My 1-day-old Sony Vaio CS laptop has this intermittent whirring noise from the fan when my laptop is on!

Well I'm glad to see others are having this issue, and I didn't just get a lemon. The best way I can describe this noise is.. it sounds like plucking one of those door stop springs. The fan goes on and off every other second, and sometimes it will make a noise like something is obstructing it.

I really love this computer (pink CS118e) and the last thing I want to do is send it back or take it for repair (especially with all my personal files on it). So I'm really hoping some kind of fix comes out!

Oh, and I listened to the first Youtube clip. My Vaio and the one in the video were alternating making the noises.. it was cute, like they were talking to each other.

 

does yours sound anything like my (the 2nd) clip?

I'm sending mine to geek squad next sunday. they said it is a hardware issue and it qualifies for a free repair.

 

New bought CS16 about 3 days old. Noticably has the exact same issue you all bring up, must be inherent in all the CS series.

If you'd like my description of the sound, i'd say it sounds like the Windows mouseclick sound but 4 of them stacked ontop of each other played together in like half a sec (and also obviously coming from the fan vent although i'm unsure whether it is the fan itself or obstruction but it ain't comin' from the speakers)

anyways, annoying the heck outta me cause the fan does start and stop very often and each time it does, it be startin' clickin'. Just wanted to bump the thread. Let us know a solution!!!!!!

 

Since the fan is causing the noise when it spins up and stops, maybe the best way to solve this problem would be to keep the fan constantly running.

Keeping the fan running at a constant but lower RPM speed instead of starting and stopping at higher speeds should solve the noise problem and still manage to keep the hardware from overheating.

The right piece of software could do this and you wouldn't need to open up the laptop.

If Sony would stand behind thier products, they could easily develope a BIOS update to solve this problem.

Does anyone know of any software currently available that allows you to control the fan?

 

i certainly wouldn't mind this. my previous laptop and my macbook both have a fan that always runs at a low rpm and them spins faster under load.

at any rate, if i had some disassembly instructions, i can take it apart and see what's stuck in the fan! i tried already but can't get the rear section apart (though i see a wire going along the bottom of the case into the fan area when peaking in).

 

Well, my two cents is this:

None of us want to have our laptop missing in action for the month or so this kind of repair is going to take sony to process, repair/replace, and ship back but at the end of the day they DO acknowledge this is not normal which is the closest to "standing behind their product" you can get in this day and age.

I'm getting in touch with Sony to see about shipping it to them soon, at the very least they will replace it now before I have too much stuff on it that I need, not to mention school starting up soon. The sooner I have it back, the better.

Of course I am upset that this problem existed in the first place, but oh well. Now is the time to get it taken care of before they pull the classic "not our problem" approach that many companies take nowadays when they start to see the sheer size ($$$) of an issue. Anyone who has shipped one to them and gotten it back, please post here. It seems like not EVERYONE has this problem who bought a CS series. Just us lucky few, otherwise this thread would be swamped.

 

I don't think there are that many CS owners on this forum. From what I gather, most people have other series of Vaio's. Also, I've seen a few posts by those who exchanged it only to get one with the same problem.

There's a big thread on the club vaio site with people having this issue, as well as others who commented on the youtube videos.

Geek squad said they'll look at it for me and it should be out of my hands for at most a week. I can't return mine anyway since I didn't notice the sound until almost 2 weeks into owning it.

 

That's a bummer about not noticing it in time to return it. Just adds a feeling of "unfair" to the whole situation. I hope Geek Squad figures it out for you, perhaps if they can fix it then it will confirm that Sony could fix it too.

Best of luck,

Raid

 

Just wanted to let you guys know I took my laptop into a sony style shop and the guy I talked to fully acknowledged that Sony had sent out a memo about this very specific issue with the CS series of laptops. Basically I filled out a form, they took my laptop and they told me I'd have it back in 7 days, fixed.

So anyone who is considering fixing this problem, I might go ahead and let Sony do the work. If the fan is defective, you will want to have them replace it while its under warranty and while they are gladly fixing the problem, likely (so the guy said) by replacing the fan entirely. In my experience with computers the only thing better than no problems are problems the manufacturer is willing to fix in-house. Third parties simply don't have the experience (even geek squad, no offense) to backwards engineer the laptop and figure out the best solution.

Good luck to all of you!

 

this is very good news. the guy at geek squad said that if it can't be fixed there, it will be sent back to sony for repair. I'll be sure to mention this word-of-mouth to him and see what they can do or if they know of a fix.

thanks for sharing that.

 

Dropped mine off today. Should hopefully get it back in either a few days or a week (depending if they cant fix it in house) buzz free.

 

Thanks for letting us know rpeters! I'm anxious to hear if they can fix the fan or not. I really would like to purchase the CS but am hesitating because of the fan noise (which would drive me crazy!!!).

I went to Circuit City and Best Buy this week to look at the display CS models. I spent some time browsing the net and using other features. The fans of both of the CS models didn't seem to make any noise. Of course, there was background noise and music which may have drowned out the fan noise. But I did put the laptop very close to my ear and tried to listen multiple times while I was browsing. Could it be that Sony has considered the complaints of early CS owners and have replaced the fan of the newly built
CS laptops?

I really hope they can fix everyone's noisy fans!

 

the volume of the sound can vary. mine was on the quiet side, but still could be heard in a quiet room and was annoying. There's a high chance you just couldn't hear it over the noise.

Funny thing is, I checked my geek squad repair and it said it was completed about 7 hours after I dropped it off yesterday (the guy told me a couple days at least for the repair). Either he couldn't hear the problem and didnt bother to call me, or they got to it early and it was a simple fix. I'll call this morning.

Can't wait to this is over. Ugh.

 

ahhhhh!!

Called up Geek Squad. They said they heard the noise but found no obstructions in the fan (even said they compared it to another model and it looked identical). They said they could ship it out to Sony (2 weeks) but said Sony will most likely not repair it unless it's hindering operation.

So what can I do now? Can anyone actually confirm that Sony is aware of the issue and is fixing it? Thanks.

UPDATE: Taking it to the sony style store now. I called Sony support and THEY ARE AWARE of the issue and are working for a fix. Mine will be shipped out and hopefully come back all fixed in about a week.

 

GOOD NEWS (I hope).

I just dropped mine off at the sony style store and, while I couldn't show the tech the sound due to the background noise, he did mark it as verified since I described it exactly (which means even if the repair warehouse can't hear it, it will still get fixed). I filled out some paperwork like RAID above mentioned and I should get it back between 3 and 10 (usually 4-5) business days.

One thing he noted was that they are working on a software fix for the fan. Apparently the problem is the fan controller software (like the SMC controller on macs) isn't controlling the fan properly and is causing sort of a vibration at lower speeds, in addition to all the starting and stopping. He alluded to the "mooooing" noise the macs used to have. I mentioned to him I heard on a forum that sony described the issue as a bad fan that the manufacturer confirmed. Who knows, he said it could be both, but A SOFTWARE PATCH IS IN THE WORKS.

For those who don't know about the macbook moooing noise, here is a friggin site dedicated to it. The sound clip sort of sounds like this issue in a way and this software update should be like the one on that site. Apparently THAT fix simply keeps the fan on its lowest setting even when temperatures are low, much like how my wife's macbook is now, so it shouldn't start and stop like it is now.

For now, I'm confined to my desktop.

 

All of your updates are much appreciated, rpeters! Hope the fan issue will be FINALLY resolved. Let us know the good news (hopefully) when you get your laptop back.

 

hi there, i also sent my vaio cs16g to sony service center. surprisingly the staff who served me did not aware of this issue, just said the technician will check it out. And probably will return my notebook to me in 2-3 working days.

For my case, i don't experience any "door cracking" sound before/after the fan operates, just the fan going on&off. But recently whenever the fan kicks in, it makes a "clicking" sound, it sounds like the fan blades are hitting on something, when the fan stops, the noise stops.

I dont know how it will ends up and just have my finger crossed.

 

the issue is in their system, so the techs SHOULD be aware of it.

at worse case, we'll be able to download the fan software update which should take care of the issue.

 

I have the same model VGN-CS16GQ. I bought it last Nov 2008 but I dont hear any wearing noise whenever I power-on the laptop. Im from the Philippines by the way..

 

1:did anybody try to download an update for bios (version R0270Q2
)? I have problems with my home wireless network (sometimes it says limited connectivity). so, the last bios update says that it solves "Low transfer rate through the Ethernet network connection ". can downloading this bios update solve my problem?
2:how can I know that sony have a solution for noisy fan? really kills me :-(

 

Yes, I updated the BIOS version of my laptop to version R0270Q2. From Sony website, this revision does not resolve the wireless connectivity issue. http://www.sony.com.ph/support/download/289058/product/vgn-cs16g

 

I joined this forum just to post on this thread.

I have been wanting a VAIO for YEARS. This Christmas, my Dell died forever and I finally got the white CS. When it came in the mail, I was SO excited, and instantly loved it. I'm sure most of you would agree - it really is such a great computer - fast, with a beautiful display amazing features.

And then...the noise came. -_-

I bought the thing from Amazon and didn't want to fork over a 15% restocking fee (ugh), so I went to the sony style store. They said they'd never heard about this problem in their lives (I still wonder if that was a true statement), and shipped it to my nearest Sony center for repairs. 10 days later, I got it back. Turned it on...

And then...the noise came. -_-

In disbelief, I checked the repair report. They REPLACED the fan, and updated the BIOS. TERRIFIC! I said sarcastically, listening to the lovely grinding every few seconds. -_-

I called Sony two days later (after unsuccessfully trying to just ignore the stupid noise.) They were very friendly...anyway they sent me a packaging label, and I sent the computer BACK as a "repeat repair." That was 5 days ago...we'll see what happens this time. The guy at Sony seemed to have never heard about this issue in his life, and mentioned that I might need a replacement.

Really though? I'm in college. I NEED to use my computer on a daily basis. I started classes two weeks ago. I'm using my roommate's computer, and that's getting frustrating. I've OWNED this computer for 3 weeks, but I've only had it in my possession for about 5 days all together.

Seriously, I am NOT happy to see that so many other people have this problem. I would MUCh rather my computer be a lemon, then I could just get it replaced.

I bought a Sony VAIO because of their reputation for great, reliable products. My mom's VAIO has lasted her 7 years and is still alive and kicking.

So...I REALLY hope that this works out...and I hope that it works out for all of you, too!! I keep checking this board to see if SOMEONE out there has finally discovered a fix...

Honestly, I miss my Dell. -_-

 

hm..my notebook is ready for collection already, they told me that the technician did not change anything, just some cleaning on the fan and the heat sink. I will head to service center after this, hopefully they did solve my problem.

update..got back my notebook, AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS !!!! the clicking noise still there when fan kicks in...the report said "clean fan and heatsink compartment". I dunno what should i do now, hopefully sony will release the software asap

 

Hi. I just bought the CS110E/R, and in my case that fan was running because the CPU was working pretty hard. I disabled some of the bloatware from startup. I went into Windows Defender, Tools, Software Explorer and disabled a couple of AOL startup items there (I never used or installed AOL, but they were there anyway). The CPU settled down and that fan no longer comes on when just at idle or surfing the net. It still comes on when doing more intensive things like anti-virus scanning, but I figure that's normal. Not sure this is really helpful to others here, but thought I'd share my experince on this. Thanks.

 

This may be news to you guys, but most of the stories you've heard of people with Vaio's for like 5 years or super-reliable notebooks are their higher end notebooks. Their lower end CS and NS, just tlike the CR and NR before it are outsourced. They are non-japenese parts. The computer isnt built to the same standard as say... the Z or AW. Not to say that these arent excellent machines, they are, and as a matter of act all sony's have overactive fans, its part of why they are so stable, they tend to not overheat. Case in point, less vaios with faulty nvidia gpus failed then macbooks pros or dell xps's.

 

Hi thebigpants27. I've no doubt you are right on all points but that's the choice we made when choosing a machine that's almost half the cost of the high end models. However, I am rather hoping to get 5 years out of this machine. Time will tell on that.
Anyway, I believe the overactive fan is really just a symptom of a heavy load on the CPU. Decrease the load on the CPU, and that troublesome fan will not kick in often if at all when doing non-intensive activities like internet, writing documents, etc. When that fan does kick in during the more intensive tasks, be glad it's there to cool things down prolonging the life of the computer (as I think thebigpants27 already said - but in a different way). That's my take on this anyway. Thanks!

 

The thing is - all of us who bought sony vaio CS - spent a little more money cause, you, know "it`s a sony". Now we have a right to expect everything working without this silly noise. + I don`t really want to disable some of the bloatware from startup. I want my machine working properly. I`ll keep my CS with me, but if sony will not have a solution for this, I`ll send it back.

 

oh I fully understand that the CS and NS are the lower end models of Sony's Spectrum. I agree, though, that they shouldn't have this problem, regardless.

This might be a weird comparison...but I have a toyota corolla, which is the lower end Toyota model...but my corolla works PERFECTLY fine. actually, amazingly well.

just because something is a lower model does not mean it should have a problem. the last computer I had was a Dell Inspiron...which is their "lower" model...and it was just fine for a long time...

 

You should definitely removed the bloatware. The only reason why the bloatware is on the computer at all is that companies are subsidizing part of your notebook by paying sony to put it on!

 

Hi all,

I bought a brand new black Vaio VGN-CS11S just under a week ago and am experiencing the same problem. I contacted Sony via email and they initially suggested installing a BIOS update. When I told them the update had not improved the issue they said the fan noise was normal and it was simply keeping the CPU cool. So I decided to try and forget about it and accept the annoyance as the laptop is faultless other than the persistent fan noise.

They emailed me again today (I didn't reply to their previous message) and said they are now aware of the issue and that my laptop will need to go in for repairs. Has anybody else had similar feedback from Sony and had any success?

Nice to know I'm not the only one in this frustrating situation!

 

RAID, have you gotten yours back yet? My tech, like his, acknowledged the clicking noise and said it was in their system. I'm still waiting on mine but am curious to whether HE got his back yet and if the problem is still there.

Still waiting on that updated fan firmware I was promised too by Sony...

 

I also want to get clarification...

for those joining the thread, are you referring to the "clicking" noise that happens before the fan spins up and after it spins down, or there fact that the fans themselves turn on and off too often and causing normal fan noise, just a lot of it.

 

In my case it just seems to be the fan coming on a lot.. I'm yet to experience the 'clicking' sound that others are referring to.

At least Sony seem to be acknowledging the problem so we should have a solution soon.

 

OK. I personally don't mind the fan coming on that often.

I mentioned this earlier, but I had sony's phone support as well as a guy at sony style tell me that a software update is in the works that should correct the fan clicking noise and the times that they come on.

 

I can live with the fan coming on if a software update is on the way... I'd rather do that than send my laptop away, but Sony seemed adament that it needed to be sent for repairs. They are going to call me so guess I'll get clarification then...

 

For my case, it is different, the clicking noise comes during the fan spinning. The weird part is that, after the notebook on for some time (like a hour or so) the noise is gone, just the fan going on and off. Then suddenly the noise comes back again...

 

yeah, I personally could definitely live with the fan noise. I've sent my computer to sony TWICE now, and the clicking is still there. The intermittent fan whirring is just a little annoying, but the clicking or grinding or whatever it is right after the fan is really irritating.

I really don't want to call them and send it in again...last time they mentioned replacing the computer, and I don't want to give up this one that has all my stuff on it than get a new one that has the same problem...

It is a LITTLE bit better than it was...and I discovered that when the computer is on a cooling pad, the fan doesn't have to go off as much, so there's not as much noise.

I REALLY hope someone has some luck with sony on this stuff...it's weird to me that they are telling some people they know about this problem, because they never seem to know when I talk to them...

oh, also, I have removed all the bloatware. It really didn't make any difference for me.

 

I'm not sure when you sent yours out, but when I sent mine out on Saturday (1/17), they said the memo they received about them was new and that mine was probably one of the first to be sent out with this specific issue noted.

I'm hoping that even after several techs confirmed the noise and the sony style rep verified it on the work order that it actually gets fixed and doesn't come back with the same issue. My only option after that would be to wait for the firmware update or sell the laptop. I'm not living with his annoying noise. I've had COMPAQs that were quieter than this and have never had this chirping sound on any other laptop.

No one should tolerate it, honestly. My next choice is a dell if this doesn't get fixed in the end.

 

GOOD NEWS, again, I hope.

I just spoke with a tech named Gary at the san diego facility. He said he heard the clicking noise after about an hour's worth of use and said he REPLACED THE FAN. He claims the fan now no longer makes the clicking noise. I confirmed this with him twice to make sure he didnt think the noise was a different problem. It's being shipped out today and should get it back next week to confirm that the noise is gone.

This should be some hope for those with the issue - given that sony's own tech has heard the problem for himself.

 

hola mario , entiendes español?, es que tengo el mismo problema, compre una cs110e/p en BESTBUY y hacia un ruido rrrrr al enceder y apagar el abanico, soy de mexico, y me di cuenta hasta q llegue aca, regrese a la semana a cambiarla y la nueva laptop tiene el mismo problema, pero solo que empezo al segundo dia, ya cuando habia regresado, se quita cuando la levantas unos grados, la anterior como a 45° porque hacia mas ruido, esta hace menos, como a solo 30° se le quita. haz la prueba levantala, yo por ahora ya no puedo regresar a bestbuy porque es muy caro andar llendo y viniendo pero si encuentran una solucion por favor escribeme si hablas español. gracias.

 

I'm facing the same exact problem as u all, my VAIO CS is jus 2 days old and it's been doin this strange buzzing sound after the fan dies down ever since i opened it.

I called sony technical support and they're saying they have no idea abt this problem, it's never been reported b4 etc tec [ i live in Canada btw] and i find this to be very strange since u guys are saying that sony is accepting this problem and is willing to fix it =S

can sum1 please give me sony's technical support email or phone # for canada preferably, since i think i'm doing something wrong here! i would really appreciate it .. this whirring sound will drive me insane ... but i love the laptop =(

 

Rotate the laptop as 30 or 45 degrees to yourself and no longer noise. The fans are defective.

 

see mine was different. mine became WORSE when I rotated it, which sucked because I enjoy propping it up on my legs on the bed or couch. When i turned mine completely upside down, the noise went away.

If this noise is still in mine even after they replaced the fan, I'm gonna be pissed!

 

hmmm...rpeters, i am REALLY interested to see what happens with yours, because I sent mine to the San Diego facility as well. Twice. The second time, I sent it on Thursday afternoon, they started working on it Monday, and I had it back Wednesday. It came back faster because it was a repeat repair. Since I've had it back, I haven't had as much of a problem with the NOISE as with the VIBRATION...it's definitely much quieter, but I can feel it vibrating under my hand. So they did something to fix it, but it doesn't seem to be perfected yet...hopefully, since they are fixing your's after mine, they've finally figured it out...

If your's comes back fixed, I'm sending mine to them again. If not, I'm just going to deal with it.

 

can you describe the vibration you say you're having? is it audible? is it related to the fan? do you still hear the same buzzing sound as was posted in the two youtube clips?

as i mentioned before, my tech said he heard it, replaced the fan, and claims the sound is no longer there. it was shipped out fedex overnight and should get it monday.

i'll post monday when i get it back with the fix. RAID also had his sent out after his tech confirmed it too and I'm curious if he got his back yet as well.

I'm impatient, I know

 

yes, it's audible, and yes, it's definitely related to the fan. it occurs every time the intermittent fan goes off, immediately following the big WHOOSH sound. sometimes the buzzing or grinding or whatever it's called is louder than it is at other times. It does sound like the first youtube clip I listened to from here, only MUCH much quieter...I guess it would occasionally sound just like that with a microphone up to it. Before the repairs, it definitely sounded like a slightly quieter version of the youtube clip. Since the second time I got it fixed, it's been much quieter MOST of the time...but sometimes it's pretty loud. One loud noise occurred while I was just sitting here typing this. Often, the only way I can tell it's happening is by the vibration under my left hand as I'm typing. But both the intermittent fan and the vibration and noise seem to be completely unaffected by what I'm doing...some have said that it does it during more heavy duty tasks, but that is not the case for me - it's pretty consistent no matter what.

I know for sure my fan has been replaced once...and I think they actually did replace it a second time...

Basically, it is MUCH better after the repair, but nowhere NEAR perfect.

I'm REALLY confused as to why vaios can't just have a constant fan running like dells?? I had a dell before this, and NEVER once noticed the fan noise. I think it would get louder when it got really hot or was doing something strenuous, but not consistently like this.

I sincerely hope the repair on yours worked better than on mine. Maybe they are finally getting this issue resolved.

 

if mine still has the noise then the tech was wrong or lied even after i twice confirmed with him. we'll see.

 

yeah.

sometimes i wonder if they can hear it...it's probably not super quiet wherever they are fixing the computers...and i know that mine is hard to hear in a loud room...

but still, i hope they really did fix it.

 

i mentioned this before but my sound was only audible in a quiet room and not as loud as the one in the first youtube video (the one with the black screen).

however, the tech at geek squad heard it as did the sony tech I spoke with in san diego and said he replaced the fan. if yours is like mine, it gets louder after long use (he said he heard mine after about an hour running it).

 

"never been reported before"?!? I'm from Canada and reported this on December 19,2008 to Tech Support - see my earlier post. In fact I held the phone to the computer and the technician could hear it over the phone! I'm still waiting for a *fix* - I don't want to return it to get another noisy one like some other folks have done.

Tech Support for Canada (24 hrs) 1-800-476-6972.
(btw- # is posted at SonyStyle.ca)

So Canadians, and every one, please find the Tech Support # for your country and REPORT this DIRECTLY to Sony. Please!