4 Posts
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August 3rd, 2023 15:00
Inspiron 14 Plus 7430, strange ticking sound
Hi,
I bought an Inspiron 14 Plus 7430 laptop. The laptop arrived today and just after starting I noticed a strange ticking noise. This noise is not constant but comes and goes away time to time.
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filbert
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1.8K Posts
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August 3rd, 2023 15:00
If it's coming from a fan then the frequency should increase as the fan speeds up. You can use an app to monitor temperatures to see if that's the case.
Otherwise, I suspect that it is an electronics phenomenon called "coil whine".
Essentially, coil whine is the audible effect of components vibrating, especially when under high load / high power. It can sound like a whine, buzz, hum, scratching, hiss, rattle or vibration. This happens with many components, but often it's not loud enough for us to hear or at a frequency that we don't hear well.
These two pages have more explanation and some tips to reduce the effect:
Unfortunately, you may not be able to eliminate it to your satisfaction. Much depends upon how you use your computer, the acoustic qualities of your room, other ambient noise, etc.
Coil whine can occur with brand new components. Components that were previously quiet can develop coil whine as they age. It has also been reported that certain software (usually games) that draw a specific power load can cause an inductor to vibrate at a specific frequency that is audible.
I once had a Netgear router whose coil whine was particularly annoying to me. I found that the volume varied among units of the identical model. I tried two or three other units of the same model in the store, and found one that I couldn't hear. Even though they were the same model, same components and power supply, two or three of them were loudly annoying to me, but the last one was inaudible.
filbert
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1.8K Posts
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August 4th, 2023 03:00
That is a common condition during which coil whine occurs, during heavy load.
As I said, it can occur with brand new components, or it can develop over time. It makes no difference.
It's merely a noise issue if it bothers someone. It is not a fault and causes no damage.
visheryolo
4 Posts
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August 4th, 2023 03:00
Thanks for your comprehensive response.
1. The noise only comes just before the fan kicking in, when I run some heavy program. It just makes this weird noise (as if you hear from a HDD), just for a millisecond. And then the fan kicks in, and the noise is gone. It is not constant as the fan runs. I have tested some 3dfurmark stress test, and the noise is not present when the fan is running.
2. The laptop is brand new. Like just 3-4 hours of running.
3. Is this coil whine an issue ? or just normal ?