Dell mini 9 (Inspiron 910) problem

[BerenTebogo]

Now that I finally fixed my software problem I have to deal with my hardware problem.

I have a Dell mini 9 past warranty which clicks incessantly based on the angle of the screen (I know that sounds weird)

I've seen similar problems on http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dell...s-causing.html but no solution other than to send it back to dell (while under warranty) and to do that or to bring it to a shop would cost probably as much as I paid for the entire computer anyways...which is just silly.

To be more specific about the problem I'm going to quote the IRC conversation I had with killgannon about this (it's kinda long so spoiler)

Spoiler: show

<Sath> although maybe it's related to the problem with the minibook itself
<Sath> which is a really weird one that I don't know what to make of
<killgannon> what is it doing?
<Sath> ok this is gonna sound weird but I'm going to try to be as specific as possible
<Sath> reference points: laptop closed = 0d normal open = 90d full open = 135d half closed = 45d
<killgannon> where does that come from?
<Sath> When my computer is on and in a position greater than ~60d, aka close to normal open to fully opened
<killgannon> oh ok
<Sath> just reference angles for the degree angle created by the open screen in reference to the base
<Sath> so i can more easily describe the problem
<killgannon> yeah i got it, go on
<Sath> it will start this clicking, which increases in rate as the degree increases
<Sath> the clicking sounds very much like the hard drive
<Sath> this is accompanied by the PC becoming exceptionally overheated very quickly
<Sath> however in < 60d, aka REALLY hard to see anything going on on my PC
<Sath> there is no clicking and the PC remains at a normal temperature
<Sath> and it's REALLY weird, it's always been like this since the day I got, which is why I've never really used it
<Sath> so the problem, whatever it is, seems to be 100% dependent on the angle of my screen...which is just...lol
<killgannon> hmm
<killgannon> dell mini 9? or?
<Sath> mini 10
<Sath> inspiron 910
<killgannon> it has an SSD right?
<Sath> a what now?
<killgannon> solid state drive
<killgannon> gah
<killgannon> whats the service tag?
<Sath> FYTHGJ1
<killgannon> 1X422GSolid State Drive,16G,ParallelAdvanced Technology Attachment,4GX4,STEC
<killgannon> yeah SSD, your hdd isnt clicking
<Sath> idk what that means
<killgannon> it means there's no moving parts
<Sath> so what could the clicking / overheating be from do you think?
<killgannon> looking now
<Sath> ok
<killgannon> does it have a fan?
<Sath> I don't hear one running so I don't believe so
<Sath> it has slits for airflow it looks like but I'd be able to hear a fan I think
<killgannon> see that clicking makes no sense
<killgannon> nothing in your computer is moving
<Sath> lol
<Sath> i'll test it right now
<Sath> it's currently at ~60d
<killgannon> it has no fan, no hdd, no moving parts at all
<Sath> 90d single click, didn't start going
<Sath> >90d rapid clicking
<Sath> daduh daduh daduh
<Sath> it's clicking in 2's
<Sath> 1/16th time rly
<Sath> back to 60d, clicking stops
<killgannon> that's weird, have you had it over a year?
<Sath> yes
<Sath> warranty expired 6 days ago
<killgannon> damn
<Sath> my timing is AWESOME
<killgannon> >.<;
<Sath> there's NUMEROUS topics about this on http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dell...ms/index6.html
<Sath> but they all are being dismissed as a hd issue
<Sath> http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dell...-clicking.html
<Sath> that for example
<killgannon> you have a mini9>.>
<Sath> oh, well
<Sath> same thing
<Sath> lemme go to mini9 forums
<killgannon> not the same thing
<killgannon> mini10s have normal drives i think
<killgannon> yeah they do
<Sath> you're sure it's a mini9?
<killgannon> yes
<killgannon> search inspirion 910
<killgannon> its the same as a mini9
<Sath> http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dell...dd-noises.html
<Sath> this is it exactly
<Sath> but no answer
<Sath> Yeah.. its the same sound every time. Same level. Its a constant beat in a way..
<Sath> no answer in that topic either, ftw
<killgannon> sounds like its common though

So basically, as long as this clicking / overheating due to clicking is present my laptop is all but unusable. I can deal with the steep angle at home but for school it's just not a possibility to be fucking around with a fussy PC that much, I'll miss too much of what I'm supposed to be paying attention to.

Hopefully someone here can figure it out since a wide google, youtube, and dell forums search has yielded no answers for me and I'm not ready to sink more cash into a PC I got on sale for like $100-$150.

[BerenTebogo]

Shameless bump

[Arnwulf]

I'm thinking the clicking may be due to an electrical short of some sort due to the angle of the screen. It's quite possible there's a loose wire that's attached to the "hinge" and the farther you move it back, the worse it gets and the clicking is actually the electricity arcing to the motherboard, thereby causing it to overheat due to it trying to draw more power.

Just a shot in the dark, but if you could somehow open it up, this problem would be pretty obvious to spot.

[BerenTebogo]

what would I be looking for? I'll definitely consider it but don't want to open it up unless I have a few backup things to look for so I'm not opening and closing it a thousand times.

[Arnwulf]

Most obvious would be to look for a loose wire, but it may just be a short on the board of some sort, in which case there would be no wire.

Other clues would be to look for burn marks on the board or broken solder, pretty much anything that looks "out of place". Electricity arcing inside a computer should leave some sort of trace, especially if it's causing the computer to overheat.

[Mafai]

does it do it when its both plugged in / unplugged? i ask because the brightness should auto adjust if not plugged in (get dimmer), i read an article in the past about laptops "whining" when their brightness is to high...

http://www.silentpcreview.com/stop_lcd_whine

here is something else as well:

Static noise issue

This is caused by a bad connection between the chips and the shielding. I've noticed that the static almost always kicks in with high CPU load. Someone said blowing into the side of the mini - between the sound connections and usb port instantly fixed it. I tried this and sure enough, the static disappeared. This was the key to solving it for me. OSX definitely runs hotter than XP on my mini... It makes perfect sense that a small number of mini's have a bad heatsink connection and thus this issue.

If you have the static problem, try blowing into the side of your mini between the usb port and sound connectors, does it disappear?

I wouldn't recommend doing this long-term as liquid from your mouth is likely to get into your mini and damage it over time. Think of it as a way to identify the problem, not as a solution.

[BerenTebogo]

The noise is present plugged and unplugged, battery and no battery. Also present from the moment of startup (pre-loading OS)

Haven't tried adjusting the brightness or blowing into it, but it can't hurt.

[Mafai]

Also, is it present with the sound on/off? Might be an instance of your cell phone, microphone, or cordless phone being too close...

[BerenTebogo]

Also, is it present with the sound on/off? Might be an instance of your cell phone, microphone, or cordless phone being too close...

Yeah, muted and unmuted. Happens any place in apartment too.