That sounds like machine noise from the SSD and is dang annoying! I would definitely return it as you likely have a malfunctioning or dying SSD in the SP.
High pitched very disturbing noise off my Surface Pro
I have had my first surface pro sent on a warranty run because of it producing a very annoying high pitched disturbing noise which came (in "waves") a little now and then, whenever I am using the tablet. It did not come from the fan, I know how that defect sounds, it was more of a electronic noise. The noise isn't very loud, but sounds like you get tinnitus and is so disturbing that I can't use the tablet at all in my quiet room. The noise comes also when I have disabled the sound card, bluetooth device, wifi etc. I've tried to disable most of the drivers that are disableble ;) It doesn't get rid of the noise.
So now the company which I bought it from, sent me a new surface pro 128Gb. The sad thing is that my new tablet produces the very same noise as the one I got changed. So what is the chances that I've gotten two defective devices (assuming that the import company I am ordering from isn't sending me defective devices on purpose...) twice?
With this assumption I guess that most of microsoft surface pro have this defect and I badly need a solution for it. I have waited for one year for a product that I could use effectively for taking notes of lectures and when it comes, I get this noise issue which I have never encountered with any other tablet I've used, ever. When everything else is perfect, why does this thing have to ruin it :(
The fan isn't even on when noise present, but one interesting thing is that the noise disappears when I press the tablets sleep button and it goes into sleep. Is there a way to get rid of the noise? I can live without most things except wifi, screen, soundcard, touch and wacom. Even with only these things functioning (as long as the noise would be gone) it would be worth the 1400$ it has costed me. But this noise makes it impossible to use the tablet.
**Thanks in advance for the help!**All suggestions are welcome.
Surface | Surface Pro | Install and update
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Anonymous
2013-09-05T19:26:14+00:00 I think that all the surface pro devices make the same noise, but some of them louder than others.
I returned my 1st surface pro and got a new one. It still making the same kind of noise.
Despite some people don't hear it, it is quite annoying to me too.
There are 2 options: other device or wait for an update that solves it.
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Anonymous
2013-10-14T01:23:12+00:00 Holy cow, this worked for me also! Both my new Surface Pro 128 with Win8, and my Acer laptop with Win7! The constant high pitch noise is gone. When I put my ear close to the Surface or laptop, I only hear minor brief "scratching" noises, but that is not heard when at normal working distance away from the Surface or laptop.
I did not apply the hot fix. Only the registry change and reboot.
After I make the registry change and rebooted, I had to also change the power settings "CPU Minimum State" to "0%". I literally heard an instantaneous difference when I set this minimum state from 100% down to 0% and clicked the Apply button. I confirmed by setting it back to 100% and the high pitch noise returned.
To note, before I made this registry change, I tried setting the CPU minimum state to 0%, but the high pitch noise persisted. It was only after the registry change, **reboot, and 0%**did both my Surface Pro 128 and laptop both be silenced!
Also note, I first noticed the high pitch noise after the Surface Pro's October 2013 firmware update. But when I first bought the surface in September I did not notice the high pitch noise. I'm pretty sure the noise was not present the because I am often in very quiet environments, and my alleged super-sonic ears usually pick up on things like this quickly.
Thanks SO much for saving my super-sonic ears!
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Anonymous
2013-10-17T04:08:12+00:00 Holy cow, this worked for me also! Both my new Surface Pro 128 with Win8, and my Acer laptop with Win7! The constant high pitch noise is gone. When I put my ear close to the Surface or laptop, I only hear minor brief "scratching" noises, but that is not heard when at normal working distance away from the Surface or laptop.
I did not apply the hot fix. Only the registry change and reboot.
After I make the registry change and rebooted, I had to also change the power settings "CPU Minimum State" to "0%". I literally heard an instantaneous difference when I set this minimum state from 100% down to 0% and clicked the Apply button. I confirmed by setting it back to 100% and the high pitch noise returned.
To note, before I made this registry change, I tried setting the CPU minimum state to 0%, but the high pitch noise persisted. It was only after the registry change, **reboot, and 0%**did both my Surface Pro 128 and laptop both be silenced!
Also note, I first noticed the high pitch noise after the Surface Pro's October 2013 firmware update. But when I first bought the surface in September I did not notice the high pitch noise. I'm pretty sure the noise was not present the because I am often in very quiet environments, and my alleged super-sonic ears usually pick up on things like this quickly.
Thanks SO much for saving my super-sonic ears!
What is your experience with the battery life with the registry fix applied? Has it decreased because you disabled the C-state? Also, anything else you noticed with the registry fix? Please let me know! If there is no impact on battery life or anything else I will try it out. Thank you.
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Anonymous
2013-10-17T14:15:16+00:00 Hi. So far I haven't noticed a difference in battery life. So I can't say one way or the other. I assume you can remove the registry entry to re-enable the C-state? Research how to re-enable, then just try it.