[SOLVED] Does an SSD make an audible sound?

[hjvd177]

I recently swapped my mechanical drive for a WD ssd in my laptop and since the first startup it has this constant low/mid frequency hum. It is only clearly audible when I press my ear against it though, but I thought SSDs make no sound at all, is this normal?

 

[lvt]

No, they shouldn't be able to make any sound like you described.

Can you still hear it after removing the SSD?

 

[hjvd177]

No, they shouldn't be able to make any sound like you described.

Can you still hear it after removing the SSD?

It's quite a struggle to open everything up and remove it, can I somehow perhaps disable the drive or is there any sort of workaround without physically removing it?

 

[alceryes]

Are you possible hearing the piezoelectric effect? SSDs can emit a high/medium pitched squeal whine.
Dell acknowledges the sound - https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/...y-laptop-makes-a-strange-squeal-buzzing-noise

It can also be due to MLCCs. There's probably other potential reasons as well. Although quieter than HDDs SSDs are definitely not silent.

 

[hjvd177]

Are you possible hearing the piezoelectric effect? SSDs can emit a high/medium pitched squeal whine.
Dell acknowledges the sound - https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/...y-laptop-makes-a-strange-squeal-buzzing-noise

It can also be due to MLCCs. There's probably other potential reasons as well. Although quieter than HDDs SSDs are definitely not silent.

No, the sound is definitely lower than 15-20khz, any idea what else it could be or what could be wrong with the drive?

 

[hjvd177]

No, they shouldn't be able to make any sound like you described.

Can you still hear it after removing the SSD?

I set it up in an enclosure to clone it and I don't recall it making this noise. Maybe something went wrong with the installation ( I remember removing the old hd way harder than I intended to so if a damaged connector produces excessive noise then it could be that) or it's something else that's making the noise?

 

[InvalidError]

I recently swapped my mechanical drive for a WD ssd in my laptop and since the first startup it has this constant low/mid frequency hum. It is only clearly audible when I press my ear against it though, but I thought SSDs make no sound at all, is this normal?

You are most likely hearing vibrations from elsewhere in the laptop getting amplified by the SSD's mostly hollow housing acting like a speaker membrane.

The only noise I can imagine SSDs really making on their own would be coil/capacitor whine from on-board DC-DC converters.

 

[hjvd177]

You are most likely hearing vibrations from elsewhere in the laptop getting amplified by the SSD's mostly hollow housing acting like a speaker membrane.

The only noise I can imagine SSDs really making on their own would be coil/capacitor whine from on-board DC-DC converters.

This makes the most sense, I think it amplifies the noise from the fan as it ascends in frequency when I switch on the laptop in the same way that the fan picks up speed and then settles on a certain speed/frequency. I will still take the ssd out sometime to be 100% sure. Thanks for the help.