Problems with the new IBM T40

[mocca]

Hi everyone,

I want to know if other owners of the IBM T40 have similar problem. Basically, the laptop produce static hissing noise when plug in the AC Adapter. THe noise itself is not loud so you might need to hear it in a quiet room. I want to get a confirm that if it is normal or not. You can try to hear the noise three ways.

1) With laptop shutdown, plug in the AC adapter. Lift the laptop up and put your ear near the AC connection in the back of the laptop (where the AC Adapter plug into). Do you hear static hissing noise?

2) With windows booting up, put your ear near the left side of the keyboard. Do you hear a static hissing noise (not the fan or HDD noise)?

3) During a Windows session, change the power setting to be "Always On". Put your ear near the left side of the keyboard. Do you hear the noise?

I would appreciate if you can try to hear the noise using the above three methods and let me know if you can hear it or not. I'm sending the laptop for services and want to know if it is normal or not (the IBM tech support is no help).

Mocca

 

[Tot]

Interesting hissing sound.

I heard this from other laptops before too. I dont know where exactly it came from but I have suspected it to come from the connectors for the lcd.

The laptop I am talking about is a compaq900Z with ATI IGP.


I cant make sense of it though. It does not affect performance in anyway.

Try connecting to external monitor and switch between the two.

Hopefully its nothing serious.

 

[OldSpooky]

I have noticed this as well on my T40. Where was yours manufactured? Mine says made in China.

Electronic noise comes from the left rear (where AC connects), but only when running on AC power.

I had a Latitude D600 that made much more annoying noises through the AC adapter, and I have read that the D800 also makes noises where the AC connects to the notebook.

 

[mocca]

Originally posted by: OldSpooky
I have noticed this as well on my T40. Where was yours manufactured? Mine says made in China.

Electronic noise comes from the left rear (where AC connects), but only when running on AC power.

I had a Latitude D600 that made much more annoying noises through the AC adapter, and I have read that the D800 also makes noises where the AC connects to the notebook.

The current unit is the replacement unit that IBM sent to me. I don't know if the first one have the same problem or not since I didn't really check for the noise before I sent it back to IBM (because of other issues, not the noise). The first one is made in China. The current one is mad in Mexico. The noise is not that bad but kinda annoying. I find the solution though. If you set your laptop to "Laptop/Portable", the noise is almost non-exist during a windows session. But the noise caused by the AC plug in when the laptop shut down is still there.

Anyone else hear this noise? It might worth while if we all try to find a solution for this problem or at least determine if it is model-wide problem or machine specific. Let try to categorize the problem. Please try to hear the noise and state your model number, machine type, where did it made, and the noise problem. I will start first.

IBM T40
Machine type: 23729CU
Made in Mexico

Noise with AC plug in but laptop shut down (i.e, charging battery only): Yes but very low
Noise when booting up Windows: Yes
Noise within a Windows session with power setting "Always On" or "Home/Office": Yes

Mocca

 

[lothix]

Perhaps you are having the same issue?

http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-43422

 

[OldSpooky]

Perhaps you are having the same issue?

I checked my AC adapter and it is 16 Volts at 4.5 Amps, or 72 Watts. Whether or not it really is supplying up to 72 watts is another matter.

Please try to hear the noise and state your model number, machine type, where did it made, and the noise problem. I will start first.

ThinkPad T40
Machine Type: 237312U
Made in China

Noise description - high pitched tone emited while laptop plugged in and off. mild chirping sounds while laptop on AC. no unusual sounds while on battery power.

 

[mocca]

Good find Quite possible but shouldn't the T40 ship with a standard AC adapter (i.e., shouldn't IBM know about this problem especially they acknowledge similar problem with R32)? I also find many people complain about the noise issue on the IBM forum as well. Hoepfully IBM can come up with a solution soon. One thing I find interesting. If you boot up your laptop and get into the BIOS, there is no noise at all. The same thing happen when you remove the HDD and try to boot up the machine (it won't boot to Windows but will load up the BIOS and etc.). There is no noise at all without loading into Windows.

I tried many things including update the drivers and all patches from IBM and try running the CPUIdle. But both doesn't help at all. In fact CPUIdle make thing worse. The noise is there all the time even with the Laptop/Portable setting when running CPUIdle. However, it make the noise a bit lower in the "Always On" setting though. But doesn't worth it IMHO.

I believe the noise have to do with the P-M speedstepping or bad EMI shielding.

Another way to produce the noise is to open a web page that is longer than 1 page (so you can scroll through it). Hold your left click on the scroll bar and move it up and down. You should hear the noise when you scroll up and down. Try this and let me know if this produce the noise as well.

Mocca

 

[OldSpooky]

I believe the noise have to do with the P-M speedstepping

I doubt it - it wouldn't explain the noise while the laptop is off, and I don't think the P-M steps up and down all the time even while the system is idle. I noticed that the noise gets worse as the battery approaches 100% charge. I drained to 50% and plugged back into AC - it wasn't that bad until 80% or so.

 

[mocca]

I think there might be two seperate problems.

1) The noise that come from the AC adapter connection to the back of the laptop is always there regardless of whether the laptop is turn on or not
2) The noise the is louder in term of magnitude and usually associate with the "Always On" power setting.

My guess would be that the 1st one is caused by charging capacitor (pure guess here). The 2ns noise source is caused by the Intel Speedstep (which would explain why the same noise exist in the D600/800 and Evo N620c). I had the Evo N620c before this T40 and the noise is similar but much worse. In the N620c, I can hear the noise practically 1 foot away from the keyboard. In the current T40, my ear have to be in the vicinity of 4-6 inches before I can hear the noise (an dmy ear is quote good ). As for the noise in the number 1, I have to put my ear around 2 inches from the AC connector itself to hear it. Ok, let's update the noise problem log a little bit.

Add Range (range mean the farest distance from your ear to the noise source that you CAN hear the noise)

Noise when plug in the AC adapter (without booting up the laptop): Yes, Range: 2 inches from the AC connection in the back of the laptop
Noise when using the laptop with "Always On" power setting: Yes, Range: 4-6 inches from the cooling vent.

Model T40, P-M 1.6GHz with M9 32MB
Machine Type:23739CU
Made in Mexico

Mocca

 

[OldSpooky]

I did a BIOS update, and checked out the new BIOS after reboot - and there was no abnormal noise while I was in the BIOS.

Also though I would like to note that the CPU seemed to be going at full speed - the fan was spewing out hot air the whole time even though my T40 wasn't doing much.

 

[mocca]

Same here. In the BIOS, there is no noise at all regardless of what BIOS version I used.

Mocca

 

[OldSpooky]

Range I can hear abnormalities is greater than 4 meters, maybe 5 (I'm not kidding). No abnormalities at any range under battery.

I'm hoping IBM will release a BIOS update to fix this issue.

 

[mocca]

Originally posted by: OldSpooky
Range I can hear abnormalities is greater than 4 meters, maybe 5 (I'm not kidding). No abnormalities at any range under battery.

Are you serious? 4m is huge? I can hear it the most is 6 inches from the laptop (possible 12 inches if I really try to hear it in a very quiet room). On the other hands, I can hear the noise in the old n620c even two feets aways though if I really pay attention to it.

Mocca

 

[OldSpooky]

Update - I called IBM this morning. The tech I talked to was unable to isolate the cause of the noise. He suggested that I try a different AC adapter (my neighbor has a T23 that uses the same 72 watt AC adapter so I will try that one)

There were problems with R32 ThinkPads that shipped with power adapters that did not provide enough power. If my adapter is not really supplying 72 watts, that may be the cause of the noise.

The IBM tech said that if the other AC Adapter did not fix the problem, IBM would pick up my machine for depot service.

On a side note, my IBM customer service experience was much better than my experience with Dell. I experienced no hold times, the phone connection was good (presumably my call was not shunted to India), and I did not end up bounced between different departments.

 

[OldSpooky]

More interesting developments - I borrowed my neighbor's T23 AC adapter, plugged into my T40, and guess what? The noise levels dropped to nearly undetectable levels.

The cricket-like chirping noises dissapeared, and the high pitched tones also dissapeared... go figure. Both AC adapters are rated at 72 watts, but the T23 model is slighly longer.

I called IBM - they are shipping me a replacement T40 adapter on monday. I hope this fixes the problem...

 

[cbagz]

 

[cbagz]

Jeez sorry for the empty post!

Anyway man how ironic is that... the dell D600 power adapter, and now your T40's power adapter. : (

 

[Kangaroo802]

<q>Another way to produce the noise is to open a web page that is longer than 1 page (so you can scroll through it). Hold your left click on the scroll bar and move it up and down. You should hear the noise when you scroll up and down. Try this and let me know if this produce the noise as well.</q>

Just to add mine.....

I had:

IBM T40
237394U
Made in Mexico

I didnt notice a hissing sound from the AC or from the keyboard....however, what i quoted up top. I did notice that. with the new power supply, did it fix that problem as well?

Have we come to the conclusion that the problem is caused by the power adapter? Maybe this caused soemthign wrong in my previous machine as well (the color pattern appearing and notihng i could do about it). I hope that was just an isolated case.

On a happy note, my replacement already shipped! I feel kinda bad for those woh had to wait a month. They started packing 1 day after my new order and shipped 2 days after, i should be getting it tuesday or wednesday!

 

[caltrinity]

Here's some posts from the official IBM Support website. It cannot be linked since it is password protected.

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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (1 of 23), Read 180 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: caltrinity
Date: Sunday, May 04, 2003 03:06 AM

I've just recently noticed a slight buzzing sound coming from the CPU vent hole on the left side of my 2 week old T40 2373 72U.

The buzzing sound is soft but when in a quite room it can be heard.

The buzz sounds kind of like electricity interference...

But here's where it gets kind of tricky... the buzz increases slightly in volume when you move your mouse pointer around... especially when you hold down your left mouse button and drag the scroll bar up and down or just about do anything with the mouse.

What's also strange is that in BIOS it does not have the sound... only once windows loads up.

I've tried it with and without AC Adapter. With AC adapter, the problem is still there PLUS another sound like a pulsating buzz sound every second or so kind of like a trickle battery charger.

Sound not from HDD or Sound card.

I've re installed from recovery. I've downloaded and updated to latest bios and drivers, to no avail.

I've contacted IBM and they referred me to a local service center. Just wondering if any of you can hear the same issue on your T40.

Other than that... I'M A VERY HAPPY IBM THINKPAD owner... my first of many to come...

Thanks.

-caltrinity






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (2 of 23), Read 141 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: kglattfelder
Date: Sunday, May 04, 2003 08:15 AM

Mine does the same thing. I forgot to mention it when I posted below about the nearly never ending cooling fan. I noticed that the sound seemed more prevalent if I selected the High System performance or Always On power profiles. The sound does sound like it's electrical. It's not the lcd backlight inverter since it's in the display panel. I removed the keyboard and I had a hard time determining exactly where the sound was coming from. I am getting a replacement unit on Monday and I will report back here what I find out.






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (3 of 23), Read 141 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: caltrinity
Date: Sunday, May 04, 2003 01:12 PM

Wow... thanks!!! How did you go about getting a replacement? I called IBM and they just referred me to a local service center.

I kind of have an attachment for things.. do you know if I can still keep mine... and just maybe do a BIOS fix... I know that the T30 had similar problems?

Also when you get your new one is it REFURBISHED? Do you get only a 90 warranty?

Thanks.

-caltrinity






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (4 of 23), Read 135 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: kglattfelder
Date: Sunday, May 04, 2003 04:46 PM

Actually, I didn't order mine from IBM. I bought it from pcconnections.com. I called their customer support first before contacting IBM. They decided to send me a new unit. As far as ordering from IBM is concerned you have thirty days to send a unit back. If you bought the T40 from IBM and have had it less than thirty days I would call them and request a return RMA.






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (5 of 23), Read 140 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: caltrinity
Date: Sunday, May 04, 2003 04:49 PM

Actually I bought it from EUCLID COMPUTERS.. NEVER BUY ANYTHING FROM THEM.... they may have the lowest prices.. but it's not worth the trouble.

So I can't return it...

The buzzing is hardly noticeable unless you are in a quiet room.. but it can get annoying late a night.. and I just don't want it to get worse..

Please keep me updated as to how your new unit goes..

Thanks.

-caltrinity






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (6 of 23), Read 121 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: dataiv
Date: Sunday, May 04, 2003 07:35 PM

I have had this same problem with a ThinkPad T30, and mine still is not fixed. I found that if I disabled CPU Power Management in the BIOS then the buzzing didn't pulsate when moving the mouse pointer, and it really didn't affect my battery life much (if at all). I'm still not really impressed about this noise, but it doesn't bug me too much any more.






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (7 of 23), Read 123 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: caltrinity
Date: Sunday, May 04, 2003 07:54 PM

Thanks for your response.

Is there a fix for it at all? Has IBM tried to fix it? Or is it irreparable?

Does everyone else's T40 do this? Or are we just the unlucky ones?

Thanks!

-caltrinity






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (8 of 23), Read 112 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: darkj2k
Date: Monday, May 05, 2003 04:44 AM

Mine and most owners in Taiwan all have this problem too.

May the FoRcE be with you!






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (9 of 23), Read 102 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: Joe@IBM2
Date: Monday, May 05, 2003 02:36 PM

Hello caltrinity, darkj2k, dataiv, and kglattfelder,

You should hear your fan when it spins and you should hear the Hard Drive, CD-ROM Drive, and Floppy Drive when they are being used. You should not be hearing a buzzing or whining noise. If you have run a full recovery on the system and have the latest BIOS installed, that pretty much narrows it down to a hardware problem. Hardware problems obviously cannot be fixed via the forum, you will need to contact the Helpcenter in your country to find out what options you have for repair. The following Web site will provide you with the correct phone number.

Http://www.pc.ibm.com/qtechinfo/YAST-3P2QYL.html

Thank you for using the IBM Discussion Forums.

Joe S.
IBM World-Wide Electronic Support and Services






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (10 of 23), Read 89 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: kglattfelder
Date: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 06:38 AM

My replacement unit makes the same sounds. I don't mind since the fan seems to work correctly on this unit!






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (11 of 23), Read 91 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: Joe@IBM2
Date: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 10:45 AM

Hello kglattfelder,

Thank you for providing this additional information.

Thank you for using the IBM Discussion Forums.

Joe S.
IBM World-Wide Electronic Support and Services






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (12 of 23), Read 65 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: caltrinity
Date: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 10:14 PM

Joe,

Thanks for all the help you provide to the forums.

Can you please let IBM know of this bug in many of the IBM T40s? Perhaps if they are more aware of the problem they can figure out a way to fix the problem.

I've already contact them and they referred me to an IBM service provider. However, something tells me that most people have this problem and so it seems like it is a problem with hardware and any replacements as a previous poster mentioned did not solve the problem. Perhaps IBM can research this problem in further depth.

Please refer to my first post for the symptoms and situations in which it occurs. Furthermore, the problem is non-existent in BIOS, only when Windows XP is loaded. Which is strange as well.

Moreover, can you explain to me what the difference in Membership Level represent?
Premier, Select, and Warranty?

Thank you!

Sincerely,
caltrinity






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (13 of 23), Read 50 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: Joe@IBM2
Date: Thursday, May 08, 2003 04:28 PM

Hello Caltrinity,

We cannot escalate this because we have no method of recreating the problem. I have not been able to recreate this on any of the T40s or T30s here in our lab. The only way we can research this further is if we acquire one of the machines that has the issue. The only way we can do that is if you send your machine in for service.

To answer your last question, you can think of it as a rating system with Premier being the top rating. If a business is listed as Premier, it is because they do more business with IBM and/or have higher customer satisfaction levels. Please see the following for more information.

http://www.developer.ibm.com/bpconnections/bpcms.nsf/Public.Help?OpenForm&NL=en

Thank you for using the IBM Discussion Forums.

Joe S.
IBM World-Wide Electronic Support and Services






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (14 of 23), Read 54 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: caltrinity
Date: Thursday, May 08, 2003 07:03 PM

As always. Thank you Joe.

-caltrinity






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (15 of 23), Read 50 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: kglattfelder
Date: Thursday, May 08, 2003 10:08 PM

Hi Joe,

Try this with your machine. Go to a quiet room. Plug the T40 into the adapter and set the power setting to "Always On". On my unit when I do this I hear a faint, but noticeable noise that is hard to describe. It sorta an electrical buzz. Don't confuse this with the fan which you should feel if you have your ear placed next to the fan outlet. If the fan is on you won't hear the noise (since it's drown out by the fan). Listen for a few moments then switch the power profile to Portable/Laptop and repeat. On my unit the sound goes away when selecting the later power profile.

On a different note I noticed that the cooling fan on my replacement unit still has an issue where it continues to run for long lengths of time after I task the processor. For example, I just d/l the new Hulk movie trailer. After watching it the fan continued to run for appr. 10 minutes. Even though the fan was blowing out cold air and the bottom of the unit was cool to the touch. What is strange though is that I can run SiSoft Sandra (benchmark program) and benchmark the CPU. The fan will come on during the benchmark but shortly after the fan will stop. I'm trying to figure out what is happening? Seems as though the BIOS is taking other factors into consideration other than the CPU temp or the BIOS have a time delay when certain parameters are met. Would you be able to pass along a word to the appropriate people to take a look at the BIOS/ACPI fan settings? Any help would be appreciated. For now I'll sit here and listen to the fan as it blows out cold air.






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (16 of 23), Read 48 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: caltrinity
Date: Friday, May 09, 2003 02:54 AM

Funny... mine does the electrical buzzing all the time no matter what power setting.. it is however mixed in with charging sounds when the ac plug is in...

Joe, all you have to do is put your ear close to the vent and move around the touch point...

In fact, in a quiet room, I can hear the sounds from 3 feet away... it's so hard to describe... but it's definitely there..

kglattfelder, where is your new model made in? and when was it manufactured?

Can emulate the same symptoms as I have posted in the first post of this thread on your new t40?

thanks.

-caltrinity






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (17 of 23), Read 38 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: kglattfelder
Date: Friday, May 09, 2003 08:41 AM

Hehe...hey it does make noise while scrolling. I forgot to mention that in my previous posts. My unit was manufactured last month (April) in Mexico.






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (18 of 23), Read 34 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: Joe@IBM2
Date: Friday, May 09, 2003 11:27 AM

Hello caltrinity and kglattfelder,

I tried all the things you mentioned but I did not hear anything out of the ordinary. If I place my ear right up to the vent when the fan isn?t spinning I can faintly hear a noise when the TrackPoint is moved, but that is to be expected. If I?m just sitting in front of the unit, as I normally would be, I cannot hear anything aside from the fan spinning or the hard drive spinning. At this point, I cannot honestly say if you are hearing something normal or abnormal. If you have a local service center close to your location, taking the system there might be the best option. They could probably tell you immediately if what you are hearing is normal or not.

Thank you for using the IBM Discussion Forums.

Joe S.
IBM World-Wide Electronic Support and Services






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (19 of 23), Read 29 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: kglattfelder
Date: Friday, May 09, 2003 03:25 PM

Just as an FYI I did some probing inside of my machine with the keyboard lifted away and I think I localized the noise generator. Seems to be coming from the area of the modem. I didn't remove the modem to see if it was some component underneath or behind (towards the rear of the machine) it since the keyboard bezel covers that area of the machine. It is in the area of the AC connector so it might be related to the power regulation/charging circuit. Another thing..I just realized why I find the fan so annoying. It's not that the sound of the fan is that bad..it's the fact that the speakers / amp pick up EMI from the fan which effectively makes the fan sound louder.

I wouldn't suggest anyone else try this at home. I repair Ion Implanters for a living so a notebook is fairly simple.






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (20 of 23), Read 33 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: caltrinity
Date: Friday, May 09, 2003 03:55 PM

Joe,

I think this is definitely something that is worth looking into.

IT seems that a lot of people just here in the forums have the same problem or similar problems.

Where is your test T40 made in? It seems that the people having the problems are from units from China, at least in my case.

IF the problem is not on your system or any other system, then this buzzing and electrical sounds should not be considered normal.

The buzzing sound can be heard 2 feet away... all I have to do is hold the left mouse button on the scrolling pane and scroll up and down... it is very clear, without a doubt.

The reason why I am reluctant to go to an IBM service center is because they will probably just say it is normal and send me on my way. And then I would have wasted half a day trying to get there in the first place. But if other sytems are not doing this, then this is not normal.

Thanks for your help.

-caltrinity






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (21 of 23), Read 10 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: pengchurn
Date: Saturday, May 10, 2003 12:37 PM

Hi,
My T40 is also made in China and I can also hear the electrostatic/buzzing noise when resizing a window or scrolling. Interestingly, the noise only happens when I am using the AC adapter. When I am using battery, there is no buzzing noise at all. My guess is that it is AC related.

Is this problem covered under warranty?






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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (22 of 23), Read 8 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: kglattfelder
Date: Saturday, May 10, 2003 02:49 PM

Joe,

Here is a thread at Anandtech that I stumbled upon. The noise seems to be more than just an isolated incident. Sounds like the problem may be related to the power adapter.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=51&threadid=1044134&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=







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Topic: T40 - Buzzing sound coming from left airvent (23 of 23), Read 2 times
Conf: ThinkPad T20,T21,T22,T23.T30
From: caltrinity
Date: Saturday, May 10, 2003 04:01 PM

THANK YOU for the extra info... Wow.. it seems that this is NOT an isolated instance at all.

Further, I've noticed that there are 2 distinct sounds...

There is the buzzing sound that is associated with the scrolling or movement of the mouse... YET.... the sound is almost amplified when the AC Adapter is plugged in... everyone confirm this... I tried it.. the sound is still there when the AC Adapter is NOT plugged in.. it's just very quiet... now.. I can deal with that...

BUT, when the plug is plugged in I can literally hear it from 2 feet away in a quiet room.. Here's a good website to demo for a service technician...

http://www.infohq.com/Computer/LaptopGuide.htm

All you have to do is roll your mouse over the right column with the highlighted roll links and you will definately hear a very loud buzzing sound when the AC Adapter is plugged in.

Now, when the AC adapter is NOT plugged it you can still hear it.

2nd problem:
There is a second distinct sound in conjunction with the first buzzing sound if you listen closely. With the AC Adapter plugged in, you can hear a little tickling sound.. pulsating sound.. as if it is trickle charging the computer. A better way to simulate this is by putting year ear directly on the AC Adapter ONLY WHILE it is charging a battery.

I urge all of you to contact IBM and let them know about the problem. When I first called 2 weeks ago, they had no idea what I was talking about. IF we can get more people to call in they will perhaps find a fix.

kglattfelder, if you could, post up a link to this website or post something in anandtech to tell all those people with problems to call IBM as well.

Also, please let us know if the new replacement AC adapter works...

Mine is: FRU P/N: 08K8205 Rev. 01

I also noticed that when you read the Hardware Manual located online for the T40, it lists 2 different 72w AC Adapters:
2-pin (72W) slim adapter ASTEC for non-PFC - 08K8205 --- which is the one I have.

and then another:
2-pin (72W) slim adapter DELTA for non-PFC - 08K8209

Please post up which AC Adapters you have as well.

If both brands of adapters have the problem then we know that it is not simply an AC adapter problem.

I think it's a problem inherently in the MB and that' the more troublesome of the 2. I wish it was just the AC Adapter.

One thing I noticed was that when I first plugged in the AC Adapter for the FIRST TIME ever, it make a very loud sqealing electrical noize... I was totally going to return the unit until it just subsided after a minute or two.

Thanks guys... let's find out what's going on with our awesome T40s

-caltrinity

 

[OldSpooky]

I'm trying out the T23 AC adapter on my T40. T23's FRU P/N 02K6756. Noise strange noises dissapear.

Plug the FRU 08K8205 in and noises return. My hunch is that this is an AC Adapter problem, not a notebook problem. Grrr... first my D600, now this machine...

Whisky Tango Foxtrot :|

 

[caltrinity]

Ok... so I retested everything...

My T40 STILL has the sound even when running off the battery under ALL power profiles...

Now this is getting me really sad...

What are my next steps?

How does IBM go about replacing something like this if it is seemingly inherent and the AC Adapter only makes the sound louder... but DOES NOT FIX the inherent problem...

The buzzing sound is BEST emulated by going to this website:
http://www.infohq.com/Computer/LaptopGuide.htm

And rolling over the right column of highlighted links... it seems to be CORRELATED TO THE VIDEO CARD perhaps??? Because when I hold down on the mouse and scroll up and down it doesn't make as loud of a buzz as when I roll over those links????

Does IBM ship you a new T40 so that at least you don't have any downtime?

OR am I out of luck and have to ship my computer back first?

-caltrinity

 

[OldSpooky]

Cal,

Do you know anyone with a compatible IBM AC Adapter? As long as it supplies 16V and 4.5 Amps, it should work with the T40. Try another adapter like I did and see if it helps at all.

The IBM service rep I spoke to said that for now she can only do exact FRU exchanges - I've got a hunch that the AC they are shipping out to me will have the same problem, but really there's nothing I can do but wait.

If the new AC makes the same noises, I am going to demand a T23 adapter like the one my neighbor has. I tested it again against the T40 adapter, and the T23 adapter seems to solve all the noise problems.

 

[caltrinity]

I requested the DELTA branded T40 AC Adapter. See my previous post for the FRU part number.

I should receive it Mon, Tuesday latest.

I will keep you guys updated.

HOWEVER, my unit still has the BUZZING SOUND even WITHOUT AC ADAPTER while running on battery power.

Please confirm this... the sound is not as loud, but it is still there... I do not think the AC Adapter will FIX the problem.. the problem will ALWAYS be there because it seems like it is hardware problem. The AC Adapter can only MINIMIZE the problem.

If the problem is still untolerable when I get my new adapter, I'm going to request a new T40.

-caltrinity

 

[OldSpooky]

HOWEVER, my unit still has the BUZZING SOUND even WITHOUT AC ADAPTER while running on battery power.

Ok I just confirmed that the buzz still exists even on battery power. I did not notice it until I listened closely, and this buzz is of a much lower tone than the AC Buzz. Most of it blends in with the nose from my Dell Minitower PSU, except for the electric chirping (which happens intermitantly).

I'm not sure why I didn't notice it before, but the chirping is still there, just not as loud as on AC.

 

[Kangaroo802]

Originally posted by: OldSpooky

HOWEVER, my unit still has the BUZZING SOUND even WITHOUT AC ADAPTER while running on battery power.

Ok I just confirmed that the buzz still exists even on battery power. I did not notice it until I listened closely, and this buzz is of a much lower tone than the AC Buzz. Most of it blends in with the nose from my Dell Minitower PSU, except for the electric chirping (which happens intermitantly).

I'm not sure why I didn't notice it before, but the chirping is still there, just not as loud as on AC.

Again, describe to me this sound? Because either 1, it seems if this is such a miniscule problem that it didnt even bother me when i had my first one (my replacement should be here on monday or tuesday - For another problem, it completly died on me--STUPID) or 2, i didnt have it. I only noticed a pulsating sound when i scrolled up and down, and only when i used the mouse to scroll up and down. I will post my results with the new one as soon as i get the new one....