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

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-01-07T00:20:49+00:00

    Every things Microsoft can do is tell you to run their useless Surface Diagnostic Toolkit.

    Same here, Surface Diagnostic Toolkit reported no issues and didn't do anything relate to this noise problem. It is really frustrated.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-01-07T01:57:38+00:00

    Couple of more finding and updates: 

    > Laptop definitely warms up (uncomfortably warm i might add) when charging > there is not a single time it did not do that, and fans revving up so everyone in the room can hear it (something my 10 years old laptop used to do). Heat passes all the way to palm rests. 

    > Laptop will cool down after 90% charge is done, or fully charged and you are not performing any multitasks. 

    > Static noise still present randomly if you stick your ear at the near the exhaust 

    > Connected to dell D6000 Display link for additional screen. man it did not like that (even with all drivers installed), the fans automatically started revving and charging brought the heat back.  

    seriously need to consider another alternative laptop, i may end up returning it for dell or HP or even Mac even though i prefer Windows. Cant use laptop on your lap is not a laptop for me.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-01-07T12:18:05+00:00

    I bought mine just before Christmas and it's been buzzing (and not in a good way) ever since.  I am following this thread to see fixes but thought Microsoft should know I have this issue too.

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-01-07T14:10:50+00:00

    Hi!

    I just wanted to chime in and say that I had the same problem with my i5/8gig/128gb that I bought just before Christmas. I used it for about a week and had faint/more pronounced buzzing/whine coming from mostly around the F12 button and that area. It was not superloud but for my use case (at the evenings when the children are asleep and I want to do some coding/photo sorting) it was deal breaker. Could only focus on that noise....

    Returned it today to where I bought it from(not a Microsoft store) and the person thankfully was extremely helpful and took it back. He was uncertain that Microsoft would take it as a warranty issue so I guess the store in this case will take the hit :( I was offered a replacement but I feel that there might very well be the same problem with a new device, and that would only affect me and also this store with more opened boxes and I did not want to do this when he was so kind in the first place.

    Really, really sad to have to return it because I really loved the device in all other aspects. Now I'm completely lost on what to buy instead.....

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  5. Anonymous
    2020-01-07T16:25:18+00:00

    I have the same issue and noticed it about 2 weeks ago - tried to ignore it but unfortunately, now I know its there, its becoming more and more noticeable.

    Hoping that a fix will be rolled out

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