game trailer.
The sound could be replayed (however, shorter in length) by going back to the exact time frame in the video of when the sound first occured.

 

Can anyone else shed some light?

I've updated post #1 on this thread.

Need an explaination for #6 ASAP, THANKS!

 

If there is such a great amount of weird noises coming from your laptop, I think it's safe to consider it a "lemon" and either have it replaced by the reseller (if they accept returns) or else send it for fixing to ASUS.

 

@EBE
I had a feeling it might of been a lemon...I just wish that other f8 owners would give some input so I could know whether some of these noises are common or not.

If #1 was indeed the hdd parking noise, is it even normal to hear it occuring so often in a new notebook? It's audible right away during bootup.
For #6, someone had mentioned it might be an interference caused by the microphone feedback.
Regarding #4, it could quite possibly be the typical CPU whine, unless another f8 owner can say otherwise.

I will be calling ncix trw to see if I can receive an exchange.

 

Updated first post with audio clips and more info on the issues.

Came back from NCIX just now. They would not offer an exchange, said doa items are only accepted within 7 days (ridiculous). Half the issues were reproduced in store and was acknowledged as problems (no solutions provided), and they would only offer to ship it back to ASUS for repairs...

 

Have your tried formatting your hard drive and reinstalling Vista? I suspect the registry has been changed somehow (maybe a third party program), and that's causing the irregular sounds to occur. If that doesn't work, then sending your unit back to Asus for repairs would be your next best option.

 

@David, these issues occured on a brand new laptop without any programs installed except its original bloatware


UPDATE
[Brief summary]
A day after I sent my laptop to the store, a representative from NCIX.com permitted me to a new replacement. Unfortunately, this replacement came with lots of keyboard flex and still has the "ding" sound coming from the HDD area!

[Detailed report]
Currently running only on AC power.
I didn't bother registering my credentials on the new replacement because I wanted to see if the previous sound issues would occur fresh from the box. What I noticed right away was that the high frequency whine was 2-3x louder than my previous one. It instantly sounds when the fan begins to work (fan starts every minute; lasts 2-3mins). I am not sure what is causing the laptop to heat up so often as it is just sitting idle in the "Setup Windows" screen. When the LCD screen sleeps itself, the fan&high freq. combo still occurs 15 minutes after. Problem #2, the dull "ding" sound, was also heard 3 times within a 15min time frame.


For those who also own the F8Va, please post some input. Is this whine common in this model? Why is this ding sound heard so often in the HDD area?