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Why Is My Laptop Making a Buzzing Noise and How to Reduce or Fix it.

Summary: Why some laptops produce high-pitched buzzing noises and how to reduce them. Discover tips like enabling bus mastering devices to minimize noise caused by the processor's power state.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Instructions

In certain situations, an intermittent, high-frequency buzzing noise may be heard from your system. It appears to change with processor activity and can increase in frequency if USB devices are attached. This buzzing noise is noticeable on all laptops but seems abnormal because it differs from the usual computer sounds.

The noise has been isolated to the processor’s power circuit and is only audible when the processor is in C3 (clock-stopped) power state. In this state, the computer is in a low-power mode designed to reduce chassis heat and extend the battery life. The changes to the components in the processor's power circuit are caused by a phenomenon referred to as the Piezoelectric Effect This hyperlink is taking you to a website outside of Dell Technologies.. When a specific voltage is applied to these components, they begin to resonate producing sounds that fall within the range of human hearing (15 - 20 KHz).

The noise is normal and within the acoustic specifications of the computer.

Replacing parts do not end the buzzing. If the buzzing is annoying, you can prevent the computer from entering the C3 state to reduce the noise.

Enable Bus Mastering Devices to Prevent the Processor From Entering C3 Power State

Enable bus mastering devices, such as the onboard Bluetooth radio, to prevent the processor from entering the C3 power state. This prevents the intermittent, high-frequency buzzing noise from occurring. However, when the system is running on battery only, the battery's operational time is reduced.

To enable the Bluetooth radio:

  1. Right-click the Bluetooth icon SLN84348_en_US__3bluetooth in the system tray.
  2. When the Bluetooth Settings menu appears, left-click Power On if it is displayed in the menu. If Power Off is displayed, the Bluetooth radio is already enabled.

There are other reasons computers make noises such as a loud CPU fan, slight buzzing, or a humming noise. See the following Dell Knowledge Base articles for help with determining and reducing or with eliminating the sound.

Affected Products

Chromebook, G Series, Alienware, Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Legacy Laptop Models
Article Properties
Article Number: 000142729
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 03 Dec 2024
Version:  7
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