T42p: buzzing USB sounds

Message

floeff · #1 Post by **floeff** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 8:05 am

Hello all,

I experience mysterious SpeedStep problems with my new IBM ThinkPad
T42p 2 GHz. As soon as the notebook is not connected to power with the
AC adaptor, and only runs from within the battery, I hear the
well-known crushing/high noise/crackling. It doesn't seem to be the
display, as disabling the display doesn't change anything about that
sound. I tested it in a silent environment right now and came to the
following results:

As soon as I configure XP to maximum CPU power (=high CPU frequency),
I hear that sound. If I set it to battery saving (=automatically set
CPU frequency), I only hear that sound when the CPU is not idling.

As soon as I plug in the AC adaptor, that sound has gone. I tried
setting "CPU Power Management" to disable in the ThinkPad applet and
then the sound goes away as well, but I don't think wasting my battery
this way is a good idea.

Nota bene: The sound goes away as soon as I plug in a USB mouse or when I activate the microphone jack for recording. Maybe
it has to do with the higher power consumption by the mouse. Playing
with the speaker volume has no impact on the sound.

Thanks
floeff

JohnDrake · #2 Post by **JohnDrake** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 11:02 am

Did you update the embedded controller firmware and BIOS? Plus the power management driver?

Drivers/bios for T42 and T42p:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-55386

While you are at it, do all of them...

floeff · #3 Post by **floeff** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 11:09 am

Thanks John, I did so. Currently having an exchange running, but still would be interested in what is causing the problems.

raabjerg · #4 Post by **raabjerg** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 12:43 pm

Hello.

I'm experiencing the same problem on my T42. It seems that on this noise issue, it helps disabling power management on the USB root hubs in the device manager. (however, I am experiencing another separate noise issue, for which this fix does not work).

To add to the mystery, I can report that I've had a Dell D600 which did exactly the same thing, so I'm beginning to suspect it has to do with a centrino component, instead of IBM components...

regards,
raabjerg

eriqesque · #5 Post by **eriqesque** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 12:57 pm

raabjerg wrote:Hello.
To add to the mystery, I can report that I've had a Dell D600 which did exactly the same thing, so I'm beginning to suspect it has to do with a centrino component, instead of IBM components...

regards,
raabjerg

You are correct AFAIK all machines with the 855 Chipeset do this.

floeff · #6 Post by **floeff** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 1:56 pm

I know of users who definitely do NOT experience these problems.
Might it be a hardware issue?

raabjerg · #7 Post by **raabjerg** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 6:35 pm

I'm experiencing noise issues under the following circumstances:

1. CPU is set to max
2. I visit a website containing a flash applet

This is, however, regardless of whether or not I have the AC plugged in.

However, I also experience a slightly different kind of noise when I am not on AC, and this noise is more constant.

Do you also experience the above issue when visiting a flash-enabled web page, or is it only when not on AC?

I talked to the store who sold me my T42, and they had heard about the problem, but didn't think anything could be done about it. They said they had a customer once, who tried to go all the way with IBM on this one, but eventually had to give up, after having several motherboard-replacements...

raabjerg · #8 Post by **raabjerg** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 4:48 am

I might add that a friend of mine has a recently purchased Dell Latitude D600 that does not exhibit this behaviour (which annoys me as I've owned 3 of those machines who did). So apparently not all machines with the 855 chipset have these issues.

Curiously, he does not have a Intel wlan card in his computer. Could it be related to this? Perhaps you could check with the other users you know who doesn't have this problem, floeff?

Torque · #9 Post by **Torque** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 5:22 am

Are you sure, its not your harddrive?

My 7200rpm is the loudest component on my thinkpad, undless the CPU fan is running at full steam. Its not the neddles' search across the plates that makes this noise, men the bearing inside the laptop.

raabjerg · #10 Post by **raabjerg** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 5:29 am

I have a 5400 RPM drive, so i doubt this is the source of the noise.

I am aware that the 7200 RPM drives can be a bit noisy (high-pitched), that's why I'm staying down at 5400

TOSSN · #11 Post by **TOSSN** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:00 pm

I have the same problem on my ibm r51. It helped like one said, to disable power management of the USB root hubs in device manager. Can anyone understand, based on this, why the noise appeared in the first place?

raabjerg · #12 Post by **raabjerg** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 6:58 am

I don't know why the buzzing sounds exist, and I've been trying for quite a while to get an answer on this.

Intel won't admit to having an error on their components (after a seriously long email exchange), and none of the dealers/manufacturers I've been in touch with (Dell, IBM) will recognize this as an error.

If anyone has some more input on this, I'd appreciate is, as I'm probably going to try addressing it further with IBM.

T42p: buzzing USB sounds

T42p: buzzing USB sounds

Who is online