Surface Pro 4, annoying noise from the back!

I can hear that noise loud and clear in that video.  However, the sound I hear is a different sound that is more like ear-ringing / tinnitus, and it can be altered by changing the screen brightness settings. 

From what it sounds like (no pun intended), we have two different sounds being emitted from the camera sensor area (and elsewhere, too):

1. High-pitched noise that sounds like ear-ringing; can be changed by altering the brightness; loudest at brightness setting above 0% or below 100%
2. High-pitched scratching noise / coil whine; can be changed by touching the screen, or changing what content is displayed on the screen.

NOTE: The sound of the fan is NOT the same as either of these.

PS: Good job on recording that video!

Here is a video of the noise on an i5 unit, so an i7 user can hear what we are talking about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P90axF499\_M&feature=youtu.be

I am also seriously considering returning the device.  As another user mentioned, it simply hurts my ears when studying in a quiet room.  Not acceptable on a premium device and not unavoidable - my iPad Air 2 is completely and utterly silent.  I could go to the MS store and try to find a quiet unit, but the chances of that are small from what I've read here.

If anyone from MS could shed any light on this issue we would all be very grateful.

I would also like to know if the noise is present on i7 units!

Hey thanks for the summary,

Have you noticed any change? I have the exact same problem with my i5 8GB/256GB do you think things are different with i7 units?

If anyone else here has an i7 it would be great if they could confirm whether or not you can hear any sound. As previously stated it is most obvious with brightness in between 25 and 75 percent and when listening close to the camera sensors.

Hello GiovanniSm

When did this start happening?

Can you confirm that Surface is fully up to date?  Did all updates install successfully?

Do you notice this happening under other circumstances, beyond dimmed screen?

Best regards 

Also, here's a summary of what I've observed so far:

• My Surface Pro 4 i5 4GB/128GB emits a faint high-pitched noise/whine.  The noise is very similar to the sound of ringing in the ears after hearing a loud sound.  It can be most clearly heard along the top edge of the tablet next to the camera sensors, but also on the top right edge and bottom right edge.  This whine cannot be easily noticed when there are ambient sounds; however, it is very disturbing when I'm studying in a library or quiet room.
• The noise is affected by the brightness level:
  • It is most quiet at 0% and 100% brightness.
  • It is progressively louder from 25% to 75% brightness.
• The registry hack mentioned earlier in this thread did not affect the noise (unless I performed it incorrectly - I received a command prompt error message when deleting the setting that said the setting was not there, even though I added it w/ admin privileges).
• I have been able to rule out the following causes:
  • The CPU fan
  • The audio speakers
  • The sound is not the ringing in my own ears - I can control the level by changing the screen brightness
• The sound was not present on my Surface Pro 3
• I have heard the sound on multiple units:
  • The sound was present on my Surface Pro 4 as soon as I turned it on for the first time, and remained even after I installed all available updates.
  • I recently received two replacement units, and it was present on both units immediately after booting them up, and remained after installing all updates.
  • I have since checked other SP4 i5 units at the Microsoft Store and Best Buy, and I can hear the sound on all of them.
• Other people have confirmed they also can hear the high-pitched sound:
  • People I know and one technician at the Microsoft Store said they could hear the sound.
  • SP4 owners on various forums have confirmed that they can also hear the sound.  These include owners of my version (i5 4GB/128GB), as well as m3 versions. For example:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/3s19nu/very\_high\_pitched\_noise\_coming\_from\_sp4/ - I have a recording of the sound if anyone wants to hear it

Will Microsoft release a software/firmware update that addresses this issue?  If so, when?