It might be one of the most annoying things about using a laptop, that annoying sound when you plug it into an outlet. No, not the one when it detects the cable is there and starts booting up. I mean the one where all other sounds in your house are dead, but this is still making noise and asks for attention. Well, that’s a little too simplified. Here are 8 reasons that could be causing your laptop to make noise when plugged in.
1. There could be a problem with the power supply.
The first and most common reason your laptop might be making a noise when plugged in is due to a problem with the power supply. If the power supply is not able to provide the correct amount of power to the laptop, then the laptop will make a noise as it tries to draw more power from the outlet. The power supply fans might also be working overtime to try and keep up with the demand, which can also cause noise.
Solution: Check to see if the power cord is plugged into the wall outlet correctly. If it is, then try plugging it into a different outlet to see if that makes a difference. If the power cord is plugged into a surge protector, make sure the surge protector is turned on. If the power cord is plugged into an extension cord, make sure the extension cord is not faulty. You might also want to try a different power cord.
2. The fans could be failing or working harder than normal due to dust buildup.
Another reason your laptop might be making noise when plugged in is due to the fan failing or working harder than normal due to dust buildup. Over time, dust can build up on the fan blades and in the laptop case, which can cause the fan to work harder than normal to keep the laptop cool. This can lead to the fan making noise as it tries to spin faster.
Solution: Clean the fan blades and case with compressed air or a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust. You might also want to open up the laptop case and clean the fan with a brush. If the fan is faulty, you might need to replace it.
3. The CPU could be overheating.
Your laptop could also be making noise when plugged in due to the CPU overheating. If the CPU gets too hot, it can start to throttle itself to prevent damage. This can lead to the fan working harder than normal to keep the CPU cool, which can cause the laptop to make noise.
Solution: Check to see if the fan is running at full speed. If it is, then try cleaning the fan blades and case as described in the previous point. You might also want to try reapplying thermal paste to the CPU. If the CPU is still overheating, you might need to replace the fan or get a new laptop.
4. BIOS beep codes.
BIOS beep codes are usually short, one-time beeps that indicate an error. They are usually sounded when you first turn on the computer. Some BIOS beep codes can be turned off in the BIOS settings, but others cannot. Every computer model is different, so you’ll need to check your computer’s manual to see how to disable the BIOS beep codes on your model. For example on an HP computer, two beeps usually indicate a problem with the RAM (memory).
Solution: The best way to fix this is to go into the BIOS settings and disable the beep codes. However, if you cannot disable the beep codes, then you can try looking at your manual and figure out what the beep code means. From there, you can try to fix the problem that is causing the beep code.
5. The graphics card cooling fan might be running at a higher speed than usual.
The graphics card helps process the images that you see on the screen. If the computer is running a lot of programs or is processing a lot of data, the graphics card can get hot. When this happens, the graphics card cooling fan will spin faster to try and cool down the graphics card. This can cause noise.
Solution: Make sure nothing is blocking the graphics card cooling fan. If the fan is clear, try opening up the computer’s case and cleaning out any dust that might be inside. Dust can build up over time and can cause the fan to run slower, which can make noise.
6. The hard drive may be working harder than usual if you’re accessing a lot of data.
If you’re using your laptop for intensive tasks like video editing or gaming, then your hard drive may be working harder than usual. This can cause the hard drive to make noise as it accesses and reads data. Your hard disk might also be faulty if you’re hearing noise even when you’re not doing anything intensive and the computer is idle.
Solution: If you’re using your computer for intensive tasks, you can try turning off some of the visual effects to ease the load on the hard drive. For example, on Windows 10, you can go to Control Panel > System > Advanced System Settings > Performance Settings > Advanced > and then turn off some of the visual effects. If the noise is coming from the hard drive even when the computer is idle, then you can try defragmenting the hard drive or running a disk check to scan for errors. You can also try backing up your data and then formatting the hard drive to see if that fixes the noise issue.
7. The laptop may be running a process that is using a lot of system resources.
If you’re hearing a noise coming from your laptop, it could be because a process is using a lot of system resources. This could be caused by a program that is running in the background or a process that is running constantly. You can use the Task Manager on Windows to see which processes are using the most resources.
Solution: The best way to fix this issue is to find the program or process that is using a lot of resources and then close it or disable it. If you’re not sure which program or process is causing the problem, you can try restarting your computer and then open the Task Manager as soon as the computer starts up. This will show you a list of all the programs and processes that are running. From there, you can try to figure out which one is causing the problem.
8. The speakers could be producing sound even when muted if you’re using certain applications.
Certain applications will still produce sound even when the speakers are muted. This could be caused by an application that is set to always produce sound or by an application that is set to produce sound when it’s not supposed to. You can check the sound settings for each application to see if the sound is turned on or off.
Solution: The best way to fix this is to go into the sound settings for each application and turn off the sound. You can usually find the sound settings in the options menu for each application. If you’re not sure where the sound settings are, you can try looking online for how to turn off the sound for each application.
Wrapping It up
Hopefully, you’ll be able to find the reason for your laptop’s noises and fix the problem. Computers are complex machines, and even the smallest problem can sometimes cause big issues. If you’re still having problems, you can always take your laptop to a computer repair shop to have them take a look at it.