The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Noisy Dell Vostro disk drive

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by charmerci, Feb 28, 2009.

  1. charmerci

    charmerci Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I have a brand new Dell Vostro shipped by FedEx. I can hear the whine of the DD. (I have sensitive hearing.) It seems to be about 17khz. It's not a consistent tone but I still hear it all the time. I also hear an additional high pitched noise when scroll up and down the screen.

    It's a 160G 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive Vostro.

    Is this noise going to go away after a while?
     
    charmerci, Feb 28, 2009
    #1
  2. Commander Wolf

    Commander Wolf can i haz broadwell?

    Reputations:
    2,962
    Messages:
    8,231
    Likes Received:
    63
    Trophy Points:
    216
    How can you tell the frequency of the noise? Just by intuition or with a measuring device? If the sound is changing when you scroll, it's more likely CPU "whine" rather than HDD noise. If you power on the machine without the HDD, does the whine go away?
     
    Commander Wolf, Feb 28, 2009
    #2
  3. fattail95

    fattail95 Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    134
    Messages:
    328
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    i also hear a whine when scrolling up and down web pages (i too have sensitive hearing), whats is this?

    thanks

    fattail95
     
    fattail95, Feb 28, 2009
    #3
  4. charmerci

    charmerci Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Well, long ago the CRT monitors at a computer show used to give me a headache and I asked someone there what that high pitched sound was. They said it was a 17khz noise put out by the interaction between the transformer and the.... I forgot.

    Anyway, this noise sounds high pitched like that (though it sounds a little lower - 16khz? - I dunno.)

    It comes on instantly and stays on along as it's running. It's not a super-steady noise - it sounds more like ssss-shhhh-ssss-shhhh, etc.

    How do you run it without the hdd running?
     
    charmerci, Feb 28, 2009
    #4
  5. Commander Wolf

    Commander Wolf can i haz broadwell?

    Reputations:
    2,962
    Messages:
    8,231
    Likes Received:
    63
    Trophy Points:
    216
    Definitely sounds like CPU whine. HDD noises are more like a "whooshing" kind of sound. If you want to try to run it without the HDD:

    http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/vos1500/en/sm/hdd.htm#wp1180023

    You could also try stressing the CPU (aka with Prime95) and seeing if the pitch varies. If it does. you've almost certainly got CPU whine, and not any HDD noise.
     
    Commander Wolf, Feb 28, 2009
    #5
  6. charmerci

    charmerci Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Thanks, when I get home later (3-4 hours) I'll try your suggestions - though the noise is the same whether I'm at the Vista screen or running a DVD - I think. I'll listen more closely when I get home.
     
    charmerci, Feb 28, 2009
    #6
  7. lians60

    lians60 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    106
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Hi, I have had 2 Vostro's. A 1700 And a 1710, Both of which had the CPU whine which annoyed the heck out of me, The 1710 had the HDD Noise while scrolling as u mentioned. I think its just how dells are. If it bothers you that much RETURN it. Thats what i did.. After 8 months of use also!
     
    lians60, Feb 28, 2009
    #7
  8. charmerci

    charmerci Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Yeah, it's CPU noise. I guess I'll have to send it back when I go nuts listening to it - probably real soon. :~(
     
    charmerci, Feb 28, 2009
    #8