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
    2021-04-14T15:36:39+00:00

    Hi Billy_S,

    Thank you very much for the reply. I have replaced it once last year and the second one  has the same issue. 

    Do you know whether all the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 have the same issue?

    Is it worth trying to replace it the second time?

    I can't say for sure, but I've never seen one that didn't have the issue.  I've checked various demo ones at stores, but my sample size isn't huge.

    I'll be curious if the new Surface Laptop 4 does it, which for some reason is less expensive than the Laptop 3.  I'm not going to be one of the first to find out though :)

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-04-14T13:26:04+00:00

    Hi Billy_S,

    Thank you very much for the reply. I have replaced it once last year and the second one  has the same issue. 

    Do you know whether all the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 have the same issue?

    Is it worth trying to replace it the second time?

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  3. Anonymous
    2021-04-14T12:57:36+00:00

    Just trying to understand. Any CPU that goes to idle state should behave like that, doing that crackling anoying sound? Or it's only about some specific defective CPUs that behave like that?

    It’s just this chipset (possibly others from intel) and isn’t even the processor making that noise.  

    It has more to do with the power drawn by the components other than the CPU. Once the CPU quits using it (goes idle), it seems the other components are able to draw more than needed (buzzing). 

    I didn’t take mine apart or anything, but the internal layout probably has something to do with it too. Maybe the power input is too close to the video chip, who knows.

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  4. Anonymous
    2021-04-14T11:38:32+00:00

    The sound is persisting even after 3 weeks of slight usage. Very disappointed

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  5. Anonymous
    2021-04-14T11:30:30+00:00

    Hi Sir_Rudolphy,

    I would definitely try your approach but I am a bit reluctant about the risk of damaging the devices's hardware.

    Are you currently working in that area of processors and microcontrollers? I mean, do you have much professional experience on that and you highly recommend us to use that approach? Or it is something that yo found out by doing own/home research?

    I have been using the setting for 1 week and have no problems with it. Neither an increased overheating nor last

    running fans. Only the Surface is totally quiet, no more coil whining. But I can not professionally judge whether this damages the hardware. I do not think so, as long as the processor or the device does not overheat significantly.

    Conclusion: I am happy with it and can now finally use my Surface Laptop 3 as intended without going crazy. The

    additional battery load is not significant, I would estimate about 30 minutes less runtime.

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