DELL XPS 17 3D L702X - Intel 510 has clicking sound. Please help!

Hi,

I have just added in Intel 510 SSD (120 GB) to the 2nd HDD slot and install Windows 7 on it. I have following problem with it so far:

1. I hear the "creaking sound" occasionally from the Intel 510 SSD. (I don't really mind this occasional creaking sound, as long as my SSD running stable. But will this be enventually cause any problem on my precious data in future?)

2. With this SSD install, I can't restart the PC at all, upon restarting, it said that "No OS Found", I can only manually restart by completely turn off and turn it back on again by pressing power button. Sometimes, even the restart works, when It goes into Windows, the system often hang and/or behave laggingly. But a complete shut down + turn back on is working just fine. Is it happen the same on yours with Intel 510 SSD?

3. I tested the Intel 510 hard drive speed and I got the reading speed (Sequential) around 405-420 MB/s. I would like to know if it is normal? (Since the rated speed on Intel 510 is 450 MB/s)

4. I didn't do Full Format when I received the SSD (In brand new condition), I only did quick-format and then installed Windows 7 on it. May it be the cause of the problem? (My system sometime hanging when I click on the hard drive icon in "My Computer"). Should I reformat and then install Windows 7 all over again from beginning (could take a lot of time)? Can I just ghost it using Acronis True Image 2012 and then after doing full format, I'll restore the ghost on the SSD?


THANKS ALL.

 

Are you sure the creaking sound is coming from the SSD itself? You can verify this easily if you have an external 2.5 enclosure.

 

I am 100% sure.

 

1. The sound could be from your hdd presuming you haven't taken it out?

2. Make sure the ssd is selected 1st in the boot order in the bios.

3. That speed seems fine, the actual speed is normally slower than the rated speed.

 

I've used this laptop for few days before adding in this new SSD. There is absolutely no creaking sound before that. I've also change the BIOS Booting order and make my SSD be the first one on the list.

 

SSDs have no moving parts, so that can't be what's making the sound. Take out the HDD and see if problems persist... You can also try switching them around. Generally though if you hear clicking it means an HDD is about to die

 

It is impossible for your SSD to be making a noise aside. They are basically glorified flash drives. There is nothing moving to make noise.

 

I have finally fixed it by updating the firmware from DELL (The HDD is Seagate, but this firmware is released by DELL only to fixe this particular issue in DELL system, I think):

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...7122-seagate-st9500420as-firmware-update.html

Thanks All
Thanks NoteBookReview Forum.

I'll come back to this thread if there is any further error related to this firmware update.

 

Hmm i too have this clicking sound using DELL XPS 17 3D L702X and Intel 510 SSD.

However, my harddisk seems to be a ST9500423AS instead of ST9500420AS according to 'devices'.

Was your harddisk really a ST9500420?

 

My HDD is really ST9500420AS.
This firmware iss used for following drives:
160G - ST9160412AS DP/N J423T
250G - ST9250410AS DP/N K556T
320G - ST9320423AS DP/N F729T
500G - ST9500420AS DP/N G629T

I'm not sure if you can do upgrade, but it seem to me that you got the same model, just different capacity (500 GB instead of 320) you should give it a try. Remember to read the option in which you have to use command line to force the firmware upgrade.

Good luck.

 

@ppvanderent

I also have the same XPS 17 model as you with the same hard drive. It makes a clicking sound followed by faint beeps every 10 seconds or so.

Did you try to upgrade the firmware as LamK suggested even tho it's for a slightly different model? Did it work okay?

 

Hi folks,

my L702X also sometimes makes these clicking noises. I have an Intel 510 SSD and a Seagate ST9500423AS 500GB HDD. Like andymotion I would like to do this firmware update to fix the problem, but I am not sure, if it won't destroy my hardrive due to the "wrong" serial number...
So if somebody tried to update it, it would be of great interest to me and others, if it worked.

Cheers,
Jens

 

Has anyone made any progress on getting to the bottom of this error? I am having the same problem. I have the intel 510 120 GB SSD in the first sata slot and the dell provided seagate ST9500420AS in the secondary slot. At first I thought I got a bad drive, so dell replaced it with an identical drive which has the same problem. My firmware is already the latest version, so it doesn't seem to have been fixed in that firmware. I get clicks and beeps every so often, particularly when waking the computer from sleep or starting up. And sometimes the drive freezes for several seconds, which has caused a few hard locks requiring reboot.

Dell is saying it's not their problem and refusing to swap the drive for a different model. Thinking of biting the bullet and buying a Western Digital Scorpio Black and using the Seagate drive externally. But would prefer to get a fix. Anyone had any luck troubleshooting the issue? The Seagate drive seems fine on its own, but as soon as the SSD is combined with it, it starts squawking again. Also there doesn't seem to be any problems with the SSD on its own, or the Seagate in an external enclosure.. Wierd.

 

Another update to this saga... I finally convinced Dell to swap the hard drive again with a different brand. This time Toshiba. Exactly the same problem. When 2 dell hard drives are in the PC, everything works fine. The SSD on its own works fine, the Toshiba drive on its own works fine. But the Intel 510 SSD seems to make the drive in the secondary slot have difficulty starting up. The problem mostly occurs when waking from sleep or first powering on the PC. It's almost as if the second hard drive keeps trying to park and intialize and park again, or at least that's the sound it makes. It makes it impossible to work with this pc. Has anyone found a solution to the problem? I'm scratching my head.

 

Knock knock... anyone there? Did you guys get it fixed? Would really love to know what you did. I am now using the intel 510 alone in my pc and the internal hard drive connected to an external drive bay. It works but is really inconvenient.

 

Hi!

I confirm this situation. Have the same configuration DELL XPS L702X with both Intel 510 and ST9500423AS. Seagate in original bay and Intel 510 in the second bay and OS on it.

The same behavior when trying to awake computer or sometimes after powering up.

 

Just to update this forum... I tried 3 models of hard drive with the intel 510 SSD. All had the same clicking sound. I'm now buying a Samsung 830 SSD and will swap out the intel 510 and use the intel ssd in another pc. Thanks Dell!

 

I just noticed that Dell released a new firmware for the seagate drive. I sold my hdd, so can't test it myself (only using the ssd now).

But maybe it helps one of you guys. If it does, then please post it here!

Thanks.