What's new

Are people exaggerating loud fan noise?

hughlle

Super Moderator
Staff member
Thanks for the continued sarcasm. I would ask you to perform the stated use case again just to be sure.

You apparently have a magical SP3, either that or the i3 version has considerable less fan noise, which might be likely as it produces less heat.

It's certainly not 'deafening' -not that I've seen anyone claim that. However it can be distracting and can get loud. Users are not simply lying / or making this up. There are plenty of youtube videos where people have recorded the fan noise also. I have seen my i5 version produce sounds similar to the video I'm linking to below both during video play back and while using the screen saver on AC power.


That or his hearing is slightly sub-par.
 

NeilG

New Member
Thanks for your feedback, would you mind plugging your SP3 into AC power and then playing a 1080P youtbe video for about 20 minutes with volume muted? Let me know if you still can't hear the fan spinning.

No I won't. I've already posted earlier on this thread as to what the fan on this device sounds like. I think you need to get over your self. If you don't like the device get rid of it.
 

dmillerzx

New Member
Thanks for your contribution to the topic, just read your experience.. For your information I love my device.

Get over myself? Not sure I follow you. How is my experience any less significant than yours or the OPs? How do I "seem determined that no one can have a different opinion"?.
 

Moonsurface

Super Moderator
Staff member
My i7 sounds the same as the one in the video, for sure it sounds louder if you do what he's doing and put your hand in front of it and direct it towards you. It;s there, it's noticible but I don't find it that distracting in all but the quietest of meeting rooms. One time I was using the SP3 as a notepad in a meeting and I became aware that the fan was blowing, I didn't know why as it doesn't usually doing that task. I did actually turn it off because it was a little embarrassing, however I'm not sure whether my colleagues beside me actually noticed it. It turned out that bitdefender (my AV) had become corrupted and was pushing the processor, once that was sorted no fan noise again with normal use like that. Watching Netflix for hours (on battery or AV) I don't notice the fan, it may come on very slow but I don't hear it above the sound of what I'm watching and the device stays cool.

I'm happy with mine.

Anyone got a decibel meter!??
 

hughlle

Super Moderator
Staff member
My i7 sounds the same as the one in the video, for sure it sounds louder if you do what he's doing and put your hand in front of it and direct it towards you. It;s there, it's noticible but I don't find it that distracting in all but the quietest of meeting rooms. One time I was using the SP3 as a notepad in a meeting and I became aware that the fan was blowing, I didn't know why as it doesn't usually doing that task. I did actually turn it off because it was a little embarrassing, however I'm not sure whether my colleagues beside me actually noticed it. It turned out that bitdefender (my AV) had become corrupted and was pushing the processor, once that was sorted no fan noise again with normal use like that. Watching Netflix for hours (on battery or AV) I don't notice the fan, it may come on very slow but I don't hear it above the sound of what I'm watching and the device stays cool.

I'm happy with mine.

Anyone got a decibel meter!??

Fully agree, while clearly audible, the normal sound isn't overly distracting, and hey, most of the day my computer is on in the room anyway. However i use it in class a lot (bare in mind this is a class much like a meeting, maybe 10 people tops, niche subject) just flat, without the kickstand, and occasionally the fan has ramped up for whatever reason, and at that point, it's much like the video, and it's a very different noise and definately a distraction. Others in the class have certainly noticed (however not as another member claimed, when stating that he was told to turn it off in a lecture because it was so loud).

One thing i noticed recently, is that typically internet videos did nothing to my device, howveer after installing forefox, i had to manually install flash, and since then, the fan has been much more active during internet use.

I think everyone needs to calm down about the fan noise issues.

What a waste of a pun opportunity :p
 
OP
G

goodintentions

Active Member
I still can't hear it after putting in the charger and have it play 1080p movie.

But I'll accept that some people can hear it and it's distracting to them.

My question is how did they survive the time when there were only laptops? Heck, how are they surviving the real world when there's always some kind of background noise? This is the winter, and the furnace... you get the idea.
 

hughlle

Super Moderator
Staff member
I still can't hear it after putting in the charger and have it play 1080p movie.

But I'll accept that some people can hear it and it's distracting to them.

My question is how did they survive the time when there were only laptops? Heck, how are they surviving the real world when there's always some kind of background noise? This is the winter, and the furnace... you get the idea.

I'm 26, a young un, and have only ever owned one laptop, got it about 11 years ago, but that never made a sound until playing an intensive game. Big computers i just accepted as making noise regardless how much i spend. But the surface to me is very discernible, maybe it is that it is a noise i don't want, and once you notice one of those noises, you can't not notice it. Maybe there is some psychology behind this. I am studying it at uni, maybe i'll look into this (I'm term 2 year 1 and they're already telling me to research thesis ideas).

You seem to be thinking we are irritated by the fan noise, to the point of just buying an ipad (which i did, it sucks more than i can describe imo), we're just saying that it can be anything but silent. Maybe i just have abnormal hearing. I do seem to be able to pick out my cats bells from a mile off.
 

vsherry

Member
I'm 26, a young un, and have only ever owned one laptop, got it about 11 years ago, but that never made a sound until playing an intensive game. Big computers i just accepted as making noise regardless how much i spend. But the surface to me is very discernible, maybe it is that it is a noise i don't want, and once you notice one of those noises, you can't not notice it. Maybe there is some psychology behind this. I am studying it at uni, maybe i'll look into this (I'm term 2 year 1 and they're already telling me to research thesis ideas).

You seem to be thinking we are irritated by the fan noise, to the point of just buying an ipad (which i did, it sucks more than i can describe imo), we're just saying that it can be anything but silent. Maybe i just have abnormal hearing. I do seem to be able to pick out my cats bells from a mile off.

I freely acknowledge that people say I have exceptional hearing, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't find the fan loud. In no way does it irritate me to the point of considering another product. All products have their issues, and I'm content. It barely happens anyway.
 
OP
G

goodintentions

Active Member
I freely acknowledge that people say I have exceptional hearing, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't find the fan loud. In no way does it irritate me to the point of considering another product. All products have their issues, and I'm content. It barely happens anyway.
How did you survive the era when there were only laptops?
 

macmee

Active Member
i7 owner here, my fan kicks in often and is noticeably loud. Maybe this problem is exclusive to i7 owners?
 
Top