Hi,
been enjoying my Sager 9750 but as time goes you are bound to find issues with a system, if there are any.

The two ones I have in mind are first soundcard related, and second (my guess) the hard drive.

The issue with the soundcard is that when I plug in headphones I get allot of cracking sounds while music is playing. Sounds like someone is making popcorn, and in time the soundcard stops working (still visible in the device manager without any errors etc). I then have to close, for an example, the game application to get the soundcard to start working again.

I have been reading in other threads about "hissing sounds" etc, and that you should disable the IR device etc. I have done all that, but this is not a hissing sound as mentioned.

I think I might order a PCMCIA soundcard, but I would like this to work as intended for now if possible.

The issue with the (my guess) hard drive is that sometimes it makes theese "scratching" noises while loading. Almost like a DJ scratching a vinyle record (no DVD or CD in the bay I might add).

If anyone have a clue how to fix the soundcard cracking noise or what might be the scratching noises I would be thankful.

Best regards / Z

Ps. I did a search here at work for threads about this but got bad gateway as return.. My apologies if this is the 1000th thread about this.

Hi ! I have my 9750 since three days....
Sound is not crackling here with headphones, for sure.
Are you sure the scratching is caused from hard drives ? The drives are screwed on gums and there are no moveable parts in this region. Either your hard drives are somehow defect or - and this is my conclusion - you hear a fan.

Yes, indeed, I had a scratching noise also. Sometimes it sounded heart breaking - eeheheh. But that´s a fan, spinning too low and then hanging and scratching. I found out, the fans need more power to spin correctly. So grab your GetThermal copy, set AC2 Trip to 40 and free your fans pushing the trigger (do not use Fn+F2). Then fans do have the right speed and there are no more strange noises. Try it out and tell me if this fixed it.

I'm not sure if mine has been doing that, but I'd like to get "get thermal" in case it starts. Where can I get that from?

Same problem here as well. I'd been giving it a shot of Fn-F2 from time to time to shut it up. After some heavy digging through expired forums in Google, I found Getthermal at this link:

http://www.downloads.darkalias.com/?act=

wait..isn't that the program Sager DOES NOT want people to have - due to implications of sc*wing up the fan/temp settings and they will void the warranty if it is found ?

It won´t last long till people will see that Clevo did big BS again with fans and fan automatics again in 9750/D900K. CPU fan/s hang/scratch/stop very very often, nearly every new boot and even while working.....

Using Fn+F2 works great, but either the fans fully stop afterwards (and possibly hang again when starting over) or VGA fan doesn´t come down from highest speed. BIOS settings do not seem to have any effect.

Get Thermal is such a nice tool, and we can be really happy it still works (partly) with 9750. My 9750 works so cool and quiet now, X2 4200+ on full
2,2Ghz with 46C in idle and never coming higher than 50C ..... it´s incredible !!!! I love this DTR and I love GetThermal.

BTW you could and can always get GT from my thread here, including my tiny GetThermal manual text:

http://www.notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=87133

And I would really be happy if some internal people could release an actual version showing up VGA temps and fans....

I've been watching the correlation between the noise and CPU temp. The default fan speed algorithm (as shipped, no Getthermal involved) seems to need a bit of tuning, since it seems to gently swing between 50 and 60C when the computer is idle. You can hear the fan ratchet down a speed every time the temp ticks down a degree, etc.

When the temp hits 50, this probably corresponds to a fan speed that is 'too slow' and causes noise. The temp starts to rise, hitting 51 soon (although not doing more than slightly altering the scratchy noise). Roughly 30sec to a minute later, it hits 52, which kicks the fan up enough to stop the noise. Then begins a corresponding upswing cycle to 60, then back down to 50... rinse and repeat.

What we need is a BIOS patch or some 'legal' utility to set a minimum CPU speed (if you can barely hear the fan at 51C, why bother ratcheting down to the screeching point at 50C).

Thank you all for your advices and information.
I will surely investigate into all of this.
I have been using samurize for quite some time on my desktop system (http://www.samurize.com/html/modules/news/). Maby put together with GT, you will both get the control and monitor possibillities requested.

Best regards / Z

I want to add an issue about the cracking noise on the Sager 9750. I run both Linux and Windows XP.
I have absolutely no sound problems from the speakers or the headphone socket under Linux, but under Windows XP Pro N with the Clevo D900K Audio drivers (AC97) it's horrible.
So I have to admit that there is no physical problem with my Sager 9750 , but it's the drivers implementation or something else under Windows XP that cause the problem.

Has anyone checked to see if windows is set to 2 speakers instaead of quad?

It got so bad under Windows XP Pro and World of Warcraft... that I also purchased the Creative Labs Audigy2 ZS (PCMCIA cardbus).

Hi, and thanks for all replies and thoughts.
I downloaded the "Realtek AC'97 Audio Driver v3.84" which fixed the cracking and snapping noises. The hissing sound is still there thou, but atleast the soundcard is not stopping to work anymore.

Maby this is of intrest for you also:
Link for changenotes: http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/148
Link for download: http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/148/mirrors.php

Best regards / Z

Whoa... what a day for audio drivers...
1st I see there are new drivers for the Creative Labs Audigy 2 ZS Notebook (drivers 2.8.004 release 7th March 2006) and now you mention Audio Drivers 3.84 might fix the top-most-annoying-bug of the 9750 :-)

Thanks,
Erik

PS. I could not edit my previous post to add the changelog.