Problem with laptop making loud sound while idle.
Problem with laptop making loud sound while idle.
When idle (just sitting on the desktop without any programs running), my laptop emits a steady electric 'chirping' noise in short bursts. It occurs in brief intervals, pausing briefly between each sound. The noise is difficult to describe, but it resembles an electric scraping that repeats at regular intervals.
The drive type is solid state, which means it doesn’t produce the loud hum of a traditional hard disk. According to Task Manager, the disk usage is near zero, suggesting no data is being read or written.
The noise tends to stay fairly consistent, though it can vary slightly when I open applications like a web browser, either stopping or changing in duration for a moment.
This could be related to coil whine, similar to what my GPUs produce during 3D rendering, but this is different. I’m not sure if it’s coming from the CPU, as I have no clear reason to think so.
The timing of these intervals matches closely with the default update rate shown in Task Manager, although it isn’t always exact.
It seems like coil whine is the issue. Consider moving to a different wall outlet and observe if the problem continues. Please include the laptop's make, model, and SKU when you respond. Also, verify if there are any pending BIOS updates for your device.
Attempt to see if closing other unnecessary applications reduces the noise. Regarding sound, consider recording a video with audio to better demonstrate the issue. To further investigate, try pinpointing the source or location of the noise. Use an A4 sheet, roll it into a cylinder, and hold one end near your ear while using the other to locate the sound origin.
Moved thread to Laptop General Discussion section from Systems section
My configuration includes:
- Alienware Area51m R2 laptop with:
- Intel Core i7-10700 @ 2.90GHz
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super (possibly mobile version, as the laptop runs Windows but not explicitly stated)
- Windows 10 Home version 22H2
I need to look into more details for precise information on RAM, motherboard, etc.
At least regarding the Dell software installed, there are no pending BIOS updates. Previously, it has been reliable in letting me know when updates were available.
I do have a recording of the noise, but you need the volume up quite high to hear it clearly. Using headphones makes it much easier to distinguish.
Of course, I faced some challenges capturing the sound, and I’m unsure how accurately it will appear on your system. It sounds similar, but not exactly like real life:
https://imgur.com/a/laptop
View: https://imgur.com/a/laptop-idle-noise-8so4xey
My laptop consistently produces this noise.
Edit: I should note that the frequency of the sound usually aligns well with the update rates of the task manager, resource manager, and Alienware Command Center app (which also shows component stats on its update page), though this might just be coincidence and isn’t always exact.
Really, I can only pick up sounds that appear to be the fan spinning inside the laptop.
It's tough without headphones, but they're definitely there in the audio. What I'm picking up is similar to the computer's loading sounds—like a bunch of clicking or buzzing noises.
Alrighty, so a quick update:
As a test, I booted my PC in safe mode and noticed that the sound that I am describing was no longer present until I rebooted back into normal mode. This would seem to imply that some software is resulting in the noise, rather than a hardware issue such as coil whine.
Now, Windows notified me that search indexing was disabled in safe mode, which makes me wonder if, in addition to potentially being caused by the many 3rd party software that run, search indexing could be responsible.
I should mention that the laptop comes with an included power management application called Alienware Command Center, which should have been disabled in safe mode.
Clean the fan thoroughly and inspect for any loose components that may require a screwdriver. The fan might be ideal if you sanitize it with 96% alcohol and cotton swabs. If assembled, the CPU fan can often be removed; an iron can secure it from the other side. Applying a small amount of Vaseline or oil will ensure smooth operation.
Okay, another update:
After using safe mode indicated that a third party software was potentially the culprit, I have been systematically disabling the startup on a variety of services.
What I have found so far is that disabling AWCCService (Alienware Command Center) seems to have noticeably reduced the problem. When I restart AWCC the issue seems to return, and again, the frequency at which the noise repeats matches pretty well with the rate at which the hardware monitoring in AWCC (CPU and GPU clocks and temps, memory stuff, etc.) updates.
This makes me think that the method through which AWCC 'collects' this hardware data results in the pulsating noise that I described. While there is still a slight 'hum' from the device, it is no longer constantly broken up by pauses every second and overall sounds much more normal.