Surface Laptop 3 Faint Buzzing Sound

Anonymous
2019-10-23T21:50:20+00:00

Hello,

I’ve got the i5 8GB Surface Laptop 3 (13.5-inch), and today, while browsing the internet, I noticed a fairly faint  buzzing sound coming from under the keyboard. It was faint enough you couldn’t hear it from a couple metres away, and sometimes buzzed continuously, other times buzzed in short repetitive bursts.

It didn’t sound like the fan to me, so I opened up the task manager to see if browsing was straining the computer in some way.

I have updated the computer completely, but the buzzing persisted.

Is this a normal electronics problem? Is it actually just the fan? Or is it possibly a defective unit?

Edit/Update:

I took the device into the MS Store today to see if there was something wrong. The staff took it into the back and tested it. They found increasing the computer's workload caused the sound to increase and described it as a popping static-y sound. They replaced the device and I have a new one now. Unfortunately, I've found through usage that this one is also making the sound. I am waiting to see if a firmware update reduces the noise since it seems pervasive across the devices.

Surface | Surface Laptop | Install and update

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

375 answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2019-12-07T10:48:13+00:00

    I made a discovery today regarding this buszzing issue. 

    When I do a virus scan (I tried both quick scan/full scan) the buzzing sound goes away. When I'm on battery it goes completely silent. So if I do a full scan i the background it stays silent most of the time (only a few times did the buzzing start again, but then just for a short time before it stops again).

    If I'm using the charger I can still hear the sound, but It's not really buzzing the same way and it's much much more silent...sadly the fans seems to start when I'm scanning the computer with the charger plugged in (this happens even when I'm on battery, but the fans spin more with the charger).

    Maybe this means that this is a Harddrive issue? Anyway, more people could try it and see if it works for them. Ofcourse It's just a temporary fix since the second the scan is finished or stopped the buzzing starts again.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2019-12-05T17:12:44+00:00

    I purchased an i7/16GB/256GB. I have the exact same problem, a buzzing sound near the F12 key. If this a problem for a lot of people and a replacement does not solve the problem, then the only option it to wait for a month for Microsoft to come up with a software update or return the product and get the refund. It gets very annoying when I am studying at a quiet place. My 6 year old MacBook Pro still runs flawlessly with no problems. Disappointed with Microsoft.

    Was this answer helpful?

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2019-12-05T17:02:31+00:00

    I have the same problem. When the cpu is under load the buzzing sound disappears. It would be interesting to know if it is a intel specific problem.

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2019-12-05T01:42:51+00:00

    I have the same problem，but I can hear the buzz from top left corner of keyboard，just below the Esc or F1-3 key.

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2019-12-04T14:17:20+00:00

    Hello

    I have a brand new french SL3 i5 8GB 128G, I can ear the buzz when I put my ear near the F12 key.

    it's a very weak noise. I mean it won't disturb me in daily use, even in a quiet environment, and even under a light cpu load.

    So my point here is to say that this sickness doesn't seem to affect all surface laptops 3, or some people are more sensitive than others.

    So, returning your faulty new laptop to get another one might be a option to consider.

    hth

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments