Tried your 1520's headphone jack?

Who here thinks it can be fixed via software? So you DONT have to send your laptop to dell. I think so.

 

I think it could be fixed before it was our problem via using a testing crew with actual brains over at Dell.

 

Yeah, Oh and also I'm burning a DVD right now and I can hear it all

 

So, clester I am guessing you are going to change the sound card? If so how do you do that is it very complicated are there any tutorials on how to do that?

 

clester, by any chance did u try these?
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=138778&page=2
(last reply of the page)

this doesn't affect the temp at all. I am curious if these settings can do the trick for 1520 also.

 

it is so easy, place in the slot and push

 

You shouldn't have to download any software or buy any extra hardware just to make the notebook run the way it is suppose to. You payed hard earned money on this notebook and it should work right out of the box. Don't settle. I know it's inconvient and a pain in the butt. But if you are still in your 21 day window, send that puppy back and request a refund. It does no good to have them send you another one that will do the same thing (read Duke's post).

If enough people send their 1520 back, that will get Dell's respose and they will have to address the problem. If enough people send their notebook back and it's Intel problem, that will force Dell to say to Intel "Hey, fix your stuff!"

The only way Intel will fix their problem if the big boys (HP and Dell) start screaming at them. And if enough people start sending back their 'puter. Then they will start screaming. But it has to be alot in order to make them move.

So don't settle. Don't download or buy anything extra. Send it back and request a refund. As soon as you noticed that sound, you should've been asking for a RMA. Get that RMA and your money back.

 

Don't want to send it back
Even my creative zen microphoto makes a little noise

but it doesn't really bother me. I would complain but it's gonna take too long to mail it back and wait (my warranty's mail-in)

 

Actually some of the options were greyed out.. those options that actually reduced the noise, increased the temps.. I'm waiting to see what dell's escalations team has to say when they contact me in the next 24-48 hrs. if it's not good, i'm returning this laptop, and they WILL be paying for return shipping too

 

Yeah, I know it's inconvient and you really want to like the 'puter. But just imagine how more you like it if it was defective. That's like buying a new car and accepting that the radio has static all the time. Or an iPod that had static in it all the time.

That's what Big Corp is hoping on all the time. That you decide that it will be too much of an inconvience for you to get what you deserve. That's why they try to talk you into a repair first so you'll get frustrated and say "Screw it! I'll just keep it and deal with it."

You shouldn't have to do either. You work to hard for your money to accept defective crap. I would send it back and get my money back. Your computer should play everything like it's suppose too.

I know you're way out there and it will take awhile but even if I was on the moon. That puppy would go back and get my money back. That's just me.

 

this is an issue that has plagued motherboards for years - i remember this type of electrical noise on my old computers dating back to my first 733 celery system. sure, you can use software to mask the problem, but it'll never truly be 'fixed' since at heart it seems to be an engineering issue with the boards (be it flaky capacitors or a fundamental design flaw).

judging from various boards, this seems to be a somewhat widespread problem with notebooks using Intel's chipset. that this was a pervasive issue even before Santa Rosa's release spells how little effort there is to resolve this issue.

 

In that case prepare to return. If those options are greyed out, then there is no use. Also, keep in mind that they will just agree to send u a replacement which will have the same problem. Just return it if it bothers you and go for another company.

 

Has anybody heard this problem on the Vostro 1500?

 

I don't think so, since there's no topic called "Tried your Vostro 1500's headphone jack?" - I'm assuming

 

I have a Vostro 1500 I have the same problem

 

Oops............ Let's all return our laptops - and dell's gonna learn a good lesson.

I don't see any other option

 

ooops didn't notice that there was already thread going on about the noise. sorry. I thought my settings would help u guys, but i seems like some of the important options are greyed out in new rmclock verson for 1520owners. oh well. You guys shouldn't put up with this , please return if u have a problem so that they will learn.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=143015

 

What? Who makes rmclock? Dell? Looks like Dell does not want people messing with rmclock. Probably since it increases the core temp?

 

this guy sums it up nicely.

 

spoke to escalations today. they said the noise has no fix, and the graphics card is as advertised (it's not). no other offer but to return the laptop for a refund, which could take up to 3 weeks to refund my money from when they recieve it.

needless to say this will be my last dealings with dell. I shall also be sending a strongly worded e-mail to comeone high up to complain.

very very disappointed here.

I just don't see why i should have to wait for my money for 3 weeks when they sent a defective product.

 

Any laptop has "+s" and "-s", pros and cons. I prefer to have this noise as a "con". Because if I get something else - It might be worse - nothing is perfect (unfortunately)

PS: But I still hate Dell customer Service. HP's customer service was so good, the lady actually spoke good English and I got my money back in about 7-10 days (canceled 1 order recently)

 

IMO, they're all bad. I read in some forums that Dell is worst then HP and others it's the other way around. IME, HP is worst then Dell. The HP folks were mean and nasty and very unhelpful and this was with more then one phone call.

I would recommend Dell to friends with a cautionary tone. With HP, I would tell them not to waste their money.

On the sound issue. If a flood of 1520s came back requesting a refund, you better bet Dell would find a way to fix the problem. They don't won't Wall Street catching wind of this. One customer here and one there, Dell will be like, "Whatever". Thousand customers here and a thousand there, Dell will be like "We need to fix this day-umm thing!!!!"

 

SO START RETURNING!!! I need my laptop soon and i really want a 1520...minus the annoying noise issue.

 

Hey everyone, had a chat with a dell rep online tonight about this problem (as well as the grainy screen) but he had me change the power management scheme to high performance from the dell recommended. This seemed to eliminate almost all of the noise, just some low level static is left but it is now comparable to my previous laptop.

Now as long as this works I am happy with this fix, but are there any downsides to this setting (other than i am assuming worse battery life) like increased heat or something? Just want to make sure its not trading one problem for another.

Thanks!

 

you sure about that? i remember i tried that too...it sort of helped but still nowhere near where it should be to begin with...

 

So, let me get this straight... Setting the performance to high will eliminate the noise? At the cost of how much battery life? I'm guessing that the sound is tied to the CPU fan. It might have some resonating frequency that creates static on the line out jack. I wonder if wrapping your earbud wire in tin foil (and then grounding that tin foil) would affect the noise level. If so, then the laptop isn't properly shielded. Another thing someone could do is bust open the bare wire on their headphone, connect the return line to ground, then see if the system makes noise still... I'm sure there are some intrepid techies out there willing to experiment.

 

Well... What I do is USE SPEAKERS.

 

Using laptop speakers is all well and good when people around you don't mind listening to your music too. What about on an airplane?

 

I don't think that will work 'cause early in this post people were saying that this problem occurs with multiple brands of headphones. And it didn't matter of the quality or price. It also happened on some high quality head phones.

The point about the NB not being properly shielded or grounded is a good one though. Which could indicate that Dell has a problem on the assembly line or the design of the NB is bad.

But Dell will not move on this problem until they see a sea of 1520s hitting their doorstep. Flood of 1520 = More Market Share loss

 

bump
this is a bad problem

 

Does anyone know if using USB headphones solves the problem?

 

Well It's not a business laptop. But yes, it's bad - I'm not saying anything

I don't believe so - it's the same sound, which is produced by the sound card.

Also, Today I've noticed that the "Wifi catcher" really messes up the sound when you turn it on

 

Davron, that's not noise you hear. That's your 1520 saying, "Send me back, send me back."

 

Actually, I've been reading the people who use USB headphones don't have any issues.

This again makes me think that it's not the sound card, but possible a bad ground. If anyone here has ever hooked up a cheap car stereo and heard horrendous engine noise through their speakers, that problem more often that not is cause by a poorly designed ground bus in the head unit itself.
I'd say that it's a manufacturing issue that could quite possibly be solved eventually, once the motherboard maker (Not Dell) has time to revise/tweak their design.

 

My USB headset (Logitech Premium USB Headset) has no sound problems on my 1520. It's only when it's through the headphone port.

 

That sound seems to be in sync with HD Light....But i get no problem on my bluetooth headset.

 

I want to send it back but this would be the third laptop to send back and I'm kind of tired - can't wait

but maybe I will, but a little later

 

So I am on the chat with Dell Technical Support and she asked me 3 questions on the third question she asked me if my headphones were USB and I said no... She immediately told me there was no fix for the problem and they had to switch the mother board.
So I am guessing they know about this because of people complaining.

 

so are you gonna get your motherboard replaced?

 

I think by Dell going cheap and using only a 2 prong power adapter has caused this issue.

I've seen a lot of Dell NB both at home and work and this is the first time I heard about Dell using only a 2 prong power adapter for a NB.

I wonder if the noise level changes when you touch the NB while you're wearing headphones.

The reason why people don't hear it through Bluetooth or USB headphones is because they are not physically touching the NB.

The problem should be correct or the NB returned 'cause if it is a grounding issue and you hear noise cause something isn't grounded properly inside the NB. It will diminish the life of the NB 'cause the internal components will degrade much faster from the static electricity being caused within the NB. The problem may seem small but an improper grounded NB bring more headaches for you in the future. The noise problem is just the beginning.

 

That could be the problem. Dell could've gotten a bad batch of MBs or their maker got a bad batch of components or used the wrong capacitor or something. They propably have 1520s with the new MB in them but don't have enough to go around for their new orders and customers demanding a new one. That's why there isn't a major recall going on for the bad NBs.

Dell won't fix the MB even if they know your 1520 is one of the ones with the bad MB in it. If you decide to deal with the noise, then that saves them money and one less MB to replace.

 

So, does dell offer you the replace the notebook mmotherboard if you have this headphone jack problem ?

 

What's the ratio of good MB's to bad MB's?

 

bump........

 

Probably low right now. But Dell probably has the manufactor working overtime in anticipation of customers screaming and yelling. That screaming and yelling will only get worst when word gets out that the MB is the fix.

Dell wants the 1520s to be highly successful so they want to squash this sound issue as soon as possible. So their probably leaning pretty heavy on the manufacturer to get them some good MBs if that indeed is the fix.

 

I ordered mine on 7/28. It's still in pre-production. You think mine will have the problem fixed?

 

You would hope so since this problem has been going on for sometime now.

 

damn.................... i don't wanna return it.. but I think I will.

 

I havent received an answer to my question. If you receive a laptop with this problem, is it possible to have your motherboard repaired ?

 

Well that's what you have warranty for